# Live animals being used as food in zoo's?



## bugmankeith (Jul 2, 2006)

Just curious, but do any zoo's use live animals as food for their animals, like for enrichment?

I had a disturbing dream about this last night, and I want to know if there is any truth to it, so I can rest easier.


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## sick4x4 (Jul 2, 2006)

*well*

well i cant answer for all zoo's but i know for a fact the san diego dosent..i was an intern there for 3 summers...even for the reptiles..to much danger in feeding live food, sooo you can rest asured...peace in the middle east!!!!


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## bugmankeith (Jul 2, 2006)

In my dream they fed tigers and monkeys to the crocodiles, and a female elephant seal to an orca, I was so upset in my dream I woke up and actually had tears in my eyes. It was graphic seeing what happened to the animals, that's why I hope it's not real.


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## The Snark (Jul 2, 2006)

Sorry, but it's a very common practice in many places. Most zoos in the third world breed food animals for the predators which are fed to them live.

A pair of young white rats await their demise.


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 2, 2006)

But rats are kinda pointless though, they are not higher animals.


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## Thoth (Jul 2, 2006)

Tleilaxu said:
			
		

> But rats are kinda pointless though, they are not higher animals.


Neither are politicians but we don't feed the to animals, then again...


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## Beardo (Jul 2, 2006)

bugmankeith said:
			
		

> In my dream they fed tigers and monkeys to the crocodiles, and a female elephant seal to an orca, I was so upset in my dream I woke up and actually had tears in my eyes. It was graphic seeing what happened to the animals, that's why I hope it's not real.


Gosh....you mean you didn't know that Zoos around the world feed tigers and monkeys to their crocodiles??  :wall:


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## The Snark (Jul 2, 2006)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> Gosh....you mean you didn't know that Zoos around the world feed tigers and monkeys to their crocodiles??  :wall:


Be nice!


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## sick4x4 (Jul 2, 2006)

*well*

well i guess thats why we are not a third world country...there are still country's were women are fully covered and can be stoned in the street...i'm glad i dont live there...my nightmare has got to be like hostel the movie ,now thats a bad dream!!!!!


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 2, 2006)

bugmankeith said:
			
		

> It was graphic seeing what happened to the animals, that's why I hope it's not real.


Why? Animals kill each other *all the time*. Feeding expensive animals like tigers (what) and monkeys as prey items would be pretty stupid, but I don't see why the very idea is such a big deal. Animals kill, woo.


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## sick4x4 (Jul 2, 2006)

*well*

its not that the idea of animals in the wild killing....we know that happens..its the safety of the animals that worry me i think...i cant answer for everyone...for me the wild offers that bit of light, the oppertunity for survial...in housed quarters there is none and the hunter and the prey are forced to end up fighting which ends up hurting your prized zoo animal.and since its a third world country the vets probably never around???so then you end up losing ur animal to infection, then who wins???was it worth it??.in the wild a sucessful kill happens what 25% of the time..im not saying its wrong..just tring to protect..which if its in a zoo, more then likely a rare animal..thats all...safety...safety...safety..lol


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## LeilaNami (Jul 2, 2006)

as long as the animal is being put to use I don't mind the live feedings however the only live food being fed would be the ones specifically bred for food.


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## bugmankeith (Jul 2, 2006)

I kinda figured about the rats or mice, I just meant bigger animals like birds or bigger animals. I guess I was thinking what sick4x4 was saying, animals in cages have no chance of escape, it's not a fair kill if they did that, in the wild it's alot harder to get prey. 

Plus in a zoo they are not dying from starvation, so they eat less in one sitting than one in the wild would, feed too much and they would become overweight.

 From what you guys are saying I dont think they would feed large animals alive, mostly they would be dead already, and they sure wouldnt feed the whole body of a large animal, that would be too expensive on a zoo budget.

I see alot of dead chicken and beef being used, but none are alive or whole bodied for that matter. 

And I know they wouldnt feed tigers,monkeys,or seals to any animal, it was just a nightmare.

As for you davidbeard just dont reply to any of my posts, I know how you feel about me already, and the feeling is mutual.


