Bronx Zoo Bronx-Zoo Elephant House

Bib Fortuna

Bib Fortuna

Well-Known Member
Hello!

My special interest is Zoo History including old, but still used animal buildings.My favourite animals are elphants and rhinos.

Since a couple of days, I try to find out more details about the history of the Elephant house at the Bronx-Zoo, which was opened in 1908 and used a long time for one of the largest and most complete collections of“Pachyderms“, before it was remodeld into the present Vistor Center, but still used for animals.

Because the Zoos hasn't published any guidebooks between the mid fifties and 1980, it is very hard to get a list of the species which have been kept in the building during that time, and also what animals were in it since 1980.

Maybe some of the New York specialists here can help and answer my questions ?

First, here is a list of species kept in the elephanthouse since the opening in 1908.I'm not sure if that list is complete, but my main interest are the“Pachyderms“

SPECIES
Asian Elephant
1908-2006 ?
African Bushelephant
1908- ?
African Pygmy Elephant
1905-1915,1922-1933
African Forest Elephant
1938/39 ?-1970
Indian Rhino
1909-1918,1923-1962, 1975-1977( moved to wild Asia), 2010 -2012?
Sumatran Rhino
1990-1993,2000-2005
Black Rhino
1908-?, 1955-1975,1994-2000 ?
White Rhino
1962-1974, 2012
Common Tapir
1908-1973 ? ( moved to Southamerica exhibit )
Bairds Tapir
1923,1924-1936,1947-1961
Malayan Tapir
1908-?
Mountain Tapir
1950,1952-?
River Hippo
1908-?
Pygmy Hippo
1912-1988 ?
Babyrousa
?
Bactrian camel
?
Dromedary
?


My Questions are:

1.In which year the last Asian elphants moved out of the house, probably in 2006/07 ?

2.How many oudoor exhibits still exist today ? Which species are kept in them today ?

3.Does anybody know the death date of“Victoria“, the zoos black rhino, arrived in 1906 ? She has lived a long time, but I couldn't find out the year she died.

4.Can anybody confirm an Indian rhino was in the elephant house between 2010 and 2012, and after its move to Wild Asia, the white rhinos came in ?

5.Unfortuantely, I have no exact dates for the the Malayan tapirs, can anybody help ? I want to know if the zoo has really kept all four tapir species at the same time, and if they were kept all togetherin the elephant house ?

6.Also I need to know when the river hippos has left the building ? Why the zoo has stopped keeping them, and what happend to them ?I guess, they were moved to another zoo probably in the mid70ties.

7.When the house was opened, it had four large boxes on each long side and one stable at both small sides, used for tapirs and pygmy hippos. But I wonder where the pool for the the hippos was ? I know, the zoos has kept only one hippo for a long time, but I don't know, when the zoos has bought a second hippo.

8.Also I need to know when the pygmy hippos have left the elphant house, I think it was around 1988 ? Were they send to antother zoo or kept in another exhibit at the Zoo ?

9.In 1973 the zoo has imported 1.3 Asian Elephant. Thy moved to Wild Asia in 1977, but what elephants were kept in the elephant house ?

10.And after the Indian Rhinos moved also to Wild Asia, what species were kept in the house in the former rhino enclosures ?

11.In which enclosure was kept“Rapunzel“, the Sumatran Rhino, and was it possible to see here in the house, too ?

12.What Animals are today in the House, so my guess is White Rhinos ( can visitors see them in the house ? ),Babyrousa and Malayan Tapirs, is that correct ?

13.I was told, Babyrousas and Tapirs can't be seen inside, because the west wing of the house is closed to visistors since a few years. Does anybody know the reason for that and since when the west wing is closed ?I think, the Sumatran Rhino was kept in the west wing.

14.In which year the old outdoor cages were changed into the larger free sight paddocks ?Maybe in the fifties ?Were they enlarged later again ?

15.Has the Black Rhino bull, arrived in 1994, left the Bronx-Zoo in 2000 for the return of“Rapunzel“?


I know, these are a lot of questions, but I like that building and its history is indeed very fascinating.Unfortunately, there is no book about the History of the Bronx-Zoo as far as I know, so its not easy to get any informations about the old elephant house.One of the most amazing details is, the Zoos first“Pachyderm“ was a female Sumatran rhino in 1902 and not an elephant, all other Zoos founded in the 19th Century has started with an elephant, but New York with a Sumatran Rhino, which was sold to Ringling the same year, for space reasons.Two years after, the famous Asian Elephantbull“Gunda“ arrived, I guess, most of the members here know his sad story.

