Cohabitation at Burgers’ Zoo

The Entire Area at Their Disposal

Several species of birds, frogs, reptiles, bats, fish, and arthropods coexist peacefully in the Bush. Similarly, butterflies and various selected bird species (those that don’t primarily feed on crabs or insects) share the entire hall in the Mangrove. Currently, only birds have access to the entire hall in the Desert, but it hosts a diverse collection, from songbirds to vultures. These birds can also fly in and out among the peccaries, porcupines, and prairie dogs. This arrangement works well, as the presumably weaker member of such a residential community always has the option to retreat to a place where the other cannot reach. So, if a white-winged dove or grosbeak feels uncertain about the approaching porcupine, the bird can simply fly away!

Larger Species Living Together

Larger species that can’t share their space with the public are kept in enclosures. We still try to create combinations of species where possible, although it is often more complex. The Safari, Rimba, and Park all have great examples of cohabitation.

Plant-eating species are naturally easier to house together. In the Rimba, three species of deer, the Eld’s deer, Indian hog deer and muntjac, coexist along with two species of primates, the southern pig-tailed macaque and the siamang. Bantengs also inhabit the same area. So, six mammal species coexist in this area! But if you look closely, you’ll notice that the two primate species each have their own part of the habitat. This arrangement capitalizes on the natural behaviour of siamangs, which, as tree-dwelling primates, avoid the ground. They could easily jump from the canopy over the feeding trough for herbivores down to the ground. However, they won’t, as it’s not in their nature. The same canopy overhang makes it impossible for the pig-tailed macaques to access the upper area, and some electrified wire around the climbing poles and trees ensures that the pig-tailed macaques can’t approach the more tranquil siamangs, who are also outnumbered.
In the Park, ring-tailed lemurs coexist with black lemurs, and they live together peacefully. Further on, squirrel monkeys and coatis share an island.

Not Afraid of the Unfamiliar

For animals, it’s generally irrelevant whether their fellow residents are species they would encounter in the wild. Take, for example, the two lemur species: both are originally from Madagascar, but ring-tailed lemurs live in the south, and black lemurs live in the north. In the wild, these two species would never meet! How strict a zoo is about mixing species that don’t share the same native range has more to do with educational goals: mixing species from different regions or continents can lead to visitors picking up incorrect facts and assuming these species are also direct neighbours in the wild. However, the animals themselves don’t care at all about the original origins of their fellow residents. Other factors are far more crucial for a successful match!

Who Go Together?

So, what factors should you consider when forming a mixed enclosure?
Compatibility in terms of dominance and personality is an important one. A shy species that enjoys peace and quiet might not appreciate sharing the same enclosure with highly active individuals. While it may bring variety and prevent boredom, it could easily be quite annoying for the quieter species in the long run.
The enclosure must suit everyone: preferences regarding substrate, temperature, humidity, etc., shouldn’t clash. In a very spacious enclosure, it is possible to create multiple areas that are comfortable for different species.
Species must also be compatible from a veterinary perspective. In some cases, certain species within an order, e.g. the primate group, might carry specific viruses or bacteria without getting sick, while another species from the same order or a different order might develop symptoms when exposed to such carriers. In these cases, it’s better to avoid putting these species together to prevent infections.

No Guarantee, But Shared Experiences

Thankfully, biologists and zoo designers don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. The coordinators of population management programs keep records of successful and unsuccessful mixed enclosures in all zoos. For instance, our park manager, in his role as the European Endangered species Programme (EEP) coordinator for aardvarks, knows exactly when and where mixed enclosures with aardvarks have been attempted. With different bird species, for example. Positive experiences have also been gained from mixing with fennec foxes and dik-diks. On the other hand, South African porcupines and meerkats did not fare well with aardvarks. If you wanted to try this again, you would certainly need to contact the respective zoo to hear their story and see if the problems might also arise in your planned setting.
Whether species can coexist also depends on the enclosure and the individual characters. So, even though it’s good to know whether something worked in other zoos, it doesn’t offer a hundred per cent guarantee. A bit of luck is also involved. It could even be that a combination that was successful for years suddenly no longer works! Mixed animal communities enrich the lives of the animals and keep things interesting and varied for the zookeepers and biologists!

No Guarantee, But Shared Experiences

Thankfully, biologists and zoo designers don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. The coordinators of population management programs keep records of successful and unsuccessful mixed enclosures in all zoos. For instance, our park manager, in his role as the European Endangered species Programme (EEP) coordinator for aardvarks, knows exactly when and where mixed enclosures with aardvarks have been attempted. With different bird species, for example. Positive experiences have also been gained from mixing with fennec foxes and dik-diks. On the other hand, South African porcupines and meerkats did not fare well with aardvarks. If you wanted to try this again, you would certainly need to contact the respective zoo to hear their story and see if the problems might also arise in your planned setting.
Whether species can coexist also depends on the enclosure and the individual characters. So, even though it’s good to know whether something worked in other zoos, it doesn’t offer a hundred per cent guarantee. A bit of luck is also involved. It could even be that a combination that was successful for years suddenly no longer works! Mixed animal communities enrich the lives of the animals and keep things interesting and varied for the zookeepers and biologists!

Predators Together?

The possibilities for predators to share enclosures are, of course, more limited. Sumatran tigers, lions, and reticulated pythons each have their separate enclosure. On the other hand, Malayan bears and binturongs do share an outdoor enclosure, which sometimes works well and sometimes less so. During less harmonious times, the species take turns going outside. This isn’t a big problem, as binturongs are primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, so the rotation doesn’t affect them much.
The section where the caimans live in the Bush is separated from the rest of the tropical hall with plastic curtains and a net. Because if ibises or ducks were able to forage near the caiman pond, the mixed community would be very short-lived!

As you can see, there’s a lot to say about housing different species together, and we haven’t even touched upon the animals in the Ocean in this story! That alone could fill four pages, so we’ll save that for a future edition!