Zoochat Challenge North America 2022

This is all great stuff, everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying the challenge so far :) I know it's a lot to keep track of but hopefully people are finding some joy in getting to finish each trial as they go?

I'll try to find some time soon to compile everything for a progress update... remains to be seen if I'll have the time to do that. I haven't even gotten around to posting my own updates on my visits from the past month :oops: on the bright side, I'll be more lenient on people being slow to update this year!
 
St. Louis Zoo (St. Louis, MO) -- 17 March 2022:

Cat Got Your Tongue? (9/9): COMPLETE
9. Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

An Unbearable Challenge (5/5): COMPLETE
4. Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
5. Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

Bovine Bonanza (20/20): COMPLETE
19. Banteng (Bos javanicus)
20. Urial (Ovis vignei)

The Edgar Allen Poe (5/5): COMPLETE
5. Red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha)

Champion of the Sun (3/3): COMPLETE
3. Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval (11/12):
11. Coquerel’s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

TOTAL:
Completed: 30/36
In Progress: 5/6
Edit: Just kidding! I hit 30! I missed Champion of the Sun :P
 
Kudu21 said:
The hyenas were a no-show, or I would have hit 30 :(
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Not surprised tbh... the hyenas at Saint Louis have usually been hit-or-miss for me, and when I do see one it's always sleeping. I'm not sure why it's the case there specifically, but until I visited other zoos with that species I just thought they made poor exhibit animals!
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Not surprised tbh... the hyenas at Saint Louis have usually been hit-or-miss for me, and when I do see one it's always sleeping. I'm not sure why it's the case there specifically, but until I visited other zoos with that species I just thought they made poor exhibit animals!
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I missed Champion of the Sun when I was calculating my total, so I actually did hit 30, just would’ve been 31 with the hyena :p

According to the folks in front of me, I apparently just missed it walking inside, frustratingly :( I also missed this species on both of my visits to San Antonio.
 
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Since it seems like a possibility this year, what happens when one person completes all the trials? Does the competition stop, ro do we start going for second place?
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I imagine we just keep playing for fun. After all, fun is the primary purpose!

I gave up on potentially winning a while ago :p

~Thylo
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I'm honestly surprised by just how many trials some people have already finished! I've finished a whole four, and there's only four more I'm confident I'll finish. (It'd be six if not for bird flu). There's a few others I *might* be able to squeak through as well if I plan day trips to the right places.
 
I think I have a decent change at completing quite a few of the trials if bird flu is over in the next couple of months. If not, forget it. :p

But yeah, if someone wins I'll continue to play for fun. Although, someone winning this early would be a fairly good indicator that perhaps this challenge concept. I personally like it (even if it is a pain to keep track of) but a challenge should also not come to a definite close in the first few months of a year...
 
birdsandbats said:
But yeah, if someone wins I'll continue to play for fun. Although, someone winning this early would be a fairly good indicator that perhaps this challenge concept. I personally like it (even if it is a pain to keep track of) but a challenge should also not come to a definite close in the first few months of a year...
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Or perhaps if it ends early, it'd be less an indication of this concept, and more an indication that these particular trials could've been completed relatively quickly. Create more difficult trials or trials that require more work to finish, and the results would be a competition that lasts longer.
 
I feel like this might not be a popular opinion, but I'd be game to compete for second or even third place. I personally am split as to whether I'd continue keeping track for fun or give up. More, not harder, challenges might be a good idea. For example, 20 bovids and 5 bears are, in my opinion, difficult challenges to complete. Also, few zoos have more than two or three bear species, and only a few zoos have a large quantity of bovid (more specifically, antelope and gazelle) species. And cranes, giraffes, and misc. carnivorans (save for those of us who counted North American carnivorans like otters and racoons for Late to the Party or Redemption Arc) appear left out of the equation. And as previously mentioned, Zoochatters in Northern climates might have to wait until spring or even summer for antelopes, tapirs, or apes to be viewable to the public.
 
