Live animals being used as food in zoo's?

[Mushroom Spore]

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.

 

[bugmankeith]

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.

 

[TiberiusAlaric]

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.

 

[Ganoderma]

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.

 

[TiberiusAlaric]

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.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

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

 

[Hedorah99]

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?

 

[TiberiusAlaric]

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.

 

[bugmankeith]

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

 

[Darwinsdad]

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

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

 

[Hedorah99]

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.

 

[Ganoderma]

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.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

perhaps easier with slower animals such as crocs.

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

 

[Arietans]

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.

 

[TiberiusAlaric]

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.

 

[Hedorah99]

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.

 

[TiberiusAlaric]

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.

 

[Hedorah99]

They were housed together.

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

 

[Ganoderma]

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?

 

[jarrell]

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.