Walrus currently in captivity

[johnstoni.]

I wanted to create the most comprehensive list I could of the current state of captive walrus.

A small amount of the information below has been taken from the excellent Facebook page 'Walruses in human care':
Walruses in human care | Facebook

Some of the information will be out of date or incorrect, please do repost and correct any errors you see.

Given the issues with swallowing foreign objects, damaging tusks on the hard surfaces in exhibits, and the poor breeding rate so far, this animal does not look to become well-established in zoos and aquaria through captive-breeding. Russia does appear to have been a significant source of young 'orphan' walrus even up until last year, although some discussion on the Facebook thread (scroll to the bottom) suggests the authorities may be cracking down on a company that has been trading in young walrus supposedly 'rescued' after being orphaned through poaching. I would be interested to hear any of that verified further. Moscow zoo has also been a source of quite a few animals brought into captivity in this way, sending walrus to Spain and North America. Assuming this practice is to end/be investigated by the Russian authorities, the only source of new animals will be the occasional 'rescues' of injured wild individuals in North America and Russia. I doubt these will be enough to create a self-sustaining population, but I imagine will always mean examples of this species are in captivity in some institutions.

Breeding has occurred at Seaworld San Diego (at least 2 surviving births) New York Aquarium (only infant died aged 2), Six Flags (1 birth, stillbirth, this year), Kamogawa (at least one surviving birth), and Hardewijk (at least one surviving birth, two more recent premature stillbirths). The list may be longer, please add to it if you are aware of any more.

USA - 7 Institutions (2 collections breeding, one also stillbirth this year)

INDIANNAPOLIS ZOO
0.1 - Aurora. Previously had 4 animals.
- Sitka dies in 2005 after ingesting a pine cone, arrived 1995
- Adult male Brutus dies in May 2010, during surgery.
- Subadult male Nereus dies in October 2010, large tumour-like mass
Aurora, now sharing the exhibit with a group of seals:
Awesome Walrus at the Indy Zoo - YouTube

NEW YORK AQUARIUM
0.2, - Nuka and breeding cow Kulusiq, who had the first birth at the aquarium in 2007.
- Aquituusaq, 2-year old captive-born walrus dies September 2009, from Pneumonia.
- Ayveq (Aquituusaq's father), 14-year old male, dies June 2008 from an infection.
Walrus at NY Aquarium Summer 2011 - YouTube

POINT DEFIANCE ZOO
1.2 - Male, ET, rescued as an orphan in 1982, added 0.2 (Joan and Basilla) in 2006 to breed and research, on breeding loan from Brookfield Zoo, Chicago (Basilla came from Moscow Zoo originally, with another, Bulka, to Brookfield in 1991 - assume Bulka died at Brookfield).
Point Defiance Zoo Footage - YouTube
Walrus at Point Defiance Zoo - YouTube

SIX FLAGS AQUARIUM
4 walrus - Sivuqaq, Qiluk, Uquq & Siku
Stillborn birth this year:
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is Awaiting he Birth of its First Pacific Walrus Calf Zoo and Aquarium Visitor News
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Walrus Loses Calf
2008 video describes tusk removal of one animal, while the male still has his intact:
Walruses Jumping in training session @ Six Flags Discovery K - YouTube

SEA WORLD ORLANDO
4 walrus - Bruser, Garfield, Slowpoke, Dozer, (born 1993 at SeaWorld CA).
At least one has full tusks, unusual in captive walrus:
SeaWorld Orlando. Wild Arctic: Walrus and Polar Bear - YouTube
another clip from 2010 shows a different animal, without tusks:
Randy Moss Chills Out at SeaWorld Orlando - YouTube

SEA WORLD SAN DIEGO
3 Walrus - 1.1 + 0.1, Kaboodle, born 2003 to Obie and KitKatasha. Previous pair produced a surviving calf (now at Orlando).
Obie, Seahook, Kaboodle.
Wikipedia page no longer mentions KitKatasha, assuming left or died.
SEA WORLD SAN DIEGO WALRUS - YouTube
Sea World San Diego - walrus escapes - YouTube
Sea World - Walrus Sounds - YouTube

