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

[snowleopard]

That article which was posted by @Sicarius is very interesting and backs up my statement that Chevrotains are a tricky animal to figure out in terms of species and subspecies.

Thanks @birdsandbats and @biggest_dreamer for the questions and answers in regards to Chevrotains in the U.S. It's interesting to see 'Lesser' gone, but an increase in 'Greater'.

When I visited Minnesota Zoo in 2008, the Tropics Trail building had Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotains. By the time I returned in 2014, many of the species (Chevrotains, Sun Bears, etc.) had left the zoo.

 

[USZOOfan42]

In the past week, I've compiled posts on Pronghorn, Common Hippos, Pygmy Hippos, Okapis and Giraffes. There's been some great discussion and sometimes I am tempted to stall for a day to let more discourse occur, but at other times I plunge ahead with the next type of mammal. Time to keep rolling along. Briefly, I will say that @NNM. has a good point about San Diego Zoo, a wonderful facility but one that has a crappy Giraffe exhibit. It's a bit perplexing to see, but as @birdsandbats pointed out there are far worse Giraffe enclosures at many roadside zoos. I was tempted to type up a whole post showcasing terrible roadside U.S. Giraffe enclosures, but that would be too depressing.

Also, it's fascinating to know that there's probably hundreds of 'hybrid, generic' Giraffes in North American collections. The management of Giraffes has obviously become much more complicated in the last 20 years, as the number of species and subspecies has gone up and down like a rollercoaster. Definitely, there needs to be a focus on the exhibits themselves, including some soft, natural substrate areas and hard-standing sections as well. Also, my quote was "possibly the largest Giraffe exhibit in North America is the 18-acre African Savanna at Binder Park Zoo (USA)" and I wasn't too far off. The Wilds recently moved their Giraffes to a smaller enclosure in between the rhinos and the largest paddock, with purpose built feeding and shade structures. So, perhaps only San Diego Zoo Safari Park tops Binder Park for size when it comes to Giraffes.

One other thing about Giraffes, is that going to Southeast Asia complicated my feelings about the quality of a zoo exhibit for these animals. In the U.S., and many European nations as well, Giraffes are regarded as quite delicate animals and are brought in early each night. Some zoos have Giraffes in their barns by 4:30 in the afternoon and back outside at 9:30 in the morning. That means the animals are locked indoors 17 hours a day. Contrast that with many zoos in Southeast Asia, who have Giraffe exhibits that at first glance don't seem as nice as the North American/European exhibits. BUT, at some of these zoos the Giraffes are not brought inside whatsoever, have barns that are open on at least one side and basically are locked indoors maybe 0 hours a day. Which is better? Judging by the size of the small barns I've come across in my travels, I'd say these Southeast Asian zoos have the climate and temperature to provide better homes for Giraffes. Of course, I'm not sure how the animals do in the tropical climates either. It's just nice to see them outdoors and not locked in stalls for most of their lives.

Onwards and upwards...

I've seen Chevrotains at 29 zoos. I struggled with this post and accumulating my numbers, and species nerd hunter @twilighter helped me with the identification and this is what we came up with. I believe that I've definitely missed some zoos in the past, as I wouldn't always track each species of Chevrotain, especially if they were in a side area within an aviary. For sure, I've seen more captive Chevrotains in my life. Also, we figured out on our Asian trip that many zoos don't even realize what species they have in their exhibits, making the signage not always accurate. Lastly, one hardly ever even sees the word 'Chevrotain' as it's all 'Mouse-deer' instead. Here's the best that I could come up with:

29 zoos and 4 species (13 Lesser Indo-Malayan, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2006
2- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2008
3- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2008
4- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (USA) – Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2008
5- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2010
6- Zoo Boise (USA) – Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2010
7- Topeka Zoo (USA) – Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2012
8- Denver Zoo (USA) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2012
9- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Javan Chevrotain – 2019
10- Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands) – Balabac Chevrotain – 2019
11- Lille Zoo (France) – Javan Chevrotain – 2019
12- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Balabac Chevrotain – 2019
13- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Javan Chevrotain – 2019
14- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Javan Chevrotain – 2019
15- Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Javan Chevrotain – 2022
16- Sriayuthaya Lion Park (Thailand) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
17- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
18- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
19- Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
20- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain + Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain– 2024
21- Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
22- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain + Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain– 2024
23- KL Deer Park (Malaysia) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
24- Singapore Zoo (Singapore) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
25- Night Safari (Singapore) – Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain – 2024
26- Bali Zoo (Indonesia) – Javan Chevrotain – 2024
27- Batu Secret Zoo (Indonesia) – Javan Chevrotain – 2024
28- Gembira Loka Zoo (Indonesia) – Javan Chevrotain – 2024
29- Ragunan Zoo (Indonesia) – Javan Chevrotain – 2024