So I hope for your your assistance. I don't know, if the WCS would help in this case, if I would ask them.Probably not.

Thanks !
 
1. 2006 I think.
2. 3 but they are renovating building to hold komodo dragon and aldabra tortoise.
3. IDK.
4. Yes one female but she never went outside.
5. IDK.
6. IDK.
7. I dont think there was a pool indoors.
8. IDK.
9. The elephants were split in two herds. The zoo's two herds were never constant and always had chnaging members and herd dynamics.
10. Idk but later the sumatran rhino arrived in that exhibit.
11. It was possible to see rapunzel up until she died.
12. Just White Rhinos as of now. Aldabra tortoises, komodo dragon and other reptile species will be added by the end of the year.
13. Amazing Amphibians was built in 2008? covering that side of the house. It will be removed by the end of the year.
14. As time went on exhibits were combined. Finally in the 50's the elephants got a large exhibit covering one half of the area. Then in 88 they were transformed into naturalistic exhibits for elephants, tapirs and rhinos.
15. IDK.
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Hello!

My special interest is Zoo History including old, but still used animal buildings.My favourite animals are elphants and rhinos.

Since a couple of days, I try to find out more details about the history of the Elephant house at the Bronx-Zoo, which was opened in 1908 and used a long time for one of the largest and most complete collections of“Pachyderms“, before it was remodeld into the present Vistor Center, but still used for animals.

Because the Zoos hasn't published any guidebooks between the mid fifties and 1980, it is very hard to get a list of the species which have been kept in the building during that time, and also what animals were in it since 1980.

Maybe some of the New York specialists here can help and answer my questions ?

First, here is a list of species kept in the elephanthouse since the opening in 1908.I'm not sure if that list is complete, but my main interest are the“Pachyderms“

SPECIES
Asian Elephant
1908-2006 ?
African Bushelephant
1908- ?
African Pygmy Elephant
1905-1915,1922-1933
African Forest Elephant
1938/39 ?-1970
Indian Rhino
1909-1918,1923-1962, 1975-1977( moved to wild Asia), 2010 -2012?
Sumatran Rhino
1990-1993,2000-2005
Black Rhino
1908-?, 1955-1975,1994-2000 ?
White Rhino
1962-1974, 2012
Common Tapir
1908-1973 ? ( moved to Southamerica exhibit )
Bairds Tapir
1923,1924-1936,1947-1961
Malayan Tapir
1908-?
Mountain Tapir
1950,1952-?
River Hippo
1908-?
Pygmy Hippo
1912-1988 ?
Babyrousa
?
Bactrian camel
?
Dromedary
?


My Questions are:

1.In which year the last Asian elphants moved out of the house, probably in 2006/07 ?

2.How many oudoor exhibits still exist today ? Which species are kept in them today ?

3.Does anybody know the death date of“Victoria“, the zoos black rhino, arrived in 1906 ? She has lived a long time, but I couldn't find out the year she died.

4.Can anybody confirm an Indian rhino was in the elephant house between 2010 and 2012, and after its move to Wild Asia, the white rhinos came in ?

5.Unfortuantely, I have no exact dates for the the Malayan tapirs, can anybody help ? I want to know if the zoo has really kept all four tapir species at the same time, and if they were kept all togetherin the elephant house ?

6.Also I need to know when the river hippos has left the building ? Why the zoo has stopped keeping them, and what happend to them ?I guess, they were moved to another zoo probably in the mid70ties.

7.When the house was opened, it had four large boxes on each long side and one stable at both small sides, used for tapirs and pygmy hippos. But I wonder where the pool for the the hippos was ? I know, the zoos has kept only one hippo for a long time, but I don't know, when the zoos has bought a second hippo.

8.Also I need to know when the pygmy hippos have left the elphant house, I think it was around 1988 ? Were they send to antother zoo or kept in another exhibit at the Zoo ?

9.In 1973 the zoo has imported 1.3 Asian Elephant. Thy moved to Wild Asia in 1977, but what elephants were kept in the elephant house ?

10.And after the Indian Rhinos moved also to Wild Asia, what species were kept in the house in the former rhino enclosures ?