SEA WORLD SAN ANTONIO
1 Walrus, Takena
Strange photo op video, interesting explanation of eye problems:
Walrus at Sea World San Antonio - YouTube

CANADA - 2 Institutions (no collections breeding)

QUEBEC AQUARIUM
1.1 Pacific - Boris and Samka, 0.1 Atlantic - Arnaliaq
Arnaliaq, born in the wild in 2003, is the only known Atlantic walrus in captivity:
Arnaliaq | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
the three appear to be kept in one group:
Aquarium du Quebec - Walrus

MARINELAND NIAGRA FALLS
Does this place really keep 36 BELUGA??
Walruses are: Apollo, Buttercup, Pandora, Smooshi, Sonja, Zeus, although Wikipedia now only mentions 4 animals.
Feeding time:
Walrus feeding time at Marineland Canada (unfortunately blurry) [#2795] - YouTube

NETHERLANDS - 1 Institution (1 collection breeding)

HARDERWIJK
1.4? (including at least 1 surviving birth. Births in 2009 and 2011 were premature and the pups did not survive). 'Walruses in human care list 6 animals as of April 2011 however).
Baby Walruses - YouTube
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/24312346.jpg
Walrussen dolfinarium - Zideo - online video kijken - delen en meer

RUSSIA - 2 Institutions (no collections known to be breeding)

MOSCOW ZOO
1.4, rescued as orphans in 1996 in a group of 10. Half the group were sent to Oceanografic in Valencia. No known births.
Prior to the 1996 group arriving, Moscow sent 2 to Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, in 1991. One female, Basilla, was sent on breeding loan to Point defiance in 2006 and remains there.
Article in 2000 detailing international efforts to bring a UK dentist to Moscow to work on infected tusks:
BBC News | EUROPE | Walruses taken to tusk
Petting walruses at the Moscow Zoo - YouTube
Walruses | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
?????????? ??????? - ????????? ???????????? ??????? - YouTube
????????????? ???? - ?????????? ??????? 2011 - YouTube
http://www.zooinstitutes.com/animalpic.asp?name=2774

MOSCOW DOLPHINARIUM (rumoured to have closed in 2010 by the authorities). Owned by a company called Utrish.
Apparently still held 15 of 22 pups 'rescued' as orphans from poaching in late 2010.
Moscow Dolphinarium adopts stray walrus calves from Chukotka | Video | RIA Novosti

Udmurtia Zoo - Unknown number
Rostov Zoo - Unknown number, if any

Urtrish Dophinarium - Unknown number
RIA Novosti media library :: Gallery[q]=walrus&context[field]=keyword

Izhevsk Zoo - Unknown number:
http://www.zooinstitutes.com/animalpic.asp?name=11191
14 08 2010 Izhevsk Zoo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

BELARUS - 1 institution (no information on breeding)
Minsk Zoo - Unknown number, if any

SPAIN - 1 Institution (no collections breeding)

VALENCIA OCEANOGRAFIC
1.4, all from the 1996 Moscow rescue
Good view of pool size and entire group:
Oceanographic in Valencia, Walrus - YouTube

TURKEY - 2 Institutions (no collections breeding)

ISTANBUL DOLPHINARIUM
0.1, Sara, previously 0.2
Rather unbearable performance:
Bitte helft Sarah! - YouTube
Subject to animal rights campagning:
Solidarity for the wounded walrus Sarah in Turkish captivity – protest actions of German and Turkish animal welfare campaigners | NSM | News & Style Magazine

TROY AQUA, TURKEY
0.1, Silva, assumed performing animal, very little available info

JAPAN - 5 Institutions (one collection breeding)

YOKOHAMA - HAKKEJIMA SEA PARADISE
3 walrus - Moko, Piko, Ak
Bizarre performace, with a Whale shark(!) swimming behind them:
Yokohama's Sea Paradise Walrus - YouTube
In exhibit:
Walrus Show @ Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise - YouTube

UMI TAMAGO AQUARIUM, KUYUSHU ISLAND
3 walrus - Ponta, Mee, Bubu
2 in this clip:
Walrus in Umitamago Aquarium - YouTube

