Trends in European zoo collections in the 21st century

[lintworm]

Spoiler: Key to abbreviations & symbols

Number of zoos kept (current and former during the holding period):
A 1 zoo
B 2-5 zoos
C 6-10 zoos
D >10 zoos

Time period kept:
1 < 1 year
2 1-5 years
3 6-10 years
4 11-20 years
5 > 20 years

* Species successfully bred
♱ Dead end (in case of species gained)
↑ Species gaining popularity (in case of species gained)

African tree squirrels - Protoxerini
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 0-1
# Species kept currently: 1 (- / +1)
# Species gained: 4-5
# Species lost: 4

This group of African squirrels is very widespread in Africa, but rare in captivity. That is visible in the volatility of the holdings in Europe: 5 species have been kept, but only a single one is present now.

Species gained

Smith’s bush squirrel - Paraxerus cepapi B4*
While this is a ubiquitous species for visitors to many parts of Southern Africa, it is a great rarity in Europe. This species has been kept in Zoo Praha since 2005. But success with this species was achieved in Germany where both Zoo Magdeburg and Tierpark Schoenebeck have bred this species after a 2009 import.

@Daniel Sörensen Smith's bush squirrel are one of those species that are ubiquitous in their native range, but rare in captivity


Species gained but lost

Red-footed rope squirrel - Funisciurus pyrropus A3
Kept, not bred, in Zoo Plzen 2001-2013.

Red-legged sun squirrel - Heliosciurus rufobrachium B4*
This species was kept and bred in Zoo Plzen 2001-2010, in 2010 the remaining 4.1 animals moved to Zoo Cologne where the final animal died in 2019.

Cooper’s mountain squirrel - Paraxerus cooperi A3
Kept, not bred, in Zoo Plzen 2002-2010.

@Sicarius The only African squirrel acquisition of Zoo Plzen which was remotely successful was that of red-legged sun squirrels, but didn't even last two decades

Status unclear

Congo rope squirrel - Funisciurus congicus A3?
This species has only been kept in Tiergarten Friedrichsau in Ulm, Germany, until 2012. It is unclear when the holding started, but it seems the species was already present in 2005 and certainly in 2006. A pair was kept in 2006, but in later years only a single animal remained, so it seems most logical that this species was acquired after 2000, given a longevity of about 10 years, but that is not clear. It could also be a remnant of an old breeding group


African ground squirrels - Xerini
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 1 (-1)
# Species gained: 1
# Species lost: 2

This small group of squirrels is practically endemic to Africa and currently only represented by a single species.

Species gained but lost

Unstriped ground squirrel - Xerus rutilus B4*
Tiergarten Bernburg in Germany imported this species in 2003, which was possibly the same import that led to the establishment of yellow-spotted bush hyrax in Europe. But the ground squirrels did not establish. Although breeding occurred in Bernburg, the species only spread to Opel-Zoo, Kronberg, in Germany in 2004, where the species was kept until 2010. The last animals in Tiergarten Bernburg were kept until 2013 which meant the end of this species.

@lintworm You don't have to look far to find unstriped ground squirrels in their native habitat, but zoos are another matter

Species lost

Barbary ground squirrel - Atlantoxerus getulus B2
This species was kept until 2000 in Zoo/Citadelle de Besancon, France, and from 2002-2007 in Zoo Plzen. Given its introduced status to the Canary Islands it is maybe surprising this species isn’t kept in Europe currently.

@robmv Barbary ground squirrels are maybe surprisingly absent from European zoos currently

Species gaining popularity

Cape ground squirrel - Geosciurus inauris
The Grzimek House in Zoo Frankfurt has been home to a group of Cape ground squirrels since 1975, but it was not until around this century that this species spread across the continent. With 17 European holders it is still uncommon, but the spread of this species means that this group of African ground squirrels has never been more commonly kept in Europe than now.

@vogelcommando Cape ground squirrels make perfect additions to many smaller African mammal or bird exhibits

Progress
16/22 orders completed
45/106 families completed
240-248 species present in 2000
236-238 species present in 2023
65-73 species gained since 2000
74-79 species lost since 2000

 

[lintworm]

Since posting the marsupial profiles, the final spotted cuscus in Europe passed away in Ouwehands Dierenpark.

