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)

Cats - Felidae
46 species across 14 genera
32 species kept this century (70%)

The cats are the most well-represented carnivore family of them all in European zoos. Most zoos will have multiple cat species and several of the big cats are among the most widely kept large mammals in zoos. On the other hand the majority of cats are small and these generally attract less attention. Because there is so much to talk about, I have split this family into 2 posts.

Small cats - Felinae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 22
# Species kept currently: 22
# Species gained: 2
# Species lost: 2

While not all small cats are small, they generally tend to be smaller than big cats. This is quite a diverse group that includes some real rarities. That overall diversity at the species level hasn’t declined slightly is mostly due to the fact that there have been multiple splits that better represent the real species diversity.

@Azubaa Not every small cat is small, the cheetah, including this Sudan cheetah, is one of the most popular carnivores of them all

Species gained

Southern oncilla - Leopardus guttulus B4*
While oncilla have been around in Europe for a while, these are generally thought to be northern oncilla. Southern oncilla were imported from Brazil twice this century. First Parc des Felins in Nesles, France, imported a pair in 2008 and in 2012 Zoo Dortmund imported 4 animals. The species has been bred in both these zoos since and offspring has made it to a few other zoos.

Sunda leopard cat - Prionailurus javanensis B4*
While mainland leopard cats have a long history in Europe, the recently split Sunda leopard cat has long been a different matter with only a few former holders. This changed in 2013 when Exmoor Zoo, Bratton Fleming, and Tierpark Berlin imported Palawan leopard cats (ssp. heaneyi) from the Avilon Zoo on the Philippines. While Exmoor only kept the species until 2016, Tierpark Berlin had more success and regularly bred the species. Tierpark Berlin ceased keeping this species in 2021, but it is still kept in 3 Czech zoos and 1 Hungarian zoo.

@Rayane Palawan leopard cats are one of the quite numerous new Philippine species in Europe this century
Species lost

African golden cat - Caracal aurata B5*
This has always been an extremely rare species in captivity, with little successful breeding. The final European animal appears to have been kept in the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park until 2000/2001.

Black-footed cat - Felis nigripes D5*
This was formerly an uncommon, but quite widespread, species that was bred regularly across the continent. But in the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century the European population completely collapsed from dozens of animals to none in a matter of 20 years. Disease played a large part in this decline, part of which can possibly be attributed to animals imported as new bloodlines. Since the final animals passed away first in Zoo Wuppertal in 2013 and in 2014 in Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, there have been rumours of imports from American zoos, but nothing has materialised.

@Arizona Docent The demise of the black-footed cat is one of the sadder stories in European zoos

Species gaining popularity

Iberian lynx - Lynx pardinus
Iberian lynx have long been bred in breeding centres for re-introduction purposes, but they hadn’t been visible in zoos until they went on show in 2013 after disappearing in the early 2000s. There are currently 7 zoos with Iberian lynx on show and most of these animals are retired from the breeding program and serve as ambassadors. Most holders are in Spain, but Lisbon acquired the species again in 2014. In 2021 the species arrived at Natur’Zoo Mervent, France, marking the first time this century that this species has left the Iberian peninsula. Given their flagship status as an European conservation success, interest in this cat will probably only grown in the future

Margay - Leopardus wiedii
While still relatively uncommon this ocelot lookalike has made some inroads this century and is becoming more commonly held in recent years.

Manul - Otocolobus manul
Despite looking perennially angry and being quite a sensitive species there has been an uptick in interest for this Mongolian furball. Their hardiness against low temperatures makes it an attractive option as it can be displayed outdoors all year long and as such it is no surprise most holders are in Central and Northern Europe and EAZA zoos at that.

Rusty-spotted cat - Prionailurus rubiginosus
This species has been kept successfully in Zoo Frankfurt since 1976, but was long largely confined to there, despite regular breeding. This changed in recent years when Zoo Ostrava and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park have functioned as new rusty-spotted cat factories, churning out large amounts of offspring. With 20 current holders this species has never been as common as it is now.

