It is puzzling, where do all the surplus teporingo rabbits go ? Both chapultepec and los coyotes have many young volcano rabbits like this one in their exhibits every year. it is clear that the mexican government is not alowing them to be exported. I can only hope that some teporingos are released back in the wild.
Teporingos breed like ... rabbits. At the Mexico city zoos there are babies every year. I placed a photo of an adult teporingo or volcano rabbit on the Los coyotes zoo gallery in the mexico section. As I can remember, only once were the teporingos sent outside of mexico. When Ueno Zoo from japan sent their male panda to attempt to mate with the 2 female giant pandas at chapultepec ( this failed by the way) they actually recieved volcano rabbits, so this is what it takes to get volcano rabbits. The mexican government does not let them out.
Many years ago Jersey received some of these animals and I believe bred from them. Unfortunately sustained breeding was not successful and they died out.
Sorry, i forgot that Durrell does write in one of his books about collecting volcano rabbits on Mount Popocateptl for the jersey zoo. he faced a lot of bureaucratic problems back then. It would be nice if the mexican government and chapultepec sent teporingos to jersey, to recognize Durrell´s pioneering efforts.
The chapultepec breeding group began in 1980 with the assistance of an expert veterinary research team from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico who elaborated the husbandary program. 30 years later the teporingos are self sustaining and going strong. The Los Coyotes group was established about 5 years and is a little smaller, but has a bachelor male group offexhibit. All the mexico city zoos are coordinated by the direccion general de zoologicos del gobierno del distrito federal. The direccion is stingy with its teporingos, no zoos outside of mexico city have volcano rabbits. From talks with keepers ( I work at the university not the zoo) i estimate that the capitive population is somewhere between 40 to 50 rabbits. Some government research stations also have volcano rabbits, no idea there.
According to recent press releases it is now official, chapultepec zoo will send 10 volcano rabbits next year ( 2013) to Nagoya zoo in japan, 4 males and 6 females. In return, Nagoya zoo will send chapultepec red kangaroos and raccoon dogs. This will be the first time volcano rabbits will be exhibited outside of mexico, since Durrell kept this species at Jersey.
I'd love to see a volcano rabbit someday. If the exchange with Japan works out then maybe there is some possibility that one of the American zoos could start some kind of reciprocal program with the Mexico City zoos. The Los Angeles Zoo is involved in several conservation projects with Mexico including the peninsular pronghorns, California Condor reintroduction in Baja, and several reptile projects so that might be a natural fit someday.
Yes, actually sending volcano rabbits to LA zoo would be much easier than sending them to Japan. Also LA zoo as you mention is in very good standing with the mexican enviromental authorities, so it would seem to be a logical recipient for teporingos.