In Planckendael one of the last Australian echidna of the continent passed away, aged over 50 years. Of this original import Bruce in Paignton and the animal in Frankfurt are still going strong.

 

[lintworm]

Ground squirrels - Marmotini
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 11
# Species kept currently: 9 (-2)
# Species gained: 11
# Species lost: 13

There have been a lot of mutations in this squirrel tribe, this can to a large extent be attributed to a single Swiss institution, but there is more, although most species that have been lost this century were kept only for short amounts of time. In total 23 different species have been present in European collections this century.

Species gained

Woodchuck - Marmota monax B4*
This species has a long history in Europe, but wasn’t present between 1998 and 2012, when Zoo Prague imported 3 animals from the USA. Since then multiple Czech and German zoos have kept and bred this species, it is currently kept in 2 German zoos.

@TheGerenuk Woodchuck/ groundhog are the only marmots to be gained this century that aren't gone yet

Species gained but lost

Harris’ antelope squirrel - Ammospermophilus harrissi B4*
This attractive small squirrel has been imported twice this century to Europe. First by Skansen Akvariet in Stockholm, which kept the species 2007-2017 and bred them. Zoo Rostock kept the species from 2012-2023. Both zoos imported their original animals from Houston Zoo, USA.

Gunnison’s prairie dog - Cynnomys gunnisoni B3
Kept around 2015-2021 in Tierpark Donnersberg in Rockenhausen, Germany and possibly in two other institutions this century.

Mexican ground squirrel - Ictidomys mexicanus A2
Kept in Schulzoo Herford, Germany, until 2006.

Grey marmot - Marmota baibacina A2
For a very short time period the zoo Marmottes Paradis in Montreux, Switzerland, was a true paradise for marmot lovers. Around 2012 a large variety of marmot species were kept, grey marmots were kept approx. 2012-2013.

Black-capped marmot - Marmota camtschatica A2
Kept around 2012-2013 in Marmottes Paradis.

Long-tailed marmot - Marmota longicaudata A1
Kept around 2012 in Marmottes Paradis.

Yellow-bellied marmot - Marmota flaviventer A1
Kept around 2012 in Marmottes Paradis.

Siberian marmot - Marmota sibirica A1
Kept around 2012 in Marmottes Paradis.

Vancouver Island marmot - Marmota vancouverensis A2
Kept 2013-2014 in Marmottes Paradis, 2 animals were imported in 2013.

Daurian ground squirrel - Spermophilus dauricus A2?
Kept in Schulzoo Leipzig this century, but unclear for how long.

Long-tailed ground squirrel - Urocitellus undulatus A2
This species was kept at least 2006-2009 in Zoo Eberswalde, Germany.

@RetiredToTheZoo Yellow-bellied marmots were one of many marmot species to make a short appearance in Europe this century

Species lost

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel - Ictidomys tridecemlineatus B4
A few zoos have kept this species in the first half of this century, it was last kept in Zoo Plzen from 2007-2011.

Common rock squirrel - Otospermophilus variegatus C5*
A sizable number of zoos, including big ones like Zoo Plzen and Burgers’ Zoo, have kept this species this century and multiple zoos bred this species too. In recent years this species disappeared from multiple zoos around 2020. The final holder could well have been Tierpark Donnersberg in Rockenhausen.

Speckled ground squirrel - Spermophilus suslicus B5*
Apart from a short stint at Zoo Plzen 2001-2003, this species was predominantly only kept in Zoo Zamosc, Poland, which had a small free-ranging colony on their zoo grounds, which was kept until 2017.

@Maguari Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are one of multiple American species to disappear this century

Species gaining popularity

European souslik - Spermophilus citellus
While black-tailed prairie dogs are still by far the most commonly kept squirrel in captivity, their European lookalike has been making some small inroads this century. As a small, active and endangered European rodent it has gained some attention from zoos. It is most commonly kept in Central European zoos, which often take part in local reintroduction projects. The species can be kept as semi-wild colonies on zoo grounds as Tiergarten Nuremberg and Zoo Prague show. But they also make good display animals when kept in large groups, the downside is that they hibernate, so the enclosure is empty for half of the year.

