Mixed Animal Exhibits

[velociraptor44]

I always mix Herbivores. carnivores with each other, you just need to make sure the carnivores have something to eat so that they don't attack the animals.

Ex:

Lion/leopard/cheetah/ostrich/thompsons gazelle/zebra/giraffe/african elephant/black rhino.... I usually do that zoo at Safari Ridge.

[Zoo]

Just about any animals can be mixed, I mixed a Grizzly Bear with a Tiger, they got along....

[Ramin_Raptor]

I just thought of somen. if u have a grassland exhbit u can mix any animal with each other except penguin

[Peacenote]

OK.  So I know that you can mix predators and prey together.  In fact, isn't it a selling point as a feature of ZT2?  :8

However, no matter what I do, these exhibits always seem to make my guests unhappy.  Whenever I mix predator and prey, I put out LOTS of different feeding options for the predators, and also lots of interactive toys for the predators.  For example, if it's a crocodile, I'd put out two piles of meat, two bowls of meat, and two piles of fish for two crocodiles.  And the stuffed prey dummy, and the bone, and the beef shank.  I also lock in at least one zookeeper to these exhibits (with a bench), and check on them regularly myself as well, to make sure the food is always full.  I also make sure they have plenty of space.  Nevertheless, my predators stalk my prey and all the people watching get upset with red messages and mad faces.  "Crocodile 1 is stalking Flaming 4!" and so on.

So my questions are:

1. Am I doing something wrong that this is happening?  Do I have to have a different carnivore to herbivore ratio, or something?

2. If you're supposed to be able to do this in ZT2, why do the guests get upset when they see this?  Is this a bug?  I feel like these other behaviors should be interesting to the guests, and that they should only get upset if the predator actually KILLS the prey.  Why ever would you mix these animals if it upsets the guests?  (And for that matter, although slightly off topic, I wish the guests wouldn't get so upset when the male animals challenge each other.  Especially if it's a natural behavior for them in the wild.  As long, again, as one doesn't kill the other.  Or, if it is upsetting to the guests, I wish the game would warn you that the animals are fighting, like it does when they run out of space.  But anyway....)

3. Are those of you who are mixing predator and prey just doing it to make a cool zoo design, and not worrying about guest reactions?

4. Or does the attraction of a mixed exhibit outweigh the instances where the guests see the stalking and get upset (for fame and whatnot)?


I'm just getting a little frustrated with seeing mad guests in front of all my creative exhibits!  Any input would be greatly appreciated!    


P.S. Also (sorry this is so long) but I think someone mentioned having issues with the prey never being able to eat or drink because it's always running away.  I think that this issue, at least, can be addressed by having a much higher ratio of prey to predators, so that when the predators go to stalk an animal they don't always pick the same one.  Then the others have time to fulfill their needs.  That's what I've noticed with my exhibits, anyway.  What do you think?   :huh

[zoohio]

My understanding was that; yes, you can have mixed exhibits with predators, but this is not the normal situation in a zoo.
Look at the prey and their happiness level. If they are stressed, this is triggering the guests as well.
I certainly would not want to see a zebra being stressed because the lion was chasing him around the exhibit. Worse yet, I would not want to see him eat the animal either.
I try to never mixed my big cats with any of the other animals.

[Springfield Elephant]

  Peacenote1 Posted on Aug 8 2005, 02:48 PM
 OK. So I know that you can mix predators and prey together. In fact, isn't it a selling point as a feature of ZT2?

However, no matter what I do, these exhibits always seem to make my guests unhappy. Whenever I mix predator and prey, I put out LOTS of different feeding options for the predators, and also lots of interactive toys for the predators. For example, if it's a crocodile, I'd put out two piles of meat, two bowls of meat, and two piles of fish for two crocodiles. And the stuffed prey dummy, and the bone, and the beef shank. I also lock in at least one zookeeper to these exhibits (with a bench), and check on them regularly myself as well, to make sure the food is always full. I also make sure they have plenty of space. Nevertheless, my predators stalk my prey and all the people watching get upset with red messages and mad faces. "Crocodile 1 is stalking Flaming 4!" and so on.

So my questions are:

1. Am I doing something wrong that this is happening? Do I have to have a different carnivore to herbivore ratio, or something?

