Extinct animals in captivity.

[ttyo888]

Hi I am planning to write a story something along the line of BBC's Prehistoric Park. Except for one thing, the stars of the "zoo" are animals that we have directly and indirectly caused their demise.

 

I am making a list of species that we should bring back to the present. The Dodo and the Tasmanian Wolf are among them.

 

Since this is a "science" forum I feel that this place would suit such a topic, I do not have much knowledge on how zoos operate or how some of the animals in really can be kept in zoos in the first place without them escaping. Amongst such questions are"

 

I got an Eagle who has a wingspan of over 3 metres, how am I going to make sure she doesn't fly over her enclosure and attack the moa's enclosure nearby.

 

I even saved Megalania, the giant goanna from Australia, but can it survive on goats? I got a population of deer and goat for the carnivore's enclosure.

[Daecon]

I think most bird enclosures in zoos have roofing to stop the birds escaping.

 

It's only natural parks and conservation areas that don't bother with things like that, as they only protect the area's natural inhabitants. They have fencing marking the boundary to stop human intrusion but no artificial separators inside their enclosure.

[JohnB]

I even saved Megalania, the giant goanna from Australia, but can it survive on goats?

Since some were 10 metres long, I think it would eat anything it wants to. Seriously though, I think since it was cold blooded it would have had eating habits similar to a croc so you could base feeding needs on that of a 10 metre croc and you should be close. Anything meaty that it could get it's fangs into would suffice. (You might try opening the gate into the Dodo pen occasionally.)

BTW, Thylacine is more commonly known as the "Tasmanian Tiger" due to it's stripes.

 

We also had the "Marsupial Lion". While smaller than the African Lion, the researchers I spoke to said it would have the African Lion for breakfast.

 

The Wonambi Centre at Naracoorte has great information. I've been there and for anyone visiting South Australia it is a "must see".