Neil chace said:
Or perhaps if it ends early, it'd be less an indication of this concept, and more an indication that these particular trials could've been completed relatively quickly. Create more difficult trials or trials that require more work to finish, and the results would be a competition that lasts longer.
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Sealy put a lot of work into making a diverse group of trials that have varying amounts of easiness/difficulty country-wide. Someone finishing quickly would just be an indication that the person was able to travel a lot more than the average member, in order to get the species that are more difficult to find.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Not surprised tbh... the hyenas at Saint Louis have usually been hit-or-miss for me, and when I do see one it's always sleeping. I'm not sure why it's the case there specifically, but until I visited other zoos with that species I just thought they made poor exhibit animals!
Click to expand...

Must be related to the bronx zoo ones :D Every hyena I've seen has been fairly active, except theirs, which have been sleeping on all of my visits.
 
Louisville Zoo 3/16
New sightings in bold

Have Trunk Will Travel 3/4
• Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• African bush elephant (Loxodonta Africana)
• Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus)

White with Black Stripes 2/3
• Plains zebra (Eqqus quagga) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
• Hartmann’s mountain zebra (Eqqus zebra hartmannae)

Cat got your Tongue 8/9
• Lion (Panthera leo) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Tiger (Panthera tigris) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Jaguar (Panthera onca)
• Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Southern Brazilian ocelot (Leopardus pardalis mitis) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Pallas cat (Otocolobus manul) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2

An Unbearable Challenge 1/5
• Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Ring n Ruff 1/3
• Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)

Planet of the Apes 5/6
• Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
• Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
• Bonobo (Pan paniscus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
• White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/3
• Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus)

Three Little Pigs 2/3
i. Visayan warty hog (Sus cebifrons) – Cincinnati Zoo 3/2
ii. Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

Another Dang Meerkat (Suricata suricata) 2/4
i. Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
ii. Louisville Zoo 3/16

Bovine Bonanza 4/20
1. Eastern bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
2. Lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/19
3. Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/9
4. Addax (Addax nasomaculatus)

You Must be This Tall to (Not) Fly 2/4
• Ostrich (Struthio camelus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/3
• Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Duck Dynasty 7/18
  1. Marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2/2022
  2. Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2/2022
  3. Chiloe Wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/3/2022
  4. Common eider (Somateria mollissima) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/3/2022
  5. Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
  6. Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandia)
  7. Black swan (Cygnus atratus)
Parliament is Now in Session 3/6
  1. Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) 1/2
  2. Barred owl (Styx varius) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/19
  3. Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Polly Want 20 4/20
  1. Thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/3
  2. Kea (Nestor notabilis) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/12
  3. Green-naped lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
  4. Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)
Cold as Ice 3/3 - COMPLETE
  1. Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
  2. Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) – Louisville Zoo 3/16
  3. Polar bear (Ursua maritimus) – Louisville Zoo 3/16

Coelacanth Seal of Approval 5/12
  • Mammals
    1. Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
    2. Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
  • Birds
    1. Hamerkop (Scopus umbrette) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
  • Herptiles
    1. Lake Titicaca frog (Telmatobius coleus) – Cincinnati Zoo 1/2
    2. Chameleon
      • Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
Complete (7/36): Late to the Party, Nocturnal Birding, Rookery Roundabout, Sharknado, One Zoo Wonder (Sharknado), Release the Kraken, Cold as Ice
In progress (25/36): Have Trunk Will Travel (3/4), White With Black Stripes (2/3), Cat Got Your Tongue (8/9), Planet of the Apes (5/6), Three Little Pigs (2/3), Another Dang Meerkat (2/4), Bovine Bonanza (4/20), You Must be This Tall to (Not) Fly (2/4), Pretty in Pink (1/4), Duck Dynasty (7/18), Parliament is now in Session (3/6), Polly Wants 20 (4/20), The Big Squeeze (3/5), Slow & Steady (2/4), The Sobek Six-Pack (3/6), One Drop One Life (11/18), Silk & Stinger (4/6), The Kingmaker (2/3), Champion of the Sun (1/3), The Steve Irwin (9/15), Coelacanth Stamp of Approval (5/12), Bona Fide Rarity Hunter (1/3)
Yet to be started (4/36): Puny Primates, The Alfred Russell Wallace, The Edgar Allen Poe, Namesake Challenge
 
I'm glad to finally partake in this very innovative challenge after reading so many others' entries.

