Species on the brink of disappearing from U.K Collections

[TeaLovingDave]

Thought I'd do a little update on the species mentioned in this thread, as I found it was over 4 years since the last post when I just looked for a thread like this.....

Just been looking on ISIS and noticed that South Lakes are down too 2.1.1 Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby,surely this species is not going to be around within the next 5 years does anybody else know of any other species withlow numbers in the U.K.

The last brush-tailed rock wallabies went to a private collection in the late 00's as far as I know; the species is now completely absent from European collections.

Some of the more unusual old world monkeys;
Hamlyn's Owl-faced in particular, now only at Twycross & Edinburgh. Twycross is the only holder of several other Guenon species in one or twos. Cambells guenon- only two nonbreeding at Chester. Samango Guenon- nonbreeders only at Port Lympne.
Golden- bellied Mangabey-one pair nonbreeding(?) at Port Lympne- no others in UK.
Sooty Mangabey- any now remaining?
Spotted Hyaena- one only at Colchester.(also at Belfast?)
Onager- only at Chester & Whipsnade.
Gaur - only at Whipsnade- 1.1. but recently bred successfully.

Hamlyn's Monkey is now only held by Edinburgh, who I believe hold 1.1

The Chester individuals of Campbell's Guenon left for Jhilava Zoo in 2009 - none remain in the UK.

Samango Guenons are now absent from Europe.

I believe Port Lympne still hold Golden-bellied Mangabey.

Sooty Mangabey are absent from the UK.

Both Colchester and Belfast lost Spotted Hyena, however Colchester has gone back into the species and hold 1.1.1

Onager are having a bit of a renaissance - although it is still the same two holders, Chester has seen a few births in the past year.

Gaur are still only held by Whipsnade.

Asian Black Bears and American Black Bears. Dudley's are old and Woburn arent allowing the to breed.

Both species are clinging on - just about. Dudley are down to 0.1 and I *think* Woburn have three Americans, gender unknown to me.

Arabian Oryx: only at Whipsnade and Marwell i think...

Now only held at Marwell.

Also Marsh Mongoose i believe are down to a pair at Curraghs and 1 male at Manor House Wildlife Park if its still alive.

Curraghs still hold the species, I believe. Folly Farm now hold the species - might this be the Manor House male? These two collections represent 2/3 of the total European holders - I suspect this species will be gone in another 4 or 5 years.....

I think it is a slightly different situation with birds. I really hope to go and see the plate-billed mountain toucans before they go at Amazon World, the brush turkey at Lotherton, and the James's flamingos at Slimbridge.

Amazon World still hold Plate-billed Mountain Toucan.

Lotherton went out of Australian Brush-turkey in 2009 - the species is now absent from the UK but is much more secure in Europe with 8 holders than is the other extant megapode in Europe, the Misool Brush-turkey, which only has two holders.

Slimbridge still has a single James flamingo.

Two male Black Mangabeys appear to have arrived at Cefn yr Ewr, along with a Japanese macaque.

Black Mangabey is still held by the collection.

Japanese Macaque is still held by this collection - Highland Wildlife Park now also hold a breeding group, so this species has actually improved its position!

Having looked at a picture of a springhare at the five sisters zoo taken by maguari, are there many more in the UK, i remember London, Blackpool and Bristol keeping them about 10 years ago!

Five Sisters still keeps a single Southern Springhare, the only holder in the UK.

Cape Buffalo is another cattle species that is on the brink in the UK. Only Knowsley and West Midland Safari Park have them, and Knowsley's herd are all elderly females.

Both collections still hold the species as far as I am aware.


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So - anyone got any predictions for species which are on the brink of disappearing from the UK in 2012, then?

 

[Pertinax]

Hamlyn's Monkey is now only held by Edinburgh, who I believe hold 1.1

I believe Port Lympne still hold Golden-bellied Mangabey.

Arabian Oryx. Now only held at Marwell.

Hamlyn's. I think Edinburgh may still have 3 (or maybe not?)