Fishing cat - Prionailurus viverrinus
This is currently the go-to small Asian somewhat endangered cat of the big zoos. This comes at the expense of formerly more widespread species, though fishing cats themselves aren’t very common either.

Sand cat - Felis margarita
The first founders of the current European zoo population arrived in Zoo Wuppertal from Israel in 1990, with Zoo Mulhouse and Zoo Berlin acquiring the species shortly after. Since then there have been multiple imports from Asian countries and this century the popularity of this species has grown further. For most of the 20th century this was a huge rarity, but with 20 current holders it has never been more widespread.

Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
This is the odd one out when it comes to the small cats. This hyper specialised Usain Bolt cat was long considered hard to breed. That nut has been cracked successfully everywhere now as zoos have realised you can’t keep the sexes together most of the time. With over 100 holders the South African cheetah is one of the most common cats of the continent. Part of the increase can also be attributed by the arrival of the Sudan cheetah (ssp. soemmeringii) which arrived from the United Arab Emirates from 2005 onwards. The first holder & breeder in Europe was the Safaripark Beekse Bergen, but they don’t keep this species anymore, 17 other European, mainly French and British, zoos do. Given the popularity of this cat there should be ample room to maintain 2 (highly similar) subspecies.

@ThylacineAlive The Iberian lynx could well be a future poster boy of European conservation efforts in many more zoos
Species losing popularity

Asian golden cat - Catopuma temminckii
These endangered cats are experts in keeping themselves rare. It is relatively hard to breed and intraspecific kills are quite common, leading to a collapse of the European population this century. That the already closed Dierenpark Wassenaar stopped keeping this species too in the early 2000s also didn't help. It was always an uncommon species, but subspecies used to be managed separately. This is no longer the case, but even then there are just around 10 golden cats left in Europe. A 2022 import by Tierpark Berlin of a new pair from Indonesia shows there are still some zoos committed, now we just have to hope that the cats cooperate.

Jungle cat - Felis chaus
Once this wasn’t an uncommon species that was widely held in larger zoos too. Larger zoos now shun this species, opting for rarer Asiatic species like the fishing cat. This species is still quite commonly kept in private hands and there are over 20 zoos still holding this species, mostly being small and/or Eastern European zoos.

Leopard cat - Prionailurus bengalensis
This is another formerly quite commonly seen Asian small cat, that has been largely phased-out in favour of more endangered species. The unique looking Amur leopard cat (ssp euptilura) has a small but somewhat stable following in Germany and Eastern Europe.

Cougar - Puma concolor
This is the most widespread cat of the Americas and it used to be a common species in Europe too. While there is still a large number of holders, it is disappearing from EAZA zoos and becoming more confined to smaller zoos all over the continent. Several non-animal varieties of this species, such as the shoes, remain a common sight in zoos of all sizes.

Northern oncilla - Leopardus tigrinus
At the start of the century this was the only oncilla on the continent and this tiny cat was already rare at that time. But from a handful of holders it has decreased to only 2 remaining holders, with southern oncilla being more often bred these days. It could well be that this species will disappear the coming decades.

@Neva Contrary to other rare Asian cats the Asian golden cats has been in steep decline

Progress
19/22 orders completed
82/106 families completed
412-420 species present in 2000
421-423 species present in 2023
194-202 species gained this century
190-193 species lost this century

 

[Haliaeetus]

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)

Cats - Felidae
46 species across 14 genera
32 species kept this century (70%)

The cats are the most well-represented carnivore family of them all in European zoos. Most zoos will have multiple cat species and several of the big cats are among the most widely kept large mammals in zoos. On the other hand the majority of cats are small and these generally attract less attention. Because there is so much to talk about, I have split this family into 2 posts.