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## Beardo (Jul 3, 2006)

> As for you davidbeard just dont reply to any of my posts, I know how you feel about me already, and the feeling is mutual.


On the contrary...you're not a bad guy, just a bit uneducated and naieve. You can't say the same of me however.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 3, 2006)

i doubt if many birds, lizards, monkeys etc eat dead bugs......and rodents and probably many feed live chickes/bird to reptiles.  

we fed life bugs to all teh animals at our zoo, btu dead rodents to protect the display animals more than anything.


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## bugmankeith (Jul 3, 2006)

Insects I know are fed live, no question about that. I saw a snake being fed a dead rabbit, and one a dead duck. 

If they were alive it could hurt the snake, so I think it's best and easier if they were dead already.


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 3, 2006)

I know of several zoos that raised there own rats and mice for the reptile houses. The adult rats and mice were euthanised via CO2 gas and then frozen t be fed out. The same was generally done for rat pups and pinkies but some were kept alive for younger snakes that may not have taken a F/T meal.

Its a pretty common practice in zoos to only feed out frozen thawed meals.
 1. Its safer. No worries of a rat accidentally killing the very rare serpents.
 2. No worries of parasite or disease transmission.
 3. You don't have to keep a bag of frozen rats fed.
 4. Only a small segment of the public wants to see live food being fed out. Most freak when they see me feeding the raptors a dead mouse dropping frozen baby chickens to our snapping turtles.
 5. Sanitary issues. The USDA actually has more rules governing rats in captivity than a lion or tiger.

I can say all accredited zoos (accredited by the AZA) most likely follow this practice. As for smaller non-accredited zoos I cannot say. I can also say a lot of animal crulety laws forbid some live feeding, in my state at least. basically I can legally feed a rat to a snake but dropping a calf in a tiger cage would be taboo. We do feed out live trout to the otters occasionally but I hate watching that. They pretty much just torture the trout for an hour before eating them.


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## pitbulllady (Jul 3, 2006)

I have watched shows about zoos in which live trout or carp were put into the pools in the bear enclosures, for the bears to catch and eat, and many zoos feed live non-venomous snakes to King Cobras and live chickens to crocodilians, pythons and other carnvorous reptiles.

pitbulllady


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 3, 2006)

pitbulllady said:
			
		

> I have watched shows about zoos in which live trout or carp were put into the pools in the bear enclosures, for the bears to catch and eat, and many zoos feed live non-venomous snakes to King Cobras and live chickens to crocodilians, pythons and other carnvorous reptiles.
> 
> pitbulllady



never heard of live chickens for the reptiles. Not saying it isn't done, just haven't heard of it. The live snakes issue for king cobras is kinda a catch 22. From what I understand they will eat rodents but its not as healthy for them and wild caught specimens won't touch them.


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## Crotalus (Jul 3, 2006)

In Sweden its prohibited for zoo parks and pet shops to feed live vertebrates to their animals 
King cobras dont need live food, they eat dead snakes aswell.


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## Texas Blonde (Jul 3, 2006)

Over spring break I got a behind the scenes tour of the Memphis Zoo.  I was told that occationally the Komodo dragon was fed large pieces of pigs, or an entire dead pig.  Their insanely enormous retic also got f/t pics.  There was never any mention of live food besides crickets and roaches.


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## Pogi5 (Jul 3, 2006)

my flash instructor used to work at the Vancouver Aquarium and he did assist in the feeding of the anacondas--they fed them large live rabbits.


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## ta2edpop (Jul 3, 2006)

The Snark said:
			
		

> Sorry, but it's a very common practice in many places. Most zoos in the third world breed food animals for the predators which are fed to them live.
> 
> A pair of young white rats await their demise.


I love to see animals playing together. Reminds me of my children.


