Life on the Menu

Historically, one group of animals which has proven to be a major challenge for zoo managers has been the small cats - which has surprised a lot of people, because big cats - lions, tigers, leopards - traditionally do quite well in zoos.  The little cats, in contrast, have a reputation for being very shy, very neurotic, hard to breed and difficult to exhibit.  It appears that the question is one of nerves.   Lions and tigers are apex predators, confident in their dominion over all they see, and as such perfectly relaxed napping in full view, eating at their leisure, or allowing themselves to be distracted by enrichment in front of visitors.

Little cats don't quite have that luxury - because they aren't only predators, but prey as well, and as such, must be constantly on their guard.

And if that's how the little cats feel, imagine the worries of the animals that they eat - the small mammals, small birds, reptiles, and so on?

A major challenge in zoo exhibits for small animals is allowing these animals - which naturally spend much of their time hidden away from a world full of bigger, hungrier animals - to feel comfortable enough to come out and engage in natural behavior (even though hiding is a big part of that natural behavior).  To do so, spaces should be large and complex enough to allow the animals to be out of hiding but still maintain some space and visible barriers between them and visitors.  Proximity to other species that the animal might view as a threat should be managed (this doesn't just impact small animals - one of the secrets to getting cheetahs and clouded leopards to breed in zoos was removing them from close proximity to bigger cats).  For nocturnal or crepuscular (dawn/dusk active) animals, dim lighting can help encourage the animal to come out and feel less exposed.

Ironically, one of the tricks to make animals feel most secure being out in the open is having lots of hiding spots, which ideally keepers will disturb as little as possible.  If the animal knows that it has a safe place to retreat to if it feels threatened, it's more likely to be willing to take a few minor risks in exploring the rest of its habitat.