KAMOGAWA SEA WORLD
Breeding group of either 3 or 5 (2.3), depending on whether 1.1 Fukushima animals are listed on ISIS.
Note the enormous tusks on the adult male, highly unusual for captive walrus:
walrus feeding time - YouTube

FUKUSHIMA AQUARIUM
1.1 walrus, Go and Miru, both 12 years old (evacuated during the earthquake, held in Kamogawa then returned in July 2011).
http://dwqovw6qi0vie.cloudfront.net/article-imgs/en/2011/07/15/AJ201107154698/AJ201107154700.jpg
Walrus on Vimeo

TOBA AQUARIUM
Thought to be 1 walrus, though two are show here in a 2010 video:
TOBA Aquarium Japan? - YouTube
Older (2008) video showing both animals, clearly younger, meeting visitors:
????????????? - YouTube

 

[jwer]

Animals at Harderwijk are 2.3, two breeding females and a breeding male, together with one offspring of both if i'm correct. Just checked the info on the Dutch zoosite, gimme a sec to confirm.

 

[jwer]

Checked with people who know;

1.0 Igor

0.1 Natasja

0.1 Olga
1.0 Nikolai (Olga * Igor)

0.1 Rossita
0.1 Raisa (Rossita * Igor)

total 2.4 animals

 

[johnstoni.]

Thanks, thats interesting. I wonder what ages the zoo-bred 1.1 are now? At some point I imagine exchanges will have to take place to prevent inbreeding, or perhaps Harderwijk don't want a larger group than the 1.3 adults. I know they sent Steller's sea lions away rather than building up the group using their offspring in exchanges.

Would it be the third adult female 'Natasja' that has had the two premature DNS births?

There is no ESB/EEP for Pacific Walrus. Indianapolis manage the North American SSP studbook, however they are down to just one single female now. In North America, part of the issue seems to be that the most successful institution for breeding walrus is the Seaworld group, and their offspring tend to be sent to other Seaworld sites to become performing animals. I could be wrong, there may be Seaworld-born walrus in breeding situations in some of the other zoos holding them, but it doesn't appear that way.

Pittsburgh has a walrus exhibit with no walrus, having built it and then been unable to source any, Henry Doorly Zoo also has plans for a walrus exhibit but again there is the issue of finding some. I wonder if the 15+ young animals last seen in 2010 in Moscow Dolpinarium are likely to end up in North American collections. I doubt it would be achievable without money changing hands, which would prevent many of those zoos acquiring walrus. I don't think they will end up in Moscow zoo however, as the zoo parted with half of its group of 10 as they reached maturity, sending 1.4 to Valencia sometime during the last decade.

 

[jwer]

1.0 Nikolai is from 1994 and 0.1 Raisa is from 2004. Both stillbirths where from Rossita, the mother of Raisa.

Hamburg's new "Eismeer" exhibit is almost done and as far as I know, walrus have been secured. I can only imagine they bought some from Russia.

With only two institutions in western europe with Walrus, there's not really a point in an ESB...

 

[Animal]

As far as I know, the walrus for the Eismeer will come indeed from russia.

 

[Saro]

If I remember it correctly, Olga (Harderwijk) was imported in 1974 along with walruses for Hannover. This could very well be a longevity record, if she is indeed still alive ! Can anyone confirm this ?

Regarding the breeding, Cincinnati also had a calf in 1992, that did not survive. The breeding male bruiser is still alive (Orlando). The first walrus in a zoo was born at Marineland Los Angeles in 1975 (stillbirth in 73), they had a number of calfs there.

 

[ZOOgr]

I know they sent Steller's sea lions away rather than building up the group using their offspring in exchanges.
QUOTE]

They went back to Alaska as a part of a breeding programme, they don't need any new animales right now. I think if they do need new animales, they will be able to get through the same breeding.

 

[i@zoochat]

In China there're more than ten institutions exhibiting at least 30 walruses. These walruses are kept in small indoor exnibits, which are mostly poor designed.
Apart from walruses, in recent years, China also imported many steller sea lions, west african manatees, sea otters and belugas.

 

[johnstoni.]

Yes, I'm aware Fushun's Ocean World keeps walrus, would you happen to know if any institutions in China are breeding them?