San Diego Zoo (USA) had what one assumes would have been Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotains near Tiger River in the 2000s. Taxonomic changes means that I'm not sure if anyone 100% knows what exact species was there during that period.

@Giant Eland

Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) had Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotains in the Small Mammal House for many years, but I'm not sure if they are there these days. Here's a beautiful shot:

@Ding Lingwei

A recent image of a Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain at Columbus Zoo (USA):

@SusScrofa

Here's my photo of the Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotain exhibit at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) in 2010. This enclosure was located inside The RainForest building.

I saw the 'Greater' species at Zoo Boise (USA) in 2010:

@Ituri

Greater Indo-Malayan Chevrotains were found in the small Rainforest building at Topeka Zoo (USA) when I was there in 2012.

@KCZooFan

Seeing Balabac Chevrotains inside the now-closed Nocturnal House at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) was a thrill.

@KevinB

Pairi Daiza (Belgium) has the Javan Chevrotain species:

@KevinB

I saw Javan Chevrotains inside the legendary Grzimek House at Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) in 2019. I don't know if they were signed as Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotains/Mouse-deer, but the feeling is that the European zoos mainly all have the Javan species. That's what I've been told.

@Maguari

Chevrotains, or Mouse-deer, are EVERYWHERE in Southeast Asia. @twilighter and I saw 14 zoos with Mouse-deer in the space of 3 weeks! I bet we walked past wild ones in the undergrowth. Here's some aviaries at Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) with Mouse-deer. The zoo has both 'Lesser' and 'Greater' species.

Here's a great shot of a Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain at Taiping Zoo:

@Toki

Penang Bird Park (Malaysia) has a few scattered mammal species amidst the avian collection.

There really are plenty of Chevrotains of various species at zoos all across Southeast Asia. When I spent the day with both @Toki and @twilighter, we were able to feed Chevrotains at Lost World of Tambun (Malaysia) when we had a special tour by zoo staff that lasted for almost 3 hours. Some zoos would have 10 or 12 Chevrotains in a single exhibit.

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

I’m surprised you didn’t see them at Toledo, they have been there for a while.

 

[birdsandbats]

I’m surprised you didn’t see them at Toledo, they have been there for a while.

Only the last 5 or 6 years or so, I thought.

 

[15399]

Greater Malayan Chevrotain has actually had a pretty big increase in holders in the US over the last several years. It's one of those species in a similar situation to Bolvian Gray Titi where most of the zoos that keep them now have been visited by snowleopard but he visited prior to when the zoo obtained the species. Lesser Malayan Chevrotain, on the other hand, have completely disappeared from North America.

I don't think this is factual. There are a total of eight AZA zoos holding chevrotains: Central Park, Columbus, El Paso, Milwaukee, Bronx, Phoenix, Toledo, and Topeka. It's a species I fully expect to be gone from US collections within twenty years. Sure, some of the holders are newer, but by and large they were replacing holders who phased the species out.

 

[birdsandbats]

I don't think this is factual. There are a total of eight AZA zoos holding chevrotains: Central Park, Columbus, El Paso, Milwaukee, Bronx, Phoenix, Toledo, and Topeka. It's a species I fully expect to be gone from US collections within twenty years. Sure, some of the holders are newer, but by and large they were replacing holders who phased the species out.

You're right, didn't realize a lot of holders lost them at the same time. Regardless, most of the zoos that keep them now did not keep them a decade ago.

 

[Dhole dude]

Where were the chevrotains kept at the Minnesota Zoo?

They were held on the site of the current African fruit bat exhibit

 

[Gondwana]

Minnesota's chevrotain were actually Greater (signed as "Larger"). In addition to the exhibit mentioned by @Dhole dude they also were in what's now the Radiated Tortoise exhibit. Bronx and Central Park have also held this species presumably continuously for decades -- I certainly saw them in Bronx's JungleWorld and Central Park's tropical building in both the 2000s and 2010s. It's a shame they aren't more widespread in North American zoos but that's par for the course for small mammals.

