Pampas cats in Brazilian zoos

[David Matos Mendes]

No, never have bred, the exhibit at Sorocaba isn't anything special really.

It is about a quarter of the size of the BH zoo exhibit and has a dirt floor with leaf litter, a ledge above the entrance to the handling area where they can climb up to, some dead branches, a few hammocks constructed from old fire hoses donated by the municipal fire department and a wooden shelter (same with the margays, grison and jaguarundi in the same small carnivore building).

You can sort of see it / get an idea of the appearance in some of the photos I uploaded to the gallery :

Well the pampas cats at Mata ciliar / neotropical feline conservation center bred in late 2019 and had a kitten so breeding success is good.

However, the problem is finding homes for offspring with Brazilian zoos as many of these are not particularly interested in housing the species.

Oh yes. Sorocaba's exhibit seems to be nothing much, but it looks at least practical, right? Was it an old big cat exhibit of some kind? Looks a little bit like the stile of the old lion/tiger/jaguar houses in BR.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Just found out that in 2016, the exact number of pampas cats in BH zoo was five individuals. I thought they had sent one to SP zoo's farm, but they actually received one from there. Nowadays, the institution keeps at least six individuals, if I'm not wrong. So they have two females, three males, and one unknown individual.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Then send them here to USA! (The problem is not many places here want them either).

It would be nice to send some of them to zoos in the US, this way, their ex situ conservation programes would be even larger and more effective, as well as the genetic variety...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Oh yes. Sorocaba's exhibit seems to be nothing much, but it looks at least practical, right? Was it an old big cat exhibit of some kind? Looks a little bit like the stile of the old lion/tiger/jaguar houses in BR.

No, as far as I'm aware they have always been for small carnivores.

Yes, its practical, sure, however, I do think they could be so much better but with the lack of funding I don't know if or when they could be improved.

I've always thought that the current big cat enclosures (four of them for jaguar, puma, tiger and lion) / complex would be far better for the small cats that they hold (ocelot, margay, jaguarundi and pampas cat).

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Update : Mata Ciliar's pampas cats at the Neotropical Feline Conservation Center are of wild stock and came from the Pantanal.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Just found out that in 2016, the exact number of pampas cats in BH zoo was five individuals. I thought they had sent one to SP zoo's farm, but they actually received one from there. Nowadays, the institution keeps at least six individuals, if I'm not wrong. So they have two females, three males, and one unknown individual.

They sent two pampas cats to Sorocaba but I'm not sure about SP zoo.

I know SP zoo have them at their CECFAU captive breeding center (the farm) but I don't know how many they have.

I've asked a colleague of mine but no reply yet.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

No, as far as I'm aware they have always been for small carnivores.

Yes, its practical, sure, however, I do think they could be so much better but with the lack of funding I don't know if or when they could be improved.

I've always thought that the current big cat enclosures (four of them for jaguar, puma, tiger and lion) / complex would be far better for the small cats that they hold (ocelot, margay, jaguarundi and pampas cat).

Oh yes, I see.

Indeed, the big cat exhibits at Sorocaba are a little small for what I've seen, and could be taller as well... Hope they improve it soon, or, as you said, add the small carnivores to it, divide the elephant exhibit to jaguar and puma and phase out the lions and tigers, but I don't think they'd accept something like that...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Oh yes, I see.

Indeed, the big cat exhibits at Sorocaba are a little small for what I've seen, and could be taller as well... Hope they improve it soon, or, as you said, add the small carnivores to it, divide the elephant exhibit to jaguar and puma and phase out the lions and tigers, but I don't think they'd accept something like that...

Yeah, thats what I've always thought, phase out the lions (the lionness they have is elderly and won't be around for much longer anyway) and tigers and revamp the elephant enclosure into one resembling the pitted enclosures at BH for jaguars or spectacled bears.

No, they most definitely wont sadly, they are a great team over there but they are very attached to the idea of displaying exotics to the public unfortunately.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

It would be nice to send some of them to zoos in the US, this way, their ex situ conservation programes would be even larger and more effective, as well as the genetic variety...

