Zoológico Guadalajara Guadalajara Zoo Review

Return visit to Guadalajara zoo, about 2 weeks ago. New penguin exhibit for a dozen adelie penguins from an aquarium in Japan. Quite nice. The penguins at chapultepec zoo are also from japan. So all the penguins in mexico come from japan.
The orangutans all use their towers on ruta orangutan. When opened last year i only saw 1 young female use it, but now all the orangutan were up there. This is the only breeding group in mexico, maybe latin america.
sadly, only faustina and chencha remain as the gorillas of guadalajara. Ituri, chencha´s other daughter died last year. If only a male gorilla could be sent to guadalajara to mate with faustina, but this seems to be very difficult now. remember that chencha is one of the last wild born gorillas in any zoo outside of africa. Another possiblity is sending faustina on a breeding loan, but that would leave chencha alone.
The baird´s tapir died and now there are capybara in the exhibit.
The exhibit for the lone female polar bear has recieved no improvements at all. still the only really bad exhibit at the zoo.
Guadalajara zoo is still a very nice animal collection that is still up there in the big 3 mexican zoos, along with chapultepec and africam safari , puebla. Zoomat, chiapas is in a league of its own, of course.
There surely is a case for animal exchange and providing both gorillas with breeding opportunities! AZA get into gear please!!!
 
I was able to visit Guadalajara zoo recently and have posted some pictures. Some recents births are eland, squirrel monkey, ringtail lemurs, guinea baboons, caribbean flamingos and king vultures, as well as the popular but controversial white lions. The orangutans were not out on the towers, so perhaps there are some repairs there. There was a single Wied´s marmoset in the exhibit which used to hold mexican tamanduas, most likely the primate was confiscated from the illegal pet trade. I did not have time to check out the masai mara safari area. There are now gentoos along with the adelie penguins. All the penguins in Mexico have come from Japan, by the way. Guadalajara zoo has an interesting TV series called Desde el Zoologico, various episodes can be seen on Youtube. Estan En Español, Amigos.

Very interesting to read about that Weid's marmoset.

I wonder where it came from but I think what you've said about it being an animal rescued from trafficking is the most likely explanation.
 
A few updates on Guadalajara. The zoo's Australian precinct has received a major overhaul. The zoo's Red Kangaroos have had their enclosure doubled in size with access to 4,530 m2 now. New aviaries have also been added with Rainbow Lorikeets, Cockatiels, Budgerigars and Moluccan Cockatoos. This is the first part of a two stage renovation for this area. There is also a new giraffe feeding area for members of the public: Semana Santa: Zoológico Guadalajara listo para recibir visitas
 
A new exhibit will be opening for the zoo's Bornean Orangutans which will retain the very popular aerial pathways. They have also recently welcomed the births of two orangutan infants meaning they now have seven orangutans including females A-me and Mei-ni, males Nojosh, Chemita and Mantan and two new five-month-old infants Jandi and Mei-sha: https://www.publimetro.com.mx/jalis...as-mas-pequenas-de-la-familia-de-orangutanes/
 
An exciting project three years in the making. Zoológico Guadalajara recently imported fertile penguin eggs from SeaWorld San Diego in the United States. Several chicks have since hatched - five Adelie Penguin and two Gentoo Penguin chicks are shown in a clip. They will eventually be introduced to their existing groups of Adelie and Gentoo penguins that were imported from Japan - reported on social media.
 
Following the arrival of the species in Brazil, Indian Rhino are also coming to Zoológico Guadalajara. The zoo's exhibit plans have been accepted by EAZA and the facility has been admitted as a non-EAZA EEP participant - reported in the 2022 EAZA report.
 
The 1.1 pair of Indian Rhinos that arrived from France, Beauval and La Flèche respectively, are now ready to be seen by the public. Breeding is part of the plan but they are still quite a young pair: https://www.debate.com.mx/guadalaja...ie-en-peligro-de-extincion-20231013-0117.html
A second newspaper article on the new greater one-horned rhino that arrived from Europe. It is quite possible these will be managed in conjunction with the EEP.

I certainly have not seen any connection or moves north to US collections (AZA, ZAA) maintaining the species.

Link:
1) Zoológico Guadalajara: Pareja de rinocerontes indios llega a la Ciudad
2) Llegan rinocerontes indios al Zoológico de Guadalajara
 
A tour below about the new manatee complex called Puerto Manatí.

Does anyone know how old the pair is and how they have been doing the last 2 years?
Are these Quintana Roo individuals from the same genetic grouping as the Floridan or more related to Caribbean population and the coastal South American manatee?
 
The manatees at Guadalajara zoo are a young pair. They are doing very, but have not bred yet.The manatees in Mexico are of the Caribbean population.
Is there a link to the European EEP that deals with Lesser Antilles manatee?

For genetics of the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus read the informative EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for Antillean manatee:
"However, recent mtDNA studies (Garcia-Rodriguez, et al. 1998; Vianna, et al. 2006) found strong geographic differences in haplotype distributions claiming three different clusters described as being deep as the species-level divisions between T. manatus and the Amazonian Manatee T. inunguis. The three clusters correspond geographically with: (1) Florida and the Greater Antilles; (2) Western and Southern Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and NW South America west of the Lesser Antilles; and (3) NE South America, east of the Lesser Antilles. Overall the genetic evidence suggests four clusters of Trichechus in the New World one inhabit the Amazon, whereas the other three inhabit coastal areas (Cantanhede, et al. 2005). It has been suggested that the three coastal clusters appear to be as different from one another as they are from the Amazon cluster. It remains an open question whether there are four species, two or a single species with four divisions. This information is quite crucial not only for a better understanding of the evolution of the manatees but also for conservation and In-Situ/Ex-Situ management." UNQOUTE

SOURCE: https://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads...ee-EAZA-Best-Practice-Guidelines-Approved.pdf
 
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A few updates from the zoo’s TV program that is posted on Youtube and recent news articles:
  • One of the zoo’s new projects involves the Vallarta Mud Turtle with the arrival of 19 (6.13) individuals. An incredibly rare and recently identified species that is only known from a few human-created/affected habitats found around Puerto Vallarta. Some of the females already arrived gravid and the zoo are currently incubating their eggs.
  • Tammar Wallabies have arrived for the ‘Villa Australiana’ expansion. Nice alternative to the usual Bennetts! The Red Kangaroos currently have five joeys.
  • A new display has been opened in the reptile house with new species like Golden Poison Frog, Emerald Tree Boa, Gaboon Viper and Terciopelo.
  • Zebra Sharks and horseshoe crabs have arrived in the aquarium.
 
Gracias Whistling Kite, I had missed various episodes of the Guadalajara zoo tv show and there have been various interesting news. The program for breeding the endangered Vallarta mud turtle was really needed.
 
I visited Guadalajara zoo today, Here are some updates.
All hippos have been moved to the Safari Masai Mara section. The old hippo pen now holds the ever popular capybara and there were four juveniles there. This seem to be a good decision, the enclosure was no longer adequate for hippos.
Young orangutan seen with its mother. Guadalajara has the only breeding group of orangutans in Mexico.
Nice breeding flock of collared aracari.
Indian rhinos are in the old enclosure of the wapiti which has been redisigned for the new Asian dwellers.
Sadly Ágata the last polar bear in Mexico died last year at 25 years of age. Her enclosure is now occupied by young California sea lions.
Photos later on.
 
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