Worst Mixed-Species Combinations?

birdsandbats said:
Cassowaries could be considered "technically Asian" as they do occur in Indonesia, which is generally regarded as an Asian country.
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You’re correct - though they’re such an iconic Australian species. I’ll admit I may be biased because I’m from Australasia though i.e. here a Southern cassowary would be in an Australian native precinct; never in a South East Asian precinct.
Mossman Joe said:
The other mixed species area might also be concerning, it has a pair each of Chapman's zebras, Sitatungas, Waterbuck, Eland, Blue Wildebeest, Lechwe, Angkol Watusi and a trio of Ostriches.
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You’re correct in that there may be conflict in the ungulates paddock. Zebra stallions are notoriously temperamental. Zoos in my region have had zebra stallions chase an adolescent giraffe into a fence (fatally injuring it) and fatally injure zebra mares in an introduction context. One stallion even attacked a Southern white rhinoceros and was killed when it retaliated.

Male Waterbuck are territorial and have proved an issue to house in mixed species exhibit. Sitatunga are comparatively placid, but I always enjoy seeing them in a wetlands exhibit - which would be poorly suited to ostrich, zebra etc.
 
Zoofan15 said:
You’re correct - though they’re such an iconic Australian species. I’ll admit I may be biased because I’m from Australasia though i.e. here a Southern cassowary would be in an Australian native precinct; never in a South East Asian precinct.


You’re correct in that there may be conflict in the ungulates paddock. Zebra stallions are notoriously temperamental. Zoos in my region have had zebra stallions chase an adolescent giraffe into a fence (fatally injuring it) and fatally injure zebra mares in an introduction context. One stallion even attacked a Southern white rhinoceros and was killed when it retaliated.

Male Waterbuck are territorial and have proved an issue to house in mixed species exhibit. Sitatunga are comparatively placid, but I always enjoy seeing them in a wetlands exhibit - which would be poorly suited to ostrich, zebra etc.
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Como Zoo kept their stallion separate from females with foals. The females lived successfully with several lesser kudus. San Diego Wild Safari Park keep their herd of Grevy's on separate hillside by themselves. Lincoln Park Zoo keep their Grevy's separate as well. I see the mixed of zebra with other ungulates maybe a to portray that african experience. However even the nature of zebra's both social behavior issues indeed hamper successful mixed due to grazing issues, and also terriorial herd structures. I can see grazing issues between white rhino and zebras particularily in a reasonible space as in Houston. While a zoo would hope for that happy harmony, behavior issues present themselves (just nature of the beast). While indeed aggression is an issue with zebras, understanding the dynamics of the social structures of males and relation to females is important. Also thought could the actual absence of grass to graze naturally lead to possible stress between grazers that increases stressful dynamics particularly within confined captive exhibit? I would think opportunities for rotation exhibits to maximize to graze without competition would be benefical.
 
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Ueno Zoo used to keep their Hartmann's Mountain Zebra with around 5 Barbary sheep. The mix itself was good, but the exhibit was designed for the sheep, and there was barley any grass for the zebra. It was all artificial rocks, and the exhibit was barely enough for just the sheep. I guess you could call this a failed exhibit, not a failed mix. I think the Zebra passed away, and there is currently only 1 or 2 sheep on display.

For some reason, Zoorasia sometimes lets the cheetah onto the Savannah exhibit that has Plains Zebra, Amami Giraffe, and Common Eland.

Singapore Zoo mixes Barking Deer and Proboscis Monkey. I feel like this poses a danger to both species, the male Proboscis getting aggressive towards the deer, and the deer getting defensive against the young.
 
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Dr. Wolverine said:
Ueno Zoo used to keep their Hartmann's Mountain Zebra with around 5 Barbary sheep. The mix itself was good, but the exhibit was designed for the sheep, and there was barley any grass for the zebra. It was all artificial rocks, and the exhibit was barely enough for just the sheep. I guess you could call this a failed exhibit, not a failed mix. I think the Zebra passed away, and there is currently only 1 or 2 sheep on display.

For some reason, Zoorasia sometimes lets the cheetah onto the Savannah exhibit that has Plains Zebra, Amami Giraffe, and Common Eland.

Singapore Zoo mixes Barking Deer and Proboscis Monkey. I feel like this poses a danger to both species, the male Proboscis getting aggressive towards the deer, and the deer getting defensive against the young.
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Mountain Zebra are prone to hoof problems if kept on grass. The main issue I would have with that mix would be the probability of the zebras hunting and killing any lambs……
 
birdsandbats said:
Cassowaries could be considered "technically Asian" as they do occur in Indonesia, which is generally regarded as an Asian country.
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True, Indonesia is regarded politically as part of Asia. However the eastern part of Indonesia, and especialy New Guinea island is regarded as part of either the Australian or Oceanic zoogeographic realm while the western part belongs to the Indomalaya realm. Also the people of the island are Melanesian. So it would not usually be correct to regard a cassowary as an "Asan" animal.
 
In Zoo Praha (Prague Zoo) they housed Pesquet's parrots and black lories together in the Rákos’ house but the lories attacked the Pesquet's parrots. The lories were then moved behind the scenes. I wouldn't call this the worst mix but it didn't work.
 
elefante said:
Hunting?
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Zebras are known to attack and deliberately kill smaller predators hiding in grass. This sometimes translates into attacking and killing calves of hoofstock species in captivity if those species habitualy leave newborn calves alone and only return to let them drink milk few times a day (like oryxes for example). Steppe zebras are the worse in it.
 
Apparently, it was reported that Surabaya Zoo mixed their pair of cheetah with tigers atleast in around 2012 if I'm not wrong, leading to the latter mauling the former.

These cheetah were gifts from the South African government, I can't imagine being a staff from the Indonesian foreign ministry office having to explain the incident to them.
 
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