Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

[jwer]

In my view, pinnipeds in Europe almost always get the short end of a short stick. It’s a miracle that Snowleopard found the only ones I know that are decent to good (with ZOOM being the only really outstanding one). I mean Artis, Ouwehands, Duisburg, Dortmund, Beauval, Munster, Antwerpen, even Nausicaa are all pretty pitiful. Some like Blijdorp, Stuttgart, Paris Vincennes, Frankfurt and Cologne are “ok” at best.

Osnabruck was very poor, but opened a new exhibit last year so there is hope.

Some big exhibits are freshwater only, which reportedly leads to eye-problems. So what might seem good, has poor husbandry. In that regard I’m not sure about ZOOM. But in general, I’m underwhelmed in Europe.

There’s only one more “Stellar” exhibit in Europe, but that’ll come in due course

 

[carlos55]

Shedd Aquarium also had a lamentable enclosure for a blind sea lion, if I remember well. In the Oceanarium . Is it still there ?

 

[Dhole dude]

Shedd Aquarium also had a lamentable enclosure for a blind sea lion, if I remember well. In the Oceanarium . Is it still there ?

Yes, unfortunately .

 

[birdsandbats]

Shedd Aquarium also had a lamentable enclosure for a blind sea lion, if I remember well. In the Oceanarium . Is it still there ?

Yes, unfortunately .

Given the individual has a great difficulty swimming, I imagine it isn't so terrible for the specific individual in question.

 

[snowleopard]

My initial post about California Sea Lions was certainly popular and I definitely focused on a series of mostly terrific exhibits. However, I did say, in regards to North American zoos that "there's also quite a few pools that are small and outdated" and when discussing sea lions in European zoos I said "there's a number of poor exhibits, mainly consisting of old-fashioned concrete pools without any kind of immersive backdrops."

Usually I'm here lauding the superlative European exhibits for a particular species, but here is clearly an example of North American zoos having higher quality enclosures. One factor is the enormous amount of money that has been pumped into pinniped exhibits in U.S. zoos. The cost of filtration systems and various pipes and fittings is enormously costly, as is the weekly maintenance. And, even with that knowledge, many zoos have added California Sea Lions in recent years.

Here's a list of a dozen ultra-expensive pinniped U.S. zoo exhibits built since 2011. Some of the cost has included a variety of additional enclosures and areas, but each of these 12 complexes has either seals or sea lions....and each cost a fortune!

2011 - Louisville Zoo - Glacier Run - $26 million
2012 - Fresno Chaffee Zoo - Sea Lion Cove - $10 million
2012 - Saint Louis Zoo - Sea Lion Sound - $18 million
2012 - Smithsonian's National Zoo - American Trail - $42 million
2012 - Utah's Hogle Zoo - Rocky Shores - $18 million
2015 - Henry Vilas Zoo - Arctic Passage - $10 million
2016 - Georgia Aquarium - California Sea Lion Exhibit - $40 million
2016 - Riverbanks Zoo - Sea Lion Landing - $12 million
2020 - Columbus Zoo - Adventure Cove - $40 million
2020 - Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo - Sea Lion Shores - $27 million
2021 - Como Park Zoo - Como Harbor - $21 million
2023 - Houston Zoo - Galapagos Islands - $70 million

What are some of the weaker California Sea Lion exhibits I've seen? Let's take a gander.

I've visited exactly 115 different aquariums in my lifetime and my #1 all-time favourite is Shedd Aquarium (USA). However, we all know that the California Sea Lion exhibit there is very small, entirely indoors and ultimately disappointing.

@geomorph

Georgia Aquarium (USA) is another all-indoor California Sea Lion exhibit that has been mentioned, and a pair of AZA-accredited zoos have both phased out the species since my visits. Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) and Birmingham Zoo (USA) no longer have California Sea Lions. One flaw with some of these establishments is that the pools are far too shallow for a species that is capable of diving to great depths.

I saw a solitary California Sea Lion in an old grotto-type exhibit at Gladys Porter Zoo (USA):

Is this an indoor public swimming pool? Nope, it's the Marine Mammal Center at New England Aquarium (USA) with California Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals in 2012.

This very small pool at Ocean World (USA), complete with a slide, held California Sea Lions and Harbour Seals when I was there in 2015.

@Hipporex

Is there a single California Sea Lion exhibit in the world as awful as this one at the now-closed Morro Bay Aquarium (USA)? My two photos show the entire space and when I toured this ghastly facility in 2017 I saw a single Harbour Seal and THREE California Sea Lions in this ugly little bathtub. Yikes!

Off to Europe, where Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) has an old-fashioned California Sea Lion pool with a lot of cement in all directions.

