Spec. Zoo Design questions

I agree that cape buffalo are the perfect animal for this. They're large and imposing, can be kept in smaller bachelor groups, and are one of the big five

Alternatively, Black rhinos or hippos would also look good in an aviary setting with limited space
 
Austin the Sengi said:
@Paul.Haerle, that’s a start, and I like the avian selection especially.

As for the mammals, would it be too risky to cohabitate something as large as a zebra with the majority of these birds?

I ask this because I’m planning for a rather unconventional mix by most standards, even for a savanna-type aviary.
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MClaeys said:
Probably, maybe blue wildebeest and impala would be nice. But like in Zoo Antwerp the mix with Cape buffalo would work great too.
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Wildebeests and zebras are wilder and more active than Cape Buffalos what could be a problem for ground birds or ground sitting vultures which can’t fly away quickly.
 
I have to ask, even with their benefits; will the buffalos still get along with more terrestrial birds (ex. Secretary Bird) and smaller mammals like other ungulates? (I’ll specify which species elsewhere).

Would it mostly be dependent on the individuals, or possibly, their temperament as a whole?
 
Austin the Sengi said:
I have to ask, even with their benefits; will the buffalos still get along with more terrestrial birds (ex. Secretary Bird) and smaller mammals like other ungulates? (I’ll specify which species elsewhere).

Would it mostly be dependent on the individuals, or possibly, their temperament as a whole?
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In the Savanna aviary, there's vultures, storks, ducks and guineafowl which don't seem all that bothered by the buffalo. And with enough space in the sky and enough non-buffalo spaces, the secretarybirds should be able to stay away from the buffaloes entirely (in Beekse Bergen they mostly stay in the trees, despite not being mixed with any hoofstock)
 
Austin the Sengi said:
Would it mostly be dependent on the individuals, or possibly, their temperament as a whole?
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I think it depends on the group‘s temperament and the enclosure design. But if there‘re everywhere ramps for Secretary Birds and are kept behind the scenes during breeding seasons there wouldn’t be problems.
 
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As mentioned in my response in the Mixed Species thread (see here: Mixed species exhibit ideas), the buffalos that I’m planning to mix will be an all-female herd.

Regardless of sex, would this change in social dynamics affect the temperament levels associated with the species?
 
Are there any species of Anatidae that are suitable for relatively small aviaries (around 5x5m and 3m high) and that would actually make use of the space for short flights, rather than just staying on the ground or in the water?
For now, I'm leaning towards a whistling duck species. If possible, what would be a reasonable group size for a single whistling duck species? And would it be possible to mix them with a pair of doves, cockatiels or parakeets in this setup?
 
I would say that's not enough space for any whistling duck species, especially if you want to see them fly.
Maybe a smaller duck species(maximum a couple), like Blue-billed, Ringed and Amazonas Teal or American Wood, Mandarin and White-headed Duck, but they won't fly much and active in this aviary.
I wouldn't mix them with doves, parakeets or Cockatiels, as there would be a risk of illness because of the limited space.
I think it's better to keep parakeets and Cockatiels (and maybe doves, depends in the parakeet and the dove species) in this aviary.
 
Are there any permits or other restrictions that currently limit the importation of otters and similar mustelids into the United States?

Even so, would it be feasible to import say, Neotropical Otters (Lontra longicaudis) into the country from a Latin American zoo (or vice versa with other species)?
 
Austin the Sengi said:
Are there any permits or other restrictions that currently limit the importation of otters and similar mustelids into the United States?
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Nothing more than the normal permitting process afaik, though most otters are listed by CITES (fur trade).

Austin the Sengi said:
Even so, would it be feasible to import say, Neotropical Otters (Lontra longicaudis) into the country from a Latin American zoo (or vice versa with other species)?
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Feasible maybe, Neotropical is CITES I throughout its range but you could probably make it work. Though from a realistic standpoint it's a lot of effort and hassle for Neotropical when nobody but species hunter would care given they look pretty much the same as the NARO.
 
