Blackbuck currently in UK/Irish collections.

[Pertinax]

I'm just trying to establish which zoos/parks in UK/Eire have Blackbuck, and possibly, where their herds were sourced from originally. Here's my current list;

West Midlands SP. Source; ex Cotswold?- formerly from Marwell?
Knowlsey SP. Source?
Howletts. Source- possibly former Maidstone Zoo?
Port Lympne. Source- Howletts(presumably.)
Longleat.- Source?
Whipsnade. Source- Europe (previous ZSL stock has finally died out now)
Hoo Farm. Source- ex Chester -ex?
Axe Valley Park. Source- Blackbrook?- ex? (2 animals only)
Dublin. Source- ex ZSL stock?


Fota- do they have Blackbuck nowadays?
Belfast.- do they hold Blackbuck?

These are all the ones I know. If anyone knows of other holders or can fill in any gaps in the sources of the current herds, please do. Particularly interested to know if anywhere still has animals descended from the old ZSL breeding herd at London Zoo, which sent animals to several other zoos over the years. They also supplied handraised bucks as mascots for a certain Army Regiment too but presume the last one of these would be dead by now.

 

[Pertinax]

I should add Heythrop to the above list as I believe they have/had a few(3?)but again no idea of their source.

 

[FBBird]

I should add Heythrop to the above list as I believe they have/had a few(3?)but again no idea of their source.

I don't think Axe Valley hold Blackbuck any longer, a pity as they're one of my favourite hoofstock and that's my nearest zoo.

 

[Tim May]

Howletts. Source- possibly former Maidstone Zoo?

According to the book “The Story of Maidstone Zoo” (Vickie Harris; 1994) John Aspinall acquired the zoo’s nilgai, axis deer and hog deer when Maidstone Zoo closed.

It seems probable, therefore, that Howletts also obtained its blackbuck from the same source although that is not specifically mentioned in this book.

 

[Pertinax]

I don't think Axe Valley hold Blackbuck any longer, a pity as they're one of my favourite hoofstock and that's my nearest zoo.

Thanks. Mine too. Axe Valley still had them a year or so ago. I think it was a female and male offspring, the male having died. They still feature on their map but that doesn't mean too much. I wonder if they have since died or were sent somewhere else? Anyone?

(There are/were two groups currently without a male- Longleat & Whipsnade)

 

[gentle lemur]

In my 1974 Howletts leaflet, it states that they had 1/4 blackbuck, including 0/2 on loan from Marwell.
I think that there have been indications that the UK stock is very inbred. If this correct, I don't know why no-one can import some fresh blood from European or American collections.

 

[FBBird]

Thanks. Mine too. Axe Valley still had them a year or so ago. I think it was a female and male offspring, the male having died. They still feature on their map but that doesn't mean too much. I wonder if they have since died or were sent somewhere else? Anyone?

(There are/were two groups currently without a male- Longleat & Whipsnade)

They may just have been out of view when I visited.

 

[Pertinax]

In my 1974 Howletts leaflet, it states that they had 1/4 blackbuck, including 0/2 on loan from Marwell.
I think that there have been indications that the UK stock is very inbred. If this correct, I don't know why no-one can import some fresh blood from European or American collections.

Thanks Alan, that is very interesting. The thing is though there are several sources, the various herds have rarely seemed to have any exchanges to promote outcrossing. There have been some imports; though Marwell's original pair were handraised and came from Colchester and were from the old ZSL stock, they also imported a small group from Copenhagen. Its likely it was two of these females that went to Howletts as the original handraised pair at Marwell (and one of their two male offspring) were sent to Paignton.
I think the Marwell group later went to Cotswold, and from there possibly on to West Midland SP?

Much more recently Whipsnade have imported a group of five females from Europe. The last ZSL male at Whipsnade died before they could be put together so they will presumably source another male from one of the UK groups. But I do not know where the larger groups at places like West Midlands, Knowsley and Longleat(who have only half a dozen females now) originate from. I'm interested to know if any (descendants) of the old ZSL stock still remain anywhere too- I think maybe Dublin is the most likely.

 

[Paradoxurus]

Knowsley's from Chester.
West Mids from Howletts.

There are a few privately-held blackbuck besides Heythrop's.

 

[Chlidonias]

But I do not know where the larger groups at places like West Midlands, Knowsley and Longleat(who have only half a dozen females now) originate from.

this may not be accurate but for Longleat, in the comments on this Zoochat photo scimitarhorned1 says "the blackbuck have been at Longleat for upto 30 years . they use to be kept on the railway. i believe they came from knowsley"
Blackbuck at Longleat August 2008 | ZooChat

 

[Pertinax]

this may not be accurate but for Longleat, in the comments on this Zoochat photo scimitarhorned1 says "the blackbuck have been at Longleat for upto 30 years . they use to be kept on the railway. i believe they came from knowsley"
Blackbuck at Longleat August 2008 | ZooChat

Thanks for the reminder. You can see how hard it is to trace ancestry of the various herds- Chester to Knowsley, Knowsley to Longleat etc. I wasn't aware Chester/Knowlsey had had Blackbuck for as long as 'thirty years'in 2008 so am not sure these claims are correct- not disbelieving them but further confirmation/details(approximate years of transfers?) would be welcome if anyone can help.