Small cats - Felinae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 22
# Species kept currently: 22
# Species gained: 2
# Species lost: 2

While not all small cats are small, they generally tend to be smaller than big cats. This is quite a diverse group that includes some real rarities. That overall diversity at the species level hasn’t declined slightly is mostly due to the fact that there have been multiple splits that better represent the real species diversity.

@Azubaa Not every small cat is small, the cheetah, including this Sudan cheetah, is one of the most popular carnivores of them all

Species gained

Southern oncilla - Leopardus guttulus B4*
While oncilla have been around in Europe for a while, these are generally thought to be northern oncilla. Southern oncilla were imported from Brazil twice this century. First Parc des Felins in Nesles, France, imported a pair in 2008 and in 2012 Zoo Dortmund imported 4 animals. The species has been bred in both these zoos since and offspring has made it to a few other zoos.

Sunda leopard cat - Prionailurus javanensis B4*
While mainland leopard cats have a long history in Europe, the recently split Sunda leopard cat has long been a different matter with only a few former holders. This changed in 2013 when Exmoor Zoo, Bratton Fleming, and Tierpark Berlin imported Palawan leopard cats (ssp. heaneyi) from the Avilon Zoo on the Philippines. While Exmoor only kept the species until 2016, Tierpark Berlin had more success and regularly bred the species. Tierpark Berlin ceased keeping this species in 2021, but it is still kept in 3 Czech zoos and 1 Hungarian zoo.

@Rayane Palawan leopard cats are one of the quite numerous new Philippine species in Europe this century
Species lost

African golden cat - Caracal aurata B5*
This has always been an extremely rare species in captivity, with little successful breeding. The final European animal appears to have been kept in the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park until 2000/2001.

Black-footed cat - Felis nigripes D5*
This was formerly an uncommon, but quite widespread, species that was bred regularly across the continent. But in the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century the European population completely collapsed from dozens of animals to none in a matter of 20 years. Disease played a large part in this decline, part of which can possibly be attributed to animals imported as new bloodlines. Since the final animals passed away first in Zoo Wuppertal in 2013 and in 2014 in Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, there have been rumours of imports from American zoos, but nothing has materialised.

@Arizona Docent The demise of the black-footed cat is one of the sadder stories in European zoos

Species gaining popularity

Iberian lynx - Lynx pardinus
Iberian lynx have long been bred in breeding centres for re-introduction purposes, but they hadn’t been visible in zoos until they went on show in 2013 after disappearing in the early 2000s. There are currently 7 zoos with Iberian lynx on show and most of these animals are retired from the breeding program and serve as ambassadors. Most holders are in Spain, but Lisbon acquired the species again in 2014. In 2021 the species arrived at Natur’Zoo Mervent, France, marking the first time this century that this species has left the Iberian peninsula. Given their flagship status as an European conservation success, interest in this cat will probably only grown in the future

Margay - Leopardus wiedii
While still relatively uncommon this ocelot lookalike has made some inroads this century and is becoming more commonly held in recent years.

Manul - Otocolobus manul
Despite looking perennially angry and being quite a sensitive species there has been an uptick in interest for this Mongolian furball. Their hardiness against low temperatures makes it an attractive option as it can be displayed outdoors all year long and as such it is no surprise most holders are in Central and Northern Europe and EAZA zoos at that.

Rusty-spotted cat - Prionailurus rubiginosus
This species has been kept successfully in Zoo Frankfurt since 1976, but was long largely confined to there, despite regular breeding. This changed in recent years when Zoo Ostrava and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park have functioned as new rusty-spotted cat factories, churning out large amounts of offspring. With 20 current holders this species has never been as common as it is now.

Fishing cat - Prionailurus viverrinus
This is currently the go-to small Asian somewhat endangered cat of the big zoos. This comes at the expense of formerly more widespread species, though fishing cats themselves aren’t very common either.