@robreintjes A free ranging European ground squirrel in Zoo Prague

That means we are through with the squirrels, more rodents to follow next week!

Progress
16/22 orders completed
46/106 families completed
251-259 species present in 2000
244-246 species present in 2023
76-84 species gained since 2000
88-93 species lost since 2000

 

[Jurek7]

It strikes me it this thread, how few zoos appear in this thread, and often repeatedly, like Prague, Plzen and many small institutions. It means that an animal lover wishing to see diversity of animals should plan a zoo trip completely differently than visiting biggest zoos. He can easily skip most major zoos as repetitive and should visit mostly smaller institutions!

Interesting would be a summary of names of zoos and institutions mentioned (and about to be mentioned). It may turn that 80% of diversity of mammals depends from as few as 20 enthusiastic people in Europe and about so many zoos.

Very interesting, for conservation, would be also a summary how many threatened species were gained and lost in the 21. century and by how many people and institutions!

Gunnison’s prairie dog - Cynnomys gunnisoni B3
Kept around 2015-2021 in Tierpark Donnersberg in Rockenhausen, Germany and possibly in two other institutions this century.

Many German zoo enthusiasts have doubts about identification of these animals. It is possible they were other species, possibly black-tailed prairie dogs which lost fur on their tails.

 

[lintworm]

In the following posts we will cover a variety of smaller rodent families.

Gundis - Ctenodactylidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 1
# Species kept currently: 1
# Species gained: -
# Species lost: -

Only a single species of this small African family has ever been kept in Europe.

Species gaining popularity

Common gundi - Ctenodactylus gundi
At the start of the century only Zoo Berlin and Aquazoo Duesseldorf kept Gundi, but the number of holders has grown considerably. This species first appeared in Europe in 1995-1996 and it is especially due to the huge success of Aquazoo Duesseldorf that this species has spread. This is however not a very easy species to maintain, of which the large number of former holders that only kept this species for a few years is a clear indication.

@Veno These pocket hyraxes are a unique addition to African houses, though many zoos have trouble to maintain them long term

Pacas - Cuniculidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 1 (-1)
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 1

At the start of the century this family was fully represented in Europe, but half of its species were lost. That sounds dramatic, but the loss of mountain paca is one of the more dramatic disappearances this century.

Species lost

Mountain paca - Cuniculus taczanowskii D5*
This was a somewhat uncommon species in the 1990s but was quite widely kept and bred. At the end of the 20th century a decline had started and by 2000 only 8 holders were left. Then it went downhill really quick and the final animal died in Amazon World Zoo Park, Newchurch in 2012/3, which kept the last animals bred in Europe (born 2004 in Dvur Kralove).

@Giant Eland Mountain paca are now absent outside South America

Species gaining popularity

Lowland paca - Cuniculus paca
At the same time that their mountainous cousin disappeared, lowland pacas started to fill the gap. While their popularity has already peaked a few years ago it is still considerably more common than 20 years back. Much of the increase can be attributed to Papiliorama in Kerzers, Switzerland, which maintains multiple breeding pairs.

@Dormitator Lowland paca are an option to enliven the floor space of South American primate exhibits, but tend to be mostly nocturnal

Progress
16/22 orders completed
48/106 families completed
254-262 species present in 2000
246-248 species present in 2023
76-84 species gained since 2000
89-94 species lost since 2000

 

[lintworm]

Old world porcupines - Hystricidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 4
# Species kept currently: 6 (+2)
# Species gained: 2
# Species lost: 0

Porcupines are some of the most recognizable rodents for the general public and the larger species have long been zoo staples in zoos of all sizes, though many zoos make a sport out of labeling them incorrectly. But this century the smaller species are staging a small comeback, though they are still far rarer than the big ones.

@hmb_zoo Porcupine identification tends to be a prickly affair

Species gained

Philippine porcupine - Hystrix pumila C4*↑
First imported from the Philippines by Zoo Plzen in 2008, this species, also known as Palawan porcupine, had a somewhat slow start, but in recent years has spread to 8 other zoos. As it is the only porcupine in Europe that is not listed as least concern, we can expect a number of other zoos to be interested in this species in the future too.

