San Diego Zoo: October 25, 2024
95.) Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja)
96.) Crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: November 6, 2024
97.) Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
Los Angeles Zoo: November 7, 2024
98.) California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
Couple of questions: 1) Did you see this species at either of the San Diego parks (where they are on display), and 2) how did you see this species at Los Angeles?
Couple of questions: 1) Did you see this species at either of the San Diego parks (where they are on display), and 2) how did you see this species at Los Angeles?
Hi! I did see this species at both San Diego locations. In Los Angeles, I saw them both in the bird presentation and in their aviary on the top of the hill behind the show seating.
Hi! I did see this species at both San Diego locations. In Los Angeles, I saw them both in the bird presentation and in their aviary on the top of the hill behind the show seating.
Sounds good, thanks! I asked because I know they are visible in that aviary, but as it is technically off-display I would not have counted that - but seeing them in a bird presentation is fine, and seeing them at the San Diego parks is obviously fine too.
San Diego Zoo: October 25, 2024
95.) Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja)
96.) Crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: November 6, 2024
97.) Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
Los Angeles Zoo: November 7, 2024
98.) California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
Three months later, and I am back with a very small update I bought some new walking shoes ahead of my trip to Europe later this week, and I decided to brave the pandemonium at the San Diego Zoo to break them in
San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA) - 27 August, 2024: Ursidae:
110. Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
I finally got lucky and spotted the bat-eared foxes for the first time this year at the Safari Park yesterday!
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido, CA) - 17 November, 2024:
Canidae:
111. Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis)
I’m still hoping to hit a few more collections before the end of the year, so it’s going to continue to be an excitingly close race depending on how my luck goes there!
I just realized that I left off a species that I actually saw (and even photographed); the Chain Catshark, which I actually saw at Sea Life New Jersey back in June. I didn't actually go through my photos from that visit until just this week (in my defense, that place is so forgettable and half-baked I didn't even realize I had a new credit when I saw it). My count has gone up by 1.
North Carolina Zoo (02/23/2024)
Greensboro Science Center (03/29/2024)
Adventure Aquarium (04/13/2024)
Philadelphia Zoo (04/28/2024)
Smithsonian National Zoo (05/07/2024)
Maryland Zoo (05/08/2024)
National Aquarium in Baltimore (05/10/2024)
Lehigh Valley Zoo (05/19/2024)
Elmwood Park Zoo (05/25/2024)
Turtle Back Zoo (05/26/2024)
Bergen County Zoo (06/09/2024)
SeaLife New Jersey (06/09/2024)
New York Aquarium (06/11/2024
Prospect Park Zoo (06/12/2024)
Bronx Zoo (06/14/2024-06/16/2024)
Jenkinson's Aquarium (06/29/2024)
Sylvan Heights Bird Park (08/24/2024)
Museum of Life and Sciences (09/01/2024)
Reptile Gardens (09/20/2024)
Total - 96
Felids (Felidae) - 16
Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) - Greensboro Science Center
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) - Lehigh Valley Zoo
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Southern and Eastern African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) - Philadelphia Zoo
Cougar (Puma concolor) - North Carolina Zoo
Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) - Greensboro Science Center
Jaguar (Panthera onca) - Elmwood Park Zoo
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) - Philadelphia Zoo
Lion (Panthera leo) - North Carolina Zoo
Mainland Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) - Smithsonian National Zoo
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - North Carolina Zoo
Pallas' Cat (Otocolobus manul) - Smithsonian National Zoo
Sand Cat (Felis margarita) - North Carolina Zoo
Serval (Leptailurus serval) - Greensboro Science Center
Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) - Philadelphia Zoo
Tiger (Panthera tigris)
Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) - Philadelphia Zoo
Visited Metro Richmond Zoo today, getting a few more hits than I had been recently. Nonzero chance this was my last new facility for this year though, so this may be my final score. But then again, maybe I'll get restless over Christmas break and take a day trip somewhere.