Sand cat - Felis margarita
The first founders of the current European zoo population arrived in Zoo Wuppertal from Israel in 1990, with Zoo Mulhouse and Zoo Berlin acquiring the species shortly after. Since then there have been multiple imports from Asian countries and this century the popularity of this species has grown further. For most of the 20th century this was a huge rarity, but with 20 current holders it has never been more widespread.

Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
This is the odd one out when it comes to the small cats. This hyper specialised Usain Bolt cat was long considered hard to breed. That nut has been cracked successfully everywhere now as zoos have realised you can’t keep the sexes together most of the time. With over 100 holders the South African cheetah is one of the most common cats of the continent. Part of the increase can also be attributed by the arrival of the Sudan cheetah (ssp. soemmeringii) which arrived from the United Arab Emirates from 2005 onwards. The first holder & breeder in Europe was the Safaripark Beekse Bergen, but they don’t keep this species anymore, 17 other European, mainly French and British, zoos do. Given the popularity of this cat there should be ample room to maintain 2 (highly similar) subspecies.

@ThylacineAlive The Iberian lynx could well be a future poster boy of European conservation efforts in many more zoos
Species losing popularity

Asian golden cat - Catopuma temminckii
These endangered cats are experts in keeping themselves rare. It is relatively hard to breed and intraspecific kills are quite common, leading to a collapse of the European population this century. That the already closed Dierenpark Wassenaar stopped keeping this species too in the early 2000s also didn't help. It was always an uncommon species, but subspecies used to be managed separately. This is no longer the case, but even then there are just around 10 golden cats left in Europe. A 2022 import by Tierpark Berlin of a new pair from Indonesia shows there are still some zoos committed, now we just have to hope that the cats cooperate.

Jungle cat - Felis chaus
Once this wasn’t an uncommon species that was widely held in larger zoos too. Larger zoos now shun this species, opting for rarer Asiatic species like the fishing cat. This species is still quite commonly kept in private hands and there are over 20 zoos still holding this species, mostly being small and/or Eastern European zoos.

Leopard cat - Prionailurus bengalensis
This is another formerly quite commonly seen Asian small cat, that has been largely phased-out in favour of more endangered species. The unique looking Amur leopard cat (ssp euptilura) has a small but somewhat stable following in Germany and Eastern Europe.

Cougar - Puma concolor
This is the most widespread cat of the Americas and it used to be a common species in Europe too. While there is still a large number of holders, it is disappearing from EAZA zoos and becoming more confined to smaller zoos all over the continent. Several non-animal varieties of this species, such as the shoes, remain a common sight in zoos of all sizes.

Northern oncilla - Leopardus tigrinus
At the start of the century this was the only oncilla on the continent and this tiny cat was already rare at that time. But from a handful of holders it has decreased to only 2 remaining holders, with southern oncilla being more often bred these days. It could well be that this species will disappear the coming decades.

@Neva Contrary to other rare Asian cats the Asian golden cats has been in steep decline

Progress
19/22 orders completed
82/106 families completed
412-420 species present in 2000
421-423 species present in 2023
194-202 species gained this century
190-193 species lost this century

In France I can notice a general increase of the small cats, and of the interest paid to them by the visitors.
Until the late 90's most of these species are uncommon to inexistent there. Except the 2 native species (Eurasian Lynx + Eurasian Wildcat), the Puma and the Cheetah, these cats were reduced to be "filler" species in small carnivore cages units or houses, and none had the popularity of the big cat species.
Currently most of these species, with unfortunate exceptions like the Black-footed Cat, are more frequent than ever in French zoos. There are feline-themed zoos (the most notorious being the Parc des Félins near Paris) that keep many of them, other zoos (Beauval, la Tanière, Saint-Martin-la-Plaine...) rescue confiscated animals used as "pets" by unconscious people (a bad "side-effect" of the increased popularity of these cats?).
The case of the Puma is special, as the "biggest" of the small cats, and one of the less-threatened species globally. I don't foresee the disappearance of this cat in the European zoos but I notice that in the past, many French zoos kept them in cages or other bad exhibits, within their collection of Panthers, Jaguars... then opting for less species in better enclosures. Its case can be similar of the situation of the Chimpanzee, once present everywhere, now restricted to fewer collections but with better housing conditions. I may mention the case of Vincennes that get a decade ago several pure Patagonian Pumas from Chile, indeed wild-sourced animals that were captured in farms, thus unable to be released in the wild for risks for the livestock and pets. I don't know if these cats have managed to breed, and if other zoos have attempted such imports.

