Ask a zookeeper (1 Viewer)

[valence]

Are there any animals that you feel should not be kept in a zoo, but instead need to always remain wild?

i'd rather zoos stay out of the elephant and rhino business for the most part. I'm ok with them being in sanctuaries where they have a ton of room. Most zoos just don't have the space for them.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

lmao @ Deeples. good stuff.

 

[Tecumseh]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous. Are they very aggressive? What method of attack do they use (stomping, biting, etc...) Do they tend to keep current with alimony?

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous.

Because they are always hungry, hungry

 

[B-Deep]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous.

Because they are always hungry, hungry

lolsmall white marble's two natural predators are the hippo and the vacuum cleaner

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous.

Because they are always hungry, hungry

lolsmall white marble's two natural predators are the hippo and the vacuum cleaner baseball groupie chicks

 

[39407]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous. Are they very aggressive? What method of attack do they use (stomping, biting, etc...) Do they tend to keep current with alimony?

Extremely territorial, can cut croc in half and run amazingly fast.

 

[Rooster]

I know you mentioned that apes need to be socialized into the troop, but are there other animals that have to be slowly introduced to the displays so that they don't act overly aggressive toward the patrons? Is there some sort of downtime scheduled for certain animals so they don't get too "stressed" by being on display?

 

[39407]

Would it be possible to keep African Wild Dogs in a zoo?

Yep. We have three of them here at WPZ. They are really cool animals, but can be difficult to house.

How would you rate their quality of life in a zoo? Are they happy having their meals served up on a plate?

tough to say for sure but I think they have it pretty good. They are captive bred so it's they've ever known. Ours are a geriatric and have several health problems. The alpha male of the group died last year so there's been a lot of fighting for rank.

Thanks, any particular methods of "enriching" them? Also how big is their enclosure at your zoo?

 

[B-Deep]

i hope he answers my kindergarten questions!

 

[chet]

1n 1979, I was living in an apartment in Dallas. It backed up to a creek and had lots of undeveloped wild land along the creek.I bought a kinkajoo out of the Dallas Morning News want ads for $75. I named him Joo-boy.He lived in my bathroom.For 2 months.One day I came home and the bathroom window was open and the screen was broken out. Joo-boy was gone forever.Do you think he survived? I remember some news stories about a weird monkey-like creature terrorizing some family downstream from the apartments, and always hoped it was him.

 

[UOFI_316]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous. Are they very aggressive? What method of attack do they use (stomping, biting, etc...) Do they tend to keep current with alimony?

Have you seen one after you critic their linoleum flooring??

 

[The Future Champs]

Ever watch the monkeys do it?

And did you ever take along a female zookeeper to watch them?

I have observed the behavior with a female keeper. I'd say 75% or so of zookeepers are females. Unfortunately, most are really old or unattractive.

There were a couple of hotties working at the Seattle Aquarium last time I was there. Ever consider working someplace besides a zoo?

 

[zoonation]

Bear vs. Gorilla. Who ya got?

a bear would smash a gorilla. that wouldn't be a long fight

You've never been more wrong in your entire life.

No way a gorilla stands a chance against a polar bear or grizzly bear.An adult male polar bear can weight up to 1500 lbs. That is 3 times the size of an adult male gorilla.Think about that size difference and what it means in terms of raw power.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Bear vs. Gorilla. Who ya got?

a bear would smash a gorilla. that wouldn't be a long fight

You've never been more wrong in your entire life.

No way a gorilla stands a chance against a polar bear or grizzly bear.An adult male polar bear can weight up to 1500 lbs. That is 3 times the size of an adult male gorilla.Think about that size difference and what it means in terms of raw power.

You really haven't thought this through.

 

[valence]

So I told my Kindergartner about this thread, he was impressed. His questions follow:1) What time to the giraffe's go to bed2) What is the elephants favorite food3) what tim do elephant eat lunchand 4) would you like tigers better if they only slept at night, and did not have stripes?The last one came because i was explaining that you said lions and tigers were the most over rated animals. I guess he wants to see what tiger's need to do to move up your ratings. I am not sure where the stripes thing came from, maybe he is a racist.

1. Giraffes typically sleep only about thirty minutes a day, usually in 5 minute spurts. They also frequently sleep standing up.2. each one is different. some like grass and hay, other prefer browse. Our elephants really like willow.3. Elephants are constantly grazing so there isn't a set lunch time. They have free access to grass hay throughout the day.4. I didn't say I didn't like tigers. I said they are overated as a zoo animal because they sleep most of the day and rarely do visitors get to see them do anything but sleep. I like them fine as animals go, I just think they are a bit boring to watch them in a zoo unless you happen to catch them at one of the rare times they are active.

