Woburn Safari Park Wolf and bear mixed enclosure

[Cody Raney]

Does anyone know if there has been any incident at the park between the Wolves and Black Bears that share an enclosure? Logic would say that the Bears would kill a Wolf the instant it showed any aggression towards a Bear cub. Not even the San Diego Zoo or the Safari Park have ever attempted an enclosure with two predator species as far as I know.

 

[FBBird]

Does anyone know if there has been any incident at the park between the Wolves and Black Bears that share an enclosure? Logic would say that the Bears would kill a Wolf the instant it showed any aggression towards a Bear cub. Not even the San Diego Zoo or the Safari Park have ever attempted an enclosure with two predator species as far as I know.

Bristol Zoo have (non-breeding?) Wolves and Brown Bears together

 

[rhinofan12]

Does anyone know if there has been any incident at the park between the Wolves and Black Bears that share an enclosure? Logic would say that the Bears would kill a Wolf the instant it showed any aggression towards a Bear cub. Not even the San Diego Zoo or the Safari Park have ever attempted an enclosure with two predator species as far as I know.

The fact they are still together indicates to me there have been no issues, whenever I've been to Woburn they seem happy enough side by side.

 

[Kalaw]

Does anyone know if there has been any incident at the park between the Wolves and Black Bears that share an enclosure? Logic would say that the Bears would kill a Wolf the instant it showed any aggression towards a Bear cub. Not even the San Diego Zoo or the Safari Park have ever attempted an enclosure with two predator species as far as I know.

I don't think whether or not the San Diego collections have attempted something is indicative of how successful it could be. Bear and wolf mixes are relatively common in Europe.

A few examples of other collections which do it, although this is by no means an exhaustive list:

- Bristol Zoo Project
- ZooParc de Beauval
- Thoiry ZooSafari
- NaturZoo de Mervent
- Pairi Daiza
- Wildpark Grünau
- Zoo Stadt Haag
- Zoo Schwerin
- Tierpark Dählöhlzi
- Ouwehands Zoo
- Zoo Târgu Mureș

Thoiry even takes it a step further by mixing bison in with the bears and wolves! I have no idea how it works.

I don't know the husbandry, but if I had to guess, maybe the two animals are separated when cubs are born to prevent protectiveness over cubs and subsequent aggression. I've read on this forum that at Erlebnispark Tripsdrill a bear killed a wolf and the mix had to cease, but I can't find anything about it from other sources.

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

Does anyone know if there has been any incident at the park between the Wolves and Black Bears that share an enclosure? Logic would say that the Bears would kill a Wolf the instant it showed any aggression towards a Bear cub. Not even the San Diego Zoo or the Safari Park have ever attempted an enclosure with two predator species as far as I know.

It's a common mix in Europe. en/Mixed exhibit Ursidae