Southern White Rhinos in mixed species exhibits

Hey there!

I'm currently collecting knowledge on mixing rhinos and other animals.
More specifically The southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum Simun).

I'm well aware of them being mixed with the classic "generic" African plains hoofstock.
as well as the few instances of them enjoying life with some cheetah friends.
I also discovered a paper that lists African wild dogs as a suitable mixed-species contender.
Has anyone here seen/heard of, any stranger/more surprising mixes?

I would also like to ask the rhino experts in here if rhinos would potentially thrive with the
following species:

- African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
- Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
- Asian Small-Clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) (Can be mixed with Greater One-Horned Rhino)

Thank you!

 

The general rule for rhino mixes is the other animal needs to be able to have other exhibit space and it can’t be cornered by the rhino. Now this is easy for the second and third species but it would be much harder to accomplish with penguins. Penguins are a species that definitely need keeper interaction in the exhibit and that makes it hard with a rhino in the exhibit and everything penguins can do rhinos can as well so it would be a technical challenge. Also all three share very little habitat. The closest is meerkat but not very much, penguins share no habitat and there’s only a small stretch for otters. Also all three are very small and rhinos are larger species that can be very clumsy and there’s a good chance a meerkat will get stepped on.
The safest rhino mixes are ungulates large enough for the rhinos to see. If you want some interesting rhino mixes check out San Diego Zoo Safari Park which has successfully mixed four species of rhino (they used to mix northern white before the last one died in 2015) in large Savanna exhibits.

 

I would suspect meerkats to increase the risk of rhino hurting themselves. If they step onto the meerkats underground burrows they might brake through and injure a foot.

 

The 'exhibit' size is the primary factor. Rhino need space and I believe safari parks are better than zoos for S White rhinos...and N White rhinos also, had we not killed them all.

It really is the only concern bar common sense in my opinion.

 

Fair enough questions with the other species but....I don't mean to be rude but why would a mix of rhino and penguin even occur to you ?

A white rhino would enter a penguin pool to bathe and foul up the water with dung in no time at all.

A rhino stepping on a penguin would be a very obvious risk too resulting in injury or death.

 

So, I actually don't think that this is as unfortunate for the species, but I don't see the benefit in doing it. Hear me out!

There are two different concepts when it comes to "mixed exhibits" 1. Animals that are similar, Interact harmoniously and will actually mix, I. E. Most African savanna mixes 2. Animals that are in the same fence, but don't actually mix, I. E. Giant otters and marmosets.

I would guess that a penguin/rhino mix would fall into the second category. Penguins are loud and smelly, so rhinos will be able to recognize them by their preferred sensory mode so they won't get stepped on. And penguins need hills and loose gravel to prevent bumble foot, so the penguin area would be unattractive to rhinos that prefer to step on solid ground. But other than saving space within the zoo (one species separation moat is the others pool) it's not really beneficial. There is no benefit for either species and no real education message.

I personally find the Indian rhino/otter mix ill suited. The rhinos primary resting spot is the activity hot spot of the otters. That will most likely cause stress in the rhinos. Also I've seen how small clawed otters interact with orangutans. They WILL absolutely bother them. And the rhinos wouldn't have the same agility and vertical movement. So I wouldn't risk the stress related fertility of the few rhinos we have for such an experiment.

 

That's an interesting perspective Sofia thanks for sharing !

Personally even if it could be somewhat workable I just question the need to exhibit the two species in that way as they don't occur in the same habitat.

Regarding otters I can't say that I know much about their interactions with rhino but definitely when it comes to smaller primates it seems like all otters pose a risk.

There have been some notorious examples of otter-primate mixed species exhibits going terribly wrong.

Two that come to mind are the short clawed otters that mobbed and drowned to death a Javan langur at the Bronx and a golden headed lion tamarin which was killed and eaten by a short clawed otter at Bristol (free ranging tamarins rather than mixed species exhibit but still pertinent).

I think there was also some incidents with giant otters and primates being mixed at South Lakes (no surprise there) but not 100 % sure.

 

If you are looking for a savanna/penguin mix, Omaha mixed penguins, giraffes, and ostriches several years ago.

 

As you are using the past tense "mixed" I take it that this is no longer the case ?

Do you know why it was discontinued?

 

Yes, they are no longer displayed together. I believe the zoo doesn't even hold African penguins anymore.

I know the mix ended because the zoo began construction of the African Grasslands exhibit, although the penguins were moved to the otter pond in the Red Barn Park a few years before that. Why they have never done the mix again, and why they ended it, I'm not sure. It must have worked well, as the zoo had put the giraffes and penguins together since the early eighties.

 

Interesting and thanks for sharing !

It seems like a really improbable mix but I guess those can work sometimes.

I suppose that a lot of it is subjective isn't it ?

Personally I prefer mixed species exhibits to hold species from the same habitat as from a husbandry point of view I think this is usually more workable.

Beyond pragmatics I also think these are more educational for visitors and just have a better looking aesthetic too.

But if some of the stranger mixes out there work then who am I to judge ?

 

I got a lot of the information from a Facebook post by the zoo. Log into Facebook

I honestly really loved the idea of this mix. It isn't really geographically accurate but it is interesting to say the least, and one I wish the zoo would've kept just due to it's uniqueness.

 

Just google some of the photos, I find it hilarious with the mammoth giraffes compared to the tiny penguins.

 

So at least it had comic value I suppose.

Well It's a subjective thing I guess and I agree definitely very unusual.

I'm just not into that sort of thing personally really.

There is an exhibit at a zoo in the Netherlands which houses gorillas and a guenon or colobus species... so far so good..but then also meerkats and that third addition just makes me think "ughhh why ?!".

But again it's a subjective thing so others will have different opinions.

 

Zoo Antwerp going to mix their southern white rhinos with their giraffes and zebras. In the future also with antelopes and ostriches and maybe pigs.

 

Pest control, actually!

Much better then having free roaming cats if you ask me

 

Yes I know it is for pest control and that the meerkats actually perform well in that role.

But I just personally find it to be a really ugly mix.

I wonder whether theoretically a mongoose species native to Central Africa could have been used in place of meerkats ?

 

I don't think such a mongoose is possible. Probably harder to acquire and perhaps more of a risk with the gorillas.

I personally do enjoy this mix

 

Yes I think you are probably right.

I had a look earlier and species from equatorial Africa tend to be nocturnal and solitary and I don't know but perhaps they are also more aggressive too.

I understand the function of the meerkats but from an educational and aesthetic view I think the mix of guenon and gorilla by itself is enough and fantastic.

 

I think one of the major things that make meerkats successful in that mix is that they're ground dwelling. If they would be good climbers in am ape exhibit, the chances are high that they will fit through barriers and actually escape the enclosure. Happened in Heidelberg when they mixed a genet with their gorillas for the same reason.