Deltapark Neeltje Jans Aquarium (Netherlands) has a California Sea Lion exhibit that looks like it's a pond in someone's backyard with a big plastic lining.

When I was at Dortmund Zoo (Germany) in 2019, the California Sea Lion exhibit was ultra-tiny and included what appears to be a surfboard in the middle. It perhaps is supposed to look like someone's backyard swimming pool, but would be better suited for otters.

The pool for California Sea Lions at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) is old-fashioned, with a moderate amount of depth to the water and the land is odd with 4 chimney-looking brick things sticking out of the cement.

 

[Dhole dude]

Given the individual has a great difficulty swimming, I imagine it isn't so terrible for the specific individual in question.

Shedd actually has 5 Sea Lions that rotate on and off exhibit, with only one of them appearing to have difficulty swimming. Hopefully their off-exhibit habitat offers more room than the tiny on-show exhibit.

 

[Osedax]

There's a whole group of Mustelids that have been seen by me at around 10 to 15 zoos and Mink are no different, ending up at 11 zoos. Mustelids all seem rare in captivity, as I've literally only seen three species at more than 15 zoos and the rest all have quite low numbers.

(6 European, 5 American)

1- Zoo Montana (USA) – American Mink – 2010
2- Howell Nature Center: Wild Wonders Wildlife Park (USA) – American Mink – 2018
3- Bear Den Zoo (USA) – American Mink – 2018
4- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – American Mink – 2018
5- Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – American Mink – 2018
6- Wildpark Gangelt (Germany) – European Mink – 2019
7- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – European Mink – 2019
8- Opel Zoo (Germany) – European Mink – 2019
9- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – European Mink – 2019
10- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – European Mink – 2019
11- AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark) – European Mink – 2022

AND...

I've seen a Greater Grison at 1 zoo:

1- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Greater Grison – 2023

American Mink:

@vogelcommando

On both my 2010 and 2015 visits to Zoo Montana (USA), I came across a small indoor exhibit for American Mink.

Significantly larger is this outdoor American Mink exhibit at Howell Nature Center: Wild Wonders Wildlife Park (USA):

Somewhat incredibly, I then saw THREE American Mink exhibits within two weeks and all in the state of Wisconsin.

This 4-foot wide slab of cement was the cage for an American Mink at Bear Den Zoo (USA):

You can see an American Mink curled up in this god-awful cage at Shalom Wildlife Park (USA). With an all-wire base, this cruel little enclosure is worse than what I've seen on a mink farm. When I was a teenager, I had a buddy who worked at a mink farm and the animals were bred for their pelts and kept in awful conditions. I visited only once and was surprised at how fierce the mink were, as they would attack any part of one's anatomy that came near their cage.

Between 2022 and 2023, Canada phased out the remaining mink farms and there's not a single one left in the nation. That's a far cry from the days of fur traders and a prosperous fur economy that stretched across the country.

An all-indoor, tiny glass-fronted enclosure for American Mink at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (USA). I wonder if that wheel is possibly just for decorative purposes.

The exhibits for Mink in Western European zoos are substantially larger and all outdoors. Wildpark Gangelt (Germany) has an outdoor European Mink exhibit:

@16217

There's THREE European Mink exhibits all near each other at GaiaZOO (Netherlands) and it would be interesting to know how many animals the zoo has at any one time.

@Mr Gharial

@Sicarius

European Mink exhibit at Opel Zoo (Germany):

Here's yet another European Mink exhibit with a long set of glass viewing windows, but at Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) there's also a lot of concrete in the background.

Raccoons and European Mink together at Osnabruck Zoo (Germany):

AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark) has a spacious European Mink exhibit:

@Toddy

As for Grisons, when I was at De Paay (Netherlands) I saw an enclosure with a label for a 'Greater Grison', but I did not see the animal and later on I found out it was actually a Lesser Grison. I obviously am not counting this badger-lookalike in my list, but here's the creature in question:

@MagpieGoose

And the exhibit at De Paay is nothing too memorable:

@vogelcommando

However, last year at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) I saw a Greater Grison poke its head out of its sandbox:

And here's the bizarre indoor area (90% cement):

Mustelidae:

North American River Otters - 115 zoos
Small-clawed Otters - 82 zoos
American Badgers - 31 zoos
Sea Otters - 15 zoos
Wolverines - 15 zoos
Fishers - 13 zoos
Giant Otters - 13 zoos
Tayras - 13 zoos
European Otters - 10 zoos
Spotted-necked Otters - 10 zoos
Yellow-throated Martens - 8 zoos
European Mink - 6 zoos
American Mink - 5 zoos
European Badgers - 5 zoos
Ratels - 5 zoos
American Martens - 3 zoos
European Pine Martens - 2 zoos
African Clawless Otters - 1 zoo
Greater Grison - 1 zoo
Neotropical Otters - 1 zoo
Stone Martens - 1 zoo

You should go to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia. I recall that they had a decent American Mink exhibit.