I couldn’t get all 8 bears, but at least I was able to close out Panthera! There was also an unsigned probably-Bubo owl here I couldn’t ID and failed to take pictures of because I am not a smart person. I’ve reached out to the zoo to ask what it was, and while it was most likely a slightly reddish Eurasian eagle owl, I’m bringing it up in advance in case I wind up having to amend my list in a few days with a random new owl.
Guess my final number isn't quite locked in yet. I visited Rainforest Adventures and Zoo Knoxville over the weekend, not expecting to get any points out of it, but lo and behold:
I was already officially listed at 113, but upon reading the California condor discussion that happened recently, I realized I probably should not have counted my secretarybird sighting and have removed it from my list. When I saw the secretarybirds at Fort Worth Zoo, they were in their regular exhibit and technically visible from a regularly accessible path, but their part of the zoo is actually blocked off for construction and it was really just incidental that I was able to see them. This didn't actually cross my mind when making my initial report, but after seeing the other discussion indicate that "on exhibit but technically out of bounds" condors wouldn't have counted, I realized that it was basically the same scenario as my secretarybirds and couldn't in good conscience not bring it up. Apologies for my error.
I'm not going to say so confidently that I won't be visiting any more facilities this year again (I actually have nebulous plans for one of two different places before the year's end!), but I will say that I can't envision adding more than 2 more to my total at this point. Very close race indeed.
I’m just curious as to why orcas were not included in this challenge? They are one of the most charismatic apex predators in the world and are visible at three very popular aquariums in America.
I’m just curious as to why orcas were not included in this challenge? They are one of the most charismatic apex predators in the world and are visible at three very popular aquariums in America.
A few reasons: simplicity's sake, lack of cultural perception as apex predators (orcas withstanding), uncommon in captivity here and so doesn't add much for people, etc. It's one of a few groups of animals that I considered including, but ultimately left off to keep things more streamlined.
I’m just curious as to why orcas were not included in this challenge? They are one of the most charismatic apex predators in the world and are visible at three very popular aquariums in America.
I don't have much elaboration to offer beyond that earlier post, honestly. I tried to keep things simple so that people could easily remember what species they were looking for; when I decided not to do dolphins or belugas, orcas were more or less ruled out by default. Same reason I included all of Canidae; even though most canids like coyotes and foxes are mesocarnivores rather than apex predators, it was easier to just include the entire family than to only include wolves and painted dogs.
I could have opted to use Orca as the one standalone mammal, but I went with Fossa instead since 1) I figured more people would see a fossa than an orca, and 2) I thought it was a neat reminder that apex predators aren't necessarily big.
Only 17 days left in this year's competition, with a mere 2-species gap between @biggest_dreamer (113) and @Kudu21 (111). This is everyone's official reminder: if your score is not fully up-to-date right now, please update it ASAP. There are several people who haven't reported anything in a long time, if you plan on ever doing so please do it soon instead of waiting till the last day...
I will be busy the first few days of January, so I won't have the full results or statistics on this year's challenge until the following week. It would be great if we're all caught up by 5 PM PST (8 PM EST) on Dec 31, though, so that I can at least declare a winner before I go on vacation.
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay (December 20, 2024)
This is likely going to be the last facility I visit this year. Since I joined late, I didn't accumulate even close to the amount of species a lot of fellow Zoochatters got with London Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and Central Park Zoo not being applicable
49. Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)
50. Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
51. Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo)
52. Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)
53. Swellshark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
54. Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis)
55. Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
56. Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
57. Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
This brings me to a total of 57 species.
Since I joined late, I didn't accumulate even close to the amount of species a lot of fellow Zoochatters got with London Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and Central Park Zoo not being applicable
Oh, I forgot to delete London Zoo as I just copied and pasted the same thing from my global challenge. If those zoos counted, I still wouldn't be close to being in the top 10 probably.
I'm not going to say so confidently that I won't be visiting any more facilities this year again (I actually have nebulous plans for one of two different places before the year's end!), but I will say that I can't envision adding more than 2 more to my total at this point. Very close race indeed.
