Black tree-kangaroo

Enzo

Enzo

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hello. I would like to know which zoos around the world have kept black/ursine tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus ursinus). Thanks to Zootierliste, I have a lot of information about the species in Europe, but I still need to know where it was kept in the Americas, Asia and Oceania.

Among the zoos outside Europe that I know have held ursine tree-kangaroos are Philadelphia and, perhaps, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Thanks in advance!
 
Taking into account the information I took from Brazilian newspapers:

- May 1972: in a shipment of thirty-five animals, the first confirmed tree-kangaroo in Brazil arrived at the São Paulo zoo. Its species was not stated, but I believe it was Dendrolagus ursinus.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

- Between May 1972 and October 1975: another specimen of tree-kangaroo arrived in the country, also sent to São Paulo.

- October 6, 1975: both animals are sent to RioZoo.

- August 1, 1977: for the first time, the couple's first joey, a female, put her paws out of her mom's pouch.

- July 6, 1978: it was announced RioZoo's female had another joey. The new baby was expected to completely leave the marsupium in August.

O Fluminense (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

upload_2023-9-29_18-4-57-jpeg.658870


Picture by Jorge Peter, taken in 1978 at RioZoo.

*I'm not really sure of which species the animals on the picture are, but the mother looks like a grizzled tree-kangaroo, which means the joey could be a hybrid between Dendrolagus inustus and Dendrolagus ursinus.*

Fotos resgatam alegria do público no Jardim Zoológico do Rio, apesar de histórico de problemas | Blog do Acervo - O Globo

- June 1980: another tree-kangaroo was born in Rio, this time a female.

A Luta Democratica : Um jornal de luta feito por homens que lutam pelos que não podem lutar (RJ) - 1954 a 1987 - DocReader Web

- July 1981: a tree-kangaroo from RioZoo was sent to the Glória marina to be part of Riotur advertising.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web

*If you take a closer look at the picture shown on the newspaper, you will realize the animal does look a lot like a black tree-kangaroo.*

- Unknown date, 1981: according to the CITES Trade Database, an ursine tree-kangaroo was shipped from Brazil to Italy.

CITES Trade Database

- February 1982: another baby kangaroo, a female, saw the world for the first time. The sire, as the report below says, was relocated back to São Paulo.

Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web
Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web

- 1991: from an announcement made by Jornal do Brasil, it is guaranteed that, until at least the 1990s, tree-kangaroos were held by RioZoo

Tribuna da Imprensa (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web
Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1990 a 1999 - DocReader Web
 
Last edited:
Enzo said:
Taking into account the information I took from Brazilian newspapers:

- May 1972: in a shipment of thirty-five animals, the first confirmed tree-kangaroo in Brazil arrived at the São Paulo zoo. Its species was not stated, but I believe it was Dendrolagus ursinus.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

- Between May 1972 and October 1975: another specimen of tree-kangaroo arrived in the country, also sent to São Paulo.

- October 6, 1975: both animals are sent to RioZoo.

- August 1, 1977: for the first time, the couple's first joey, a female, put her paws out of her mom's pouch.

- July 6, 1978: it was announced RioZoo's female had another joey. The new baby was expected to completely leave the marsupium in August.

O Fluminense (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

upload_2023-9-29_18-4-57-jpeg.658870


Picture by Jorge Peter, taken in 1978 at RioZoo.

*I'm not really sure of which species the animals on the picture are, but the mother looks like a grizzled tree-kangaroo, which means the joey could be a hybrid between Dendrolagus inustus and Dendrolagus ursinus.*

Fotos resgatam alegria do público no Jardim Zoológico do Rio, apesar de histórico de problemas | Blog do Acervo - O Globo

- June 1980: another tree-kangaroo was born in Rio, this time a female.

A Luta Democratica : Um jornal de luta feito por homens que lutam pelos que não podem lutar (RJ) - 1954 a 1987 - DocReader Web

- July 1981: a tree-kangaroo from RioZoo was sent to the Glória marina to be part of Riotur advertising.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web

*If you take a closer look at the picture shown on the newspaper, you will realize the animal does look a lot like a black tree-kangaroo.*

- Unknown date, 1981: according to the CITES Trade Database, an ursine tree-kangaroo was shipped from Brazil to Italy.

CITES Trade Database

- February 1982: another baby kangaroo, a female, saw the world for the first time. The sire, as the report below says, was relocated back to São Paulo.

Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web
Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web

- 1991: from an announcement made by Jornal do Brasil, it is guaranteed that, until at least the 1990s, tree-kangaroos were held by RioZoo

Tribuna da Imprensa (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web
Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1990 a 1999 - DocReader Web
Click to expand...

I have nothing to add, but fantastic job researching!
 
Enzo said:
Thank you. Do you know, by any chance, if Takarauza Family Land has held the species? Because, in 1963, the park, in exchange for a vulture, sent a kangaroo of an unkown species to São Paulo.

Diário do Paraná: Orgao dos Diários Associados (PR) - 1955 a 1983 - DocReader Web
Click to expand...
I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to find anything since I usually find things about Japan through copy pasting, as embarrassing as it sounds, and I was not able to find anything.


Enzo said:
Taking into account the information I took from Brazilian newspapers:

- May 1972: in a shipment of thirty-five animals, the first confirmed tree-kangaroo in Brazil arrived at the São Paulo zoo. Its species was not stated, but I believe it was Dendrolagus ursinus.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

- Between May 1972 and October 1975: another specimen of tree-kangaroo arrived in the country, also sent to São Paulo.