 

[gianmarco]

So I told my Kindergartner about this thread, he was impressed. His questions follow:1) What time to the giraffe's go to bed2) What is the elephants favorite food3) what tim do elephant eat lunchand 4) would you like tigers better if they only slept at night, and did not have stripes?The last one came because i was explaining that you said lions and tigers were the most over rated animals. I guess he wants to see what tiger's need to do to move up your ratings. I am not sure where the stripes thing came from, maybe he is a racist.

1. Giraffes typically sleep only about thirty minutes a day, usually in 5 minute spurts. They also frequently sleep standing up.2. each one is different. some like grass and hay, other prefer browse. Our elephants really like willow.3. Elephants are constantly grazing so there isn't a set lunch time. They have free access to grass hay throughout the day.4. I didn't say I didn't like tigers. I said they are overated as a zoo animal because they sleep most of the day and rarely do visitors get to see them do anything but sleep. I like them fine as animals go, I just think they are a bit boring to watch them in a zoo unless you happen to catch them at one of the rare times they are active.

What exactly does an "active tiger" do while in an enclosure?

 

[valence]

Have you guys brought any animals to the Woodland Park Zoo that have only recently (within the last couple years) been found to exist? If so, what are they?

No. It's tough to get animals that have only recently been discovered. It would require taking them out of the wild and we don't do that too often anymore except to study them.

 

[valence]

Why are hippos considered to be so dangerous. Are they very aggressive? What method of attack do they use (stomping, biting, etc...) Do they tend to keep current with alimony?

It's mainly because of how territorial they are. Humans use the Nile for all manner of things including religious ceremonies. Because populations continue to grow, more and more people intrude on the hippo's territory. When man and hippo meet bad things happen for one of them.Hippos have tusk like teeth that can grow extremely long. that plus there powerful jaws = good game for a human without a gun. They are also quite fast on land so don't think you can get away from them by getting out of the water as they can run up to 25 mph.

 

[valence]

I know you mentioned that apes need to be socialized into the troop, but are there other animals that have to be slowly introduced to the displays so that they don't act overly aggressive toward the patrons? Is there some sort of downtime scheduled for certain animals so they don't get too "stressed" by being on display?

Great question.Pretty much all animals have to be introduced to their new exhibits and new exhibit mates. The time it takes for them is dependent on species and individuals. There is downtime for some. Most get access to inside holdings where they can get away from the public if they want to. They always have hiding spots inside the exhibits which is why often times you can't see a certain animal and spend time playing live action where's waldther times individuals will be rotated onto exhibit, this happens a lot when two animals that share the same area don't get along.

 

[valence]

So I told my Kindergartner about this thread, he was impressed. His questions follow:1) What time to the giraffe's go to bed2) What is the elephants favorite food3) what tim do elephant eat lunchand 4) would you like tigers better if they only slept at night, and did not have stripes?The last one came because i was explaining that you said lions and tigers were the most over rated animals. I guess he wants to see what tiger's need to do to move up your ratings. I am not sure where the stripes thing came from, maybe he is a racist.

1. Giraffes typically sleep only about thirty minutes a day, usually in 5 minute spurts. They also frequently sleep standing up.2. each one is different. some like grass and hay, other prefer browse. Our elephants really like willow.3. Elephants are constantly grazing so there isn't a set lunch time. They have free access to grass hay throughout the day.4. I didn't say I didn't like tigers. I said they are overated as a zoo animal because they sleep most of the day and rarely do visitors get to see them do anything but sleep. I like them fine as animals go, I just think they are a bit boring to watch them in a zoo unless you happen to catch them at one of the rare times they are active.

What exactly does an "active tiger" do while in an enclosure?

run, jump, play\fight with another tiger, play with enrichment items, swim etc.

 

[valence]

I noticed earlier you mentioned a monkey that was masturbating. Are there any animals other than humans and primates who engage in masturbation? And if so, how do they accomplish it if they don't have manual dexterity?

Have you ever been leg humped by a dog? he's masturbating on you. Where there's a will there's a way so to speak. Rubbing on something, licking, fill in the blank.Manual masturbation to ejaculation has only been observed in primates though. I read in article in Science magazine awhile back about wild orangs using sticks to aid in masturbatory activities.