 

[snowleopard]

Not far behind California Sea Lions (76 zoos) are Harbour Seals at 71 zoos. There's been many occasions when the two species have been showcased together, or Harbour Seals with other pinnipeds as well.

One thing I've come to realize over the years is that seeing Harbour Seals in zoos and aquariums is mainly a boring event. They are smaller, quieter and much less active than sea lions, and there is a tendency for Harbour Seals to be floating blobs in the water or log-like items basking on a shoreline. Here is a common zoo species that is arguably never going to be a marquee attraction.

Breakdown:

45 zoos
26 aquariums

2010 = 10 zoos
2012 = 10 zoos
2019 = 16 zoos

1- Stanley Park Zoo (Canada) – Harbour Seal – 1986
2- Vancouver Aquarium (Canada) – Harbour Seal – 1986
3- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 1994
4- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Harbour Seal – 2001
5- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Harbour Seal – 2003
6- SeaWorld San Diego (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2006
7- Denver Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2006
8- Seattle Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2006
9- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
10- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
11- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
12- Central Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
13- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
14- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
15- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2008
16- Seaside Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
17- Oregon Coast Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
18- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
19- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
20- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
21- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
22- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
23- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
24- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
25- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2010
26- Aquarium of the Pacific (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2011
27- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2011
28- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
29- New England Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
30- Mystic Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
31- Maritime Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
32- New York Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
33- Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
34- Jenkinson’s Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
35- Adventure Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
36- Virginia Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
37- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2012
38- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2014
39- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2014
40- Miller Park Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2014
41- Moody Gardens (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2015
42- SeaWorld San Antonio (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2015
43- Ocean World (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2015
44- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2016
45- Northcoast Marine Mammal Center (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2017
46- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2017
47- Marine Mammal Center (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2017
48- Morro Bay Aquarium (USA) – Harbour Seal – 2017
49- Assiniboine Park Zoo (Canada) – Harbour Seal – 2018
50- Bergen aan Zee Aquarium (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
51- Deltapark Neeltje Jans Aquarium (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
52- Boudewijn Seapark (Belgium) – Harbour Seal – 2019
53- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Harbour Seal – 2019
54- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Harbour Seal – 2019
55- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
56- Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
57- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
58- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
59- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
60- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
61- Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
62- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
63- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
64- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Harbour Seal – 2019
65- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Harbour Seal – 2019
66- Kattegatcentret Center (Denmark) – Harbour Seal – 2022
67- Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark) – Harbour Seal – 2022
68- Fjord & Baelt (Denmark) – Harbour Seal – 2022
69- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Harbour Seal – 2022
70- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Harbour Seal – 2022
71- Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Harbour Seal – 2022

It doesn't seem to take much to maintain Harbour Seals in captivity in terms of the design of an exhibit, but of course there are major concerns such as diet and having quality water control. A simple pool with a lot of mock-rock, like this exhibit at Denver Zoo (USA), is usually sufficient.

Since this photo was taken, the Harbour Seal exhibit at Seattle Aquarium (USA) has received a minor renovation (glass windows were installed) but it's remained approximately the same size for decades.

Toledo Zoo (USA) has had a deep pool for its Harbour Seals for years, although the two white umbrellas are a bit weird.

Here's my photo from 2008, taken inside the underwater tunnel, of a Polar Bear hunting a Harbour Seal at Detroit Zoo (USA) in the Arctic Ring of Life exhibit. Of course, the two species are separated by acrylic panels.

Then there's Seaside Aquarium (USA), along the Oregon coastline, which had an all-indoor Harbour Seal exhibit that was scandalous. Do you know how many seals were in this bathtub? ELEVEN!

Point Defiance Zoo (USA) has maintained Harbour Seals and/or California Sea Lions in this large pool for many years, complete with underwater viewing. Before the pinnipeds, this was the exhibit for Beluga Whales!

When I visited in 2012, the Harbor Seal exhibit at Maritime Aquarium (USA) was half indoors and half outside in a unique design that enables the seals to swim around and greet the elements or remain indoors as there are rocky outcrops in both sections.

Indoor area:

@BeardsleyZooFan

Outdoor area:

Entirely indoors, at Jenkinson's Aquarium (USA), is this Harbour Seal exhibit:

@SusScrofa

At New England Aquarium (USA) and Virginia Aquarium (USA), it's possible to walk up to each facility and see Harbour Seals outdoors for free. It seems to me that this is a risky design, as it would be open to vandalism in the middle of the night.

Utah's Hogle Zoo (USA) opened its $18 million Rocky Shores complex in 2012 and the California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal pool is nicely designed with its naturalistic backdrop. It's amazing how much better this looks compared to a flat, sterile swimming pool type enclosure.