Sunda porcupine - Hystrix javanica A2
Sometimes there are imports that seem to come out of nowhere. The acquisition of Sunda porcupine by the Cassiobury Farm & Fishery, Watford UK, in 2021 is one of those.

@HOMIN96 Phillipine porcupine are one of several (sub)species from Palawan to have made an appearance in Europe this century

Species gaining popularity

African brush-tailed porcupine - Atherurus africanus
Despite its mostly nocturnal habits this species has been gaining some popularity in Czechia and smaller German zoos. It is something of an atypical porcupine and given they aren’t great display animals in day light enclosures this interest is somewhat surprising.

Cape porcupine - Hystrix africaeaustralis
The rarest of the large porcupines (at least based on current identifications) but not very rare at all. A part of the gain in holders can be attributed to proper identification of the porcupines in question, as IDing the 3 large Hystrix porcupines seems to be a challenge. But there is a true gain of holders too.

@MagpieGoose Diurnal African brush-tailed porcupines are something of an exception


New world porcupines - Erethizontidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

Only 2 species of this family have been kept in Europe this century, and traditionally they have been a lot rarer than their old world counterparts. That is however slowly changing.

@Gavial The potato-shaped nose of prehensile-tailed porcupines is an asset

Species gaining popularity

Amazonian Prehensile-tailed porcupine - Coendou longicaudatus
In large part the increase of this species popularity can be attributed to Papiliorama in Kerzers, Switzerland, who maintain multiple breeding pairs and are a very effective distributor of these porcupines. They make a good nerdy addition to South American primate exhibits and as shown in Parc Animalier d’Auvergne, France, they can even be mixed with tapir if you are inventive enough. They were originally mostly something for nocturnal houses, but now are much more commonly kept in daylight exhibits. This species is normally signed as Coendou prehensilis, but based on a 2021 study the European animals should be treated as C. longicaudatus, as the species was split into 3. Whether this split, which is only based on morphology holds, is unclear.

North American porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum
It is now hard to imagine that at the start of the century there were only 2 zoos regularly breeding this species in Europe: Zoo Halle and Zoo Antwerpen. Nowadays zoos have found out that this species is incredibly hard to sex on sight and is actually quite vulnerable to disease if kept in a draughty exhibit. Keeping single sex groups isn’t very conducive to breeding, nor is animals dying of lung infections. Lessons learned and now this species is kept in over 50 European zoos, with half of those holders in Germany. Whereas many North American species are having a hard time in zoos, often because they have similar looking European counterparts, we don’t have climbing quill balls, so these yankees get a pass.

@Jakub Not as sturdy as appears on first sight, they are susceptible to disease in the wrong enclosure

Progress
16/22 orders completed
50/106 families completed
260-268 species present in 2000
245-256 species present in 2023
78-86 species gained since 2000
89-94 species lost since 2000

 

[Coelacanth18]

Amazonian Prehensile-tailed porcupine - Coendou longicaudatus

Along with sloth, another arboreal South American mammal that is apparently far more common in the US; while Europe has ~20 holders, I found references on the forum to at least ~65 American zoos holding one (only going as far back as 2020). They are common in all types of zoos here as well, from private rural facilities to major urban ones.

 

[15399]

Along with sloth, another arboreal South American mammal that is apparently far more common in the US; while Europe has ~20 holders, I found references on the forum to at least ~65 American zoos holding one (only going as far back as 2020). They are common in all types of zoos here as well, from private rural facilities to major urban ones.

Although is it the same species? I've always thought the ones in the US were C. prehensilis?

 

[Coelacanth18]

Although is it the same species? I've always thought the ones in the US were C. prehensilis?

As mentioned in the post I quoted, the split from prehensilis only happened in 2021 and most European animals are still signed as prehensilis - same as they are here. I don't know what species ours would be post-split; there are a lot more zoos with prehensile-tailed porcupines here than in Europe regardless.

 

[lintworm]

Along with sloth, another arboreal South American mammal that is apparently far more common in the US; while Europe has ~20 holders, I found references on the forum to at least ~65 American zoos holding one (only going as far back as 2020). They are common in all types of zoos here as well, from private rural facilities to major urban ones.

They are also found in a whole range of zoos here from small ones, to more specialist collections to major zoos (and are around in the private trade). Interesting that they are so common in the US, given there is also a native species around in a lot of zoos.