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## Lasiodora (Jul 3, 2006)

Zoos do not feed live to mammalian predators (fish is the exception).  Enrichment entails hiding food throughout exhibits, constructing "toys" to stimulate the animal's mind, encasing food in blocks of ice,  placing different scents throughout the exhibit,  and other things that do not require the use of live prey but will stimulate the mind.  Reptiles are only fed live prey when animals refuse to eat (this involves young snakes for the most part).  Some newly born or hatched species of snakes will not eat dead rodents or rodents at all.  Force feeding is always a last measure because it is extremely stressful.  First scented dead rodents are introduced.  If this fails live lizards, quails, chicks, ducks, or rodents are introduced (what is used depends on the species of snake).  Feeding live is not used as a form of enrichment. Some wild caught adult reptiles never switch over to rodents.  Crocodilians will eat almost anything, dead or alive.  For this reason live animals are never fed (except fish).  I am only speaking of AZA accredited zoos.  Don't know about all the rest.
-Mike


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 3, 2006)

Thoth said:
			
		

> Neither are politicians but we don't feed the to animals, then again...


But what animal would eat them anyway.... they have no natural predators.;P


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## iturnrocks (Jul 3, 2006)

All the fish in the aquarium at cabelas are fed live fish.  Its really cool if youre there when they dump them in.


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## bugmankeith (Jul 3, 2006)

Thanks for your help everyone in answering my question.


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## sick4x4 (Jul 3, 2006)

*well*

i love this topic which leads me to the zoo of all zoo's, the san deigo zoo..it is the prototype of any zoo..it houses the bigest amount of animals in a natural enviroment..they set the standard...and no they dont use live animals in feeding..except bugs and such...no live snakes for kings either sorry....one of the main reasons for this is the nutriutional value.live animals just dont have the proper nutruition for animals in captivity...wild animals eat the things they need, then pass what they eat to the animals that eat them...animals breed for animal food differs from animals breed for people food...zoo's dont go to fosters farm for the chicken they need, lol it would be to expensive...they go to frams where the quanity means more then the quality....thats why people powder crickets with vitamins,adding vitamins to our reptiles water...u ever try stuffing vitamins down a live aninmals mouth...and some of those pills are huge!!lol soo hope no one gets mad at me i just like the topic!!! IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING FROM THE BEGINING SAFETY!!!OF THE ANIMALS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 3, 2006)

iturnrocks said:
			
		

> All the fish in the aquarium at cabelas are fed live fish.  Its really cool if youre there when they dump them in.



I got to go back and do that since I gave the one in MN an albino chanel cat and a gar. I also got three perch out of the deal!


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 3, 2006)

sick4x4 said:
			
		

> ilive animals just dont have the proper nutruition for animals in captivity...wild animals eat the things they need, then pass what they eat to the animals that eat them.


Uhh...live animals have the same nutritional value as dead animals.



			
				sick4x4 said:
			
		

> thats why people powder crickets with vitamins,adding vitamins to our reptiles water..


This has nothing to do with live or dead, but is because in the wild these lizards would be getting their calcium from the environment, eating prey more calcium-rich than crickets, or basking more, or something. In captivity, since they do not have access to that variety, they are given the nutrition with supplements.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 5, 2006)

many animals also die very early in the wild.  the wild *can* have more variety and better conditions, but if there is a shift in the environment then thousands can die from starvation or associated illness within days.  

i think that many zoos dont usually care so much about the fact that live prey is live as the fact that live prey can fight.  if rats couldnt hurt the snake i would bet many more people would be doing it, despite some parasites that can possibly be transmitted.

the Vancouver Aquarium was mentioned.  i dont know who is running it anymore, but they have not had the best track record in my opinion.  i dont know too much about them but i know of a few incidences that were not exactly handled well with proper husbandry.  It’s a cool place, but I would not follow all of their practices.

we would sometimes feed WC hognose snakes frogs as well.  like said above we do it as a last resort.  if we cant get them to eat, we try either medication or force feeding depending on what/why etc.

live/dead both have their pros/cons.  i prefer dead for moral and safety reasons, but live must be considered in certain circumstances.


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## Arietans (Jul 6, 2006)

As far as all zoos go, I don't know who does what.


I am from Southern Africa, and spent most of my life in the bush, so animals killing each other for food etc. is not offensive to me in the least. But a 4 year old watching Bambi get its neck broken by a lion will be seen in a very different view. 


Slightly off topic, but I was fortunate enough to find a python swallowing an Impala while taking tourists on a game drive. One tourist almost demanded I kill the python.