@fkalltheway

Then there's Miller Park Zoo (USA) with its basic, dull Harbour Seal exhibit that in 2014 held a single seal and I'm not sure if this enclosure even exists any longer.

There's a very colourful backdrop to the Harbour Seal/California Sea Lion exhibit at the big theme park called Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (USA):

This is the place with a small, open-topped Piranha tank in the floor (!!) and there's a Harbour Seal exhibit at Bergen aan Zee Aquarium (Netherlands) that's boring and sterile. How long can this engage visitors for? And the slab of pull-out space for the seals is miniscule.

Lots of straight lines is common in Harbour Seal exhibits, a world away from the textured rock formations at Utah's Hogle Zoo. This pool at Deltapark Neeltje Jans Aquarium (Netherlands) has a very low barrier and visitors can get close to the Harbour Seals. Perhaps those waterslides should go into the seal pool...now that would be exciting!

Why not combine Harbour Seals with Humboldt Penguins? It's done at Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum (Germany).

Here's a memorable Harbour Seal exhibit. Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) has some seals in a large aviary, with plenty of grassy space as well. You can see two seals on the beach.

The mixed-species pinniped pool at Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) includes Harbour Seals and it's a spectacular exhibit. The combination of the 9 meter deep pool, rocky coastline, coniferous forest, etc., makes for a stunning vista.

@Anton

Pinnipeds:

California Sea Lions - 76 zoos
Harbour Seals - 71 zoos

 

[NNM.]

I know I kind of just did this, but as partially shown here, it almost seems like New England just hates harbor seals. In addition to the Maritime Aquarium exhibit, the region is, or at least was, just full of enclosures for these animals that are not nearly enough.

The New England Aquarium exhibit was mentioned, and it looks like this. A cramped glass box with no access to fresh air. It’s especially a shame at this otherwise quality aquarium.


Roger Williams Park Zoo has a currently-empty enclosure that is a smallish, artificial, quite dated setup.



I’ve been too negative lately.

 

[Lafone]

The polar bear and harbour seal colocation at Detroit zoo looks really interesting and well done. Quite a feat of engineering.

I think seals and sealion spaces are a bit of a mixed bag in the UK, though Colchester and YWP do it well (Colchester including underwater viewing and YWP having built a multi area complex which has salted water). Longleat has it's sealions in a lake which, while freshwater, is huge in comparison to some of the sad and boxy spaces above.

Such a variation in how these animals are kept.

 

[15399]

Roger Williams Park Zoo has a currently-empty enclosure that is a smallish, artificial, quite dated setup.

Roger Williams' exhibit will soon be renovated for the return of penguins. It's a good sized area, but the filtration systems don't meet the requirements for seals anymore.

Harbor Seals are a common sight in New England zoos. Both major aquariums, plus Wood's Hole and Buttonwood Park Zoo, all house the species. I've also seen harbor seals in the wild on multiple occasions.

 

[birdsandbats]

The polar bear and harbour seal colocation at Detroit zoo looks really interesting and well done. Quite a feat of engineering.

I think seals and sealion spaces are a bit of a mixed bag in the UK, though Colchester and YWP do it well (Colchester including underwater viewing and YWP having built a multi area complex which has salted water). Longleat has it's sealions in a lake which, while freshwater, is huge in comparison to some of the sad and boxy spaces above.

Such a variation in how these animals are kept.

Detroit doesn't have seals anymore, that enclosure is being now being used for Sea Otters (and last I heard the Sea Otters might be gone, too, leaving it empty).

 

[FBBird]

Some collections have mixed Pinnipeds with Penguins with apparent success. In other places the latter were eventually eaten by the former

 

[toastrgophr]

Apparently Seaside Aquarium has had lots of breeding success with their harbour seals.
Also, seeing that picture brought up memories I did not know I had. I now remember going to that aquarium when I was like 8. I remember trying to bike on the sandy beach outside and failing miserably
That beach was also where I learned about metal detectors

 

[evilmonkey239]

Detroit doesn't have seals anymore, that enclosure is being now being used for Sea Otters (and last I heard the Sea Otters might be gone, too, leaving it empty).

Actually, Detroit's sea otters haven't gone anywhere. Here's an Instagram post from a few days ago:
Detroit Zoo on Instagram: "We think Kit is fitting in just swimmingly! Her care team even treated her to a special 'welcome' ice cake which she got to enjoy in the pool! Visit Kit and the rest of the raft in the Arctic Ring of Life. #detroitzoo #seaotter #cake"

 

[snowleopard]

Pinnipeds remind me of my otter posts. With those critters, I saw North American River Otters at 115 zoos and Small-clawed Otters at 82 zoos, and in fact I saw far more individual Small-clawed Otters as some zoos (such as Woodland Park and Wildlife World) would have anywhere from 14 to 22 of them at one time). The next otter was miles behind and it was Sea Otters at 15 zoos.