 

[Indolencio Aguilar]

This will be at least interessing

At a certain point have to jump out the """"issue"""'of management at subspecies level. And I will die on the hill that we had to consider the management of certain subspecies as they are different species.

A Sudan cheetah is different from the South african one. Yes managing two cheetah and four leopard subspecies is harder than having only two generic species

But well in nature they have so different ecological niches that in fact they act as different species

I hope, expecially for the leopards, that the focus for big cats will be also for the trends of different subspecies

The big, tropical and groundweller sri lankan leopard is a very different animal in comparison to the smaller and more cold tollerant Amur one

 

[Therabu]

I hope you are right for the Iberian lynx, but I wonder if it will not be a dead end outside of Iberia. The captive population is now not bred anymore for reintroduction purpose, and I even wonder if those captive reproduction centre will keep functioning following the big success and continuous improvement of the lynx populations in the wild.

Since most individuals of the small zoo population are post-breeding and not allowed to breed, I wonder if we will see them spread or leave as quickly as they arrived, at least outside of Spain and Portugal who will always have a few rescued animals.

 

[OkapiJohn]

I hope you are right for the Iberian lynx, but I wonder if it will not be a dead end outside of Iberia. The captive population is now not bred anymore for reintroduction purpose, and I even wonder if those captive reproduction centre will keep functioning following the big success and continuous improvement of the lynx populations in the wild.

Since most individuals of the small zoo population are post-breeding and not allowed to breed, I wonder if we will see them spread or leave as quickly as they arrived, at least outside of Spain and Portugal who will always have a few rescued animals.

From what I discussed with a Spanish researcher about the recovery of the Iberian lynx; the species will still require many years (possibly decades still) of captive breeding and assisted management until it completely recovers. According to the strategy being used for the species, zoos are not a favourable facility to breed the animals, since the programme wants animals that are as little used to people as possible.

 

[PossumRoach]

I am glad to see that the jaguarundi is not under losing popularity but I am nervous about the fact that the holder number doesn’t seem to be increasing either.

 

[Haliaeetus]

From what I discussed with a Spanish researcher about the recovery of the Iberian lynx; the species will still require many years (possibly decades still) of captive breeding and assisted management until it completely recovers. According to the strategy being used for the species, zoos are not a favourable facility to breed the animals, since the programme wants animals that are as little used to people as possible.

The pair of Iberian Lynxes sent to Mervent is elderly, with no breeding perspectives.
The export of other old or overrepresented (in genetical terms) Lynxes may continue for some years/decades in other European countries (I think mostly to the Southern and Western countries, less to Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and even Greece and Balkans that have their own Lynx populations and subspecies).
It makes me think to an European version of the Tasmanian Devil program.

 

[DDcorvus]

It makes me think to an European version of the Tasmanian Devil program.

There are similarities indeed. The animals in zoos are not for reintroduction, but zoos can help to create space in the breeding centers and giving the animals they house an ambassador and educational role. I like it a lot as it also moves away from the mantra we in my view hear too often that breeding is conservation. I hope they will become more common in zoos as the bottle-neck is not the amount of available animals, but in zoos interested in housing them.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Ah well, another episode in the Damian Aspinall soap.....