Shedd Aquarium (3/18/22)

-BIRDS

Rookery Roundabout (2/6)
1. Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
2. Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

Duck Dynasty (2/18)
1. Brazilian teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis)
2. White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata)

Polly Wants 20 (1/20)
1. Hawk-headed parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus)

-ECTOTHERMS

The Big Squeeze (1/5 constrictor snakes) 0/1 Anaconda, 0/1 Reticulated Python, 0/1 Burmese Python, 0/1 Boa Constrictor, 1/1 other boa or python
1. Emerald tree boa (Corallus batesii)

The Sobek Six-Pack (1/6) 1/2 alligators, 0/2 gharials, 0/2 crocodiles
1. American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Pick Your Poison (6/6) COMPLETE
1. Golden poison dart frog (Phyllobates terribilis)
2. Splashback poison dart frog (Adelphobates galactonotus)
3. Black-legged poison dart frog (Phyllobates bicolor)
4. Yellow-headed dart frog (Dendrobates leucomelas)
5. Phantasmal dart frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)
6. Dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

Sharknado (6/6) COMPLETE
1. Bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo)
2. Zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)
3. Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
4. Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)

Silk and Stinger (1/6) 1/3 spider 0/3 scorpion
1. Goliath bird-eater tarantula (Theraphosa blondi)

Release the Kraken (1/1) COMPLETE
1. Flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi)

-MULTI-CLASS

The Steve Irwin (2/15) (0/5) mammals (0/5) birds (2/5) reptiles/amphibians
1. Red-bellied short-necked turtle (Emydura subglobosa)
2. Fly river turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)

One-Zoo Wonder (1/1 challenges) COMPLETE
Sharknado (6/6)

-------------------------
In Progress (7/36)
Rookery Roundabout (2/6)
Duck Dynasty (2/18)
Polly Wants 20 (1/20)
The Big Squeeze (1/5 constrictor snakes)
The Sobek Six-Pack (1/6)
Silk and Stinger (1/6)
The Steve Irwin (2/15)

Completed Trails - (4/36)
Pick Your Poison (6/6) COMPLETE
Sharknado (6/6) COMPLETE
Release the Kraken (1/1) COMPLETE
One-Zoo Wonder (1/1 challenges) COMPLETE
 
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Everyone's thoughts are heard and will be considered. My own OP is proof that I clearly underestimated some people's ability to complete these trials. I have already been mulling over some options about how to proceed if someone completes all 36 trials earlier in the year. What I can promise is that, if @Kudu21 or anybody else finishes all 36 trials first, they *will* be considered a ZCC champion for this year - regardless of any game restructuring that may occur.

I will say that, regardless of the timing or nature of someone's win, trying to complete as many trials as possible or trying to finish them all is still a goal to strive for regardless of whether you'd be the first to do so. If anything, I'd like to think a scavenger hunt challenge like this one lends itself *more* to continued play after it's clear you can't place first... but that's just an opinion. As @ThylacineAlive rightly pointed out, we do this for fun: competing *is* part of that fun (hence why I'm taking these thoughts into consideration), but historically people have continued to play even when there was no chance of them placing first and I hope this year won't be any different just because it might be a less climactic result.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Everyone's thoughts are heard and will be considered. My own OP is proof that I clearly underestimated some people's ability to complete these trials. I have already been mulling over some options about how to proceed if someone completes all 36 trials earlier in the year. What I can promise is that, if @Kudu21 or anybody else finishes all 36 trials first, they *will* be considered a ZCC champion for this year - regardless of any game restructuring that may occur.