Although is it the same species? I've always thought the ones in the US were C. prehensilis?

The ones in the US are probably the same. prehensilis s.s. is restricted to a small part of the Brazilian coast, whereas longicaudatus has a huge range. That is if the split holds, given the lack of genetic data this is quite a progressive split in the ASM mammal diversity database.

 

[lintworm]

Agoutis - Dasyproctidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 7
# Species kept currently: 5 (-2)
# Species gained: 1
# Species lost: 3

A family of relatively familiar cavy-like rodents from Latin America. This family is now commonly seen in zoos, though this is largely due to the increasing popularity of a single species.

@gentle lemur An azara agouti looking for another new zoo to settle in

Species gained but lost

Mexican agouti - Dasyprocta mexicana B4*
This species was imported by Faunia Madrid in 2001, where it was kept until 2015 and bred at least twice. The offspring went to 2 other Spanish zoos but the species did not establish itself, with the last animal dying around 2019-2020 in Sendaviva, Arguedas. Tierpark Donnersberg in Rockenhausen has also claimed to hold a myriad of rare agouti species, including this one, but I would probably even trust Lionel Messi more when it comes to identifying agouti species then them.

@Maguari The Mexican agouti in Faunia were first identified as black agouti

Species lost

Roatan Island agouti - Dasyprocta ruatanica B4*
Species was kept 1987-1996 in Aalborg Zoo, Denmark and then at least 1996-2001 in Zoo Givskud, Denmark. Based on dna studies this species might better be lumped with Central American agouti (Dasyprocata punctata), though that might be a species complex itself, complicating things further.

Red acouchy - Myoprocta acouchy ??
Because zoos tend to falsely list their green acouchy as this species, it is not exactly clear which red acouchy holdings are actually this species and thus when the last animal disappeared from European zoos. It likely happened around 2010, though I wouldn’t be surprised if most if not all animals were actually misidentified. You see this with many species, when the common name is also in the scientific species name, zoos have a tendency to misidentify them (or at least sign them wrong): talapoins, chinchillas and muntjacs are other examples.

Dead ends

Greenish acouchy - Myoprocta pratti D5*
This species has seen a rapid decline from an uncommon species to one that is on the brink of disappearing completely from zoos. The reason for this rapid decline is unclear to me, but I could imagine the popularity of three-banded armadillo and large agouti as ground inhabitants of smaller South American exhibits has basically outcompeted them. There will be other reasons, but which ones….

@Maguari Acouchis, aka pocket agoutis, are almost gone from European zoos now

Species gaining popularity

Azara agouti - Dasyprocta azarae
If a zoo is adding agouti it is a near sure bet that it will be this species. They breed easily and are very suited as inhabitants to basically any South American mixed enclosure, as they make excellent companions to tapirs and marmosets alike. The 100 holder mark has been passed and the end doesn’t appear to be in sight yet.

Black-rumped agouti - Dasyprocta prymnolopha
Some species gain popularity almost exclusively in certain regions and the love affair between the former GDR (DDR) and this agouti is such a thing. Whether these agoutis are nostalgic about a communist past or whether it is something else is unclear. The successful breeding in Cottbus, Magdeburg, Leipzig and Lutherstadt-Wittenberg likely contributed though . 9 out of 15 holders are in Eastern Germany (one in “West” Berlin), with 4 others in the low countries. There are few species with such a disjunct clustered distribution across the continent. It wasn’t always the case, as in the first part of the century this species mainly occurred in French zoos, no doubt because Zoo Amiens was successful in breeding them.

@MagpieGoose Based on correlational studies black-rumped agouti tend to favour formerly communist zoos

Species losing popularity

Common red-rumped agouti - Dasyprocta leporina
This used to be the standard agouti in zoos, but it isn’t even in the rearview mirror of azara’s agouti anymore. Still the second most commonly kept agouti in European zoos, but it is becoming decidedly uncommon.