Question regarding cold-climate animals in a zoo located in the southern United States.
As limited as their overall presences might be in warmer climate zoos, I had an idea for a cold-weather complex which would center around a large igloo-shaped building which houses guest-viewable indoor quarters for every species in the area (18 total species, the largest two being Polar Bears and Amur Tigers, with a number of birds and smaller mammals also present), with outdoor habitats for each species supplied as well.
Would this be a feasible, reasonable, and/or worthwhile means of displaying cold-climate species in a warm-climate zoo? And if not, would it be more reasonable to simply remove the entire section, or is there another way that would allow the animals to be housed comfortably?
 
Van Beal said:
Would this be a feasible, reasonable, and/or worthwhile means of displaying cold-climate species in a warm-climate zoo? And if not, would it be more reasonable to simply remove the entire section, or is there another way that would allow the animals to be housed comfortably?
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Housing tigers and polar bears indoors through warm summers would be a heck of an electric bill. For the bears especially having a large enough indoor exhibit would be very problematic, and it is far from ideal for either. There is a reason species like those two, snow leopards, and other heat sensitive species are not generally seen in southeastern zoos especially. San Diego's canyons allow them to make it work, but as a general rule it's better to simply not keep those species in hot areas.
 
Is it possible to create a rotational habitat for European brown bears and wolverines? How many enclosures would be needed? What would be the ideal size for each enclosure? And how often should the animals be rotated between enclosures?
I'm planning a breeding pair of wolverines and a non-breeding pair of bears.
 
Tamandua56 said:
Is it possible to create a rotational habitat for European brown bears and wolverines? How many enclosures would be needed? What would be the ideal size for each enclosure? And how often should the animals be rotated between enclosures?
I'm planning a breeding pair of wolverines and a non-breeding pair of bears.
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It would work. 4-5 outdoor yards would be needed for both animals (along with indoor housing) so you can have backups, and cleaning enclosures. The enclosures would be at least 3,000 sq. M. Between 3-7 days unless the Wolverine is denning/breeding (stays)
 
Could mixing all of the animals listed work: Eastern bongo, pygmy hippo, Allen's swamp monkeys, Eastern black and white colobus, Wolf's guenon, red capped mangeby, dwarf forest buffalo, red river hogs and western sitatunga in a large 1 and a half acre heavily forested enclosure.
 
DCzootripper said:
Could mixing all of the animals listed work: Eastern bongo, pygmy hippo, Allen's swamp monkeys, Eastern black and white colobus, Wolf's guenon, red capped mangeby, dwarf forest buffalo, red river hogs and western sitatunga in a large 1 and a half acre heavily forested enclosure.
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Not all of the animals would work. Mangabey is risky as they can escape easily. Pygmy hippos would have too deep water for most of the primates and are also temperamental. The Forest buffalos are too pushy. The red River hogs could compete and uproot the Forest
 
1) Can white-headed vultures, bateleur eagles, pied ravens, and Cape porcupines coexist in a walk-through aviary?

2) Is there a small mammal species native to Southeast Asia that is suitable for a small outdoor aviary measuring 10x10m and 3m high?

3) What are the best species from a European river ecosystem for a zoo entrance? How can they be presented to make them attractive?

4) What types of educational elements can be implemented for a children's zoo dedicated to endangered local breeds?
 
Tamandua56 said:
1) Can white-headed vultures, bateleur eagles, pied ravens, and Cape porcupines coexist in a walk-through aviary?

2) Is there a small mammal species native to Southeast Asia that is suitable for a small outdoor aviary measuring 10x10m and 3m high?

3) What are the best species from a European river ecosystem for a zoo entrance? How can they be presented to make them attractive?

4) What types of educational elements can be implemented for a children's zoo dedicated to endangered local breeds?
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1) It's risky. The mix could work (with no breeding animals) but walk-throughs are too risky with the bataleur & crows. Maybe a flight cage like walkthrough would work

2) Prevost's squirrel, treeshrew, chevrotain

3) Eurasian otter, european beaver, waterfowl (mixed with beaver), fish & turtles aquariums, etc.
 
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