I will say that, regardless of the timing or nature of someone's win, trying to complete as many trials as possible or trying to finish them all is still a goal to strive for regardless of whether you'd be the first to do so. If anything, I'd like to think a scavenger hunt challenge like this one lends itself *more* to continued play after it's clear you can't place first... but that's just an opinion. As @ThylacineAlive rightly pointed out, we do this for fun: competing *is* part of that fun (hence why I'm taking these thoughts into consideration), but historically people have continued to play even when there was no chance of them placing first and I hope this year won't be any different just because it might be a less climactic result.
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I plan to keep working on it even after @Kudu21 wins, I just might not go super out of my way to get the hardest ones. I did tell myself I wasn't going to go to pittsburgh this year, after all ;)
 
Henry Vilas Zoo - March 19 2022

An Unbearable Challenge: 1/5
1. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Ring ‘n Ruff: 3/3*NOW COMPLETE
2. Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
3. Black and White-ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata)

Planet of the Apes: 5/6
5. Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar)

Another Dang Meerkat: 1/4

Bovine Bonanza: 1/20
1. American Bison (Bison bison)

Pretty in Pink: 2/4
1. American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
2. Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

The Big Squeeze: 2/5*
1. Green Andaconda (Eunectes murinus)
2. Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor) *saw it at the Wildlife Discovery Center, forgot to count it until now.

Slow and Steady: 1/4
1. Aldabra Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)

The Sobek Six-Pack: 4/6
4. American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Cold as Ice: 2/3
2. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

__________________________________________________

Current Progress

In-Progress Trials
Have Trunk, Will Travel: 1/4
An Unbearable Challenge: 1/5
White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes: 1/3
Cat Got Your Tongue: 6/9
Puny Primates: 2/6
Planet of the Apes: 5/6
Three Little Pigs: 1/3
Another Dang Meerkat: 1/4
Bovine Bonanza: 1/20
Pretty in Pink: 2/4
Parliament Is Now In Session: 3/6
Rookery Roundabout: 3/6
Duck Dynasty: 7/18
The Big Squeeze: 2/5
Slow and Steady: 1/4
The Sobek Six-Pack: 4/6
Cold as Ice: 2/3
The Steve Irwin: 0/5, 1/5, 0/5
The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval: 2/4, 0/4, 0/4

Completed Trails - 3/36
-Nighttime Birding
-Redemption Arc
-Ring ‘n Ruff
 
Lincoln Park Zoo - March 21 2022

An Unbearable Challenge: 2/5
2. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes: 2/3
2. Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

Planet of the Apes: 6/6*NOW COMPLETE
6. White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)

Puny Primates: 4/6
3. Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)
4. Golden-headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

Three Little Pigs: 2/3
2. Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri)

Another Dang Meerkat: 2/4

Bovine Bonanza: 2/20
2. Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana)

Parliament Is Now In Session: 4/6
4. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)

Polly Wants 20: 1/20
1. Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)

The Big Squeeze: 3/5
3. Virgin Islands Boa (Chilabothrus monensis)

One Drop, One Life: 3/20
1. Aruba Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus unicolor)
2. Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus)
3. West African Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)

Pick Your Poison: 2/6
1. Anthony's Poison Dart Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)
2. Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

Silk and Stinger: 1/6
1. Golden Orb Web Spider (Nephila pilipes)

The Steve Irwin: 1/5, 1/5, 0/5
1. Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata)

The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval: 3/4, 0/4, 0/4
3. Pygmy Hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis)

Bona Fide Rarity Hunter: 1/3
1. Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)

