captive population of Central Chinese goral in the United States of America

[wild boar]

I became interested in the North American goral population recently after noticing that many zoos have expressed interest in acquiring gorals, but never seem to get any. This has been blamed mostly on poor breeding, which may be the case. A recent rise in births (three births last year and four the year before, and only two deaths that I’m aware of) is exciting and promising. I decided to compile information on the captive population.


I e-mailed several zoos, searched extensively through the internet sources available to me, and called a few, in order to make this. Messaging staff from the Nebraska facilities and the Lake Superior Zoo were successful while calling the Good Zoo was helpful. Records of gorals at the Good Zoo and the Lake Superior Zoo were provided to me as far back as when the species was first held there. Saint Louis Zoo public relations staff were also able to assist me to some extent by e-mail. I am guessing that ZIMS or some other data service was not updated immediately so I actually got information about the goral that moved to Los Angeles from Saint Louis Zoo staff after the transfer occurred. Staff from the Los Angeles Zoo and The Wilds were understandably not able to assist me very much.

St. Louis:
Juno F ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 5, 2016 | facility born at: The Wilds
unidentified male

Lee Richardson Zoo:
Kung Furry M ( ? x ? ) DoB: 2017.6.0 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo
Ping F ( ? x Mina) DoB: 2014.5.0 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo
Pink Tag F ( ? x ? ) DoB: 2010.6.0 | facility born at: Larry Johnson’s Safari Enterprises
Red Tag F ( ? x Pink Tag) DoB: 2015.6.0 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo


Lake Superior Zoo:
Tyrone M (Mac x Tina) DoB: 2022.9.0 | facility born at: Lake Superior Zoo
Xiazhi M (Mac x Brie) DoB: 2022.6.21 | facility born at: Lake Superior Zoo
Brie F ( ? x ? ) DoB: 2011.3.31 | facility born at: Larry Johnson’s Safari Enterprises
Tina F ( ? x ? ) DoB: 2020.5.8 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
Mac M ( ? x ? ) DoB: 2008.6.22 | facility born at: The Wilds


Good Zoo at Oglebay:
Mahjong M ( ? x ? ) DoB: August 3, 2019 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo


The Wilds
unidentified male
unidentified female

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens:
JJ* M (JR x Juno) DoB: 2021.4.7 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
unidentified
unidentified


Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium:
Mei Li F (Cliff or Kung Pao x Mina) DoB: 2016.5.17 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo
Miso F ([unknown] x [unknown]) DoB: 2018.3.0 | facility born at: [non-zoo]


Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari:
Lo Mein M (Cliff x Chow Mein) DoB: 2019.4.26 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park
and Wildlife Safari
Laverne F (Lo Mein x Esmeralda) DoB: 2021.8.30 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons Conservation
Park and Wildlife Safari
Esmeralda F (Junior x Juno) DoB: 2019.4.15 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
to-be-named-later F (Lo Mein x Esmeralda) DoB: 2019.4.15 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons
Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari

animals that might still be alive but where I don't know
Bear - at Columbus in 2021
Wooley - at The Wilds in 2021
Kung Pao - at the Lee Richardson Zoo in early 2019 or late 2018
Cliff - at the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in 2019
Mia F DoB: June 9 2014 - was transferred to The Wilds, where she was born, from the Good Zoo in
2021
? F (Kung Pao x Ping) DoB: 2018.8.16 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo

 

[wild boar]

Looking back, I got the number of animals at Los Angeles confused, as one of @Kudu21's posts reminded me. It also gave some updates.

The four animals at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens are JJ, female Bao Bei (born on August 25, 2011), female Kitana (born on June 2, 2021), and female Ming (born on September 18, 2016). I guess there are 24 animals in the population.

 

[wild boar]

Does anyone have any more information or some new news? @Kudu21 is there anything I'm missing that you know?

 

[Elena]

Does anyone have any more information or some new news? @Kudu21 is there anything I'm missing that you know?

A baby was born very recently at the Los Angeles Zoo, as I saw it in the exhibit yesterday. I don't have any details about the parents or when exactly it was born, though.

 

[wild boar]

A baby was born very recently at the Los Angeles Zoo, as I saw it in the exhibit yesterday. I don't have any details about the parents or when exactly it was born, though.

A Facebook post states the newborn is a female.

 

[wild boar]

Ming is the Los Angeles calf's mother, and JJ is her father.

 

[wild boar]

The Lake Superior Zoo now has six gorals with the birth of a female called Wonton to mother Tina and father Mac in late April of 2023.

