Last time you went to a zoo and saw a species you weren't expecting

B

bugs

Well-Known Member
When was the last time you went to a zoo and saw a species you were not expecting to see? In this day of zoo websites, press coverage and forums such as this zoo fans will be aware of what species to expect and of any new arrivals.

For example for me it was at Colchester Zoo in about 2002ish, when I saw a pygmy hippo. It had only recently arrived and was temporally being housed with (I think) red river hogs. I had not heard that the zoo had received the species or were even planning on getting them.
 
Persian Fallow Deer at West Midlands Safari Park, and Lesser Kudu at Chester Zoo the following day.
 
Scottish Wildcats at Edinburgh a few years back - they had three male adolescents from HWP
 
One recent one that sticks firmly in the mind was Rufous Night Heron at Tierpark Berlin. Racking my brain as I'm sure there must be others.

EDIT: I'm being foolish - Belanger's Tree Shrew - Chester - last week! :D
 
Again Edinburgh and finding myself in front of a pair of Siberian musk deer a species i never thought i would ever see.
Nov 1999 in Taronga zoo face to face with a male bongo, not unusual for a Brit, just didn't think i would see one in Australia.
 
For me it would have been only recently;

A pair of Eclectus Parrots arrived at Blackpool Zoo. They had only been at the Zoo for about a week.
 
Francois' langurs and red-bellied lemurs at Colchester- I wouldn't have realised the latter was even there if I hadn't decided to go on a ride on the road train.
 
zooman64 said:
For me, only last week (17 July) - Darwin's Rhea at Whipsnade.
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I know what you mean with that one,they keep surprising me every time I see them at Whipsnade,whcih given they have been their for well over 2 years now,just goes to show what happens when you hide a nice species away in a forgotten corner of a place.Everyone keeps forgetting they have them.
 
A couple of unexpected species from a recent visit to the American North-West:
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) at Woodland Park [Seattle]
Filetail Catshark (Parmaturus xaniurus) at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
 
bugs said:
When was the last time you went to a zoo and saw a species you were not expecting to see? In this day of zoo websites, press coverage and forums such as this zoo fans will be aware of what species to expect and of any new arrivals.

For example for me it was at Colchester Zoo in about 2002ish, when I saw a pygmy hippo. It had only recently arrived and was temporally being housed with (I think) red river hogs. I had not heard that the zoo had received the species or were even planning on getting them.
Click to expand...
The pygmy hippo at colchester surprised me too when i first saw one, i think in what is now the warthog enclosure, while much of that area was still under development.
More recent unexpected species were north chinese leopard at howletts & gentoo penguin at whipsnade, both around 2008-9 i think.

I didn't realise the darwins rhea were on show at whipsnade, as i rarely go near the farm area, until i got on the bus one day when in a rainstorm & it went straight past them. Also was surprised to find the old bird garden still held ground hornbill & a few other species on a recent visit, though a few weeks later the view had been largely blocked off with fencing. I didnt know this area had existed until i read of it on zoochat!
 
About ten years ago when I visited Dublin Zoo and saw a big pack of african hunting dogs, they had just been fed and they were really active and tearing the meat up. On any subsequent visit I have always found them flat out asleep. timing lol.
Actually I don't think Dublin have exhibited a new species since these, but it is still a nice place to visit occasionally.
 
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