Rock Hyrax exhibit photos, Crocodile River

Diergaarde Blijdorp, September 2009

Rock Hyraxes at Rotterdam

View of the Rock Hyrax enclosure from different angles at Rotterdam Zoo.

The Crocodile River is located in the African section of the zoo, between the migratory birds aviary (with a typically Dutch polder-landscape) and the main Savanna enclosure with Giraffes.

Crocodile River imitates mostly a riverine forest habitat, but this part of the exhibit for Rock Hyraxes shows the special ’Kopje’ rock formations from the African landscape. Most of the zoos keeping Hyraxes use smaller terrarium-type enclosure for them, but here you can see them not really close-up. On my part I prefer this exhibitry for the species if space and sources are available. It is a really amazing sight to observe them during running and climbing up and down on the rocks.

Hyraxes share the enclosure with African Spurred Tortoises, and African Catfishes swimming in the pond in front of the enclosure. The Carmine Bee-eaters are free-flying, have access to the whole greenhouse (headroom of this is 8 metres). The birds have a wall for nesting where the Hyraxes do not have access for (as you can see in one of the pictures there is a plexiglass surrounded by hotwires due to stop the Hyraxes).

(Bee-eaters are not in this exhibit anymore, thanks for the information for lintworm)

If I remember older discussion about klippspringers in Europe, they were planed to share this exhibit with hyraxes (that is why such a big exhibit for hyraxes). I dont know if it is still actual or Rotterdam failed with getting (probably from nature) them. May be somebody more involved would know more.

I think, it is almost impossible to bring this species in Europe, there are a very few left in european collections, Frankfurt Zoo had not been succcessful with importing these amazing animals for several years and US Zoos have the same problem,new blood would be very appreciated to stop the inbreeding. I am gettig worried, klippspringers are going to phase out from Europe, unfortunately...

Yes, Blijdorp planned to get Klipspringers but no information about that. The Hyrax & Klipspringer combi tried out in some collections (like San Diego, Jacksonville, Dallas), would be nice to see one in Europe.

Seems to there will be not a big future for the species on the continent. Frankfurt was the main breeder, all the few specimens left in Europe origin from there. Otherwise, and not happenned recently, but Albustan (actually not European, but taken into account that other collections from the United Arab Emirates, like Maktoum's Wildlife Center and Arabia's Wildlife Centre being part of EAZA) purchased a captive born Klipspringer pair from South Africa in 2005.

Anyway, I have to say this enclosure makes a great exhibit even if without Klipspringers. The whole area seems to me not too big for them. Maybe introducing an other small mammal species would be nice.

A male klipspringer has arrived at the zoo from Amsterdam.

http://zoonaute.forumactif.com/zoos...tm?sid=c9f56c3cfc66eaf2772f74919d58a92c#36122

and he will join the hyraxes in this enclosure...

...and there are still bee-eaters in this exibit.

Kiang, lintworm, willem, thanks for the update. Hopefully Blijdorp will be successful to manage this exhibit, (and on the way to get a female).

This male (arrived from Frankfurt) spent less than two years in Artis. Actually, I really liked the Klipspringer exhibit in Amsterdam, have a look at here:

http://www.zoochat.com/160/klipspringer-exhibit-107363/

It shows only part of the area, other parts are covered with dense foliage and vegetation providing shade and hiding places (will be added more pics later). Great outdoor exhibit for the species, if weather is pious, just be curious what species will be on display here after that?

In the same exhibit lives a pair of grey crowned cranes, but i can't believe they will be the only ones left. But what i've heard, the whole savanna area of Artis is being rebuilt, and more will be built in that corner where the klipspringer lived in the near future, so maybe that's the reason it moved to Rotterdam?