- October 6, 1975: both animals are sent to RioZoo.

- August 1, 1977: for the first time, the couple's first joey, a female, put her paws out of her mom's pouch.

- July 6, 1978: it was announced RioZoo's female had another joey. The new baby was expected to completely leave the marsupium in August.

O Fluminense (RJ) - 1970 a 1979 - DocReader Web

upload_2023-9-29_18-4-57-jpeg.658870


Picture by Jorge Peter, taken in 1978 at RioZoo.

*I'm not really sure of which species the animals on the picture are, but the mother looks like a grizzled tree-kangaroo, which means the joey could be a hybrid between Dendrolagus inustus and Dendrolagus ursinus.*

Fotos resgatam alegria do público no Jardim Zoológico do Rio, apesar de histórico de problemas | Blog do Acervo - O Globo

- June 1980: another tree-kangaroo was born in Rio, this time a female.

A Luta Democratica : Um jornal de luta feito por homens que lutam pelos que não podem lutar (RJ) - 1954 a 1987 - DocReader Web

- July 1981: a tree-kangaroo from RioZoo was sent to the Glória marina to be part of Riotur advertising.

Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web

*If you take a closer look at the picture shown on the newspaper, you will realize the animal does look a lot like a black tree-kangaroo.*

- Unknown date, 1981: according to the CITES Trade Database, an ursine tree-kangaroo was shipped from Brazil to Italy.

CITES Trade Database

- February 1982: another baby kangaroo, a female, saw the world for the first time. The sire, as the report below says, was relocated back to São Paulo.

Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web
Jornal da Orla (SP) - 1973 a 2015 - DocReader Web

- 1991: from an announcement made by Jornal do Brasil, it is guaranteed that, until at least the 1990s, tree-kangaroos were held by RioZoo

Tribuna da Imprensa (RJ) - 1980 a 1989 - DocReader Web
Jornal do Brasil (RJ) - 1990 a 1999 - DocReader Web
Click to expand...
It is quite interesting to see Brazil’s experience with tree kangaroos. It would have been great if the success lasted longer or if the ursine tree kangaroo was able to be established elsewhere as well but I still won’t dismiss the information you brought up. I’d be proud if my home country was able to have such a fine record with tree kangaroos.
 
PossumRoach said:
I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to find anything since I usually find things about Japan through copy pasting, as embarrassing as it sounds, and I was not able to find anything.



It is quite interesting to see Brazil’s experience with tree kangaroos. It would have been great if the success lasted longer or if the ursine tree kangaroo was able to be established elsewhere as well but I still won’t dismiss the information you brought up. I’d be proud if my home country was able to have such a fine record with tree kangaroos.
Click to expand...
Oh, don't be worried, chap. I believe Brazil and Turkey are both on the same boat, as we've lost many species recently. At least you guys have nyalas... Our last one died in Rio almost a decade ago.
 
Enzo said:
Oh, don't be worried, chap. I believe Brazil and Turkey are both on the same boat, as we've lost many species recently. At least you guys have nyalas... Our last one died in Rio almost a decade ago.
Click to expand...
I don’t even think Turkey went as far in species diversity as Brazil (excluding native species) in the first place but that’s probably a discussion for another day and another thread.
 
Enzo said:
Hello. I would like to know which zoos around the world have kept black/ursine tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus ursinus). Thanks to Zootierliste, I have a lot of information about the species in Europe, but I still need to know where it was kept in the Americas, Asia and Oceania.
Click to expand...
The New York Zoological Society Bulletin for January 1914 reports that the zoo has aquired a black tree kangaroo Dendrolagus ursinus from Carl Hagenbeck. (This was the first tree kangaroo, of any species, exhibited there.)
 
Tim May said:
The New York Zoological Society Bulletin for January 1914 reports that the zoo has aquired a black tree kangaroo Dendrolagus ursinus from Carl Hagenbeck. (This was the first tree kangaroo, of any species, exhibited there.)
Click to expand...
Hello, Tim. Very interesting indeed. I remember you posted on another thread about a black tree-kangaroo being born in London, is it correct?
 
Enzo said:
Hello, Tim. Very interesting indeed. I remember you posted on another thread about a black tree-kangaroo being born in London, is it correct?
Click to expand...
Yes S. S. Flower (1929) recorded that a black (ursine) tree kangaroo was born at London Zoo on 10th April 1912; sadly it only lived for nine weeks.
 
Enzo said:
Taking into account the information I took from Brazilian newspapers:

- May 1972: in a shipment of thirty-five animals, the first confirmed tree-kangaroo in Brazil arrived at the São Paulo zoo. Its species was not stated, but I believe it was Dendrolagus ursinus.
Click to expand...

What happened to 35 kangaroos that were imported?
Only a few joeys seem to have been born
 
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Some time ago I came across tweet from a Japanese importer/broker offering at least six (as shown in the video) ursine tree kangaroos kept in squalid conditions. I don’t know how CITES appendix II is interpreted in Japan so I am not going to assume that these animals will get sent there anytime soon (not that I believe this would improve the situation for the animals.)
 
PossumRoach said:
Some time ago I came across tweet from a Japanese importer/broker offering at least six (as shown in the video) ursine tree kangaroos kept in squalid conditions. I don’t know how CITES appendix II is interpreted in Japan so I am not going to assume that these animals will get sent there anytime soon (not that I believe this would improve the situation for the animals.)
Click to expand...
Can you share a link to the video you're referring to, by any chance?
Sounds most interesting
 
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