Mixed species enclosures and other changes for Burgers Zoo

That is why I was worried about adding the fossa option as they would probably be a danger to the birds

Some species that are held in zoos are the Banded Mongoose and the White-Tailed Mongoose. Although the Banded Mongoose is more common in zoos than it's white-tailed counterpart

 

I though about the possible foxes but they wouldn't fit in well at the Bush exhibit also they would attack the birds. I only found two tropical African mongoose species that were already in zoos. The exhibit could work for pangolins as it is very secluded but I worry how they would be affected by the birds. Also it may not be a mammal but the Aldabra Giant Tortoise could work. For the spacing of the bars there is a very fine line between small enough to stop Rhinos and large enough to allow other animals. There is no definite size for all of the animals so you could get an abnormally large zebra that can't follow the heard through or a smaller/baby Rhino that could wander right through the bars (This could end badly with a baby Rhino that wanders away from its mother).

 

Maybe, but as mentioned before, you have to watch out with baby rhino's. They are much smaller.

 

Did either of you look at the map I uploaded earlier? I'm creating island regions for Madagascar and the seychelles and the fossa and aldabra giant tortoise are both already planned in another area.
Pangolins are also planned in the nighthouse already.

I might connect the two to make it bigger but I still need something that's small enough to fit the size of the enclosure but also be visible, day-active AND ground-based. Which is difficult. I might expand my search to Asia and South America. Maybe an african monitor lizard would work, but I'm pretty sure they're good climbers

 

The Bates's pygmy antelope would be perfect, but they're not kept in European zoos

I think the Blue duiker might still be the best option

 

I'm sorry I totally forgot about the islands exhibits, though the Banded Mongoose could still work although I think a species of Duiker or possibly Dik-Dik would be best for the exhibit. Monitor Lizards could work but as you said they are good climbers and some species need a good-sized body of water for swimming.

 

Dik-diks! How could I forget about dik-dik's?! They're perfect!

Edit: Dikdiks are found in arid zones, not tropical zones. They would be better suited for the safari section (which I'm also renewing), since they're east african

 

There ar many other options for animals. There is no need to put animals in which are in active predetor for the birds (which is why they removed the hornbills from Bugers Bush). Even Meerkats are able bird hunters if they have the chance.

 

I had them in the back of my mind but I always dismissed them because I thought they were South American (San Diego Zoo keeps them with sloths so I just assumed they were South American until I googled it)

Your probably right about having mongoose in the Bush exhibit but the exhibit feels so secluded I doubt any carnivores would have much of a chance to catch any birds but maybe I don't understand the exhibit as much as I thought I did

 

Burgers' Zoo did have Dik-diks in the safari section in the past.

Since 2019 the hornbills are back in Burgers' Bush. They now have three males flying around in the bush.

 

A Zoo should keept the safty of its animals as the most importent factor. It is just a foolsih idea to fill it with an species, which only because of that single reason don't fit. While there are so many hebervious,insectovor and piscivore options exist, that are aviable. Like I said, in my opnion would the black and rufous elephant shrew, (maby together with an african tortoise species) be a perfect fit. It is a decently sized animals, active at day, coudn't escape, and is alllready succefull kept together with smal birds, with no problems.

 

oh, that is intersting, the last time (in 2019 aswell) were they in the birdhouse, together with the great argus. It is sad, that I missed the opportunity to see them. Mabey next time I only heared that they had to remove them in the past beacuse of it. I hope they will be succesfull

 

Oh no I totally agree they shouldn't be placed in Bush I just hadn't thought about it being as large of an issue until you brought it up. The shrew could work my only worry would be visibility and possible predation (depending on the species of elephant shrew) from one of the species of birds (This is quite possible if they brought the Hornbills back like what Menno said). I did consider the tortoise but I couldn't find anything that was small, tropical, and active in the zoo trade but I could have missed one.

 

They have tortoises very close to the aardvark exhibit already. Though maybe we could move the tortoises into the aardvak enclosure and the elephant shrew into the old tortoise enclosure?

 

Three wrinkled hornbills in the Bush!

 

The Red-Footed tortoise exhibit I presume. That could work as it is a smaller exhibit allowing for a better viewing opportunity for the shrews.

 

The problem is that you not relaize that the black and rufous elephant shrew would work so well, becuase it is not that smal, similar in size to rabbits. They are nearly 20 times heaver and arround 3 times longer than the round eared lephant shrew, typical kept in zoos. Maby did you (becuase it is not a well known species) not knew about this "giant" elephant shrew

 

Oh damn, I looked it up and they're way bigger than I thought!
You're right, they're perfect!

Do you maybe know of a smaller animal to go into the aardvark seperation? It's smaller and I often see people staring into it, confused as to why they don't see anything inside. Maybe we could fix that problem as well

 

yea, this is why I insisted on it. ( I should realy have explain that is it not like the "regularsized" elephant shrew) smal antilops, like dik-diks are a little to big for this enclosure, and samler (like the "regularsized" elephant shrew) would be both not visible, and in danger form the birds themslef.

Like I said, they are active at the day, and unliek aardfakrs in gneral active animals. With there look and weird colours do they look like a childs drawing in a way. Not an animal most people would belive exist. And they are succefull breed in zoos nowdays aswell. The perfect fit for this enclosure.

About the smaler one, I have no real idea for what animal would fit realy for that space.

 

Hmm, definitely an African or Asian animal though, as the bush is already very South America-dominated with enclosure animals. Broad snouted caimans, capybaras and pacus. While the small-clawed otters and aardvark/elephant shrew are the only Asian and African enclosure animals