GB Mangabey. PL still had their non-breeding pair in May.

Arabian Oryx. What has happened to the ones at Whipsnade? Didn't 'Africa Alive' have them at one time also? This was once an iconic 'flagship' species now seemingly consigned to much lower/unwanted status.

Cape Buffalo. Knowlsey have added a bull to their 5 females, so there is potential for breeding at both parks now.

 

[Jordan-Jaguar97]

Thought I'd do a little update on the species mentioned in this thread, as I found it was over 4 years since the last post when I just looked for a thread like this.....



The last brush-tailed rock wallabies went to a private collection in the late 00's as far as I know; the species is now completely absent from European collections.



Hamlyn's Monkey is now only held by Edinburgh, who I believe hold 1.1

The Chester individuals of Campbell's Guenon left for Jhilava Zoo in 2009 - none remain in the UK.

Samango Guenons are now absent from Europe.

I believe Port Lympne still hold Golden-bellied Mangabey.

Sooty Mangabey are absent from the UK.

Both Colchester and Belfast lost Spotted Hyena, however Colchester has gone back into the species and hold 1.1.1

Onager are having a bit of a renaissance - although it is still the same two holders, Chester has seen a few births in the past year.

Gaur are still only held by Whipsnade.



Both species are clinging on - just about. Dudley are down to 0.1 and I *think* Woburn have three Americans, gender unknown to me.



Now only held at Marwell.



Curraghs still hold the species, I believe. Folly Farm now hold the species - might this be the Manor House male? These two collections represent 2/3 of the total European holders - I suspect this species will be gone in another 4 or 5 years.....



Amazon World still hold Plate-billed Mountain Toucan.

Lotherton went out of Australian Brush-turkey in 2009 - the species is now absent from the UK but is much more secure in Europe with 8 holders than is the other extant megapode in Europe, the Misool Brush-turkey, which only has two holders.

Slimbridge still has a single James flamingo.



Black Mangabey is still held by the collection.

Japanese Macaque is still held by this collection - Highland Wildlife Park now also hold a breeding group, so this species has actually improved its position!



Five Sisters still keeps a single Southern Springhare, the only holder in the UK.



Both collections still hold the species as far as I am aware.


------

So - anyone got any predictions for species which are on the brink of disappearing from the UK in 2012, then?

AFAIK Woburn still have 2.3 American Black Bears. They did have 2.4 previously.

I believe Colchester's young Spotted Hyena is a male. I hope that Colchester can get a few more cubs out of this pair. I hope they continue to be successful.

I could Paignton's Echnida passing away this/next year. However I hope it doesn't.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

A postscript to my previous post, before I make any predictions for species on the way out in the next few years:

A few noteworthy species and subspecies lost since this thread began, but not mentioned previously

Virginia Opossum - held by Folly Farm until 2012.

Common striped possum - held by Cotswold Wildlife Park until 2009.

Feathertail glider - held by Colchester until 2012

Brushtail possum - held by Marwell until 2011

Tammar Wallaby - held by South Lakes until c.2011

Pallas' long-tongued bat - held by Bristol until 2011

Black-and-rufous elephant shrew - held by RSCC until 2010

Round-eared elephant shrew - held by Lakeland Wildlife Oasis until 2010

Large tree shrew - held by Thrigby until 2009

Thick-tailed bushbaby - held by London until 2010

Zorilla - held by Paradise Wildlife Park until 2010.

Ring-tailed mongoose - held by RSCC until 2011

Canada Lynx - held by Trotter's World of Animals until 2012

Southern Lowland Wetzone Purple-faced Langur - held by Edinburgh until 2012

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Hamlyn's. I think Edinburgh may still have 3 (or maybe not?)

I have a feeling the young female - offspring of the older female and the deceased male - has been moved to another collection. Intend to check for sure when I next visit.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Arabian Oryx. What has happened to the ones at Whipsnade? Didn't 'Africa Alive' have them at one time also? This was once an iconic 'flagship' species now seemingly consigned to much lower/unwanted status.