2. If you're supposed to be able to do this in ZT2, why do the guests get upset when they see this? Is this a bug? I feel like these other behaviors should be interesting to the guests, and that they should only get upset if the predator actually KILLS the prey. Why ever would you mix these animals if it upsets the guests? (And for that matter, although slightly off topic, I wish the guests wouldn't get so upset when the male animals challenge each other. Especially if it's a natural behavior for them in the wild. As long, again, as one doesn't kill the other. Or, if it is upsetting to the guests, I wish the game would warn you that the animals are fighting, like it does when they run out of space. But anyway....)

3. Are those of you who are mixing predator and prey just doing it to make a cool zoo design, and not worrying about guest reactions?

4. Or does the attraction of a mixed exhibit outweigh the instances where the guests see the stalking and get upset (for fame and whatnot)?


I'm just getting a little frustrated with seeing mad guests in front of all my creative exhibits! Any input would be greatly appreciated!


P.S. Also (sorry this is so long) but I think someone mentioned having issues with the prey never being able to eat or drink because it's always running away. I think that this issue, at least, can be addressed by having a much higher ratio of prey to predators, so that when the predators go to stalk an animal they don't always pick the same one. Then the others have time to fulfill their needs. That's what I've noticed with my exhibits, anyway. What do you think?  

                                                                      first off, i dont mix predator/prey in an exibit, unless im making a wildlife preserve type thing. but i know that(like you said) if you feed the carnivours that it will be succesfull. you probly dont care about this so, to the point, are you sure the crocs(for example) can get to your food? and, is it spaced about through the exibit? i know some of my animals get mad if there is no food "around" even though theres plenty and all of it just happens to be on the other side of the enclosure. also make sure your crocs are close to the food and can get to it before they get hungry and decide to have a flamingo poo-poo-plater :lol ! make sure they have enough space but not to much
                                                 

zoohio Posted on Aug 8 2005, 02:54 PM
 My understanding was that; yes, you can have mixed exhibits with predators, but this is not the normal situation in a zoo.
Look at the prey and their happiness level. If they are stressed, this is triggering the guests as well.
I certainly would not want to see a zebra being stressed because the lion was chasing him around the exhibit. Worse yet, I would not want to see him eat the animal either.
I try to never mixed my big cats with any of the other animals.
 

                  not true the Dickerson Park Zoo has many mixed habitats, one of them with black bears and cyotes, and they get along just fine!www.dickersonparkzoo.org

[Peacenote]

Oooh, you make some good points.    I do try to put the carnivore food in multiple spots spaced throughout the exhibit, so I don't think that's it.  My crocs (and lions!) seem to stalk even when they are not hungry!  I'll try to keep a closer watch, though, and see if when they stalk if they're not near enough to the food or something.  And the too-much space might apply to one exhibit I tried, it was a HUGE Savannah one and maybe the lions were lazy!   :w00t

[Wildlife Enthusiast]

I think space is an issue.  I always put Ibex and Snow Leopards together, and if the exhibit is quite large, stalking is not much of a problem.  Really only the new snow leopard cubs stalk.  I've also found that extra space cuts down on male dominance issues.  I used to have tons of trouble with male carnivores killing each other--especially the various big cats!  In my newest zoo, I made a huge savannah carnivore exhibit containing lions, cheetahs, and african leopards, and I have had up to 5 mature male lions with no problems, even if they are lying near one another amongst a group of lionesses!  I made the exhibit so big to see what would happen, b/c I tend to forget to check periodically to see who grew up.  On Zoo Empire it tells you when a youngster becomes mature.  I wish ZT2 would list an approximate age somewhere...If I paused the game to write down every new birth, I would never be playing!! hehe

[Zoo]

I usually mix all the time, my guests usually think like "I find it cool Musk Ox 5 and Polar Bear 3 live in the same exhibit.".

It might just be your game....but I doubt that.

[Flame_tiger5]

Okapi And Moose Will Work

[Pugseli]

When I tried the trial version, though their biomes are different, the thomson's gazelle and the camel get along fine.

[kiwibuddy]

One time, I had two natrual wall exhibits right next to each other, one with Nile crocodiles, and one with ibex. One of my ibex just happened to gain enough speed to gallop to the top of my natural wall and he fell right into the croc pit. I never knew this until about three days game time! The crocs never cared to eat him! (P.S. I put the ibex back in its proper habitat!  :happy )

[zoohio]

not true the Dickerson Park Zoo has many mixed habitats, one of them with black bears and cyotes, and they get along just fine!www.dickersonparkzoo.org [/QUOTE]
I have never heard of a coyote killing a black bear as the black bear is much larger than the coyote. And black bear are more into grubs and veggies than scrawny coyote.
I believe the point was why are the guests unhappy. If the animal is stressed, it triggers the guests happiness level.