Zoo Habitats

By: Zac Vasek

Panthera Tigris Jacksoni• Commonly referred to as the Malayan

Tiger.

Maintenance

• When maintaining a Malayan Tiger, it is important to know that the tigers are very territorial. If a zoo keeper were to enter the tiger’s cage, he or she would have to either block the animal off in part of the tiger’s pen, or transport the animal to another area so the keeper can do his or her job. Tigers like to climb and run, so the tiger’s keeper needs to make sure all obstructions are clear so the tiger can move about freely.

Maintenance (cont.)

• The tiger is fed a mixture of ground beef and minerals to meet the cat’s nutritional needs. Also, the tiger is given a bone a few times a week to exercise their mouth and jaw. Tigers are fed 6 days out of the week, and the 7th day is to mimic a “starve” day just like they would experience in the wild. Also, the day with no food allows the tiger to break down any tough muscle and bone from the previous meals.

Medical Treatment

• If the Malayan tiger becomes ill or injured, the first thing to do is to judge whether the injury is keeping the cat from carrying out it’s daily activities. If so, the tiger will need to be transported to the zoo veterinarian. To transport the tiger, first you will need to get the cat in a moveable cage and sedate it. The tiger is a deadly animal, so the utmost caution is needed when dealing with it.

In this picture, you can see that it takes two people just to examine the tiger’s head. The reasoning behind that is because a full grown tiger can weigh up to 500 pounds!

Public Viewing• The Malayan tiger has it’s own exhibit in the zoo. The tiger is in

an enclosed area with fiberglass windows for public viewing. There is a viewing platform that can be accessed by a small set of stairs, or by a handicapped person’s ramp. Also, on one side of the exhibit, there is a row of fiberglass windows that start at the ground and continue upwards for 20 feet. There is a 10 foot gap between the barrier of the tiger exhibit and the viewing windows, so the possibility of a tiger escaping by jumping over the windows is impossible. The windows give people another view at the animal, and it allows handicapped people to see the animal without going up the ramp.

Protection From Weather• In case of bad

weather, the tiger can retreat into a cave that is built into the exhibit. This cave also serves as a hiding place when the animal wants to be hidden from humans.

Pan Troglodytes• Commonly known as the Chimpanzee

Maintenance

• The zoo keeper has to make sure the exhibit is free of debris, and all the chimpanzees are compatible with each other. Also, it is crucial that the keeper make sure the cage is secure so no chimpanzee can escape.

Maintenance (cont.)

• Chimpanzee diets are composed mainly of ripe fruits but vary according to the time of the year and abundance of specific food items. They will spend many hours a day eating about 20 different species of plants and up to about 300 different species during a one year period.  They do not store food and will eat it at the place they find it.  They also enjoy eating young leaves particularly in the afternoon. In long dry seasons when fruit is scarce, tree seeds, flowers, soft pith, galls, resin and bark become an important part of their diet. They also eat many different types of insects.

Medical Treatment

• If a chimpanzee becomes ill, medicine can be mixed into a fruit or a drink and can be given to the chimp by hand by the zoo keeper. If a chimpanzee injures a limb, it can be taken out of the exhibit and can be put in a separate pen and will be nurtured back to health.

Public Viewing

• Exhibits are normally made up of enclosures of rock and have a viewing room in one of the corners of the exhibit. the exhibit is flat and easy to maneuver, so handicapped people can go through the exhibit the same way non-handicapped people go.

• This picture was taken at the Houston Zoo!

Protection From Weather

• If weather gets severe enough, the chimpanzees can be brought indoors and kept there until the weather calms. In the indoor chimpanzee holding facility there are places for them to eat and sleep, but there is not enough room for them to run around. It is best to not keep them in the room for a long time.