Haven't a clue what happened at AA, but Whipsnade went out of the species in 2011.

 

[Al]

Ring tailed mongoose are still at rscc

Folly farms marsh mongoose went to curraghs! They now have only one animal

I think Amsterdam have samango?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Ring tailed mongoose are still at rscc

Folly farms marsh mongoose went to curraghs! They now have only one animal

Yes, I was aware RSCC still technically held the ringtailed mongoose, but for the purposes of this thread I don't think we're counting private collections so it is easier to treat the public incarnation of RSCC as a seperate entity.

And it doesn't surprise me one bit that the marsh mongoose situation is even worse than I thought.....

Predictions of species to be lost in next few years

The Echidna at Paignton, as already noted, is getting on quite a bit.

Asiatic Black Bear - down to a single venerable individual at Dudley (Heythrop doesn't count, as noted above)

Chinese Golden Cat - one elderly individual at Thrigby Hall.

Marsh Mongoose - only the one individual at Curraghs, it seems.

Mueller's Gibbon - two subspecies, as well as non-ssp status, are held in the UK at a total of 4 collections. I believe all individuals are elderly, so this may be the next gibbon species to disappear from our shores after the 2005 loss of the final Kloss at Twycross (now there's a mouthful - Twycross Kloss loss!)

Senegal bushbaby - down to a single individual at Glasgow Amazonia.

South American sealion - down to three collections, none breeding.

And a controversial wildcard...... Asiatic Lion.

 

[Pertinax]

Haven't a clue what happened at AA, but Whipsnade went out of the species in 2011.

'Went out of'... I wonder what actually happened to Whipsnade's Oryx, there were about five of them.. Did they go to Marwell perhaps? Or Europe? Or nowhere...?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

'Went out of'... I wonder what actually happened to Whipsnade's Oryx, there were about five of them.. Did they go to Marwell perhaps? Or Europe? Or nowhere...?

It's a shame that the annual animal inventories published by ZSL, unlike some other collections, only show the state of affairs on January 1st, rather than also noting any births, deaths and departures over the previous year - otherwise we'd probably be able to find out!

And they don't keep previous animal inventories online I think, or we'd be able to see how many they had at the start of 2011 - which would be something.

 

[CambsVet]

Mueller's Gibbon - two subspecies, as well as non-ssp status, are held in the UK at a total of 4 collections. I believe all individuals are elderly, so this may be the next gibbon species to disappear from our shores after the 2005 loss of the final Kloss at Twycross (now there's a mouthful - Twycross Kloss loss!)

I believe Monkey world have 4, although only 1 is female. They seem to have a relatively good track record with some of there gibbons so there is always hope on that front, although granted a couple of births will not save the species in the UK

 

[pipaluk]

'Went out of'... I wonder what actually happened to Whipsnade's Oryx, there were about five of them.. Did they go to Marwell perhaps? Or Europe? Or nowhere...?

I'm pretty sure they aren't at Marwell, there group hadn't increased by that many, if at all on my visits this year, unless they are held as a seperate group elsewhere in the park. I have wondered for a while why they had left Whipsnade and where had they gone.

 

[Tim May]

'Went out of'... I wonder what actually happened to Whipsnade's Oryx, there were about five of them.. Did they go to Marwell perhaps? Or Europe? Or nowhere...?

It's a shame that the annual animal inventories published by ZSL, unlike some other collections, only show the state of affairs on January 1st, rather than also noting any births, deaths and departures over the previous year - otherwise we'd probably be able to find out!

And they don't keep previous animal inventories online I think, or we'd be able to see how many they had at the start of 2011 - which would be something.

According to the ZSL animal inventory for 2011 there were three female Arabian oryx at Whipsnade at the start of the year. (And the list for 2009 shows that there were one male and four females on 31 December 2009.)

Marwell maintains the Arabian oryx studbook; this is available on-line on the Marwell web-site. Searching this (which, unfortunately, I haven’t time to do now) should provide answers to your questions.

