Species that you would like to see in UK zoos

Any sirenians - I've just read Attenborough's account of capturing London's first manatee, and what a species to hold provided a good enclosure is given. But also more gaur and sloth bears. Wouldn't mind to see forest elephants either, but given the lack of them worldwide that's a very long shot.
 
cerperal said:
Any sirenians - I've just read Attenborough's account of capturing London's first manatee, and what a species to hold provided a good enclosure is given. But also more gaur and sloth bears. Wouldn't mind to see forest elephants either, but given the lack of them worldwide that's a very long shot.
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Interesting - I had thought that London held manatees in the 19th century (in, I think, the Reptile House?)

Realistically, I could see pangolins, quokkas, and Tasmanian devils arriving at some point. Manatees would be an enormous capital project, but don't think they are outside the realms of possibility.
 
oflory said:
Interesting - I had thought that London held manatees in the 19th century (in, I think, the Reptile House?)
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Indeed. I believe London's first manatee arrived in 1875, and was held in the reptile house, although not the current one. Rather, the same building that is now Blackburn Pavilion.
 
oflory said:
Interesting - I had thought that London held manatees in the 19th century (in, I think, the Reptile House?
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I must admit when I read it was the first one I had my doubts and expected a reply correcting it :D

I'm guessing it would have been long gone by the time Attenborough was off catching things so to that extent it was a new species given few people would have seen one.
 
Kalaw said:
Indeed. I believe London's first manatee arrived in 1875, and was held in the reptile house, although not the current one. Rather, the same building that is now Blackburn Pavilion.
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Some of London Zoo's other early manatees were housed in the Reptile House (now the Bird House / Blackburn Pavilion) but the first manatee, in 1875, was housed outside in what was once a seal pond.

The first manatee arrived about seven years before the Reptile House (later Bird House) was built.
 
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Brum said:
Since this thread has been revived and I missed it the first time I'll throw in my suggestion. ;) It's a tough one, biggies I'd like to see would be Kagu, Marbled Cat, Marbled Polecat, or a pangolin species to name a few, but if I had to choose any species then it would have to be Side-striped Jackal.
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There's a few Marbled Polecats in private hands in the UK, so I would expect them to filter into zoos at some point.
 
My answer isn’t a species not kept in the UK but rather a way in which to view said species. I would like to see more underwater viewing for more species like common hippo, pygmy hippo, polar bears etc
 
Addra/Dama Gazelle, I think it would be nice to see more of them, especially seeing the rise in purpose built African savannah exhibits (I don’t know why there aren’t any in the uk anymore if anyone has any info it would be much appreciated)

animals which would be nice to see be more common in uk zoos : Addax, Agile Gibbon, Andean Flamingo, Chacoan peccary, Javan green Peafowl, North African red necked ostrich, Nile lechwe and sloth bears
 
If I was a billionaire, one of the things I would create would be a UK cetacean rescue centre, for rehabilitation, with the potential to permanently keep animals not suitable for release - like an enormous version of the Cornish seal sanctuary.
 
CrashMegaraptor said:
I'd love to see Tasmanian Devils. I know there's probably some sort of legal requirements with the Australian government or something regarding them, but if anywhere would be able to hold them, it'd be Hamerton.
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We were actually very close to this until covid happened. One UK zoo was definitely close but as I say Covid and ultimately Brexit put an end to it
 
Dassie rat said:
Olingos, golden bamboo lemurs, rockfowl
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I too would very much like to see picathartes in the UK again.

London Zoo was, I think, the first zoo in the world to exhibit grey-necked picathartes (1948) and the first to exhibit white-necked picathartes (1954) too.

It would be wonderful to see picathartes back there again but that would be highly unlikely.
 
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