Which animals would you like to see a breeding facility for these in North America?
- Thread starter Evirapo
- Start date
Wisp O' Mist
Well-Known Member
Persian Onagers desperately need more love. There's only about 30 of them left in American zoos and you can only see them at a grand total of 2 locations: Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. and The Wilds in Ohio!
Really a shame, since wild asses in general aren't doing so hot out in the wild and North America has already lost both the Kulan and the Kiang. I would hate to see these guys follow in their close cousins unfortunate hoofsteps.
Really a shame, since wild asses in general aren't doing so hot out in the wild and North America has already lost both the Kulan and the Kiang. I would hate to see these guys follow in their close cousins unfortunate hoofsteps.
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
Honestly, these are cool horses, and shame that no NA zoos are really interested in this much as EU zoos. I would love to see good appreciation for these.
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
My turn, but I think red slender Loris deserves much better than whatever happens to these. There were 3 or 4 holders of these in the US during the 2000s, but now down to a single holder today??? No, thank you. I would love a breeding facility for these as they are North America’s own slender loris!
Wisp O' Mist
Well-Known Member
I appreciate the sympathy, but Onagers aren't horses. They're asses. You know, like donkeys?
But yes, outside of zebras (The Plains Zebra especially), equids in general aren't really appreciated by the zoo community in America. A definite shame, since all of the six equid species that the AZA manages --Plains Zebra, Grevy's Zebra, Asian Wild Horse/Przewalski's Horse, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Somali Wild Ass & Persian Onager, for those curious-- are under varying levels of threat in their natural habitats.
Grevy's Zebra are endangered, Asian Wild Horses/Przewalski's Horses are endangered, Hartmann's Mountain Zebras are vulnerable, Somali Wild Asses are critically endangered & Persian Onagers are endangered.
Even Plains Zebras, whose popularity I bemoan, are near threatened! Although America's captive-bred population of Plains Zebras are most unfortunately hybridized. They're mostly Grant's, with some Burchell's and Chapman's blood as well. Making their value to actual conservation... Eh, not the best.
They are not able to be seen at National - they're at the offsite breeding center that is closed to the public.
Also Wildlife World supposedly has two.
They're not native so why "NA's own slender loris"? I assume you mean they're only in captivity here, but it's an odd way of putting it.
They're still Equus so there's really no need to get so huffy over specifics. There are differences yes, but they still interbreed very readily with other members of the genus.
BenFoxster
Well-Known Member
Douc langurs
Any and every species of cuscus
Any and every species of civet
Gharial
Aye-Ayes
Proboscis Monkeys
Old World Asian primates in general
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
I didn't know that gharial is one of the rarest captive animals and I'm sure Fort Worth Zoo has bred these successfully!
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
It's a common thing used to compare Europe’s Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos and North America’s Matschie’s tree kangaroo
Lion-tailed and/or Sulawesi crested macaques top my list of animals I wish to see more of a focus on in US Zoos, as the AZA has a long history with both despite interest in macaques plummeting in recent years (yes, I understand there are good reasons due to the herpesvirus). Since these are both fairly egalitarian species as well, large groups can be housed meaning only 2-3 dedicated facilities would be able to do a lot of the work in starting up a population.
Rare being a relative term - they are raised in large numbers for reintroduction in their native range. Gharial are relatively rare in NA, but the population is not currently in danger of dying out due to the long lifespan. And yes, Fort Worth hatched four not that long ago.
You're referring to the dedicated SSP programs then?
The recent hatchlings at Fort Worth were only the second successful births for this species in the US; the only other previously being at the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm.
BenFoxster
Well-Known Member
Yes, there are literally less than 200 Indian Gharial left in the wild! Definitely want to see more breeding done for the species.
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
I agree with both of these! I think the Sulawesi crested macaques are slowly increasing in private places and roadside but should be in more AZA zoos!
Let's say that Sulawesi wildlife deserves special attention and any big zoo should build a Sulawesi area housing lots of Sulawesi animals like macaques and marsupials!
Literally incorrect, more like 1,000.
Not sure where you're sourcing that figure, but it's way too low. The wild Gharial population has been documented to be increasing at several locations. Breeding centers in their native range have released thousands of young Gharials over the last two decades, there is significant conservation effort within their home range. On the other hand, breeding is barely documented in Europe and NA. Something seems to be lacking, but it is unclear what the difficulty is.
Most Sulawesi wildlife is dwindling out of zoos, apart from Babirusa. Also aren't the only marsupials on the island two species of cuscus?
King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
Common Wombats are a species I wish had a better breeding program in the US, the Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombats are doing slightly better but could be improved as well. Black Caiman and Mugger Crocodiles, and more marsupial species(brush-tailed possums, numbats, tiger and eastern quolls, Quokka, bilbies, bandicoots, numbats, small dasyurids, any species of cuscus), Lion-Tailed Macaque, Insectivorous bats, Golden-Bellied Mangabey, Jaguarundi, Tayra, Ring-Tailed Vontsira, Fanaloka, any species of Gennet and Civet, more mustelids like Grisons, hog badgers, european badgers, and more breeding of honey badgers and wolverines just to name a few
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
They have 5 cuscus species in Sulawesi but one of these aren't in the same subfamily and possibly an ancestor
Evirapo
Well-Known Member
Also, I forgot to mention first what you said but we still have good numbers of Sulawesi faunas in the US, even mammals such as anoa, Sulawesi crested macaques, and this animal. Two of these are becoming quite common in roadside zoos and private places (As I said to the other user here) and who never knows if we will get another Sulawesi bear cuscus at another chance?