11.In which enclosure was kept“Rapunzel“, the Sumatran Rhino, and was it possible to see here in the house, too ?

12.What Animals are today in the House, so my guess is White Rhinos ( can visitors see them in the house ? ),Babyrousa and Malayan Tapirs, is that correct ?

13.I was told, Babyrousas and Tapirs can't be seen inside, because the west wing of the house is closed to visistors since a few years. Does anybody know the reason for that and since when the west wing is closed ?I think, the Sumatran Rhino was kept in the west wing.

14.In which year the old outdoor cages were changed into the larger free sight paddocks ?Maybe in the fifties ?Were they enlarged later again ?

15.Has the Black Rhino bull, arrived in 1994, left the Bronx-Zoo in 2000 for the return of“Rapunzel“?


I know, these are a lot of questions, but I like that building and its history is indeed very fascinating.Unfortunately, there is no book about the History of the Bronx-Zoo as far as I know, so its not easy to get any informations about the old elephant house.One of the most amazing details is, the Zoos first“Pachyderm“ was a female Sumatran rhino in 1902 and not an elephant, all other Zoos founded in the 19th Century has started with an elephant, but New York with a Sumatran Rhino, which was sold to Ringling the same year, for space reasons.Two years after, the famous Asian Elephantbull“Gunda“ arrived, I guess, most of the members here know his sad story.

So I hope for your your assistance. I don't know, if the WCS would help in this case, if I would ask them.Probably not.

Thanks !
Click to expand...

#8: pygmy hippos left the Elephant House well before 1988. They were exhibited during the 80s and 90s in an outdoor exhibit adjacent to the old Small Deer House, which was demolished to make room for the Congo Forest exhibit. Part of the old exhibit remains as an okapi holding yard hidden behind fences and the "new" mandrill/red river hog exhibit.

Also, a male Indian rhino was exhibited in 1989 after the renovation but before the arrival of Rapunzel in 1990.

During the 70s/early 80s, capybara and giant tortoises were exhibited in the yards on the west side of the building. In the mid-90s, a temporary koala exhibit was set up in the west indoor wing.

I don't believe there have been any black rhinos at the zoo since the late 1960s
 
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Bib Fortuna said:
3.Does anybody know the death date of“Victoria“, the zoos black rhino, arrived in 1906 ? She has lived a long time, but I couldn't find out the year she died.
Click to expand...

The black rhinoceros ‘Victoria’ arrived on 25th May 1906 and died on 5th November 1931.
(Reference:- “The Rhinoceros in Captivity” (L. C. Rookmaaker; 1998))

Bib Fortuna said:
5.Unfortuantely, I have no exact dates for the the Malayan tapirs, can anybody help ? I want to know if the zoo has really kept all four tapir species at the same time, and if they were kept all togetherin the elephant house ?
Click to expand...

This doesn’t really answer all your questions about tapirs but the following might be interesting:-

“The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity” (Lee S. Crandall; 1964) provides the following information about tapirs in New York Zoo.

• female Malayan tapir: 11th September 1908 – 20th February 1932
• male Baird’s tapir: 29th May 1947 – 3rd September 1961
• female mountain tapir: 26th November 1950 – 8th October 1952 (died of tuberculosis)
• male mountain tapir: 12 June 1952 – November 1952 (exact date of death not supplied)
• female mountain tapir: 3rd September 1953 – 20th December 1955

Crandall also mentions that the longest lived Brazilian tapir in New York Zoo lived just over eleven years without giving any details.

Bib Fortuna said:
Unfortunately, there is no book about the History of the Bronx-Zoo as far as I know
Click to expand...

I have a book “Gathering of Animals: An Unconventional History of the New York Zoological Society” (William Bridges, 1974)
 
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Currently the only species on-show in the Zoo Center are the 2.0 Southern White Rhinoceros. Two exhibits for Komodo Dragon and Aldabra Giant Tortoise are being built and it seems a few smaller terrariums are being added.

~Thylo:cool:
 
Thank you all for your infomations; they are very helpful to me.

@uszoo.

Do you know why they have kept the Indian Rhino only indoors, altough the outdoor exhibits are still there ?

I hope, the White Rhinos can use the outdoor exhibit.Will they stay in the Elephant house, or will they move later to another place within the zoo, because most White rhinos don't breed if being kept in pairs.?