With the current subject of small cats raising another; the total collapse of the once fairly numerous captive population of Indian Desert Cat (Felis lybica ornata), after Aspinall moved all of the captive animals in public and private collections back to Port Lympne and Howletts, and mandated that all breeding should be ceased as there was no reason to keep the species in captivity.

For most of the 20th century this was a huge rarity, but with 20 current holders it has never been more widespread.

I think there's been a slight decline in the last few years, unfortunately - though still a net increase on a few decades ago.

That the already closed Dierenpark Wassenaar stopped keeping this species too in the early 2000s also didn't help. It was always an uncommon species, but subspecies used to be managed separately.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of the decline in species at Edinburgh Zoo since the arrival of the giant pandas in late 2011 is the way the Asian Golden Cat population there was handled; a new and unrelated male was imported in 2012 and the early signs were good, with both the female and male showing strong signs of being receptive to one another, after being moved into adjacent enclosures so that they could see, smell and hear one another. Then a new director came in, put the species on the surplus list because he viewed it as unshowy and a dead end, and ordered that the pair be separated to different areas of the zoo in the meantime.

As chance would have it, the pair were both taken by Exmoor Zoo - but from what I heard they never again indicated the slightest interest in one another, with the male dying suddenly a few years later and the female subsequently moving to Heidelberg.

But from a handful of holders it has decreased to only 2 remaining holders, with southern oncilla being more often bred these days. It could well be that this species will disappear the coming decades.

The species will most certainly disappear within the next few years, let alone decades - the remaining three or four animals are all highly geriatric and female!

 

[Osedax]

With the current subject of small cats raising another; the total collapse of the once fairly numerous captive population of Indian Desert Cat (Felis lybica ornata), after Aspinall moved all of the captive animals in public and private collections back to Port Lympne and Howletts, and mandated that all breeding should be ceased as there was no reason to keep the species in captivity.

Lunacy.

 

[Jurek7]

It would be interesting to see at least big carnivores and ungulates treated as subspecies.
Zoos have been maintaining separate subspecies like Siberian tiger and Amur leopard for over half a century. It makes sense for conservation, because subspecies may be not replaceable biologically, and range states would object to reintroducing mixed animals.

Now that the thread came to the distinctive Amur cat, and soon probably we will have two other thick-furred Amur felines.

 

[OkapiJohn]

It would be interesting to see at least big carnivores and ungulates treated as subspecies.
Zoos have been maintaining separate subspecies like Siberian tiger and Amur leopard for over half a century. It makes sense for conservation, because subspecies may be not replaceable biologically, and range states would object to reintroducing mixed animals.

Now that the thread came to the distinctive Amur cat, and soon probably we will have two other thick-furred Amur felines.

I think it would just mess up what the thread is trying to answer. The whole subspecies management has been a big discussion in the zoo community and I believe it not be solved any time in the future.

 

[lintworm]

It would be interesting to see at least big carnivores and ungulates treated as subspecies.
Zoos have been maintaining separate subspecies like Siberian tiger and Amur leopard for over half a century. It makes sense for conservation, because subspecies may be not replaceable biologically, and range states would object to reintroducing mixed animals.

Now that the thread came to the distinctive Amur cat, and soon probably we will have two other thick-furred Amur felines.

You are in luck with the big cats, for those I have prepared posts also focusing on subspecies. For several other species I have also prepared posts which include discussing notable subspecies such as the giraffes. But overall focus will remain mostly at the species level.

 

[Indolencio Aguilar]

I think it would just mess up what the thread is trying to answer. The whole subspecies management has been a big discussion in the zoo community and I believe it not be solved any time in the future.

The subspecies management in the case of big cats is easy. A siberian tiger need like more than 30% of meat than a sumatran one in his daily ration.

Same for big leopard subspecies (kotiya;pardus) and the smaller (the two orientalis line).