 

[Austin the Sengi]

Incredibly exciting news! Beardsley now has Chinese goral in the old tiger habitat! I believe they went out on exhibit yesterday. Truly a wonderful addition to the entire North Eastern zoological collection!

In an exciting turn of events, as reported by @Mary in the respective news thread. The Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut recently acquired some individuals, and is now a holder of this species!

 

[Austin the Sengi]

Zoo posted on instagram that the new Goral pair came from Kansas and Nebraska and will move to a new exhibit by crane and red panda.

As quoted above, the Beardsley Zoo confirmed that their pair of gorals came from two facilities in Kansas and Nebraska, respectively.

 

[Thomas]

I like to see the Gorals when I volunteer at the Los Angeles Zoo. There are two yards; I'm not sure if the other yard is in use anymore. They easily blend in with the hillside and need to have a good eye spotting them, and I help visitors spot these animals and tell them about them too.

 

[Austin the Sengi]

As quoted above, the Beardsley Zoo confirmed that their pair of gorals came from two facilities in Kansas and Nebraska, respectively.

Finally, according to the article sourced below. It confirms that Beardsley’s gorals are (1.0) Kan of the Lee Richardson Zoo, and (0.1) Madeline of the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park.

Source: MSN

 

[wild boar]

2019.4.15

to-be-named-later F (Lo Mein x Esmeralda) DoB: 2019.4.15 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons

Finally, according to the article sourced below. It confirms that Beardsley’s gorals are (1.0) Kan of the Lee Richardson Zoo, and (0.1) Madeline of the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park.

Source: MSN

"Kan" is not the male's name. The article abbreviates "Kansas" as "Kan." This is clear when checking other articles about the new pair.

 

[wild boar]

This list should be somewhat more accurate now. I do not intend to update this information again in the future. If someone else is interested, they are certainly welcome to do so.

St. Louis Zoo
_______ M ( ? x ? ) DoB: May 14, 2021 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo
Juno F ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 5, 2016 | facility born at: The Wilds

Lee Richardson Zoo
Tyrone M (Mac x Tina) DoB: in September, 2022 | facility born at: Lake Superior Zoo
Ping F ( ? x Mina) DoB: May 27, 2014 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo
Pink Tag F ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 1, 2010 | facility born at: Larry Johnson’s Safari Enterprises
Red Tag F ( ? x Pink Tag) DoB: in June, 2015 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo

Lake Superior Zoo
Mac M ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 22, 2008 | facility born at: The Wilds
Xiazhi M (Mac x Brie) DoB: June 21, 2022 | facility born at: Lake Superior Zoo
Brie F ( ? x ? ) DoB: March 31, 2011 | facility born at: Larry Johnson’s Safari Enterprises
Tina F ( ? x ? ) DoB: May 8, 2020 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
Wonton F (Mac x Tina) DoB: in April, 2023 | facility born at: Lake Superior Zoo

Good Zoo at Oglebay
Mahjong M ( ? x ? ) DoB: August 3, 2019 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo
Laverne F (Lo Mein x Esmeralda) DoB: August 30, 2021 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park

The Wilds
unidentified male
unidentified female
_______ F (JJ x Ming) DoB: in October, 2023 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
JJ* M (Junior x Juno) DoB: April 7, 2021 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
Bao Bei F ( ? x ? ) DoB: August 25, 2011
Kitana F ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 2, 2021
Ming F ( ? x ? ) DoB: September 18, 2016

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium/Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Lo Mein M (Cliff x Chow Mein) DoB: April 26, 2019 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Esmeralda F (Junior x Juno) DoB: April 15, 2019 | facility born at: St. Louis Zoo
Mei Li F ( ? x Mina) DoB: May 17, 2016 | facility born at: Lee Richardson Zoo
Miso F ([unknown] x [unknown]) DoB: in April, 2023 | facility born at: [non-zoo]

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Kung Furry M ( ? x ? ) DoB: June 7, 2017 | facility born at: Los Angeles Zoo
Madeline F (Lo Mein x Esmeralda) DoB: September 2, 2022 | facility born at: Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park

 

[MidwestFan]

All signage for goral at the Omaha Zoo (mixed exhibit with Takin) is removed. Safe to say any animals still associated with Omaha Zoo are now BTS at Safari Park.

 

[Zoo adventures]

This list should be somewhat more accurate now. I do not intend to update this information again in the future. If someone else is interested, they are certainly welcome to do so.

I am interested in being the next person to update this thread. I will be posting a new one in January.