@Therabu Red-rumped agouti are slowly disappearing from European zoos

Progress
16/22 orders completed
51/106 families completed
267-275 species present in 2000
250-261 species present in 2023
79-87 species gained since 2000
92-97 species lost since 2000

 

[birdsandbats]

Interesting, I didn't realize Azara Agouti was the common one in Europe. I'm not ever sure that species in even kept in the US, if it is it's very rare. Red-rumped Agouti is the most common (only?) species kept over here. It also has introduced populations in Florida and the US Virgin Islands.

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

Interesting, I didn't realize Azara Agouti was the common one in Europe. I'm not ever sure that species in even kept in the US, if it is it's very rare. Red-rumped Agouti is the most common (only?) species kept over here. It also has introduced populations in Florida and the US Virgin Islands.

there are some Central American Agouti in the US, mostly at unaccredited zoos, Dallas World Aquarium is the only AZA facility I can think of that has them. The US did have Azara's Agoutis but I think they are all but gone now, once again Dallas World Aquarium apparently has them bts but even they may not have them anymore.

 

[lintworm]

Cavies - Caviidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 6
# Species kept currently: 7 (+1)
# Species gained: 2
# Species lost: 1

The most common member of this family in European zoos are the guinea pigs. While the exact origin of the name guinea pig is unknown, the animals themselves are far from unknown and are one of the most widely kept pets. Most guinea pigs in zoos tend to be the domestic variety, either dead in carnivore enclosures or alive in petting zoos (many guinea pigs tend to go through both phases during their time in a zoo). There are however a number of wild representatives in zoos, where it seems a tendency that the larger the guinea pig, the more common it becomes. Both greater capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) and Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum) are very common sights in zoos.

@WhistlingKite24 While there are well over 200 holders with capybara in Europe, their numbers are still dwarved by Patagonian mara

Species gained

Chacoan mara - Pediolagus salinicola D4*↑
It might be somewhat surprising to see this species as a gain this century, but the first European holdings this century were in 2011 when the species appeared simultaneously in 2 small Dutch zoos: BestZoo and Uilen- en Dierenpark de Paay in Beesd. The rest is history, with 33 current holders there are only 2 21st century newcomers to the European zoo scene that have more current holders.

Greater guinea pig - Cavia magna D5*↑
The European population derives from animals imported by Bielefeld University in Germany. From there the species spread to zoos, with Zoo Frankfurt being the first zoo to acquire this species in 2002. Zoo Leipzig and Zoo Wuppertal followed in 2003 and since then this species has been held in over 45 European zoos. There are 20 current holders and the distribution is still very much skewed towards Germany, but greater guinea pigs have proven to be a staying force on the ground floor of many a primate exhibit.

@ro6ca66 Given their origin supposedly doesn't exist, are greater guinea pigs then an actual gain this century?

Species lost

Montane guinea pig - Cavia tschudii B2?
This is probably the closest wild relative to the domestic guinea pig and as such it is no surprise that Europe’s premier domestics zoo: Arche Warder in Germany kept this species around 2001. It was apparently also kept in Tiergarten Neustrelitz, Germany around 2007, but that could also be a misidentification. In recent years Tiergarten Schoenebeck signed their Brazilian guinea pigs as C. tschudii leading to confusion.

@Tim May The successful breeding of Chacoan mara in Tierpark Berlin has been one of the main sources for the extraordinary spread of this species

Species gaining popularity

Rock cavy - Kerodon rupestris
Whereas the popularity of this American interpretation of a gundi seems to have peaked a few years ago, it is still considerably more common than it was at the start of the century. The European population seems to have started in Zoo Berlin, which imported this species from the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington in 1984.

@Ding Lingwei With the American source population gone, rock cavy are another animal present in Europe but not in the US


Progress
16/22 orders completed
52/106 families completed
273-281 species present in 2000
266-268 species present in 2023
81-89 species gained since 2000
93-98 species lost since 2000

 

[Indolencio Aguilar]

The Chacoan Mara will be the next big thing for me. The next capybara/meerkat for be more clear. They breed fast, are very cute and also more easy to house than agoutis

They eat only vegetable so there isn't the risk of them eating baby monkey that fall from mother hand or small birds. They are also very skittish but not in a detrimental way

In the future i think they will be very common in mix exhibit with callitrichidae.