Different needings, etology and difference in their daily management in a zoo. This Is factual. So expecially for tigers and leopards they had to be considered like different species

Also about giraffes. Well probably at least 1-2 subspecies are not subspecies but species. So expecially in this case the debate didn't have roots to exist.

 

[OkapiJohn]

The subspecies management in the case of big cats is easy. A siberian tiger need like more than 30% of meat than a sumatran one in his daily ration.

Same for big leopard subspecies (kotiya;pardus) and the smaller (the two orientalis line).

Different needings, etology and difference in their daily management in a zoo. This Is factual. So expecially for tigers and leopards they had to be considered like different species

Also about giraffes. Well probably at least 1-2 subspecies are not subspecies but species. So expecially in this case the debate didn't have roots to exist.

You did not grasp what I meant. With subspecies management I do not refer to husbandry, I refer to population and genetic management. Some of those populations already have introgression from other subspecies or their status as subspecies is uncertain. For example, North China leopards and amur leopards in European zoos have some introgression from the other (I just don't remember which one from which other), because in the past a female was let to breed with the wrong male. AZA chimpanzees are being managed at species level with all the mixing you can imagine, while EAZA decided to stick to just one subspecies and phase out the others and the hybrids. Orangutans were mixed for many generations before the reclassification into 3 species. Some hybrids are still around. If you trace studbooks back into the old times, the origin of many imported animals was unreliable information or simply unknown. However, you have the descendants of those individuals around, without being certain of the taxonomic and genetic identity of their ancestors. It is not like you just follow taxonomy and everything is fine. Taxonomy is also always changing. Furthermore, some people in the zoo world argue that mixing everything is fine, even genetically advantageous, while others prefer to keep everything separate. In the end, it will also depend on the purpose/goal of the population. If you just want the animals for education or display purposes, maybe it does not matter much the subspecies status of them and you just manage them all as one mixed population. I do not have a strict opinion regarding this, but I would stick to the "use or lose it" principle. I have 4 animals of subspecies A and 3 of subspecies B. Then I decide to have 2 doomed, small and inbred populations or to have 7 founders and increase my chances of having a sustainable population. I would choose the latter.

 

[lintworm]

Large cats - Pantherinae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 6
# Species kept currently: 6
# Species gained: -
# Species lost: -

6 of the 7 species of big cat are represented in captivity and most of them are commonly kept up to the point that for leopards, tigers and lions there is a plethora of real and imagined subspecies that are kept. As an exception I will give some info at the subspecies level too this time.

@devilfish Sunda clouded leopards are the only big cats not to have been kept in Europe this century and have always been exceptionally rare in Europe, the last animals were kept in Zoo Berlin in the 1960s.

Species gaining popularity

Clouded leopard - Neofelis nebulosa
Long considered hard to breed, this was quite a rarity at the start of the century. With around 45 current holders that rarity status is completely gone and this beautiful small big cat can be seen across the continent now.

Snow leopard - Panthera uncia
The ghost of the Himalayas isn’t really a ghost in European zoos. This cat has been widespread for decades, but its popularity has grown further with a net gain of 1 holder per year this century. With 90 current holders it has surpassed the jaguar as the 4th most common big cat species in Europe.

@Gavial Snow leopards are on the rise, though with climate change it will be interesting to see whether the zoo population also moves north

Lions, tigers and leopards

Lion - Panthera leo
The most commonly kept big cat, but most of the lions in Europe are African lions of unknown pedigree. There are some pure (inbred) strains of Angolan lion (ss. bleyenberghi) and (often white) South African lion (ssp krugeri) around, and especially the latter is increasingly kept. The other population that is seeing an increase of holders is the Asian lion (ssp persica), which has long been managed as an EEP. Lion taxonomy is still in flux and it will be interesting to see how the new African lion EEP will manage all the different lineages that are or are not distinct populations. There have been numerous rarely kept “subspecies” of lion this century, often in small numbers. Managing the population as is proposed by the IUCN classification of a northern subspecies and a southern subspecies could make sense for zoos. With the focus of the northern group around the Asiatic lions and the “Barbary” lions. There would be enough pure animals with a clear Southern African origin to work with too. I am happy I am not the EEP studbook keeper for lions as there will be some tough choices and plenty of research in the near future.