 

[Panda_Fan]

I'm really curious to know why this species is always kept in aviaries? I'm sure that I've past a few zoos with this trend and it always make me wonder.

 

[snowleopard]

From Giraffes to Chevrotains to...Guanacos at 28 zoos. Here is a species that has been rather scattered in appearance for me. Only 3 zoos with the animals in the summer of 2008 on a big cross-country trip, 5 zoos in 2010, 4 zoos in 2012, only once on my 2022 Scandinavian trip and only twice on my big Southeast Asian trek. They seem 'rare-ish' in my opinion. The only summer where I saw them in larger numbers was in 2019 in Western Europe, but even then it was at only 7 zoos out of 95 facilities I visited.

Yet, Zootierliste currently has Guanacos in approximately 170 zoos worldwide and almost 80% of those facilities are in Europe. They can be found on that continent in vast numbers.

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Guanaco – 1975
2- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Guanaco – 2003
3- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2008
4- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2008
5- Zoo Miami (USA) – Guanaco – 2008
6- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Guanaco – 2009
7- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Guanaco – 2010
8- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2010
9- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2010
10- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2010
11- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2010
12- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2011
13- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2012
14- Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park (USA) – Guanaco – 2012
15- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2012
16- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Guanaco – 2012
17- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2015
18- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Guanaco – 2015
19- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Guanaco – 2019
20- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Guanaco – 2019
21- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Guanaco – 2019
22- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Guanaco – 2019
23- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Guanaco – 2019
24- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Guanaco – 2019
25- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Guanaco – 2019
26- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Guanaco – 2022
27- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Guanaco – 2024
28- River Wonders (Singapore) – Guanaco – 2024

Here's a stunning image of a Guanaco in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Can any zoo ever capture the feel of the Andes?

@Giant Eland

San Diego Zoo (USA) used to have Guanacos in the endless line of Horn & Hoof Mesa enclosures, but when Elephant Odyssey opened then the species was shifted to that 'extinct California' zone. Unfortunately, this photo captures a lot of the ugliness of that exhibit complex, from the 'utilitrees', the steel elephant fence, the garish rock-work around the Guanaco pool, and the fact that every time I visit San Diego this part of the zoo is a dust-bowl. Ugh.

@djaeon

Far better is the Guanaco, Collared Peccary, Fallow Deer and Crested Screamer American Grasslands yard at Detroit Zoo (USA). However, has this South American zone been emptied in anticipation of the new Children's Zoo or is it still in place? Here's a photo from 2018:

@Moebelle

Zoo Miami (USA) has many hoofstock paddocks, including one for Guanacos that at one time included Rheas.

@MoutainBongo

Wildlife Safari (USA) is mainly a drive-through place, located in southern Oregon, and here's an image of Guanacos with a herd of Yak.

I saw Guanacos at Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) in 2010, but judging from photos in the gallery this is now a Giant Anteater exhibit these days.

Here's yet another Guanaco exhibit that doesn't exist as it did when I visited, but nevertheless Audubon Zoo (USA) had a splendid South American Pampas complex in 2010 with Guanaco, South American Tapir, Capybara, Rhea, Crested Screamer and 10 more bird species. It was one of the highlights of the zoo and I believe it is still there, but perhaps in a smaller area than before.

Guanaco/Rhea exhibit at El Paso Zoo (USA) in 2010:

Tierra de las Pampas is a South American themed zone at Santa Ana Zoo (USA) that has a train rolling by the Guanaco paddock.

Here's a grassy, raised exhibit at Rosamond Gifford Zoo (USA) that held Guanacos during my 2012 visit.

@CuseZoofan

Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA), now called Idaho Falls Zoo, has a Patagonian Realm exhibit which is a fancy name for a tiny Mara yard and then behind it a larger Guanaco/Rhea enclosure.

@Ituri

A very plain, simple, chain-link yard for Guanacos can be found at Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada). This facility receives a lot of snow in the winter, but Guanacos are hardy, tough mammals that are used to life in the Andes.