 

[valence]

Ever watch the monkeys do it?

And did you ever take along a female zookeeper to watch them?

I have observed the behavior with a female keeper. I'd say 75% or so of zookeepers are females. Unfortunately, most are really old or unattractive.

There were a couple of hotties working at the Seattle Aquarium last time I was there. Ever consider working someplace besides a zoo?

Yea it's weird. Aquarium chicks on average are quite a bit hotter than zoo chicks. I think it's the marine mammal angle. I have never met a woman that didn't love dolphins. I think aquarium workers are probably more visible to the public than most zookeepers. Maybe that has something to do with it too.I'd like to work in an aquarium someday, but zookeepers often have trouble transitioning to aquariums just because we don't have the aquarium upkeep skills.

 

[Fennis]

As a visitor, what time of day is the best time to visit the zoo? What season (or month)?

bump

 

[valence]

As a visitor, what time of day is the best time to visit the zoo? What season (or month)?

bump

Depends on what you want to see. Most zoos have more going on in the summer months from May - September or so. Animals are most "active" in the spring and summer, but again that depends on where you live.I'd say come early if you live in a very hot climate because as the day heats up the animals will be less active. If you live in a colder area, the reverse is true some come later in the day once it starts to warm up a bit.

 

[LHUCKS]

sweet thread, studied biology in undergrad and had it not been for my personal love of money may have considered a career path like this.

My questions:

1) what is the ideal quantity for a gorilla exhibit and why?

2) If Tigers are solitary animals in the wild, why are they often paired with another tiger in exhibits

3) General thoughts on the Tiger incident in SF?

4) If I snuck a house cat in a zoo and threw it in the Tiger exhibit, automatic takedown or would the Tiger let it live, mess with it, etc. What about a Lion exhibit?

5) I always wondered if Orangutangs hate the rope exhibits they are given vs. the real tree habitat they evolved in/from...thoughts?

6) Saw a pair of tigers at the Lincoln Park Zoo about a decade ago...all they did was pace back and forth and looked very pissed...thoughts on Tiger behavior in general?

7) What do you feed sloths?

8) what is the future of zookeeping, do you see any major changes over the next 20 years? 100 years?

9) If we threw Rudnicki and Tremblay into a babboon exhibit, do either make it out alive after 24 hours?

10) Are most zoo employees Democrats?

11) why don't people ever ride giraffes?

12) What is the most expensive animal to maintain?

 

[Andrew74]

Bear vs. Gorilla. Who ya got?

a bear would smash a gorilla. that wouldn't be a long fight

You've never been more wrong in your entire life.

No way a gorilla stands a chance against a polar bear or grizzly bear.An adult male polar bear can weight up to 1500 lbs. That is 3 times the size of an adult male gorilla.Think about that size difference and what it means in terms of raw power.

He's right.

 

[valence]

Bear vs. Gorilla. Who ya got?

a bear would smash a gorilla. that wouldn't be a long fight

You've never been more wrong in your entire life.

No way a gorilla stands a chance against a polar bear or grizzly bear.An adult male polar bear can weight up to 1500 lbs. That is 3 times the size of an adult male gorilla.Think about that size difference and what it means in terms of raw power.

He's right.

Would depend on where they fought. Gorillas are smart enough to fashion rudimentary weapons like spears and they are great at throwing things. Given enough time and the right environment, a Gorilla could have a chance.

 

[B-Deep]

here is the concept

Animal Army (Navy/Airforce)

Rules

Each participant gets 7 picks

Each participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)

All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they are

you get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of small

and here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness

#1

great white shark

crocodile

leopard

hawk

falcon

anaconda

boar

#2

polar bear

lion

alligator

brown bear

eagle

narwhal

tiger shark

flatworm

#3

elephant

killer whale

Brazilian Wandering Spider

rhino

owl

Rottweiler

giant squid

black panther

sailfish

#4

leopard seal

cheetah

vampire bat

Asian Cobra

cape buffalo

cougar

mako shark

harriers

finwhale

#5

tiger

chimp

gorilla

wolverine

albatross

blue whale

locust

badger

screwworm

#6

hippo

wolf

jaguar

Blue-Ringed Octopus

hyenas

condor

sperm whales

beavers

mongoose

#7

black mamba

grizzly bear

komodo dragon

Sea Wasp / Australian Box Jellyfish

moose

vulture

lynx

japanese giant hornet

tasmanian devil

 

[39407]

Thanks, any particular methods of "enriching" them? Also how big is their enclosure at your zoo?