 

[bashildy]

SEA WORLD SAN DIEGO

1.0 - Obie, orphaned in 1986 from Alaska. Fully Blind as of 2010. Still has tusks
0.1 - Seahook. orphaned in ~1978. Fully Blind as of 2011. No Tusks.
0.1 - Kaboodle. b. 2003 ( Obie + Kitkatasha ). No Tusks.

Former Walruses:
0.1 - Kitkatasha, breeding partner with Obie. Died, 2010. ( Infection? Could not get details on necropsy )
0.1 - Tessa , Confirmed Live, Transfered for breeding to other facility. Unknown residence.

 

[DavidBrown]

In China there're more than ten institutions exhibiting at least 30 walruses. These walruses are kept in small indoor exnibits, which are mostly poor designed.
Apart from walruses, in recent years, China also imported many steller sea lions, west african manatees, sea otters and belugas.

Where is China getting its sea otters from? Russia? (Sorry that this is off topic from walrus).

 

[bashildy]

Update: Six Flags renamed to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Inventory:
1.2 walrus - Sivuqaq(M), Uquq(F) & Siku(F)

2011 calf of Uquq from Sivuqaq was stillborn.
2012 - Qiluk removed from inventory. Don't know if transfer or death.

 

[callorhinus]

I wanted to create the most comprehensive list I could of the current state of captive walrus.

Udmurtia Zoo - Unknown number
Izhevsk Zoo - Unknown number

I have some information about Udmurtia zoo (or "Zoo of Udmurtia" officially).

First of all, Udmurtia zoo is in the Izhevsk city (Udmurtia is a region of Russia) so "Udmurtia Zoo" and "Izhevsk Zoo" are the same.

There were three walruses in our zoo. Pacific walruses Enurmin (male) and Eva (female) live here since September 2008 when our zoo was opened. They are seven years old now, and are pubescent or will be pubescent next year I think.

One atlantic walrus (female named Neseyka) arrived to us in December 2010 from peninsula of Yamal in the Kara sea. She lives in Hagenbeck Tierpark (Hamburg, Germany) since June 2012. Maybe she will become pubescent next year, and Hagenbeck Tierpark is looking for male for her. Also there is a rumour here that Moscow zoo may send one of it's walruses to keep her company.

Udmurtia zoo has website but Russian version only: http://udm-zoo.ru
Maybe this address should be included to "List of all Zoos Worldwide"?

I can try to know something about walruses of Dolphinarium of Moscow zoo (http://www.dolphinzoo.ru/eng) and of Moscow dolphinarium (these institutes are not the same!) if it is interesting to you.

I know that in 2009 in the Dolphinarium of Moscow zoo was a baby female walrus Olivia (born in captivity in July 2008), her mother Polosa, and one more adult female Dina and one male Odinnadtsatyi (maybe more adults). Adults arrived in 1996 and in 1997 from Chukotka (the most east region of Russia near the Alaska), and they are all pacific walruses.

 

[Animal]

Wer the pacific walruses kept together with the atlantic?

 

[callorhinus]

Wer the pacific walruses kept together with the atlantic?

Yes, of course. We haven't second exhibit for walruses. Neseyka lived first in inner rooms about six weeks, after that she spent a week in small non-exhibit quarantine pool, and then she lived in exhibit area with other walruses till her going to Germany.

 

[Animal]

What size is the exhibit at Izhevsk?

 

[callorhinus]

What size is the exhibit at Izhevsk?

I can not tell you numbers today but you can look at this photo (bad photo again , I should shoot panorama photo next week). In front you can see exibit of nothern fur seals Callorhinus ursinus, walrus exhibit is behind. Depth of the pool is about 3 meters, water volume is about 950 cubic meters. Exhibit is limited with "rocky" walls so you can understand size of entire area.

I know that it's not really good exhibit but we haven't better in Russia... And we are all here glad for Neseyka that she has now so wonderful home.

 

[jwer]

After seeing some of the walrus-exhibits in western European zoos that the animals have been kept in in the past (most notably Hannover), this looks pretty decent actually.

Great to have you on board of Zoochat Callorhinus, amazing to have so much information from Izhevsk

 

[Animal]

Thanks for the photo! Why not open the exhibit and keep seals and walrus together? More space for everone.