The same reasoning goes with pinnipeds. I have seen California Sea Lions in 76 zoos and Harbour Seals in 71 zoos and then there's a massive gap to the next species. Which I can reveal are Grey Seals, which I've seen at 19 zoos.

1- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2006
2- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
3- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
4- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
5- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
6- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
7- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
8- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2010
9- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2010
10- Mystic Aquarium (USA) – Grey Seal – 2012
11- Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (USA) – Grey Seal – 2012
12- Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands) – Grey Seal – 2019
13- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Grey Seal – 2019
14- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) – Grey Seal – 2019
15- Kattegatcentret Center (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
16- Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
17- Fjord & Baelt (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
18- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Grey Seal – 2022
19- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Grey Seal – 2022

This ghastly looking old Common Hippo exhibit (take a glance at that rear wall!) held a Grey Seal when I was at San Francisco Zoo (USA) in 2006. In truth, this enclosure hadn't been used by hippos for decades and the single seal was a blind, elderly specimen.

@Zebraduiker

Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) had a single Grey Seal in with a few Harbour Seals when I visited that zoo in 2008.

Toledo Zoo (USA) has combined Harbour Seals and Grey Seals in Arctic Encounter for many years. While the Polar Bear exhibit there now seems a bit small and filled with far too much mock-rock, the seal habitat has held up extremely well.

@Moebelle

When I first visited Indianapolis Zoo (USA) in 2008, the pinniped pool held California Sea Lions, Harbour Seals and Grey Seals all together. (The exhibit stretches around to the right and is a bit larger than what is shown in this image)

When I visited Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010, their expensive complex called Glacier Run was under development and that's why I did not see Polar Bears at that zoo. However, the California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal/Grey Seal pool was up and running at the time of my visit and I saw all three species of pinniped that day.

In what is becoming a trend, at Rio Grande Zoo - now known as ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA), I saw the California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal/Grey Seal combination yet again in 2010.

Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (USA) had a mediocre Harbour Seal/Grey Seal pool when I was there in 2012. That background mural is cool though!

In an exhibit that is in stark contrast to others I've highlighted, Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands) had Grey Seals in a marshy environment in 2019. It's been very rare for me to see Grey Seals alone with no other species in with them.

In the Yukon Bay section of Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany), there's the impressive pinniped pool with California Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals and Grey Seals. Since there's a wave machine there, the animals are apparently fitter, sleeker and more active than their counterparts at other zoos that lack wave machines.

Both photos via @Daniel Sörensen

Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) has a Grey Seal pool that's actually a fascinating piece of zoological history. I don't know when it was built, but the bizarre land areas appear to be almost like weird jigsaw puzzle pieces.

I then saw FIVE Grey Seal exhibits in just over a week in Scandinavia. Kattegatcentret Center (Denmark) is an aquarium right on the coastline, with an outdoor Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit. Notice the seal statue at the bottom.

Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark) is one of the best aquariums in Europe, with a spectacular Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit. It's my favourite accommodation for Grey Seals that I've ever seen. The pool is large with varying depths, the land area is a mixture of cement, a pebble beach and a grassy zone, and there's an amazing Seal Tunnel. This complex deserves 4 photos here to give it maximum attention and I particularly liked seeing the green 'sea-bed' on the bottom of the exhibit.

Fjord & Baelt (Denmark) has a more traditional Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit:

That leaves Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden), which I highlighted yesterday, and Boras Zoo (Sweden), which has a Harbour Seal/Grey Seal 'pool' that is actually a full-sized lake! Here is a situation that truly stretches the definition of what constitutes a zoo exhibit, as the seals have access to an enormous amount of water. The animals come close for training and feeding sessions, but in much the same way as how Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) deals with their California Sea Lions, Boras Zoo allows its pinnipeds free reign of a massive body of water. It's stunning to see in person what some of these European zoos do with their innovative ideas.

@twilighter

Pinnipeds:

California Sea Lions - 76 zoos
Harbour Seals - 71 zoos
Grey Seals - 19 zoos

 

[birdsandbats]

Pinnipeds remind me of my otter posts. With those critters, I saw North American River Otters at 115 zoos and Small-clawed Otters at 82 zoos, and in fact I saw far more individual Small-clawed Otters as some zoos (such as Woodland Park and Wildlife World) would have anywhere from 14 to 22 of them at one time). The next otter was miles behind and it was Sea Otters at 15 zoos.

The same reasoning goes with pinnipeds. I have seen California Sea Lions in 76 zoos and Harbour Seals in 71 zoos and then there's a massive gap to the next species. Which I can reveal are Grey Seals, which I've seen at 19 zoos.

1- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2006
2- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
3- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
4- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
5- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
6- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
7- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2008
8- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2010
9- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Grey Seal – 2010
10- Mystic Aquarium (USA) – Grey Seal – 2012
11- Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (USA) – Grey Seal – 2012
12- Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands) – Grey Seal – 2019
13- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Grey Seal – 2019
14- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) – Grey Seal – 2019
15- Kattegatcentret Center (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
16- Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
17- Fjord & Baelt (Denmark) – Grey Seal – 2022
18- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Grey Seal – 2022
19- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Grey Seal – 2022

This ghastly looking old Common Hippo exhibit (take a glance at that rear wall!) held a Grey Seal when I was at San Francisco Zoo (USA) in 2006. In truth, this enclosure hadn't been used by hippos for decades and the single seal was a blind, elderly specimen.

@Zebraduiker

Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) had a single Grey Seal in with a few Harbour Seals when I visited that zoo in 2008.

Toledo Zoo (USA) has combined Harbour Seals and Grey Seals in Arctic Encounter for many years. While the Polar Bear exhibit there now seems a bit small and filled with far too much mock-rock, the seal habitat has held up extremely well.

@Moebelle

When I first visited Indianapolis Zoo (USA) in 2008, the pinniped pool held California Sea Lions, Harbour Seals and Grey Seals all together. (The exhibit stretches around to the right and is a bit larger than what is shown in this image)

When I visited Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010, their expensive complex called Glacier Run was under development and that's why I did not see Polar Bears at that zoo. However, the California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal/Grey Seal pool was up and running at the time of my visit and I saw all three species of pinniped that day.

In what is becoming a trend, at Rio Grande Zoo - now known as ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA), I saw the California Sea Lion/Harbour Seal/Grey Seal combination yet again in 2010.

Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (USA) had a mediocre Harbour Seal/Grey Seal pool when I was there in 2012. That background mural is cool though!

In an exhibit that is in stark contrast to others I've highlighted, Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands) had Grey Seals in a marshy environment in 2019. It's been very rare for me to see Grey Seals alone with no other species in with them.

In the Yukon Bay section of Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany), there's the impressive pinniped pool with California Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals and Grey Seals. Since there's a wave machine there, the animals are apparently fitter, sleeker and more active than their counterparts at other zoos that lack wave machines.

Both photos via @Daniel Sörensen

Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) has a Grey Seal pool that's actually a fascinating piece of zoological history. I don't know when it was built, but the bizarre land areas appear to be almost like weird jigsaw puzzle pieces.

I then saw FIVE Grey Seal exhibits in just over a week in Scandinavia. Kattegatcentret Center (Denmark) is an aquarium right on the coastline, with an outdoor Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit. Notice the seal statue at the bottom.

Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark) is one of the best aquariums in Europe, with a spectacular Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit. It's my favourite accommodation for Grey Seals that I've ever seen. The pool is large with varying depths, the land area is a mixture of cement, a pebble beach and a grassy zone, and there's an amazing Seal Tunnel. This complex deserves 4 photos here to give it maximum attention and I particularly liked seeing the green 'sea-bed' on the bottom of the exhibit.

Fjord & Baelt (Denmark) has a more traditional Harbour Seal/Grey Seal exhibit:

That leaves Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden), which I highlighted yesterday, and Boras Zoo (Sweden), which has a Harbour Seal/Grey Seal 'pool' that is actually a full-sized lake! Here is a situation that truly stretches the definition of what constitutes a zoo exhibit, as the seals have access to an enormous amount of water. The animals come close for training and feeding sessions, but in much the same way as how Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) deals with their California Sea Lions, Boras Zoo allows its pinnipeds free reign of a massive body of water. It's stunning to see in person what some of these European zoos do with their innovative ideas.

@twilighter

Pinnipeds:

California Sea Lions - 76 zoos
Harbour Seals - 71 zoos
Grey Seals - 19 zoos

Would the pinnipeds at Boras technically qualify as free-roaming? Is anything stopping them from wandering about the entire zoo?

 

[snowleopard]

Would the pinnipeds at Boras technically qualify as free-roaming? Is anything stopping them from wandering about the entire zoo?

If you zoom in on this photo, it appears that the whole lake has a massive fence around it.

@twilighter

On a side note, there's also several wooden docks for the seals to haul themselves out on:

@Anton

 

[snowleopard]

Next on my list of pinnipeds are Northern Fur Seals, a real zoological rarity, and I've seem them in 8 zoos. I never used to appreciate that, as I had a membership to the Vancouver Aquarium and would regularly see fur seals all the time. Then, for one year only in 2012, we bought a family membership to Seattle Aquarium and we did the 5-hour round-trip drive there 5 times that year and so for me Northern Fur Seals were just like Sea Otters and remarkably common marine mammals. It's only when I started traveling further afield that it became apparent that there's lots of European zoo nerds who have gone far out of their way to Hannover just to see this species. There are North American zoo nerds who have never seen Northern Fur Seals.