Bump?

 

[tri-man 47]

My daughter recently returned from a semester abroad in Sydney. Interesting to see pictures from their zoo ...a lot of close up, interactive pics with koala bears, kangaroos, and a few other animals (she also has a picture of a 'wild' kangaroo that was hopping by on the beach one day).

It seems like they'd want to have people keep their distance, but I suppose it's just a different type of petting zoo - one that seems more exotic/unusual to us.

 

[Kendall]

I love this thread. I have done no work today because I could not stop reading.

 

[39407]

Would depend on where they fought. Gorillas are smart enough to fashion rudimentary weapons like spears and they are great at throwing things. Given enough time and the right environment, a Gorilla could have a chance.

Have you ever heard stories about Silverbacks actually dismantling poachers traps, to make sure their pack would get by safely? No idea if its true or not.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Would depend on where they fought. Gorillas are smart enough to fashion rudimentary weapons like spears and they are great at throwing things. Given enough time and the right environment, a Gorilla could have a chance.

Have you ever heard stories about Silverbacks actually dismantling poachers traps, to make sure their pack would get by safely? No idea if its true or not.

I could see them hiding at the top of cliffs dropping big rocks on the bears' heads.

 

[39407]

and here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness

#3...............The rest

 

[gianmarco]

Which animal is most likely to break free or escape (either due to strength or intelligence)?

Which animal is most likely to go absolutely crazy and become a danger (to himself or others)?

Are they any specific diseases or illnesses that you worry about as a zoo that can cause a big problem for the animals?

Are they any specific diseases or illnesses that you worry about as a zookeeper that you can get from the animals (extra vaccinations, precautions, etc.)?

Have you ever seen an animal go crazy (i.e. elephant breaking free from a circus type deal or tiger mauling an employee, etc.)?

Of the dangerous animals (lions, tigers, bears, hippos, etc.), which would you choose to have to be placed in their area with for a short time if you had to? Which would you be most afraid of?

Which animals does a change in weather from their natural environment cause the most problems?

 

[The Future Champs]

here is the conceptAnimal Army (Navy/Airforce)RulesEach participant gets 7 picksEach participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they areyou get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of small

Could I draft an army of viruses, mosquitos, parasitic worms, bacteria, and bats? Cause I would just rule this game.

 

[Andrew74]

and here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness

#3...............The rest

I would give the nod to #3 as well (I am assuming black panther = jaguar (at least that's what I normally associate them with), but a leopard or even cougar wouldn't knock the team down too much). However, I think team #2 (particularly if brown bear = Kodiak) and #5 aren't too horribly far behind.

 

[B-Deep]

here is the conceptAnimal Army (Navy/Airforce)RulesEach participant gets 7 picksEach participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they areyou get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of small

Could I draft an army of viruses, mosquitos, parasitic worms, bacteria, and bats? Cause I would just rule this game.

at the end the flat worms and some other parasite came in, the screw worm. It is some parasite that lays eggs in wounds or in the ###### of it's victimsfun stuffi think a virus or bacteria woulda been off limits

 

[perry147]

here is the conceptAnimal Army (Navy/Airforce)RulesEach participant gets 7 picksEach participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they areyou get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of small

Could I draft an army of viruses, mosquitos, parasitic worms, bacteria, and bats? Cause I would just rule this game.

at the end the flat worms and some other parasite came in, the screw worm. It is some parasite that lays eggs in wounds or in the ###### of it's victimsfun stuffi think a virus or bacteria woulda been off limits

How about pores?

 

[Drifter]

here is the conceptAnimal Army (Navy/Airforce)RulesEach participant gets 7 picksEach participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they areyou get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of smalland here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness#1great white sharkcrocodileleopardhawkfalconanacondaboar #2polar bearlionalligatorbrown bear eaglenarwhaltiger sharkflatworm#3elephantkiller whaleBrazilian Wandering SpiderrhinoowlRottweilergiant squidblack panthersailfish#4leopard sealcheetahvampire batAsian Cobracape buffalocougarmako sharkharriersfinwhale #5tigerchimpgorillawolverinealbatrossblue whalelocustbadgerscrewworm#6hippowolfjaguarBlue-Ringed Octopushyenascondorsperm whalesbeaversmongoose#7black mambagrizzly bearkomodo dragonSea Wasp / Australian Box Jellyfishmoosevulturelynxjapanese giant hornettasmanian devil

I think it's also important to note that you must assume a certain singularity of purpose among the animals to kick the other teams' ###.