While there are proponents to "it kills it in the wild, so why not in a zoo" I feel that the the need to feed live prey to a lion in a zoo is very unecessary, simply because not all people can accept the fact that animals actually kill and eat other animals.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 6, 2006)

Arietans said:
			
		

> Slightly off topic, but I was fortunate enough to find a python swallowing an Impala while taking tourists on a game drive. One tourist almost demanded I kill the python.


This is the single dumbest thing I've ever heard. You should have offered the tourist to the python as dessert.


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 6, 2006)

Mushroom Spore said:
			
		

> This is the single dumbest thing I've ever heard. You should have offered the tourist to the python as dessert.



I read an artivle recently about teh number of bear attacks in national parks. Not bears attacking people but people attacking bears. There was an incident a few years ago where a black bear was running down a fawn into an area where a lot of tourists were. I'm pretty sure the bear wound up dying from being assaulted by the dozen or so people who were outraged a bear would do such a thing.


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## Thoth (Jul 6, 2006)

Funny thing I cam e across an article the latest issue of "The Scientist" dealing with similiar issues as in this thread. Basically its was stating that this "spiritual left" notion of nature; i.e. basically al creatures in nature live in harmony together and that mother earth nutures all creatures and only does good (basically nature as a giant hippie commune); is just as bad as the "religious right" ideals (creationism et c) for science. That basically it leads to people to forget the fact that violent death at the jaws of other creatures is the norm rather than the exception in the wild.

link to the article
http://www.leemsilver.net/SilverArticles/06TheScientistFinal.pdf?updateID=58
and the authors website
www.leemsilver.com


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## Ganoderma (Jul 6, 2006)

i think from a government standpoint it hinges on animal cruelty because in fact not all animals need live prey to live.  surely co2 is faster than a pythons grip, so i assume that is mainly where the "hippies" are coming from.  and to a certain extent i will agree with that, in captivity.  why sufer?  but if my snake needs a live frog or lizard because it wont eat, i will not think twice about it.


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## Arietans (Jul 7, 2006)

> Originally Posted by Arietans
> Slightly off topic, but I was fortunate enough to find a python swallowing an Impala while taking tourists on a game drive. One tourist almost demanded I kill the python.
> 
> 
> This is the single dumbest thing I've ever heard. You should have offered the tourist to the python as dessert.


Dumbest? Oh yes, most definitely!!!!! 

Its a good plan to offer the tourist as a meal, but I don't want the python to regurgitate.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 7, 2006)

Arietans said:
			
		

> Its a good plan to offer the tourist as a meal, but I don't want the python to regurgitate.


 

You know what this thread needs? Even more python!





















Come on, how can people hate a face like that? Granted, he's just a wee ball python and will never be gigantic. But still. RAR, HE'S A KILLER.


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## Arietans (Jul 7, 2006)

What a widdle cutie pie  


Very very nice python.


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 8, 2006)

Tleilaxu said:
			
		

> But rats are kinda pointless though, they are not higher animals.


Rats are one of the most intelligent animals in the world, so I'd consider them to be very high on my 'scale of animals.'

As for the topic: I think zoos should start adopting predator/prey policies where they house certain animals together to give both a form of enrichment.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 8, 2006)

TiberiusAlaric said:
			
		

> As for the topic: I think zoos should start adopting predator/prey policies where they house certain animals together to give both a form of enrichment.


You mean like this? ;P http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7359417922500620310&q=mouse+snake

Ignore the title, it's very obviously a hamster. These two are at a zoo in Japan...I wonder if they're still 'friends' or if someone got eaten yet.


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## bugmankeith (Jul 8, 2006)

I saw an update on tv they are both alive. But why is it eating iceberg lettuce shouldnt that be romaine???

Alot of zoos will house predator and prey next to eachother, but in seperate, clear, enclosures (ex. alligators housed next to water birds) So they constantly see eachother, making the prey's instinct to be wary come out, and the predators hunting instinct to be used. No animals come in contact, but they act as if they would in the wild.


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 8, 2006)

bugmankeith said:
			
		

> I saw an update on tv they are both alive. But why is it eating iceberg lettuce shouldnt that be romaine???
> 
> Alot of zoos will house predator and prey next to eachother, but in seperate, clear, enclosures (ex. alligators housed next to water birds) So they constantly see eachother, making the prey's instinct to be wary come out, and the predators hunting instinct to be used. No animals come in contact, but they act as if they would in the wild.