1- Seattle Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2006
2- Vancouver Aquarium (Canada) – Northern Fur Seal – 2011
3- New England Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
4- New York Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
5- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
6- Moody Gardens (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2015
7- Marine Mammal Center (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2017
8- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Northern Fur Seal – 2019

Seattle Aquarium (USA) is currently in the midst of a costly expansion, one that is in the realm of $160 million. Visitors will be thrilled to see the brand-new Ocean Pavilion when it opens later this year, but spare a thought for the tiny Sea Otter and Northern Fur Seal exhibits that desperately need to be upgraded. The fur seals have a very rocky, steep land area and a tiny pool with underwater viewing. I'm not sure that it's changed much in 45 years.

Definitely a better exhibit, but still remaining the same for circa 40+ years, is the Northern Fur Seal pool at Vancouver Aquarium (Canada). This exhibit has held many species over the years, but has been the primary home for Northern Fur Seals when they've been on exhibit. That underwater viewing area can get crowded, as like Seattle it's a small window in comparison to more modern habitats at other aquariums.

@Westcoastperson

At New England Aquarium (USA), the opening of the Marine Mammal Center in 2012 saw pinnipeds in the form of Northern Fur Seals added to the facility.

@NAIB Volunteer

For something relatively new, the pool is surprisingly sterile. California Sea Lions have been combined with Northern Fur Seals since the exhibit opened.

@Newzooboy

New York Aquarium (USA) had Northern Fur Seals in the Sea Cliffs zone when I was there in 2012.

Polar Extremes: Arctic Shores opened in 2012 at Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) and it's the best thing in the zoo. Visitors stroll down a winding trail that leads to a massive whale skeleton that serves as a seating area as some of the bones are chairs! There are seal statues, "pingos" (ice-covered mounds) and geometric designs meant to resemble ice floes on the ground.

Here one can see both Northern Fur Seals and Harbour Seals inside, via viewing windows, in what looks like a public swimming pool. There's lots of straight lines and it's an adequate indoor area for the seals, with a 'blow hole zone' on the right (near where the employee is sitting) that enables the seals to access their outdoor exhibit.

Edmonton can receive quite a bit of snow in the winter and this exhibit probably looks great even in the colder months. For a tiny zoo that can be seen in a couple of hours, to open a $17 million project in 2012 was a big deal. The only downside is that the seal exhibit used to also have Arctic Foxes with the seals (now long gone) and there is an empty enclosure for Arctic Ground Squirrels that never quite worked out for unknown reasons. (I think they kept escaping)

Moody Gardens (USA) has a bit of a weird pinniped exhibit because the enclosure is definitely on the small side and it houses California Sea Lions, Harbour Seals and Northern Fur Seals all together indoors. There's an Aquarium Pyramid and a Rainforest Pyramid, with separate entrance tickets even though the structures are near each other on the same property.

@geomorph

The Marine Mammal Center (USA) is a rescue operation just outside of San Francisco that hopes to release pinnipeds back into the wild after they have been rehabilitated. There are some seals and sea lions that are maintained in captivity forever, depending on each unique circumstance. The center opened in 1975, but there was a brand-new, $32 million building opened in 2009 and greeting visitors is a life-sized statue of a Northern Elephant Seal.

When I visited in 2017, the center had rescued more than 20,000 marine mammals and the residents at that time consisted of 30 California Sea Lions, 12 Harbour Seals, 10 Northern Elephant Seals and 10 Northern Fur Seals. That's 62 pinnipeds!

The 8th and final zoo where I've seen Northern Fur Seals is Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany), pretty much the only zoo in Europe with the species if one discounts Russia. There might be a couple of others, but Northern Fur Seals are an extreme rarity in European collections. I've mentioned Hannover's excellent exhibit already, with its world-class wave machine, but one notable piece of information is that it's possible to eat a nice meal in the Yukon Market Hall, which is a Canadian-themed restaurant where I had lunch in 2019, and you can look out the windows and view seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears.

Pinnipeds:

California Sea Lions - 76 zoos
Harbour Seals - 71 zoos
Grey Seals - 19 zoos
Northern Fur Seals - 8 zoos

 

[15399]

Next on my list of pinnipeds are Northern Fur Seals, a real zoological rarity, and I've seem them in 8 zoos. I never used to appreciate that, as I had a membership to the Vancouver Aquarium and would regularly see fur seals all the time. Then, for one year only in 2012, we bought a family membership to Seattle Aquarium and we did the 5-hour round-trip drive there 5 times that year and so for me Northern Fur Seals were just like Sea Otters and remarkably common marine mammals. It's only when I started traveling further afield that it became apparent that there's lots of European zoo nerds who have gone far out of their way to Hannover just to see this species. There are North American zoo nerds who have never seen Northern Fur Seals.