Contrast the Edmonton exhibit with this one at Abilene Zoo (USA), in drought-stricken Texas. A parched, bare yard has Guanacos, Maras and Rheas.

A very flat, shaded enclosure for Guanacos and Capybaras can be found at Planckendael Zoo (Belgium), which was a former paddock for Alpacas.

@KevinB

Guanacos seem to rarely be exhibited by themselves. At Krefeld Zoo (Germany), they have been found with South American Tapirs, Capybaras, Rheas and various waterfowl.

@Maguari

A section of Givskud Zoo (Denmark) is a drive-through, where one can cruise past Guanacos in their spacious exhibit.

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 1 species so far (28 zoos with Guanaco)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[turkeyfox]

I'm really curious to know why this species is always kept in aviaries? I'm sure that I've past a few zoos with this trend and it always make me wonder.

Milwaukee's chevrotain was originally in the Small Mammal building but is now in the aviary.

It just makes sense though doesn't it? If you have an aviary without ground-dwelling birds, you'd want some sort of critter running around on the ground so the space seems more filled up. A small ruminant seems like the obvious choice. Rodents can gnaw or squeeze through the wires or otherwise escape, and are predisposed to be omnivorous and so are a danger to the birds or their eggs. Something like an armadillo or echidna requires burrowing substrate. A "mouse deer" seems like the perfect fit for something that is herbivorous, can be contained in an already-existing aviary structure without reinforcement or modification, and has husbandry needs that can be accommodated in an already-existing aviary without modification.

This is also why you see tortoises in aviaries all the time. Throw in some basking lamps and they're good to go.

 

[birdsandbats]

Milwaukee's chevrotain was originally in the Small Mammal building but is now in the aviary.

It just makes sense though doesn't it? If you have an aviary without ground-dwelling birds, you'd want some sort of critter running around on the ground so the space seems more filled up. A small ruminant seems like the obvious choice. Rodents can gnaw or squeeze through the wires or otherwise escape, and are predisposed to be omnivorous and so are a danger to the birds or their eggs. Something like an armadillo or echidna requires burrowing substrate. A "mouse deer" seems like the perfect fit for something that is herbivorous, can be contained in an already-existing aviary structure without reinforcement or modification, and has husbandry needs that can be accommodated in an already-existing aviary without modification.

This is also why you see tortoises in aviaries all the time. Throw in some basking lamps and they're good to go.

Milwaukee's chevrotain was never kept in the Small Mammal building, it's always been in the aviary.

 

[turkeyfox]

Milwaukee's chevrotain was never kept in the Small Mammal building, it's always been in the aviary.

Maybe not this current individual but when they first started with the species it was to the left of the fennec foxes.

 

[birdsandbats]

Maybe not this current individual but when they first started with the species it was to the left of the fennec foxes.

Was this recent or like decades ago? If it was recent then the animal being there much have been very brief, not more than a few weeks.

 

[USZOOfan42]

Far better is the Guanaco, Collared Peccary, Fallow Deer and Crested Screamer American Grasslands yard at Detroit Zoo (USA). However, has this South American zone been emptied in anticipation of the new Children's Zoo or is it still in place? Here's a photo from 2018:

The habitat has been demolished, all of the animals that remained (cinereous vulture, greater rhea, giant anteater, sandhill crane, african spurred tortoise and the american white pelicans) all reside in different parts of the zoo. Some seem to be temporary like the rhea, anteaters, cranes and donkeys but others like the cassowary and pelicans(tortoise too) seem like permanent resides.

 

[Zz123]

27- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Guanaco – 2024

I am surprised that Chiang Mai Zoo has Guanaco because their official website does not show this animal. They have Llama However, I have been given incorrect information about Safari world before, so I dare not say that Chiang Mai Zoo does not have Guanaco. Information from those who have been there and seen it with their own eyes is more reliable.

 

[snowleopard]

I've seen Vicunas at 18 zoos. This ends off Camelidae for me, as Bactrian Camels, Dromedaries, Llamas and Alpacas are regarded as domestics and I didn't add up all the numbers from my lifetime of zoo visits. Those 4 species are so common and often found in Children's Zoos and are not very consequential for zoo nerds. I wonder if I've ever seen a solitary Wild Bactrian Camel at a zoo? Likely not.

