The history of proboscis monkeys in American zoos

DavidBrown

DavidBrown

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Have there ever been proboscis monkeys in American zoos other than the troop in Jungleworld at the Bronx Zoo in the 1980s?

Does anybody know what specifically went wrong with the Bronx troop, and does this indicate that the species is unlikely to ever be in American zoos again? It seems like Singapore Zoo is successfully keeping them - do they not do well in non-tropical climates?
 
The majority (if not all) proboscis monkeys in the US originated out of the Central Texas Zoo in Waco. That zoo no longer exists, but is now the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. Evidently the director or some other person in charge of that zoo had some connections with Malaysia and was able to import them quite frequently. From the CTZ they were able to distribute them across the country.
 
I believe that it wasn't the zoo in Waco, but an animal dealer by the name of Leon Leopard. Leon died years ago and his associate took over the business, but animals were harder to get and more expensive to maintain. The business was dissolved a few years later.
 
Leon Leopard was an out-and-out smuggler, dealing in illegally-obtained animals he collected with the use of forged documentation. He specialised in mammals, especially monkeys, but actually knew next to nothing about animals of any kind. But he could get the unobtainable, and the zoos liked him for that. There's quite a bit about him in Jennie Erin Smith's "Stolen World" (good book if you haven't read it yet).
 
Chlidonias said:
have you seen these threads? I know you probably want a more succint answer but have a read through for interest's sake anyway :)
http://www.zoochat.com/22/jungleworld-bronx-zoo-15273/index2.html
http://www.zoochat.com/22/proboscis-monkeys-usa-251276/
http://www.zoochat.com/22/monkeys-195413/
http://www.zoochat.com/22/golden-monkeys-3860/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. There is some history of proboscis monkeys in captivity at this website (originally posted by Blackduiker): Dutch monkeys

It looks like there were some in San Diego, Dallas, Milwaukee, and the Bronx in the 1970s. All were dead and gone by the 1990s, probably much earlier.
 
Here is the complete history of the Proboscis Monkeys at the Milwaukee County Zoo.There was 1.3 in total and all were wild caught and purchased through a exotic animal dealer.

June 25 1968 - 1.1 Proboscis Monkeys arrive at the Milwaukee County Zoo

July 1 1968 -0.1 Proboscis Monkey dies at Milwaukee County Zoo

October 23 -1968 0.1 Proboscis Monkey arrive at the Milwaukee County Zoo

November 19 1968- 0.1 Proboscis Monkey dies at the Milwaukee Couty Zoo

July 24 1969 - 0.1 Proboscis Monkey arrives at the Milwaukee County Zoo

March 8 1981 0.1 Proboscis Monkey dies at the Milwaukee County Zoo

June 15 1982 - 1.0 Proboscis Monkey loaned to the Bronx Zoo

July 24 1984 1.0 Proboscis Monkey dies at the Bronx Zoo

Team Tapir223
 
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