 

[lintworm]

Some small corrections along the way:

I only included the current holding of Daurian pika (Ochotona daaurica) which is in Tierpark Berlin. But in the early 2000s a few German zoos kept and in one case bred this species too, with Tierpark Goerlitz being the first zoo to breed them. Despite being present around 1998 too, it appears there is a gap around the year 2000, so for now this species still counts as a gain.

I mentioned only 4 zoos held Caribbean manatee at the start of this century, that should be 5 as Zooparc de Beauval acquired this species in 1997.

I also noticed that the tally at the bottom of each post wasn't similar anymore to my master spreadsheet. So I recalculated it, apparently adapting it by hand for every post is still too error-sensitive. The correct tally is the following:

16/22 orders completed
52/106 families completed
274-282 species present in 2000
270-272 species present in 2023
83-91 species gained this century
92-95 species lost this century

With the following breakdown:

Of these species I am confident they were held in either 2000/2023:
224 species present in 2000 and in 2023
50 species kept in 2000, lost by 2023
44 species kept in 2023, gained since 2000
39 species present this century but absent in both 2000 and 2023

8 species ended up in the status uncertain section, with ? meaning uncertain at a given year, - absent and X present:

Uncertain.........................2000........2023
Tupaia glis..........................?..............-
Microcebus ganzhorni.......?............ X
Nycticebus javanicus.........?..............-
Saguinus leucogenys.........?............ -
Lepus corsicanus................?............?
Dryomys nitedula...............?.............X
Funambulus pennanti........?..............?
Funisciurus congicus.........?...............-

Of uncertain species how many were kept in

2000
minimum: 0
maximum: 8

2023
minimum: 2
maximum: 4

Species for sure kept this century: 7

Tupaia glis is the exception, all the others were for sure kept at some point this century, though not necessarily now or at the start.

 

[lintworm]

Chinchillas - Chinchillidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 3
# Species kept currently: 3
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

While a single member of this family is a common pet species, the others tend to be of high interest to zoo nerds. Long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) are by far the most common species in zoos. Lowland viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) are a rarity in Europe, though in recent years they have gained some popularity after a long decline. Zootierliste also lists 2 holdings of Short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) this century but the one for Faunia Madrid is almost certainly wrong and I assume the one for Allwetterzoo Muenster is also a misidentification, though I would happily be proved wrong. I have however seen too many falsely signed chinchillas and couldn't find any evidence for the contrary in the case of the Allwetterzoo, e.g. ZIMS lists exactly 0 chinchillas for them.

@wstefan Successful breeding in especially Zoo Zurich is the only reason this species is still around in Europe

Dead ends

Common mountain viscacha - Lagidium peruanum B5*
This has always been a rarity in Europe. It was kept in Zoo Halle from 1997-2010 and kept, and bred, in Hamerton Zoo until 2013. Tiergarten Schoenebeck received 3 males from Hamerton in 2012 and the final animal is still alive, but won’t be around much longer.

@TeaLovingDave The mountain viscacha is a relatively safe bet for the first mammal to disappear from Europe

Degus - Octodontidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

Both degu (Octodon degus) and coruro (Spalacopus cyanus) have been kept throughout the century, with degu being by far the most common representative of this family.

@vogelcommando With cururo and curora as alternative names it almost appears as if coruro was named by a dyslectic.

Hutias, coypus and spiny-rats - Echimyidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

This is a recently lumped family of which 2 species are currently kept in Europe. Only a single species of hutia has been kept in Europe this century: the Desmarest’s (or Cuban) hutia (Capromys pilorides). This uncommon species has a small but stable following and is bred regularly in multiple zoos.

@Goura Desmarest's hutia are one of the most singular looking rodents around in Europe

Species losing popularity

Coypus - Myocastor coypu
The other family member, the coypu, has long been one of the most common animals in European zoos, but that status is changing since it was put on the invasive species list, which prohibits holding and breeding this species in the EU (though this is not always listened too). This means that the coypu is slowly phased-out in many zoos and the number of holders has already clearly fallen.

@KevinB In the future one might have to go to non-EU Switzerland to see coypu in captivity, though wild nutria are also present on zoo grounds already.

