Species not exhibited in American Zoos

[Blackduiker]

Blackduiker

I've seen proboscis monkeys, Amazon dolphins, and Tasmanian devils in the past when different USA zoos had them -- though none have them now.

Here's my list of "Never Seen, but really want to" animals:
1. Platypus -- answered above, Australia won't let them out
2. Marine Iguana -- from Galapagos Islands. Have they ever been exhibited?
3. Elephant Seal -- are they even exhibitable? Are they too big?
4. Narwhal -- ditto, are they exhibitable?
5. Great white shark -- I need to get to Monterey when they have one!
6. Golden monkey -- darn those Chinese for cancelling LA Zoo's contract!
7. Baikal seal -- I'm intrigued by the idea of a fresh-water seal.
8. Saiga antelope -- I may have seen one (without knowing it) at SDWAP years ago.

One question: Are there any Barbary apes in any USA zoo today? I know Toronto has them, as do many European zoos. I'm excited to see them "in their habitat" on Gibraltar next month.

Elepahnt Seals have been exhibited in the past, if you go through some of the classic books on zoos in your local library there are photos of some, mostly in European zoos. But even Los Angeles was given a permit to capture some of them off of Southern California's very own Channel Islands I believe, back in the late 60s. I observed them for several years, originally 1.5, in what is now the mixed Sea Lion/Grey Seal pool. They seemed to have done quite well.

I've also had the privilege of seeing both Golden Monkeys and Saiga when they were kept in Los Angeles. But I'm with you, Platypus are just about tops on my list for species I've never seen. I've often fantasized that one day, Australia would gradually release this not-too-uncommon native to the rest of the world. Like L.A. maybe building a multi-million dollar Platypusarium, pulling out all-the-stops for as natural a habitat as possible.
I've had that dream for many years now.

 

[Blackduiker]

Blackduiker

My copy of the International Zoo Yearbook Volume 13, published in 1973 lists 11/11 Southern Elephants Seals in 13 collections, and 13/8 Northern Elephant Seals in 6 collections, including Los Angeles with 1/5.

 

[Ituri]

white-lipped peccaries come to mind. A few collections in Europe keep them, but none in the US that I know of.

 

[Blackduiker]

Blackduiker

white-lipped peccaries come to mind. A few collections in Europe keep them, but none in the US that I know of.

Not meaning to sound redundant, but another species I remember seeing exhibited in Los Angeles back in the 1970s. At the time they had both White-lipped and Collared Peccaries on exhibit.

 

[groundskeeper24]

I've seen proboscis monkeys, Amazon dolphins, and Tasmanian devils in the past when different USA zoos had them -- though none have them now.

Here's my list of "Never Seen, but really want to" animals:
1. Platypus -- answered above, Australia won't let them out
2. Marine Iguana -- from Galapagos Islands. Have they ever been exhibited?
3. Elephant Seal -- are they even exhibitable? Are they too big?
4. Narwhal -- ditto, are they exhibitable?
5. Great white shark -- I need to get to Monterey when they have one!
6. Golden monkey -- darn those Chinese for cancelling LA Zoo's contract!
7. Baikal seal -- I'm intrigued by the idea of a fresh-water seal.
8. Saiga antelope -- I may have seen one (without knowing it) at SDWAP years ago.

One question: Are there any Barbary apes in any USA zoo today? I know Toronto has them, as do many European zoos. I'm excited to see them "in their habitat" on Gibraltar next month.

Actually, I think Monterey has a Great White right now.

I'll toss in Bornean earless monitors. Cincinnati had one behind the scenes in the mid 90's. They must be rare or elusive in the wild, as I can't even find pics of them on the internet. I think the Latin taxonomic name is lanthanodotus or something similar. It looks a bit like a gila or beaded lizard, or at least the skin does.

 

[Blackduiker]

Blackduiker

And we may never see Philippine or Monkey-eating Eagles again either. Quite impressive specimans. During the 70s and 80s Los Angeles, Frankfurt and New York Bronx attempted breeding them, with both Frankfurt and New York sending their males to Los Angeles on separate occasions. I believe L.A.'s female even attacked and killed the Frankfurt male, she was that aggresive. And of course, considerably larger than the males. The breeding program failed.

And what about Numbats? Are their any exhibited outside of Australia? Or any Cuscus left in America? I guess I need to check ISIS for all it's worth.

 

[CGSwans]

I've also had the privilege of seeing both Golden Monkeys and Saiga when they were kept in Los Angeles. But I'm with you, Platypus are just about tops on my list for species I've never seen. I've often fantasized that one day, Australia would gradually release this not-too-uncommon native to the rest of the world. Like L.A. maybe building a multi-million dollar Platypusarium, pulling out all-the-stops for as natural a habitat as possible.
I've had that dream for many years now.

It won't happen. First of all, there's never likely to be surplus captive animals to send overseas. Breedings are rare (though Healesville seem to know what they're doing) and the list of institutions within ARAZPA that would snap any offspring up is as long as your arm.

As for wild-caught specimens - dream on. About the only wildlife that the political culture here could ever allow to be exported to foreign zoos are cockatoos and macropods, and only because they're so numerous that they are pest species. There's simply no way that the Parliament would allow platypi to be captured from the wild and sent to Los Angeles.

 

[kiang]

As i have stated in previous threads, and never really had a concrete answer, why are there no vicuna in the USA?
Which would have been the last zoo in the US to exhibit vicuna?

 

[Tim May]

And we may never see Philippine or Monkey-eating Eagles again either. Quite impressive specimans. During the 70s and 80s Los Angeles, Frankfurt and New York Bronx attempted breeding them,

Yes, I recall seeing monkey-eating eagle in Los Angeles in the nineteen-eighties. Going back much further, I remember a monkey-eating eagle in the old Birds-of-Prey Aviaries at London Zoo.

