polar bear
Well-Known Member
I was at the Zoo the other day and there was one forest buffalo in Ituri Forest. I didn't see anyone to ask if there was more than one in residence.
San Diego Zoo forest buffalo
- Thread starter Ituri
- Start date
Sorry to bump such an ancient thread but I felt it might be better to post here than to start a new one on the subject.
Congo Forrest Buffalo were once held in multiple institutions from the world-known San Diego Zoo in the Ituri Forest to the more low-key Brookfield in Chicago. They are not present in either institution now and it seems some are no longer even aware San Diego once held them.
It sounds to me that the species was phased in and phased out quietly -- is there a reason why they failed in zoos? Did they not breed well? Too obscure or unpopular? Similar or unrelated reasons to why Cape Buffalo and Water Buffalo are not as common in zoos?
Congo Forrest Buffalo were once held in multiple institutions from the world-known San Diego Zoo in the Ituri Forest to the more low-key Brookfield in Chicago. They are not present in either institution now and it seems some are no longer even aware San Diego once held them.
It sounds to me that the species was phased in and phased out quietly -- is there a reason why they failed in zoos? Did they not breed well? Too obscure or unpopular? Similar or unrelated reasons to why Cape Buffalo and Water Buffalo are not as common in zoos?
None left in AZA zoos, but there may still be some in the private sector. They are also present in a number of European collections.
Cape buffalo are quite aggressive and a sizable herd requires a large amount of space to exist peacefully. This means they are also risky to include in mixed species habitats. Most zoos would rather dedicate that space to rhinos or other large megafauna.
Thanks!
That's a little sad, I get why everyone loves rhino, but a massive cape buffalo are so cool. I think their size is under appreciated by the general public.
I highly doubt any Congo buffalo are left due to the ages of the remaining individuals last seen publicly.
I have talked to a few facilities that house Capes and @pachyderm pro summed it up: what you have to build to house them is basically a rhino enclosure and they are preferred by the public. I had the pleasure of taking care of a Cape at one point and her enclosure was used for rhino after her passing
I have talked to a few facilities that house Capes and @pachyderm pro summed it up: what you have to build to house them is basically a rhino enclosure and they are preferred by the public. I had the pleasure of taking care of a Cape at one point and her enclosure was used for rhino after her passing
One major reason you don't see them in zoos anymore is because they are illegal to import. We didn't have enough to continue breeding in zoos without inviting astronomical costs. So like many non-threatened species they just kind of died out of zoos. There's one holder left in the US Safari Wilderness in Lakeland FL. As far as I know they aren't always visible.
Actually, at Safari Wilderness they have been very difficult to see over the last 10 years as they were kept in a paddock separate from the main fields, so you could only see them if they happened to be hanging out by the fence. However, they just announced (yesterday) that the fence will be open so they can choose to come out or not.
Oh that's awesome. We should all go there! Those are likely the last ones in the US!