1- Seattle Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2006
2- Vancouver Aquarium (Canada) – Northern Fur Seal – 2011
3- New England Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
4- New York Aquarium (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
5- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Northern Fur Seal – 2012
6- Moody Gardens (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2015
7- Marine Mammal Center (USA) – Northern Fur Seal – 2017
8- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Northern Fur Seal – 2019

Seattle Aquarium (USA) is currently in the midst of a costly expansion, one that is in the realm of $160 million. Visitors will be thrilled to see the brand-new Ocean Pavilion when it opens later this year, but spare a thought for the tiny Sea Otter and Northern Fur Seal exhibits that desperately need to be upgraded. The fur seals have a very rocky, steep land area and a tiny pool with underwater viewing. I'm not sure that it's changed much in 45 years.

Definitely a better exhibit, but still remaining the same for circa 40+ years, is the Northern Fur Seal pool at Vancouver Aquarium (Canada). This exhibit has held many species over the years, but has been the primary home for Northern Fur Seals when they've been on exhibit. That underwater viewing area can get crowded, as like Seattle it's a small window in comparison to more modern habitats at other aquariums.

@Westcoastperson

At New England Aquarium (USA), the opening of the Marine Mammal Center in 2012 saw pinnipeds in the form of Northern Fur Seals added to the facility.

@NAIB Volunteer

For something relatively new, the pool is surprisingly sterile. California Sea Lions have been combined with Northern Fur Seals since the exhibit opened.

@Newzooboy

New York Aquarium (USA) had Northern Fur Seals in the Sea Cliffs zone when I was there in 2012.

Polar Extremes: Arctic Shores opened in 2012 at Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) and it's the best thing in the zoo. Visitors stroll down a winding trail that leads to a massive whale skeleton that serves as a seating area as some of the bones are chairs! There are seal statues, "pingos" (ice-covered mounds) and geometric designs meant to resemble ice floes on the ground.

Here one can see both Northern Fur Seals and Harbour Seals inside, via viewing windows, in what looks like a public swimming pool. There's lots of straight lines and it's an adequate indoor area for the seals, with a 'blow hole zone' on the right (near where the employee is sitting) that enables the seals to access their outdoor exhibit.

Edmonton can receive quite a bit of snow in the winter and this exhibit probably looks great even in the colder months. For a tiny zoo that can be seen in a couple of hours, to open a $17 million project in 2012 was a big deal. The only downside is that the seal exhibit used to also have Arctic Foxes with the seals (now long gone) and there is an empty enclosure for Arctic Ground Squirrels that never quite worked out for unknown reasons. (I think they kept escaping)

Moody Gardens (USA) has a bit of a weird pinniped exhibit because the enclosure is definitely on the small side and it houses California Sea Lions, Harbour Seals and Northern Fur Seals all together indoors. There's an Aquarium Pyramid and a Rainforest Pyramid, with separate entrance tickets even though the structures are near each other on the same property.

@geomorph

The Marine Mammal Center (USA) is a rescue operation just outside of San Francisco that hopes to release pinnipeds back into the wild after they have been rehabilitated. There are some seals and sea lions that are maintained in captivity forever, depending on each unique circumstance. The center opened in 1975, but there was a brand-new, $32 million building opened in 2009 and greeting visitors is a life-sized statue of a Northern Elephant Seal.

When I visited in 2017, the center had rescued more than 20,000 marine mammals and the residents at that time consisted of 30 California Sea Lions, 12 Harbour Seals, 10 Northern Elephant Seals and 10 Northern Fur Seals. That's 62 pinnipeds!

The 8th and final zoo where I've seen Northern Fur Seals is Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany), pretty much the only zoo in Europe with the species if one discounts Russia. There might be a couple of others, but Northern Fur Seals are an extreme rarity in European collections. I've mentioned Hannover's excellent exhibit already, with its world-class wave machine, but one notable piece of information is that it's possible to eat a nice meal in the Yukon Market Hall, which is a Canadian-themed restaurant where I had lunch in 2019, and you can look out the windows and view seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears.

Pinnipeds:

California Sea Lions - 76 zoos
Harbour Seals - 71 zoos
Grey Seals - 19 zoos
Northern Fur Seals - 8 zoos

Were there no Northern fur seals at Mystic Aquarium at the time of your visit? I know they've kept the species, at least on-and-off, over the years (and are currently one of three US facilities with the species).