Yeah, but I would prefer it if they actually lived together. This, of course, would only be used on species that are plentiful in both captivity and in the wild.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 9, 2006)

how do you mean?i had insects live and breed with certain lizard sp. with great success.  but many people fail miserably with live rats in a snake enclosure.  

how does a chicken coupe help an aligator in their cage?  does this not cause them to constantly try and get through the fence?  how can smelling/seeing a prey animal and not being able to get at it be non-stressfull?  

my opinion is more that releasing prey inside the enclosure of certains would be far less stressfull to both predator and prey.


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 9, 2006)

Ganoderma said:
			
		

> how do you mean?i had insects live and breed with certain lizard sp. with great success.  but many people fail miserably with live rats in a snake enclosure.
> 
> how does a chicken coupe help an aligator in their cage?  does this not cause them to constantly try and get through the fence?  how can smelling/seeing a prey animal and not being able to get at it be non-stressfull?
> 
> my opinion is more that releasing prey inside the enclosure of certains would be far less stressfull to both predator and prey.


Because neither of those are a predator/prey environment. Just dropping something in together doesn't create that. I'm talking about creating an  expansive habitat that mirrors that of the two species' natural habitats. For instance, you could house meerkats on one end of a lion compound where they would be able to burrow in and do what they would do in the wild.

I want for the animals to actually be able to live lives as close to their natural lives as possible, barring any of the unfortunate realities of it, such as disease.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 9, 2006)

TiberiusAlaric said:
			
		

> I want for the animals to actually be able to live lives as close to their natural lives as possible, barring any of the unfortunate realities of it, such as disease.


Or being killed by other animals...oh wait


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 9, 2006)

TiberiusAlaric said:
			
		

> Rats are one of the most intelligent animals in the world, so I'd consider them to be very high on my 'scale of animals.'
> 
> As for the topic: I think zoos should start adopting predator/prey policies where they house certain animals together to give both a form of enrichment.



Yea, a lion/impala would be great for about 6 minutes. Do you really think the impalas will reproduce fast enough living under CONSTANT predation and extreme stress due to being housed in the same area as their predators? Do you think this will work for most zoological species besides fish?


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 9, 2006)

Hedorah99 said:
			
		

> Yea, a lion/impala would be great for about 6 minutes. Do you really think the impalas will reproduce fast enough living under CONSTANT predation and extreme stress due to being housed in the same area as their predators? Do you think this will work for most zoological species besides fish?


I've seen it happen between lions and meerkats. And I'm fairly certain that this could be done with other species.


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## bugmankeith (Jul 9, 2006)

All I see are fish together with sharks, the sharks dont eat the fish because they are well fed.


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## Darwinsdad (Jul 9, 2006)

Tleilaxu said:
			
		

> But what animal would eat them anyway.... they have no natural predators.;P


That and they would leave a nasty taste in the mouth.


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 9, 2006)

TiberiusAlaric said:
			
		

> I've seen it happen between lions and meerkats. And I'm fairly certain that this could be done with other species.



Where was this. I would like to know.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 9, 2006)

it could definatly work but size would be a very important part.  with things like lions i would think they would need more of a park than an enclosure.  perhaps easier with slower animals such as crocs.  i have doen what you talk about with insects and lizards, and is fairly easy.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 10, 2006)

Ganoderma said:
			
		

> perhaps easier with slower animals such as crocs.


Crocs? Slow? Someone needs to watch more Animal Planet.


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## Arietans (Jul 10, 2006)

> Originally Posted by Ganoderma
> perhaps easier with slower animals such as crocs.
> 
> 
> Crocs? Slow? Someone needs to watch more Animal Planet.


Crocodiles move like lightning. Its awesome watching a crocodile pull a Wildebeest into the water, and it happens so fast!!

As for habitat simulation between lions and meerkat.  

Yes, it can be done. But then the environment is only simulated for the meerkat. Simply because for lions the space in a zoo will never be enough.


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 10, 2006)

Hedorah99 said:
			
		

> Where was this. I would like to know.


