What species do you wish was more common in zoos?

TheMightyOrca

TheMightyOrca

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
A lot of species are rare/nonexistent in captivity for a variety of reasons. If you could pick some species to be more common, which ones would you pick?

Personally I wish pangolins would be more common. Mostly cause I like 'em, but also because they're in trouble right now and I think zoo education, and possibly captive breeding, could be beneficial. Alas, so few zoos have them. I may be going to San Diego in the summer, so I'll definitely stop by the zoo and check out their pangolin, but it would be nice if I could see them more easily.
 
I would like to see some Greater Bilbies outside Australia. Super cute, with a good conservation message. When I saw them they were also very active and made an excellent nocturnal exhibit. Plus the zoo giftshop can sell Easter Bilby chocolates and copies of one of my favourite childhood story books, A Bush Birthday!
 
FunkyGibbon said:
I would like to see some Greater Bilbies outside Australia. Super cute, with a good conservation message. When I saw them they were also very active and made an excellent nocturnal exhibit. Plus the zoo giftshop can sell Easter Bilby chocolates and copies of one of my favourite childhood story books, A Bush Birthday!
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Easter Bilby souvenirs would be pretty darn cute!
 
Sand Cats. The Phoenix Zoo had one years ago. I have no idea how many US zoos have them or even how to try to find that out without going to every single zoo website and looking at their animal list, but even that wouldn't necessarily work since not all zoos have their collections listed. Not all zoos even have a regular website, even.
 
I'd love to see saola well established in a captive environment. They are an excellent example of a species that should be in captivity. They are critically endangered, they are of mass educational interests to animal enthusiasts and conservationists and could probably do well once we crack the captivity code, and they are very fearless when it comes to approaching humans. Still, I know that this is a 1 in a billion shot here.
 
I would like birds-of-Paradise to be more common.
They are simply so beautiful. Kakapo's would be interesting too.
They are huge (for a parrot), cute and flightless, so they can be kept
outside aviaries without the need to clip or pion them.

For mammals, I agree with TheMightyOrca about pangolins.
Furthermore, I saw the last remaining red-shanked douc langur
in Köln a while ago. To be hounest, I never really cared about it's
dissapearence in Europe, but when I saw the animal alive and active,
it seemed so different to other primates and I really think it's a great loss.
So it would be great to have some more of there amazing primates
in zoos.
 
azcheetah2 said:
Sand Cats. The Phoenix Zoo had one years ago. I have no idea how many US zoos have them or even how to try to find that out without going to every single zoo website and looking at their animal list, but even that wouldn't necessarily work since not all zoos have their collections listed. Not all zoos even have a regular website, even.
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There are eight organizations in the U.S. with Sand Cats. One is the Exotic Feline Breeding Center that imported some individuals to increase the genetic diversity of the small population. Smithsonian National Zoo and Hogle Zoo have them on-show. North Carolina Zoo is adding them to their collection. If institutions have interest in adding them to their collection, the SSP is looking for holders. Same goes for other smaller felines like Black-footed, Fishing and Pallas' Cats. If there's interest in adding them, all they need to do is reach out to SSP's as there are animals in need of placement.
 
FunkyGibbon said:
I would like to see some Greater Bilbies outside Australia. Super cute, with a good conservation message. When I saw them they were also very active and made an excellent nocturnal exhibit. Plus the zoo giftshop can sell Easter Bilby chocolates and copies of one of my favourite childhood story books, A Bush Birthday!
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Be careful what you wish for because you never know in a few years time you could be sick,of the sight of them,just like those of us that got excited way back in 1980s when Chester brought in the first Meerkats,in the UK for well over 20 years now its more or less impossible to find a place that doesn't have them!
 
Gulo gulo said:
There are eight organizations in the U.S. with Sand Cats. One is the Exotic Feline Breeding Center that imported some individuals to increase the genetic diversity of the small population. Smithsonian National Zoo and Hogle Zoo have them on-show. North Carolina Zoo is adding them to their collection. If institutions have interest in adding them to their collection, the SSP is looking for holders. Same goes for other smaller felines like Black-footed, Fishing and Pallas' Cats. If there's interest in adding them, all they need to do is reach out to SSP's as there are animals in need of placement.
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Thank you. I want to say I heard EFBC in California got some, but wasn't it witchin the last couple of years? I was there in 2010, I think and I don't remember them having any. I think Santa Barbara Zoo has black footed but he was hiding when I was there.

I wish I knew who at the Phoenix Zoo I could bug about getting to bring back the Sand Cat.
 
azcheetah2 said:
Thank you. I want to say I heard EFBC in California got some, but wasn't it witchin the last couple of years? I was there in 2010, I think and I don't remember them having any. I think Santa Barbara Zoo has black footed but he was hiding when I was there.

