This is an introduction gone badly wrong!
Socialising is a very important part of enriching your beloved companion's life, whether that be a planned meet-up at the park, or an improptu meeting during supervised outdoor time. Even the most solitary of species benefit from being able to interact with others, although don't be suprised if they initially remain close to you until they are comfortable the situation presents no threat.
In the wild, dominance battles are far more common than in captivity. It is a myth that they always result in a physical fight! In fact this is very rare, as it wastes energy far better spent on catching prey. Other than in mating season, most dominance battles instead consist of threat posturing. A Mathieu will hiss and spit, a Ben raise his crest, and a Jasper adopt the 'puff pose' to make himself look larger. Once dominance has been asserted, the loser will generally leave immediately yet without being harmed.
In captivity, many species have lost this implicit understanding that a fight helps neither party. This can unfortunately lead to dominance displays being badly misunderstood.
The picture above shows a Wout, Tiesj and Neilson in a temporary enclosure. Likely this was intended as a neutral area to allow them to meet, however this space is clearly much too small for this purpose. No hides are available, and so the three of them are being forced into unavoidable close proximity.
This Wout is badly stressed. He is extremely close to the camera, which may be held by his keeper, and his body language is signalling he is feeling threatened and looking for an immediate way out. If one is not provided, he is likely to begin biting until the threat is no longer so pressing. He should be immediately returned to his travel enclosure with a favourite comfort item, and allowed to self-soothe.
The Tiesj is also stressed, however he is reacting not with aggression but by trying to hide. Although hiding behind his hand does not conceal him, this fact is not always as obvious to our beloved companions as it is to us. Matejs are masters of using camouflage to aid their hunts, however as many keepers know, plenty of Mathieus will cover their eyes and believe themselves invisible! He too should be returned to his own travel enclosure at once (if necessary, a temporary hide can always be improvised with a scarf or shawl until he is safely back in his own enclosure).
Unusually for the species, this jewelled Neilson is strongly projecting dominance. It may be that this meeting is taking place within his territory, and he is ensuring that both intruders recognise this fact. Alternatively it is possible he may have been challenged by the Wout or Tiesj, but he has clearly come out of this encounter the winner.
Although he too should be returned to his own enclosure, it is recommended to offer a session of active play first, followed by a feeding. Regardless of the rights and wrongs involved, dominance battles always produce an excess of adrenaline, best worked off before returning your beloved companion to their enclosure.
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