 

[39407]

I would give the nod to #3 as well (I am assuming black panther = jaguar (at least that's what I normally associate them with), but a leopard or even cougar wouldn't knock the team down too much). However, I think team #2 (particularly if brown bear = Kodiak) and #5 aren't too horribly far behind.

To other animals a fully grown male Elephant is an unstoppable force, if they team up with Rhinos everyone else is in trouble. Owls provides us with Night vision and Rottweilers will keep the formations together. We DOMINATE the seas, with our packs of Killer Whales. We keep the Panthers as a strategic reserve, everyone else can stay behind and enjoy a little R&R.

 

[B-Deep]

here is the conceptAnimal Army (Navy/Airforce)RulesEach participant gets 7 picksEach participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they areyou get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of smalland here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness#1great white sharkcrocodileleopardhawkfalconanacondaboar #2polar bearlionalligatorbrown bear eaglenarwhaltiger sharkflatworm#3elephantkiller whaleBrazilian Wandering SpiderrhinoowlRottweilergiant squidblack panthersailfish#4leopard sealcheetahvampire batAsian Cobracape buffalocougarmako sharkharriersfinwhale #5tigerchimpgorillawolverinealbatrossblue whalelocustbadgerscrewworm#6hippowolfjaguarBlue-Ringed Octopushyenascondorsperm whalesbeaversmongoose#7black mambagrizzly bearkomodo dragonSea Wasp / Australian Box Jellyfishmoosevulturelynxjapanese giant hornettasmanian devil

I think it's also important to note that you must assume a certain singularity of purpose among the animals to kick the other teams' ###.

yes, for example the gizzly bears would not feed on the moose in their armyand some liberties, such as riding whales and sharks, must be taken for transportation purposeshowever, at their base it's these animals kickass abilities against the others

 

[The Future Champs]

Is it an Indian elephant or African?

Could they carry the wandering spiders on their backs? Could the spiders jump off and onto their enemies?

 

[The Future Champs]

Also, I notice you didn't include manatees on any of your teams.

 

[B-Deep]

Also, I notice you didn't include manatees on any of your teams.

i think team 1 had lambs as its last draft pick, left that offthe theory, I believe, was to turn the lambs loose to distract the predators on the other team, whil they eat lamb, they get mauled

 

[The Future Champs]

Also, I notice you didn't include manatees on any of your teams.

i think team 1 had lambs as its last draft pick, left that offthe theory, I believe, was to turn the lambs loose to distract the predators on the other team, whil they eat lamb, they get mauled

Team #1's only hope is to stop the other teams before they get to shore. After that, a couple of boar and leopards stand no chance, even if everyone else has a nice lamb burger for lunch first. This might need to get moved to a new thread, as I think we shouldn't distract from the zookeeper theme, which has been excellent.

 

[valence]

sweet thread, studied biology in undergrad and had it not been for my personal love of money may have considered a career path like this.

My questions:

1) what is the ideal quantity for a gorilla exhibit and why?

I can't really give you an answer for this. It depends on the size of the exhibit and some other factors. Wild troops are somewhere between 5 and thirty indivisuals. I would say five is definitely the minimum that should be considered

2) If Tigers are solitary animals in the wild, why are they often paired with another tiger in exhibits

I don't have a great answer for you here, but usually pairings are mother and cub(s), but just like other animals that live in zoos they can adapt to captive life. Male and females are often also put together only when the females are in estrus. It definitely makes the zookeepers life easier if animals can be housed together. In almost all cases with big cats though, the time spent together is only during the day. Most of the times they are separated at night.

3) General thoughts on the Tiger incident in SF?

I worked at the zoo for a few years and i can tell you that the zoo gets a lot more bad press than warranted. In this particular case, I don't know how the undersized walls passed AZA inspections all those years. However, I'm going to place the blame on the people that broke into the zoo and taunted the tigers by hanging their legs over the exhibit walls. It was a terrible tradgedy that could have been prevented by using just a little common sense.

4) If I snuck a house cat in a zoo and threw it in the Tiger exhibit, automatic takedown or would the Tiger let it live, mess with it, etc. What about a Lion exhibit?

They probably wouldn't last long, but you never know. Animals are full of endless surprises. I would say it largely depends on the individual tiger\lion that we are talking about. Each one has their own personality.

