U.S. zoos with lion-tailed macaques
- Thread starter elefante
- Start date
drill
Well-Known Member
Disney animal kingdom and black pine animal park.
Behind the scenes at San Diego.
I saw them this year in Kansas City Zoo
here's an interesting paper from 2013: http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1542/2828
Figure 1 shows the development of the North American population for a period of 50 years between 1960 and 2008. After an increase to a peak of 268 individuals in 1988 (Ness 2011), it steadily decreased to a size of 88 (44.44) individuals kept in 20 institutions in 2011. The most recent census in 2012 reveals a number of 74 (37.37.0) individuals (Ness, pers. comm. 2013).
Figure 1 shows the development of the North American population for a period of 50 years between 1960 and 2008. After an increase to a peak of 268 individuals in 1988 (Ness 2011), it steadily decreased to a size of 88 (44.44) individuals kept in 20 institutions in 2011. The most recent census in 2012 reveals a number of 74 (37.37.0) individuals (Ness, pers. comm. 2013).
The current number is almost certainly helow 40.
The status of lion-tails is in question at many recent holders, since some have taken them off-exhibit with no explanation. AFAIK, the places mentioned so far have them; other possible holders include Jackson, Hattiesburg, Reid Park, Woodland Park, Cheyenne Mountain, El Paso, Baton Rouge, Baltimore, Prospect Park, and Memphis.
There is also a population in Canada.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Woodland Park didn't have them on display (Francois Langurs were in their normal exhibit) when I visited in March, but they may still be off-exhibit. I tried doing a little research and I couldn't find Lion-tailed Macaques on the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo website, but that is all I can say for now.
Those are breeding groups? Are they where Detroit's population ended up?
There are four at Disney (1.3), at the park since mid-2016, but I can't see any articles saying where they came from.
Black Pine is a rescue facility? It seems to just have one: Black Pine Animal Sanctuary - For the REST of their lives.
"Mona Lisa, lion-tailed macaque. Age unknown. Surrendered by private owner."
Disney's male came from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo; the females were imported from Cologne.
I just did a quick search of the forum, and your questions have been answered (as of December 2016, so should still be more or less current) here: Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park - News from the Animal kingdom
As of that post the USA population was 14.21 at thirteen zoos (presumably just AZA zoos, so there may be others in private hands not noted there).
Maryland Zoo: 1.1
Baton Rouge Zoo: 1.0
Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens: 1.0
Disney's Animal Kingdom: 1.3
El Paso Zoo: 0.3
Hattiesburg Zoo: 1.2
Jackson Zoo: 1.0
Kansas City Zoo: 1.2
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo: 1.1
Prospect Park Zoo: 2.0
San Diego Zoo: 2.6
Woodland Park Zoo: 1.2
Reid Park Zoo: 1.1
Interesting to see the small numbers held at most of these US zoos, and the overall low total. certainly a species in decline in the USA. Woodland Park for instance used to have a large and thriving group, no longer apparently
In Canada Toronto Zoo has a troop of 1.3 and Safari Niagara has a troop with at least 1.1 but could be more I don't know for certain. The pair they do have is a brother and sister from Toronto. No breeding will happen in Canada. Toronto has two older females unlikely to ever breed and its younger male and female are siblings.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a breeding group, the only one in the country. Detroit's population did not go there.
My information told me the male came from Denver, actually. Either way, definitely from Colorado which no longer has any LTMs.
That individual is deceased.
I would really recommend those interested in the subject read that thread, as it contains a lot of information valuable to this conversation. Including, I believe, an explanation of why the population crashed and the AZA's plan to rebuild it.
drill
Well-Known Member
Black pine animal park has one elderly macaque. Disney's animal kingdom might have a breeding group, but I don't know.
I did not realize they were so low in USA now and I also did not realize my local Reid Park Zoo is down to two.
The situation is dire and it is sad to note that under the watch of the AZA Primate TAG the notable North American captive lion tailed macaque population (and with different bloodlines to European zoos) was allowed to wither away. It now needs introduction of European bloodlines to make it flourish once more. I do hope some of the older males in North American zoos are mixed in so their genes will not be lost.
Thanks everyone for the responses. I think these are such an interesting species. The first time I saw them was in Minnesota in 1990. I didn't see them again until going to Detroitmin 2014. Glad to see that Disney's Animal Kingdom is breeding them now. When handling this species how do keepers keep themselves safe from the herpes virus that so many of them carry?
When I saw the keepers at my local Reid Park Zoo cleaning the enclosure, they always wore a face mask.