Progress
16/22 orders completed
55/106 families completed
281-289 species present in 2000
277-279 species present in 2023
83-91 species gained this century
92-95 species lost this century

 

[Haliaeetus]

Chinchillas - Chinchillidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 3
# Species kept currently: 3
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

While a single member of this family is a common pet species, the others tend to be of high interest to zoo nerds. Long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) are by far the most common species in zoos. Lowland viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) are a rarity in Europe, though in recent years they have gained some popularity after a long decline. Zootierliste also lists 2 holdings of Short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) this century but the one for Faunia Madrid is almost certainly wrong and I assume the one for Allwetterzoo Muenster is also a misidentification, though I would happily be proved wrong. I have however seen too many falsely signed chinchillas and couldn't find any evidence for the contrary in the case of the Allwetterzoo, e.g. ZIMS lists exactly 0 chinchillas for them.

@wstefan Successful breeding in especially Zoo Zurich is the only reason this species is still around in Europe

Dead ends

Common mountain viscacha - Lagidium peruanum B5*
This has always been a rarity in Europe. It was kept in Zoo Halle from 1997-2010 and kept, and bred, in Hamerton Zoo until 2013. Tiergarten Schoenebeck received 3 males from Hamerton in 2012 and the final animal is still alive, but won’t be around much longer.

@TeaLovingDave The mountain viscacha is a relatively safe bet for the first mammal to disappear from Europe

Degus - Octodontidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

Both degu (Octodon degus) and coruro (Spalacopus cyanus) have been kept throughout the century, with degu being by far the most common representative of this family.

@vogelcommando With cururo and curora as alternative names it almost appears as if coruro was named by a dyslectic.

Hutias, coypus and spiny-rats - Echimyidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 0
# Species lost: 0

This is a recently lumped family of which 2 species are currently kept in Europe. Only a single species of hutia has been kept in Europe this century: the Desmarest’s (or Cuban) hutia (Capromys pilorides). This uncommon species has a small but stable following and is bred regularly in multiple zoos.

@Goura Desmarest's hutia are one of the most singular looking rodents around in Europe

Species losing popularity

Coypus - Myocastor coypu
The other family member, the coypu, has long been one of the most common animals in European zoos, but that status is changing since it was put on the invasive species list, which prohibits holding and breeding this species in the EU (though this is not always listened too). This means that the coypu is slowly phased-out in many zoos and the number of holders has already clearly fallen.

@KevinB In the future one might have to go to non-EU Switzerland to see coypu in captivity, though wild nutria are also present on zoo grounds already.

Progress
16/22 orders completed
55/106 families completed
281-289 species present in 2000
277-279 species present in 2023
83-91 species gained this century
92-95 species lost this century

About the Coypus/Nutrias, I add that this species is of very low conservation concern and now commonly established in France as an introduced species, thus phased out by many generalistic zoos (at least in France) years before its inscription on European invasive species list.
I remember Nutrias in small pits in the Zoo de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (closed later) and in the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in the 1980's, these animals went gone ages ago.

The only zoos to still keep this species are paradoxically the European/native fauna-themed zoos (Parc de Moidière, Gramat, Zoodyssée, Naturoparc Hunawihr, Coulée des Cerfs...) and one or two petting zoos and animal refuges (Refuge de l'Arche).

I don't know if any of these parks keeps breeding these animals (including domestic/pet forms).

 

[FBBird]

About the Coypus/Nutrias, I add that this species is of very low conservation concern and now commonly established in France as an introduced species, thus phased out by many generalistic zoos (at least in France) years before its inscription on European invasive species list.
I remember Nutrias in small pits in the Zoo de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (closed later) and in the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in the 1980's, these animals went gone ages ago.

The only zoos to still keep this species are paradoxically the European/native fauna-themed zoos (Parc de Moidière, Gramat, Zoodyssée, Naturoparc Hunawihr, Coulée des Cerfs...) and one or two petting zoos and animal refuges (Refuge de l'Arche).

I don't know if any of these parks keeps breeding these animals (including domestic/pet forms).

When I visited Basel Zoo last year, there was a thriving Coypu colony, but then they’re not in the EU

 

[Hvedekorn]

I've also visited a couple of Danish places that seem to have bred them within the last few years. Not that I'm gonna protest against that in any way, as I generally think EU banning the invasive species from public, licensed zoos and not just from private keepers is ridiculous