This wasn’t even the place I had in mind that I might get 2 additional species from, which is still on the table. Guess we’ll see how high the ceiling goes, because I’m still not done quite yet - having two whole weeks off for Christmas will do that, I guess.
not even going to update the numbers at this point
1. Lion (Panthera leo) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
2. Leopard (Panthera pardus) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
3. Tiger (Panthera tigris) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
4. Jaguar (Panthera onca) (7/1 San Antonio Zoo)
5. Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) (10/2 Metro Richmond Zoo)
6. Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
7. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) (6/29 Oklahoma City Zoo)
8. Cougar (Puma concolor) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
9. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
10. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) (6/23 Brights Zoo)
11. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) (12/23 North Georgia Wildlife Safari)
11. Serval (Leptailurus serval) (6/23 Brights Zoo)
12. Caracal (Caracal caracal) (10/2 Metro Richmond Zoo)
13. Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
14. Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) (3/9 Riverbanks Zoo)
15. Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) (9/30 Smithsonian's National Zoo)
16. Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) (3/9 Riverbanks Zoo)
17. Sand cat (Felis margarita) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
18. Gray wolf (Canis lupus) (9/15 Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary)
19. Dingo (Canis familiarus) (7/3 Capitol of Texas Zoo)
20. Red wolf (Canis rufus) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
21. Coyote (Canis latrans) (7/4 Cameron Park Zoo)
22. Black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) (6/23 Brights Zoo)
23. African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) (7/1 San Antonio Zoo)
24. Bush dog (Speothos venaticus) (7/1 San Antonio Zoo)
25. Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) (6/29 Oklahoma City Zoo)
26. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (5/12 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens)
27. Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
28. Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) (6/23 Brights Zoo)
29. Swift fox (Vulpes velox) (6/29 Oklahoma City Zoo)
30. Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargentus) (4/28 Lowcountry Zoo)
31. Bat-eared fox (Otocton megalotis) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
32. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) (3/9 Riverbanks Zoo)
33. American black bear (Ursus americanus) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
34. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) (4/6 North Carolina Zoo)
35. Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) (7/3 Capitol of Texas Zoo)
36. Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
37. Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
38. Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) (7/1 San Antonio Zoo)
39. Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) (6/29 Oklahoma City Zoo)
40. Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) (7/5 Fort Worth Zoo)
41. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
42. Barred owl (Strix varia) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
43. Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
44. Barn owl (Tyto alba) (4/28 Lowcountry Zoo)
45. Milky eagle owl (Ketupa lactea) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
46. Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
47. Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) (4/28 Lowcountry Zoo)
48. Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) (3/9 Riverbanks Zoo)
49. Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) (5/12 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens)
50. Spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) (6/30 Dallas World Aquarium)
51. Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
52. Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) (10/2 Metro Richmond Zoo)
53. Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
54. Black-and-white hawk eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) (6/30 Dallas World Aquarium)
55. Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) (6/30 Dallas World Aquarium)
56. African fish eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer) (6/30 Dallas Zoo)
57. Crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) (7/5 Fort Worth Zoo)
58. Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) (4/28 Lowcountry Zoo)
59. Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
60. Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
61. Broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
115. Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) (12/23 North Georgia Wildlife Safari)
116. Augur buzzard (Buteo augur) (12/23 North Georgia Wildlife Safari)
62. Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
63. Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
64. Crested caracara (Caracara plancus) (7/2 Gladys Porter Zoo)
65. Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) (7/4 Cameron Park Zoo)
66. Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
67. Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculis) (9/2 Carolina Raptor Center)
68. American kestrel (Falco sparverius) (7/5 Fort Worth Zoo)
69. Pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus) (7/5 Fort Worth Zoo)
70. Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) (6/30 Dallas Zoo)
71. King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
72. Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) (5/12 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens)
73. Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) (5/12 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens)
117. Lesser yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes burrovianus) (12/23 North Georgia Wildlife Safari)
74. Rüppell’s griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) (1/14 Greenville Zoo)
75. Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) (6/23 Brights Zoo)
76. Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) (3/3 Zoo Atlanta)
77. Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) (3/9 Riverbanks Zoo)
78. Palm nut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) (7/5 Fort Worth Zoo)