As for Vicunas, I would see them regularly as an extremely young child in the late 1970s/early 1980s (I was born in '75) at a now closed Canadian zoo. Other than Zurich and another obscure, now closed Canadian zoo, that was essentially it for Vicunas until 2019. They were incredibly rare for me, even more rare than Giant Pandas and Koalas! Then on my two European trips I ended up seeing a lot of Vicunas, as just like Guanacos, Europe is the place to visit if one wishes to see rare Camelidae species. There are many North American zoo nerds who have NEVER seen this species.

2019 = 12 zoos

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Vicuna – 1975
2- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Vicuna – 2003
3- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Vicuna – 2008
4- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Vicuna – 2019
5- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Vicuna – 2019
6- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
7- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
8- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
9- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
10- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Vicuna – 2019
11- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Vicuna – 2019
12- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
13- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
14- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
15- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Vicuna – 2019
16- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Vicuna – 2022
17- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Vicuna – 2022
18- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Vicuna – 2022

Vicunas can appear a bit frail when compared to other camel-like mammals, but they are tough little critters who can thrive in a variety of environments. Here's a youngster:

@Lafone

Vicunas had a paddock to themselves at Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) in 2008:

Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) was my first major stop in Western Europe in 2019 and I was thrilled to see Vicunas. Little did I know, that I would see a lot of Vicunas in a single month that summer.

@Green_mamba

Vicunas, Capybaras, Maras and Rheas at Frankfurt Zoo (Germany), in an area that could well be overhauled as part of the upcoming Master-Plan.

@Maguari

Vicunas have a rocky backdrop in their exhibit at Zoo Neuwied (Germany):

Vicunas, Maras and Rheas cohabitating in the sprawling South American Pampas at Wuppertal Zoo (Germany):

@Maguari

A cute baby Vicuna at Duisburg Zoo (Germany):

@Noodles

Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) is a privately-owned Dutch zoo that seems to always have a bounty of rarities, thus it's a very popular facility for zoo nerds. So, of course they would have Vicunas!

@vogelcommando

ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) had Vicunas and Rheas together when I was there in 2019:

@Morgan

Here's an image from 2018 of Vicunas at Berlin Zoo (Germany):

@gulogulogulo

When I visited Ree Park Safari (Denmark) in 2022, I went into a walk-through exhibit with a herd of Vicunas and a whole bunch of Capybaras. I was actually hoping to pet a Vicuna, but they all scattered for the hills.

Vicunas were combined with South American Tapirs at Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) in 2022:

At Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden), there's a very impressive South American Pampas that appears to go on forever. Vicunas are one of many species to be found in this world-class exhibit.

@swedish beaver

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (28 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[snowleopard]

Time to spend a week with some 'pigs'.

Of the 3 Tayassuidae species, by far the most common for me has been Collared Peccaries at 33 zoos. At many American zoos, this species has since been switched out for Chacoan Peccaries, but that's a post for another day. When I visited Scandinavian zoos in 2022, I didn't see a single peccary, and I only saw one peccary exhibit on my recent Southeast Asian journey to almost 60 zoos. In certain parts of the world, seeing a Collared Peccary in captivity is a lost cause.

2015 = 9 zoos (when I toured many zoos in the arid, hot, American Southwest)

1- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Collared Peccary – 1998
2- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Collared Peccary – 2007
3- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2008
4- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2008
5- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2008
6- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2008
7- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2008
8- Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) – Collared Peccary – 2008
9- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2010
10- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2010
11- El Paso Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2010
12- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2011
13- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2011
14- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2012
15- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Collared Peccary – 2012
16- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
17- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
18- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
19- Living Desert Zoo – New Mexico (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
20- Wildlife West Nature Park (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
21- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
22- Out of Africa (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
23- Bearizona (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
24- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2015
25- Orange County Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2017
26- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2018
27- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Collared Peccary – 2019
28- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Collared Peccary – 2019
29- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Collared Peccary – 2019
30- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Collared Peccary – 2019
31- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Collared Peccary – 2019
32- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Collared Peccary – 2023
33- River Wonders (Singapore) – Collared Peccary – 2024

Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) used to have more than 20 Collared Peccaries all together in a spectacular, stinky group. Unfortunately, amidst many other phase-outs, the peccaries are long departed.

Melbourne Zoo (Australia) had a large group of Collared Peccaries when I was there in 2008, but I suspect that there's very few left now.