I wish I knew who at the Phoenix Zoo I could bug about getting to bring back the Sand Cat.
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De nada. They imported six individuals, I believe. Not sure on numbers within AZA and other institutions. Felid TAG website may have link to such information or you can search for Felid Tag Regional Collection Plan. May be current or few years old, but may give an idea of holders and numbers.

No clue. If Phx Zoo staff wants them, they know who to contact. Patrons suggesting collection changes/wishes usually get brushed aside. They'll say thanks for the suggestion or some other reply. Only way something may happen is if you're flush with cash or some corporate sponsor. Even then, they may try to sway your cash in the direction they are planning/following.
 
Personally i think some Zoos operate a flavour of the month/year at times . In the UK i would like to see more macaque monkeys especially Pig tailed, Rhesus & Crab eating
 
I heard Kansas City recently added sand cats, although I'm not sure where. Cincinnati has some. I'd love to see more macaques in the USA as well, especially crab eating and an increase in the Sulawesi population. I think Asian lions would be cool. And ditto on the Australian wildlife. I am actually seeing less and less zoos with wallabies and kangaroos, much less koalas. I've only ever seen one wombat, hopefully more soon. At least their government is starting to be a little more lenient.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Be careful what you wish for because you never know in a few years time you could be sick,of the sight of them,just like those of us that got excited way back in 1980s when Chester brought in the first Meerkats,in the UK for well over 20 years now its more or less impossible to find a place that doesn't have them!
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I agree with my cameleopardian friend in principle, but I probably visited more UK zoos than he did in the '70s and I think he has exaggerated the rarity of meerkats at that time: three old volumes of the IZYB that I quickly sampled listed breedings at Bristol, Cotswold, Regent's Park, Twycross and Whipsnade in that decade.
I would like to see more nectar-feeding birds - humming birds, sunbirds, lorikeets and lories. Apart from rainbow lorikeets and chattering lories we see very few other species in zoos nowadays.

Alan
 
We haven't had any births, that I know of. They are quite active though, fun to watch.
 
@AzCheetah2 - The best place to see sand cats within reasonable driving distance for you would be El Paso Zoo.
http://www.zoochat.com/872/asian-forest-complex-sand-cat-exhibit-194884/
And I agree, the climate would make Phoenix Zoo the ideal location for them. Or Reid Park Zoo, but that will never happen because staff have zero interest in small carnivores. I believe you can still see them at The Living Desert as well. Even though they are in small outdated enclosures, the zoo overall is quite good and a must see and one of the best carnivore collections (including cats) of any AZA accredited zoo.

Now back to the main topic of this thread, my vote is for pampas cat.
 
Pleistohorse said:
Pzewalski's Horses
Wisent
Mountain Tapirs
Sumatran Rhinos
Dholes
Saiga
Tibetan Antelope
Kiangs
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Sumatran rhinos would be cool to see, but they're so rare in general, not just in captivity. Same goes for the Javan rhino. They'd both be nice to see...

I'm surprised that saiga aren't a bit more common in captivity, since they have such an unusual appearance. And since they're so endangered, they'd have that conservation/rarity value going.

I've wanted to see Przewalski's horses ever since I first heard about them. I'm hoping to take a trip to the Rio Grande Valley next year, if I can do it I plan on visiting the Gladys Porter Zoo. Mostly to see if it holds up to my childhood nostalgia (I remember the zoo being pretty awesome, but it doesn't seem to get much discussion even here) but also for some of the rarer animals, such as the Przewalski's horses.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
Sumatran rhinos would be cool to see, but they're so rare in general, not just in captivity. Same goes for the Javan rhino. They'd both be nice to see...

I'm surprised that saiga aren't a bit more common in captivity, since they have such an unusual appearance. And since they're so endangered, they'd have that conservation/rarity value going.

I've wanted to see Przewalski's horses ever since I first heard about them. I'm hoping to take a trip to the Rio Grande Valley next year, if I can do it I plan on visiting the Gladys Porter Zoo. Mostly to see if it holds up to my childhood nostalgia (I remember the zoo being pretty awesome, but it doesn't seem to get much discussion even here) but also for some of the rarer animals, such as the Przewalski's horses.
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Saiga are difficult to maintain in captivity. I had the privilege years ago of seeing them at both San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, but they will not be seen again. I also had the privilege of seeing Sumatran rhinos at Los Angeles and San Diego and Bronx, though the two California exhibits were somewhat lacking. As we all know, the last one was just shipped out of Cincinnati and they will not be seen again in USA.

As for Gladys Porter Zoo, the hoofstock collection is outstanding. The zoo itself, not so much.
 
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