Wish I could provide information about it, but I'm unable to do so. I know it was on a program, most likely Growing Up on Animal Planet.


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 10, 2006)

A lot of zoos have areas that look as if they are one big enclosure, when in fact they are seperated. I cannot imagine that a lion, no matter how well fed it would be, would not one day get bored and bite the head off a meerkat.

I have seen an exhibit with maned wolves and capybara, but truthfully i would be more worried about the wolves being hurt by the capybara.


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## TiberiusAlaric (Jul 10, 2006)

Hedorah99 said:
			
		

> A lot of zoos have areas that look as if they are one big enclosure, when in fact they are seperated. I cannot imagine that a lion, no matter how well fed it would be, would not one day get bored and bite the head off a meerkat.
> 
> I have seen an exhibit with maned wolves and capybara, but truthfully i would be more worried about the wolves being hurt by the capybara.


They were housed together.


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## Hedorah99 (Jul 10, 2006)

TiberiusAlaric said:
			
		

> They were housed together.



Don't take this personally but I'll believe it only when I see it.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 10, 2006)

crocs are moreso sit and wait...fast was the wrong word.  what i am saying is most mamals will roam thier enclosure 10 fold what a croc would.  even though crocs may cover big ground, i doubt they would move much if their water source was permanet and food was around (like in captivity).  metabolism is slower as well so frequency would probably be less.

i think that unless it is a very large enclosure, or i should say a fenced off area, the predators will either eat everything or become obese.  i find it hard to believe that in an enclosure with self sustained prey that an animal will stop eating before becoming either sick or clearing out all the prey.

how were these lions setup?  what size area did they have?


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## jarrell (Jul 10, 2006)

one thing yall are forgeting is that in the wild the animals are live. the animals need mental stimulation to hunt and kill there prey, the basic insticincts. I dont see why it would be so bad to pull away from the natural. but I do think it would be easer and cheaper for the zoo to buy prekilled frozen prey in bulk. 

oh and that dude is right about the lions and meerkats, I see these all the times. its simple a animal like lion is powerful but its built to kill a big animals, on a one chance dont miss it type of attitude. so why waste the energy trying to kill a 2 pound meerkat allday. when you can be tracking a huge wilderbeast? 

oh kinda off topic but have anybody see that footage of the lion pride taking down a elephant, may sound extreme but this is natural.


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## KennyGee (Jul 11, 2006)

It was a Baby elephant


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## Arietans (Jul 11, 2006)

For lions to attack an elephant, even a baby, they must've been very hungry. I would love to see the footage though, it doesn't happen very often.


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## Ganoderma (Jul 11, 2006)

jarrell.  live isnt necesarrily bad (i dont think anyoen here is simply against it) and does give good stimulation.  but no matter how much physical/mental stimulation if the prey can kill the predator it does not do much good in a zoo....feeding relativly harmless prey like chickens and such are not so bad but what about feeding your cat an implala or something....surely there are many incidences in the wild where the predator gets a good stab with horns or fatal kick etc...

safety is generally the first and foremost concern in any zoo. 

good point about the size of prey.  is that why the meercat thing worked?  they were not as interested in it?  i know very little about mamals and find it intersting that they will pass up food for a chance to get bigger...is this an energy conservation thing?  i always see lions and wolves and such givign up chasing fast prey (liek rabbits)  on TV.  is this why?


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## Arietans (Jul 11, 2006)

Predators often get killed or seriously mamed by prey. I have spent most of my life in the African bush and have seen many predators seriously injured by intended prey. Lions kicked to death by Giraffe, leopards mamed by porcupine etc. The risk a predator takes with any large game is very high.

The prey is fighting for its life, the lion is fighting for a full stomach. The motivation for the prey is much stronger. 


Predators here tend to take bigger prey because they have to hunt less to say well fed. Its not so much energy conservation as it is success rate. Lions have an average of about 33% success with kills. 33 out of a hundred buffalos is way more filling than 33 out of a hundred rabbits.

As for meerkat, solitary lions often kill and eat them in the wild, since a solitary lion has almost no chance of a successful kill of large prey. Since zoo lions are well fed, they have no need to hunt something as small as a meerkat.


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