 

[JamesB]

I believe Monkey world have 4, although only 1 is female. They seem to have a relatively good track record with some of there gibbons so there is always hope on that front, although granted a couple of births will not save the species in the UK

They have been at MW for ages and haven't bred so I would say it is unlikely they will now.

 

[Tunanta]

How many european souslik are there in the UK now? I have a soft spot for them and miss them at Edinburgh zoo now they've been replaced by meerkats (I'd never seen them before and was very disappointed that almost as soon as it got warm enough for them to start coming out they chucked the meerkats in with them, then rather quickly took the souslik out so I only got to see them once). Zootierliste lists Howletts and New forest otter, owl and wildlife park as holding them?

 

[Pertinax]

2011 there were three female Arabian oryx at Whipsnade at the start of the year. (And the list for 2009 shows that there were one male and four females on 31 December 2009.)

Marwell maintains the Arabian oryx studbook; this is available on-line on the Marwell web-site. Searching this (which, unfortunately, I haven’t time to do now) should provide answers to your questions.

I have looked at the International Studbook and it is up to date till August 2012. Whipsnade is listed under both 'Deaths' and 'Transfers' sections. Several Oryx (about 4) were euthanased there in 2010, and one final one in November 2011, but there is no indication of any live transfers. Without trawling through the whole studbook it is very difficut to trace where any living animals were sent- if there were still any after that.

 

[Davef68]

Chinese Golden Cat - one elderly individual at Thrigby Hall.

What is the current status of the Asian Golden Cat sub-species? Edinburgh only refer to Asiatic Golden Cats, as do IUCN Pardofelis temminckii (Asiatic Golden Cat, Golden Cat, Temminck's Cat) yet I do find some references to the sub species online.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

What is the current status of the Asian Golden Cat sub-species? Edinburgh only refer to Asiatic Golden Cats, as do IUCN Pardofelis temminckii (Asiatic Golden Cat, Golden Cat, Temminck's Cat) yet I do find some references to the sub species online.

The seperation into three subspecies is now widely accepted. In Europe all three are currently visible:

Chinese Golden Cat - Pardofelis temminckii dominicanorum - is now only found at Thrigby Hall in Norfolk, where one elderly male lives.

Tibetan Golden Cat - Pardofelis temminckii tristis - is only found at Parc des Felins in France, and Edinburgh Zoo. Edinburgh currently keeps 2.1 Tibetan cats.

South-east Asian Golden Cat - Pardofelis temminckii temminckii - is found at a number of European collections. The only UK collection with the subspecies is Belfast, with - I believe - 1.1 cats.

 

[Tim May]

I have looked at the International Studbook and it is up to date till August 2012. Whipsnade is listed under both 'Deaths' and 'Transfers' sections. Several Oryx (about 4) were euthanased there in 2010, and one final one in November 2011, but there is no indication of any live transfers. Without trawling through the whole studbook it is very difficut to trace where any living animals were sent- if there were still any after that.

I didn’t have time to look at this the other day but after perusing the studbook this evening it appears that Whipsnade sent two female Arabian oryx to Marwell on 25th November 2011.

It is a shame that the ZSL no longer has Arabian oryx – especially as London Zoo’s female “Caroline” was sent to Phoenix Zoo in 1963 as one of the founder members of the world herd.

 

[Dassie rat]

Hallo Tim

I agree with you about the Arabian oryx. It was one of the iconic endangered animals when I was a little boy and I was pleased when I saw my first Arabian oryx in a zoo. I remember when the plans were made for 'Into Africa' and an education officer announced that Arabian oryxes would leave the collection 'because they were boring'. Another iconic endangered animal that entered and left the London Zoo collection was the trumpeter swan. It was kept in the area now occupied by Penguin Beach, but the swan I saw isn't listed in Zootierliste. It wasn't highlighted and it didn't seem to raise any concern when it left the collection, which was sad. In the 1990s, London Zoo had the only Nduk eagle owl. It was kept on the North Bank and died in 1997. Once again, it was ignored by most visitors, although I took a few people to see it.