I'm not sure if it would be of huge utility for their ex-situ conservation as it is more important to have these within the range countries but I think that there are at least a few European or American zoos which it would be nice to have pampas cats at.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

They sent two pampas cats to Sorocaba but I'm not sure about SP zoo.

I know SP zoo have them at their CECFAU captive breeding center (the farm) but I don't know how many they have.

I've asked a colleague of mine but no reply yet.

BH had no pampas cats left in 2012, so they received a female from a rescue in São João da lagoa (MG) and a male from SP zoo (araçoiaba farm). They bred for the first time in 2015, when a male kitten was born, and bred one more time in the next year, in wich a female baby came to the world. In the same year, the zoo received another rescued male from UFMT (Mato Grosso state federal university). After that, they received another individual from SP, and I'm almost sure another kitten was born.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Yeah, thats what I've always thought, phase out the lions (the lionness they have is elderly and won't be around for much longer anyway) and tigers and revamp the elephant enclosure into one resembling the pitted enclosures at BH for jaguars or spectacled bears.

No, they most definitely wont sadly, they are a great team over there but they are very attached to the idea of displaying exotics to the public unfortunately.

Yes, it would be nice. BH's pit like exhibits are quite a good design, once the animals are not in a lower level than the visitors, and still have the moat space to use. It's a nice kind of display.

Unfortunately, most zoos around here are not into phasing out some useless exotics... BH has already phased out tigers, and it's on the way to phase out some more... Despite this, the exotics that breed well there and are inserted on international conservation programs are thriving, and I think they can genuinely help in the conservation of these species...

 

[David Matos Mendes]

I'm not sure if it would be of huge utility for their ex-situ conservation as it is more important to have these within the range countries but I think that there are at least a few European or American zoos which it would be nice to have pampas cats at.

I mean, good zoos from AZA and EAZA could breed them and help spreading them to our major zoos somehow... I have no idea if they would breed nicely in different wheathers, but it could be nice to try.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I mean, good zoos from AZA and EAZA could breed them and help spreading them to our major zoos somehow... I have no idea if they would breed nicely in different wheathers, but it could be nice to try.

Parc des Felins in France tried to obtain some not so long ago but it didn't work out.

Yes, it could be, but then so many small cat species have eventually been phased out / died out in European and American zoos historically (including the pampas cat in Europe) because of an eventual lack of interest.

I wonder whether the same thing wouldn't just happen over again if pampas cats were sent to foreign zoos and what would be the point in that ?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

BH had no pampas cats left in 2012, so they received a female from a rescue in São João da lagoa (MG) and a male from SP zoo (araçoiaba farm). They bred for the first time in 2015, when a male kitten was born, and bred one more time in the next year, in wich a female baby came to the world. In the same year, the zoo received another rescued male from UFMT (Mato Grosso state federal university). After that, they received another individual from SP, and I'm almost sure another kitten was born.

So the male kitten in 2015 would have been the one that was sent to Sorocaba, called "Aré" (I helped name him) here he is :

This individual is very tame and I think he must have had close contact with the keepers at BH before arriving at Sorocaba as he is a very friendly and even playful animal (uncharacteristic behaviour for a species that is typically very fiery and untrusting).

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Unfortunately, most zoos around here are not into phasing out some useless exotics... BH has already phased out tigers, and it's on the way to phase out some more... Despite this, the exotics that breed well there and are inserted on international conservation programs are thriving, and I think they can genuinely help in the conservation of these species...

I've spoken with staff at Sorocaba several times in the past about it and the response from a number of them was usually something to the effect of "70 % of our collection is composed of native animals and the exotics attract visitors".

I understand where they were coming from with that response, of course, but that doesn't mean I agree with it at all.

Moreover, I know for a fact that some of their staff think the same as I do with regards to the priority being native species.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

So the male kitten in 2015 would have been the one that was sent to Sorocaba, called "Aré" (I helped name him) here he is :

This individual is very tame and I think he must have had close contact with the keepers at BH before arriving at Sorocaba as he is a very friendly and even playful animal (uncharacteristic behaviour for a species that is typically very fiery and untrusting).

Oh yeah, so that must be him indeed! Great to know he's fine!
I'm surprised he's this friendly. Pampas cats use to be very sneaky and ferocious, as you said. I liked the name by the way! Hope he breeds in the future!