This is one of my favourite birds; I hope I am wrong but, like you, I suspect that we'll never see monkey-eating eagles in zoos again. Great shame.

 

[FSBlue]

As i have stated in previous threads, and never really had a concrete answer, why are there no vicuna in the USA?
Which would have been the last zoo in the US to exhibit vicuna?

I would assume because they're not endangered, they're not well known, and as such aren't that valuable to exhibit.

 

[coffeecake]

@ANyhuis: Elephant seals by the hundreds can be seen wild on the beach near San Simeon/Piedras Blancas. FES Home

 

[cloudedleopard]

Owl Monkeys

Owl monkeys. I have only seen them at 1 out of 22 zoos I have visited, and it was Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park. They were off exhibit and so were another species of small monkey because of construction .

 

[elefante]

Owl monkeys. I have only seen them at 1 out of 22 zoos I have visited, and it was Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park. They were off exhibit and so were another species of small monkey because of construction .

I think Omaha still has them.

 

[JVM]

It'd be interesting to see a pair of pure Asiatic lions get a breeding population in U. S. zoos - Joe Schmoe doesn't know the difference and African lions are a comparatively common species. It seems like a win-win. I remember reading either Brookfield or Chicago had a 'successful' Asian lion birth that is now overriden by the bad zoo lion genes.

A similar example, but it'd be interesting to see Mountain Gorillas or Cross River Gorillas, or hell, anything but the Western lowland Gorillas - I do love gorillas in general but with so many species on the brink, variety might be helpful. Maybe I'm loopy.

I would absolutely go head over heels if an American zoo gave another shot at Amazon river dolphins. They were on exhibit in a few American zoos in the eighties, I think, but the last one died over ten years ago. There was some difficulty exhibiting them but I feel zoos have come far enough in the last thirty years that if a zoo dedicated itself, they could be kept happy in captivity. All right, yeah, I'm loopy.

I'd love to see some more Tazzy Devils but I accept the reasons they're not so widespread in zoos. Begrudgingly.

Here's my list of "Never Seen, but really want to" animals:
1. Platypus -- answered above, Australia won't let them out
2. Marine Iguana -- from Galapagos Islands. Have they ever been exhibited?
3. Elephant Seal -- are they even exhibitable? Are they too big?
4. Narwhal -- ditto, are they exhibitable?
5. Great white shark -- I need to get to Monterey when they have one!
6. Golden monkey -- darn those Chinese for cancelling LA Zoo's contract!
7. Baikal seal -- I'm intrigued by the idea of a fresh-water seal.
8. Saiga antelope -- I may have seen one (without knowing it) at SDWAP years ago.

Would love to see any of these. Narwhals are difficult to exhibit due to their tusks, from what little I've read. I'd love to see them. I've heard Brookfield was hoping to seek out some Saiga antelope.

I'd really like to see one of the big crocodiles but all they have around here is alligator.

 

[elefante]

It'd be interesting to see a pair of pure Asiatic lions get a breeding population in U. S. zoos - Joe Schmoe doesn't know the difference and African lions are a comparatively common species. It seems like a win-win. I remember reading either Brookfield or Chicago had a 'successful' Asian lion birth that is now overriden by the bad zoo lion genes.

A similar example, but it'd be interesting to see Mountain Gorillas or Cross River Gorillas, or hell, anything but the Western lowland Gorillas - I do love gorillas in general but with so many species on the brink, variety might be helpful. Maybe I'm loopy.

I would absolutely go head over heels if an American zoo gave another shot at Amazon river dolphins. They were on exhibit in a few American zoos in the eighties, I think, but the last one died over ten years ago. There was some difficulty exhibiting them but I feel zoos have come far enough in the last thirty years that if a zoo dedicated itself, they could be kept happy in captivity. All right, yeah, I'm loopy.

I'd love to see some more Tazzy Devils but I accept the reasons they're not so widespread in zoos. Begrudgingly.


Would love to see any of these. Narwhals are difficult to exhibit due to their tusks, from what little I've read. I'd love to see them. I've heard Brookfield was hoping to seek out some Saiga antelope.

I'd really like to see one of the big crocodiles but all they have around here is alligator.

I would love to see Asian lions in zoos as well. It's a shame they aren't in their pure form in the USA. If you want to see a big crocodile, Reptile Gardens in Rapid City, SD has a saltwater croc named Maniac in their collection.

 

[James w]

Zoos are tending to stick with set programs s lot more in the uk now. I was a keeper for years and went on zoo tours. Germany had a lot more abstract and random species. Lot of our zoos tebd to exhibit the same species..I.e. amur leopards to focus on studbooks and obvious conservation needs. I miss persian leopards. Good example is canids. Back in the 70s and 80s there were more canids such as dingos, jackals..now the trend is mainly painted dogs..conservation needs...wolves...popular and trendy now!! . Few places have more unusual, I.e. bush dogs and dholes..hyenas much rarer in uk now. I saw 3 species at berlin especially whilst on a tour there..
Platypus are very vulnerable to stress and dont travel well.. whilst at one zoo I studied the two year keeper qualification..our zoo had a library packed with international zoo yearbooks, guide books from all over and husbandry guides.
I read the husbandry paper for the platypus at taronga zoo. They sounded quite complicated and delicate in some ways..and Australia wildlife tends to stay there apart from the common stuff!!..their zoos are unusual in a sense they display many native species..not many collections in U.K. do except for a few Iv like wildwood and new forest centre,
Great thread!!