Tiger - Panthera tigris
This century there has largely been a status quo, Siberian tigers (ssp altaica) are most widespread, Sumatran tigers are common too (ssp sumatrae) and the rarest subspecies kept is the Malayan tiger (ssp jacksoni). Malayan tigers have only been kept in Europe since 1996 and the first breeding occurred in 2004 after Zoo Halle imported animals from Asia. There are currently 7 zoos with this subspecies, but breeding hardly happens and much of the population is inbred, so this subspecies could disappear again in the coming decades. There is quite some debate as to how many mainland subspecies should be recognized, but if reintroduction is ever the goal it is clear that Siberian tigers shouldn't be mixed with any of the tropical tigers...

Leopard - Panthera pardus
Several subspecies are represented in captivity, including Amur, North Chinese, Sri Lanka and Persian leopard. Javan leopards (ssp melas) are likely a phase-out in Europe, despite being present for decades. At the start of this century this subspecies was already disappearing, but the import of a young pair by Tierpark Berlin livened it up a bit. But currently only 3.1 remain, with none in a breeding situation. The Indian leopard (ssp fusca) reappeared in Europe in 2004 in Zoo Wuppertal with 2 rescued individuals, but will soon disappear again. Indochinese leopards (ssp delacouri) disappeared from Europe in 2014 with the last animals kept in Zoo Hoyerswerda, this subspecies was always quite rare. The last confirmed pure African leopard (ssp pardus) passed away in Pakawi Park in Olmen, Belgium, in 2023. Whether the other claimed African leopards are indeed this subspecies is unclear to me, but more often than not, they are not. Also disappearing in main zoos are generic “black panthers”. The future will be interesting, with Amur, North Chinese, Sri Lanka and Persian leopards all managed as EEPs on the subspecies level. These all have stable (if sometimes somewhat small) populations. Genetic research indicates that Amur and North Chinese leopards may be the same subspecies, but for now are still managed separately and they are morphologically distinguishable. The Amur leopards in Europe aren’t completely pure anyway, as there is a little bit of North Chinese blood in them.

@Therabu The value of the "Barbary" lions in Europe is something of a dispute
Progress
19/22 orders completed
83/106 families completed
418-426 species present in 2000
427-429 species present in 2023
194-202 species gained this century
190-193 species lost this century

 

[remar]

I'm somehow surprised, that Jaguars aren't mentioned under "loosing popularity".

 

[Indolencio Aguilar]

I'm somehow surprised, that Jaguars aren't mentioned under "loosing popularity".

They re quite present and also breed relatively easy. Also it can sound weird but they are sociable animals. Probably next to lion is the species that better sustain the cohesistence with other of his kind

And the people love them. The only reason why there aren't more of them is that EAZA push for leopards (they are more endangered and not cohesist to well) . But if they, a day, will drop from NT to Vulnerable, you ll'see surely more of them around

 

[Fallax]

It'd be a shame if jaguars were losing popularity, they are my favourite big cat.

I imagine with jaguars it might just be a case of not many new holders, but not a decline in holders either.

 

[lintworm]

I'm somehow surprised, that Jaguars aren't mentioned under "loosing popularity".

There has most likely been a slight net decline (in the order of 15%) this century and depending on your location a lot of zoos in the area have stopped with jaguar. In Czechia and Germany there has been a clear decline, but that is overall partly offset by an increase of holders in e.g. France. Overall there is relatively little information on starts or endings of holdings of jaguar in Zootierliste. So the picture is somewhat incomplete. In the end the gain/loss popularity sections are somewhat subjective, so one could make a case it belongs there.