I'm glad Bristol seem to be doing well with breeding this species. They're one I've always wanted to see and I hope the captive population in European can last. The American one is all but gone now.
@ThylacineAlive Drills in Europe are doing better nowadays with an increasing population. The principal zoos breeding them were for a long time Hanover, Wuppertal and Barcelona so most of the founder stock originate from these three Zoos.
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In the UK there were none for almost forty years since the 1960's until Port Lympne got a small group from Stuttgart. They have bred a number since from them, and with fortunately a preponderance of females.Their group numbers around 8-9 at present, even with at least two females having been exported to Munich to start a new group there.
Three other UK zoos have since got smaller groups now also (Bristol, Edinburgh, Africa Alive) and they have started breeding at all three. (Africa Alive with so far only a single unsuccessful birth) None of these came from Port Lympne, but mostly from Europe, while
two females came from Columbus Zoo in the USA to Edinburgh. One is still there, the other was transferred to Africa Alive whose male came from Bristol when Bristol where allocated two females(from Europe).
I know the USA population is all but finished- I think only Atlanta(?) has any number left.
@Pertinax Detroit and Atlanta keep drills. Detroit has two males while Atlanta keeps a more diverse group, but I heard their breeding male had died. If that's true then I imagine American zoos are done breeding drills. All of our individuals are directly descended from the European population.
Bristol is indeed a very good zoo. It's smaller than one might expect, but there's a lot to enjoy. Can't think of any complaints off the top of my head, and the invertebrate house must be praised for how fantastic it is.
Along with quolls, I also saw Kowari and ground cuscus in the nocturnal house. Three amazing marsupial species to be seen steps away from one another, and unlike the quolls the others are still there.
