Enclosures
This is a map of the Main Pasture Enclosure at Fossil Rim, home to the waterbuck as well as the gemsbok, addax, fallow deer, white-tailed deer, axis deer, and sable.
This is the area in the main pasture where we saw the waterbuck during January 2008. They stayed near the area where the food pellets were put out each day. The pasture was otherwise brown. When we saw them in the shed by the clinic, it seemed to be when the vasectomized male, Lucifer, was following a cycling female. I wonder if she was trying to lose him.
For maps and data sheets, here is a zipped download:
http://wfsc.tamu.edu/jpackard/scienceinaction/maps.zip
Click here to view a presentation (nuggets_enclosures.pdf)
THESE ARE SOME STANDARD QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED ABOUT FACILITIES DURING HOLLIE’S PROBLEM SOLVING WORKSHOPS:
1. What is the size of the animal’s enclosure (exhibit and holding area)? What are the containment barriers?
2. Can the animal use all componenets of its exibit? Can it hide? How many places could this animal be out of view of its cage mate?
3. How functional is the current exhibit? Does the exhibit Facilitate/allow the animal to exhibit natural behaviors? How does the animal interact with exhibit elements?
4. Where and how is the animal’s food (normal diet, enrichment , browse) provided? Does the animal have a preference for one feeding site over another?
5. Does the physical environment contain elements of novelty (e.g., weather changes, can furniture be easily changed)?
6. What are the animal’s opporunities to feed/forage, breed, socialize in species-appropriate ways? Do/can/should animal interact with other species in exhibit?
7. Can the animal exhibit normal patterns of behavior? Are componenets of the physical environment available for this occur?
8. Can the animal make choices about where and how it spends its time? Does the animal have control over acquisition of food? Access to hiding places? Protection from the elements?
9. Are there any hazards in this enclosure?
10. Are parts of the exhibit over/under used?
11. What is the phenology of some of the plants occuring within the exhibit, and how does theirphenology affect the animal?
This page was designed by Chris Lituma (Jan 2008) and editted by Jane Packard (8/5/08).
The size of the main pasture is 417 acres.