5) I always wondered if Orangutangs hate the rope exhibits they are given vs. the real tree habitat they evolved in/from...thoughts?

I'm sure they prefer real trees, but they climb on the rope exhibits just the same. Most zoos now use false vines that at least give the appearance of a real forest.

6) Saw a pair of tigers at the Lincoln Park Zoo about a decade ago...all they did was pace back and forth and looked very pissed...thoughts on Tiger behavior in general?

Pacing is a stereotypical behavior that many captive animals possess. It is unclear if it is a response to boredom or something else. There are a lot of studies going on right now to help extinguish this behavior. Other animals that traditionally do this behavior are elephants and polar bears.

7) What do you feed sloths?

three-toed sloths eat nothing but leaves. the two-toed variety will also eat flowers and some fruit.

8) what is the future of zookeeping, do you see any major changes over the next 20 years? 100 years?

It's an interesting time in the field right now. Many of the "old school" keepers are begioning to retire. Old school keepers are more likely to go in and wrangle and restrain an animal for something like a vet procedure wheres newer keepers are much more interested in using training as a tool for these kinds of things. Zoos are also much more focused now on education than in the past. I'm a proponent of both of these things and am excited to see how far we can take those two recent developments. Exhibit design is also gettign a lot better, both for the animals and zoo guests. "Immersive" exhibit design is the wave of the future. Exhibits that are large and that make you really feel like you are in the amazon or the desert or the african savanna. If zoos still exist in 100 years then I think we will see most exhibits like this. I think that as long as people want to see animals that zoos will exist and continue to improve both exhibit design and guest experience.

9) If we threw Rudnicki and Tremblay into a babboon exhibit, do either make it out alive after 24 hours?

depends on how many there are and how good the humans think they are at self-defense.

10) Are most zoo employees Democrats?

I'd say that's likely but I don't have any proof to back it up.

11) why don't people ever ride giraffes?

Have you seen the angle of a giraffes back\neck? It would be pretty difficult. Also giraffes for the most part hate to be touched.

12) What is the most expensive animal to maintain?

Elephants without a doubt. Especially if done the right way.

Some pretty good questions there LHUCKS. I have to admit I was a bit worried when I saw you in the thread

 

[valence]

Thanks, any particular methods of "enriching" them? Also how big is their enclosure at your zoo?

Bump?

They get things like bloodsicles and meat frozen in iceblocks during the summer as well as toys like kongs and ropes and things. Occasionally we have time to make more elaborate things like
. I'm not sure of the exact square footage, but I wouldn't want any more than 3-4 in ours. It's a decent size, but I'd prefer it to be larger.

 

[valence]

here is the concept

Animal Army (Navy/Airforce)

Rules

Each participant gets 7 picks

Each participant is located on an island (ie army/navy/airforce all count)

All animals will be given suitable living conditions ie it's just how bad ### they are

you get 1 reasonably sized "unit" of the animal. In general you get less of large animals, more of small

and here are the 7 armies, please rank them i order of kick assness

#1

great white shark

crocodile

leopard

hawk

falcon

anaconda

boar

this one is in trouble once the invaders reach land.

#2

polar bear

lion

alligator

brown bear

eagle

narwhal

tiger shark

flatworm

pretty well rounded team.

#3

elephant

killer whale

Brazilian Wandering Spider

rhino

owl

Rottweiler

giant squid

black panther

sailfish

Elephant + Rhino = game over for any other teams ground attacks. Orca, giant squid and sailfish are a fine naval unit as well. This is looking like a favorite.

#4

leopard seal

cheetah

vampire bat

Asian Cobra

cape buffalo

cougar

mako shark

harriers

finwhale

vampire bat and fin whale will be pretty useless. This team is an underdog at best.

#5

tiger

chimp

gorilla

wolverine

albatross

blue whale

locust

badger

screwworm

If the chimp and gorilla work together, this team will have the best plan of attack. The screw worm and locust will help win a war of attrition if it comes to that

#6

hippo

wolf

jaguar

Blue-Ringed Octopus

hyenas

condor

sperm whales

beavers

mongoose

beavers, condors and mongoose willl be pretty useless in this war I think. Unless the beavers are like the army corp of engineers or something.

#7

black mamba

grizzly bear

komodo dragon

Sea Wasp / Australian Box Jellyfish

moose

vulture

lynx

japanese giant hornet

tasmanian devil

not sure this one has much of a shot either

Final rankings3

5

2

6

1

7

4