__________________________________________________

Current Progress

In-Progress Trials
Have Trunk, Will Travel: 1/4
An Unbearable Challenge: 2/5
White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes: 2/3
Cat Got Your Tongue: 6/9
Puny Primates: 4/6
Three Little Pigs: 2/3
Another Dang Meerkat: 2/4
Bovine Bonanza: 2/20
Pretty in Pink: 2/4
Parliament Is Now In Session: 4/6
Rookery Roundabout: 3/6
Duck Dynasty: 7/18
The Big Squeeze: 3/5
One Drop, One Life: 3/20
Pick Your Poison: 2/6
Slow and Steady: 1/4
The Sobek Six-Pack: 4/6
Silk and Stinger: 1/6
Cold as Ice: 2/3
The Steve Irwin: 1/5, 1/5, 0/5
The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval: 3/4, 0/4, 0/4
Bona Fide Rarity Hunter: 1/3

Completed Trails - 4/36
-Nighttime Birding
-Planet of the Apes
-Redemption Arc
-Ring ‘n Ruff
 
pachyderm pro said:
Lincoln Park Zoo - March 21 2022

An Unbearable Challenge: 2/5
2. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes: 2/3
2. Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

Planet of the Apes: 6/6*NOW COMPLETE
6. White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)

Puny Primates: 4/6
3. Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)
4. Golden-headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

Three Little Pigs: 2/3
2. Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri)

Another Dang Meerkat: 2/4

Bovine Bonanza: 2/20
2. Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana)

Parliament Is Now In Session: 4/6
4. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)

Polly Wants 20: 1/20
1. Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)

The Big Squeeze: 3/5
3. Virgin Islands Boa (Chilabothrus monensis)

One Drop, One Life: 3/20
1. Aruba Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus unicolor)
2. Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus)
3. West African Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)

Pick Your Poison: 2/6
1. Anthony's Poison Dart Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)
2. Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

Silk and Stinger: 1/6
1. Golden Orb Web Spider (Nephila pilipes)

The Steve Irwin: 1/5, 1/5, 0/5
1. Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata)

The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval: 3/4, 0/4, 0/4
3. Pygmy Hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis)

Bona Fide Rarity Hunter: 1/3
1. Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)

__________________________________________________

Current Progress

In-Progress Trials
Have Trunk, Will Travel: 1/4
An Unbearable Challenge: 2/5
White with Black Stripes or Black with White Stripes: 2/3
Cat Got Your Tongue: 6/9
Puny Primates: 4/6
Three Little Pigs: 2/3
Another Dang Meerkat: 2/4
Bovine Bonanza: 2/20
Pretty in Pink: 2/4
Parliament Is Now In Session: 4/6
Rookery Roundabout: 3/6
Duck Dynasty: 7/18
The Big Squeeze: 3/5
One Drop, One Life: 3/20
Pick Your Poison: 2/6
Slow and Steady: 1/4
The Sobek Six-Pack: 4/6
Silk and Stinger: 1/6
Cold as Ice: 2/3
The Steve Irwin: 1/5, 1/5, 0/5
The Coelacanth Stamp of Approval: 3/4, 0/4, 0/4
Bona Fide Rarity Hunter: 1/3

Completed Trails - 4/36
-Nighttime Birding
-Planet of the Apes
-Redemption Arc
-Ring ‘n Ruff
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Are Puerto Rican Parrots kept at any Puerto Rican collections, and if they are, does that disqualify the species from counting for Bona Fide Rarity Hunter?
 
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birdsandbats said:
Are Puerto Rican Parrots kept at any Puerto Rican collections, and if they are, does that disqualify the species from counting for Bona Fide Rarity Hunter?
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Puerto Rico doesn't have any zoos anymore. Mayaguez Zoo closed in 2017 following ARA campaigns against them when they struggled to care for their animals properly after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

PR does have breeding centers for this bird that are sometimes opened to the public I believe. I'm not 100% certain on their being open, though.

TinoPup said:
Must be related to the bronx zoo ones :D Every hyena I've seen has been fairly active, except theirs, which have been sleeping on all of my visits.
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It's about 50/50 for me whether I see theirs asleep or not, usually at least one is up and about except during the hottest part of the day.
 
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