@zooboy28

Close to the Small Mammal House at Smithsonian's National Zoo (USA) was a Collared Peccary exhibit when I visited in 2008.

@Baldur

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) has had an all-indoor Collared Peccary exhibit inside the Desert Dome building for decades. Above the peccaries is an Ocelot enclosure, which at one time held Cougars.

@Dhole dude

At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (USA), Collared Peccaries are labeled as Javelinas and they are kept with minimal 'invisinet' fencing in a slice of the Sonora Desert. Here's a photo of the exhibit, which blends nature with captivity in startling fashion.

Another desert facility, Phoenix Zoo (USA), has Collared Peccaries on the Arizona Trail loop.

When I was at Dallas Zoo (USA) for the first time in 2010, Collared Peccaries shared an exhibit with South American Tapirs.

Another strange mixed-species exhibit was the one at El Paso Zoo (USA) in 2010, with Collared Peccaries, Wild Turkeys and critically endangered Bolson Tortoises all together in the same space.

One of many U.S. zoos to switch to Chacoan, nevertheless in 2012 I toured Potawatomi Zoo (USA) and here's the Collared Peccary exhibit at that time.

When I visited Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA), it might have been the only occasion when I was in the same space as Collared Peccaries (although inside my vehicle).

Even stranger, at The Texas Zoo (USA), some of the Collared Peccaries wore harnesses and at times were walked around the zoo like dogs. Just clip on a leash and off you go!

A fantastic Collared Peccary exhibit is found at Living Desert Zoo (USA), not the California facility but this one has a similar name and is located in the state of New Mexico.

A huge Collared Peccary exhibit can be found at Out of Africa (USA), a privately-owned wildlife park in Arizona.

A lot of the Collared Peccary exhibits in the ZooChat gallery are titled 'Javelina', which is the more common name for the species in the American Southwest. Bearizona (USA) is yet another Arizona zoo with javelinas, this time with a forested backdrop.

A small, sandy Collared Peccary exhibit can be found at GarLyn Zoo (USA).

On my big European trek in the summer of 2019, I saw Collared Peccaries on 5 occasions. ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) has Collared Peccaries in a lush, forested South American loop of the zoo.

@KevinB

Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) has an Omaha-like Collared Peccary exhibit inside their desert complex, which now incorporates North American Porcupines and Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. This exhibit used to hold Bighorn Sheep.

@felis silvestris

Tierpark Nordhorn (Germany) has Collared Peccaries with American Bison in a spacious paddock.

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) is a great zoo for hooved mammals, illustrated by this enormous Collared Peccary exhibit.

River Wonders (Singapore) is full of fantastic fish tanks and modern exhibits, but the Collared Peccary area is arguably the worst enclosure in the zoo. On my recent visit, I saw a lot of peccaries crammed into a tiny space that can only be seen via the Amazon River Quest boat ride.

@Zooish

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (28 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Tayassuidae: 1 species so far (33 zoos with Collared Peccary)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[birdsandbats]

One interesting thing I've noticed about the common names for this species - although things like websites or books usually call them Collared Peccaries, pretty much anyone familiar with this species within its native range (at least in the US and Mexico) will call them Javelinas.

Javelinas are a common species over much of the southwestern US, and if you try to talk to a random person there about peccaries, they'll have no idea what you're talking about. Switch to talking about Javelinas, and they'll tell you all about the time they got attacked by one or something like that.

Yet if you talk to a biologist or anyone's who only heard of the species in books or whatnot, you often get the exact opposite effect!

To be honest, I flipped what I called them somewhat subconsciously after seeing this species in the wild. I used to always call them Collared Peccaries, but since seeing them in the wild a few times I pretty much exclusively call them Javelinas now.

 

[Utahraptor]

It's interesting to note that collared peccaries have a lot of common names depending on the location, javelinas, caititu, cateto, patira, tateto and wild-pig/porco-do-mato all refers to the exact same animal, just from different locations. Kind of expected when it range through both Americas, but still interesting.

 

[birdsandbats]

It's interesting to note that collared peccaries have a lot of common names depending on the location, javelinas, caititu, cateto, patira, tateto and wild-pig/porco-do-mato all refers to the exact same animal, just from different locations. Kind of expected when it range through both Americas, but still interesting.

Where have you heard those other names used?