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Oh yeah, so that must be him indeed! Great to know he's fine!
I'm surprised he's this friendly. Pampas cats use to be very sneaky and ferocious, as you said. I liked the name by the way! Hope he breeds in the future!

Yeah, he's a very friendly (and therefore unusual) pampas cat.

A lot of the animals were consistently being given very mediocre names like "Johnny" (there were about four "Johnny's" in the zoo) and when I raised this and gave some constructive criticism one of the head keepers told me to pick an individual without a name and give it one.

I chose this particular pampas cat and the name "Aré" which means "friend / ally" in Tupi-Guarani because of his disposition.

The habit of giving animals indigenous names at the zoo seems to have stuck as a lot of their newborns are given names via votes on social media which often are from Tupi-Guarani or other indigenous South American cultures.

Filhotes do zoo de Sorocaba ganham nomes após campanha nas redes sociais

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Yeah, he's a very friendly (and therefore unusual) pampas cat.

A lot of the animals were consistently being given very mediocre names like "Johnny" (there were about four "Johnny's" in the zoo) and when I raised this and gave some constructive criticism one of the head keepers told me to pick an individual without a name and give it one.

I chose this particular pampas cat and the name "Aré" which means "friend" in Tupi-Guarani because of his disposition.

The habit of giving animals indigenous names at the zoo seems to have stuck as a lot of their newborns are given names via votes on social media which often are from Tupi-Guarani or other indigenous South American cultures.

I really liked the choice, and I really enjoy this habit of naming animals with native brazilian tribes words. BH, for example, named many of the animals that were born there lately with words from these origins, just like maned wolf "Akin", gorillas "Anaya", "Ayo" and "sawidi" (the other one has an african name), the recently arrived jaguar ("Pytu") and many more. I think it's a nice way to reinforce the country's cultural identity...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I really liked the choice, and I really enjoy this habit of naming animals with native brazilian tribes words. BH, for example, named many of the animals that were born there lately with words from these origins, just like maned wolf "Akin", gorillas "Anaya", "Ayo" and "sawidi" (the other one has an african name), the recently arrived jaguar ("Pytu") and many more. I think it's a nice way to reinforce the country's cultural identity...

Yes, me too.

I think it is a great way to make that connection through the naming of the animal to the cultural context / heritage of the country and when you give the public the chance to vote for the name then it permits participation and generates interest / awareness, right ?

Actually a lot of the zoos in Mexico will name their native animals with names or words of Mayan or Aztec origin and I suppose I always found that quite impressive.

Of course, it ultimately makes no difference to the animals lives what humans decide to call them but it is just a nice gesture for people IMO.

I didn't know about the gorillas at BH having African names but I think that is an excellent improvement and really impressive considering the way they previously named their gorillas.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Yes, me too.

I think it is a great way to make that connection through the naming of the animal to the cultural context / heritage of the country and when you give the public the chance to vote for the name then it permits participation and generates interest / awareness, right ?

Actually a lot of the zoos in Mexico will name their native animals with names or words of Mayan or Aztec origin and I suppose I always found that quite impressive.

Of course, it ultimately makes no difference to the animals lives what humans decide to call them but it is just a nice gesture for people IMO.

I didn't know about the gorillas at BH having African names but I think that is an excellent improvement and really impressive considering the way they previously named their gorillas.

Yes, totally agree. From what I've seen from mexican zoos, I've indeed seen they like naming their animals with Aztec/mayan names, and, besides liking the cultural aspects, I honestly really like how these words sound (particularly apreciate the pronunciation of many L's and X's ).

Yeah, BH is actually alternating the names of the gorillas with native brazilian indigenous names (such as "Ayo" and "Sawidi", the youngest and oldest offspring males, respectively) and the african ones ("Jahari" and "Anaya", the second oldest male offspring and the youngest female, respectively). The only one that doesn't have an ethnic name nowadays is the silverback "Leon". The two adult females came from Howletts with names "Imbi" and "Lou Lou". I also think that naming them with these cultural aspects is way better than naming them those shallow names animals used to be named in zoos in the past... As you said, no difference for the animal itself, but for the whole scenery it's involved...