Because of the indoor pool for the hippos-there was one.You can't keep hippos during winter time without an indoor pool.So I've checked again an old guidebook, so one of the eight stables was the hippopool, very big-24 x 21 feet,and 8 feet deep, and the neighbour box was the stable.I guess, when the Zoos got a second hippo, they may have splitted the stable to seperate them, or they have kept them all the time together.

I know, "Rapunzel" was on Display, but could vistors see her also indoors? So when the the Amphibian Exhibition was build ? In the 90ties?

@Reduakari.

According to the International Studbook for African Rhinos, the Bronx-Zoo got a Young Black rhino bull "Werikee"in 1994. But I don't know, what happend to him, I guess, he was send to another zoo to make room for"Rapunzels"Return in 2000.

Do you know the exact time, the Koalas were kept in the elephant house ?

@Tim May

Thanks for the detailed informations.Can you recommend both books,"The Rhinoceros in captivity" and the book about the Bronx-Zoo ?
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Thank you all for your infomations; they are very helpful to me.

I hope, the White Rhinos can use the outdoor exhibit.Will they stay in the Elephant house, or will they move later to another place within the zoo, because most White rhinos don't breed if being kept in pairs.?

I know, "Rapunzel" was on Display, but could vistors see her also indoors? So when the the Amphibian Exhibition was build ? In the 90ties?
Click to expand...

You're welcome.:)

The Southern White Rhinos do have access to the outdoor enclosure as well as the indoor one during the warmer months. The brothers were originally brought to the zoo to help with the renovation of African Plains but, whether because of lack of finance or another reason, the zoo couldn't get the exhibit there done so the two became permanent residence of the Zoo Center (Elephant House). I don't know if the zoo plans on breeding the rhinos but right now I doubt that it's going to happen.

I believe Rapunzel could be viewed indoors when she was at the zoo as I don't think Amazing Amphibians had been built yet. That would mean Amazing Amphibians would have to have been built either closer to or after Rapunzel's 2005 death.

By the way, the zoo has always had Indian Rhinos on exhibit in the Wild Asia Monorail and only had a single rhino in the Zoo Center probably just so something was on exhibit there. The zoo has 6 Indian Rhinos I believe.

And as for the dates on the Malayan Tapir and North Sulawesi Babirusa, both species stayed on exhibit at the Zoo Center until 2012 I believe as that's when the renovation began for the large reptiles. Malayan Tapirs can now be seen in JungleWorld and the North Sulawesi Babirusa in the Wild Asia Monorail.

~Thylo:cool:
 
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Bib Fortuna said:
@Tim May

Thanks for the detailed informations.Can you recommend both books,"The Rhinoceros in captivity" and the book about the Bronx-Zoo ?
Click to expand...

Yes, I would thoroughly recommend both books.

I'm sure that you can find "Gathering of Animals", the book about Bronx Zoo, for sale on-line fairly cheaply.

Unfortunately, though, the "The Rhinoceros in Captivity" is now very collectable and I think it is an expensive volume to purchase.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
The Southern White Rhinos do have access to the outdoor enclosure as well as the indoor one during the warmer months. The brothers were originally brought to the zoo to help with the renovation of African Plains but, whether because of lack of finance or another reason, the zoo couldn't get the exhibit there done so the two became permanent residence of the Zoo Center (Elephant House). I don't know if the zoo plans on breeding the rhinos but right now I doubt that it's going to happen.
Click to expand...

Where did you hear that the rhino siblings were brought to help with a renovation of the African Plains?
And the zoo obviously can't breed the rhinos, because, well, they're both male. :p
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Because of the indoor pool for the hippos-there was one.You can't keep hippos during winter time without an indoor pool.So I've checked again an old guidebook, so one of the eight stables was the hippopool, very big-24 x 21 feet,and 8 feet deep, and the neighbour box was the stable.I guess, when the Zoos got a second hippo, they may have splitted the stable to seperate them, or they have kept them all the time together.
Click to expand...

The information you provide from an old guidebook about the dimensions of the indoor hippo pool is very interesting as it differs from the information in Crandall’s book.

In the book by Crandall, mentioned in an earlier post, he states that the hippopotamus accommodation in the Elephant House comprises a single compartment twenty four feet square together with an attached pool of equal area that is only three feet deep. There’s obviously little difference between an area of 24 x 21 and one of 24 x 24 feet but I’m surprised by the big discrepancy in the depth of the pool. I wonder which is right? Eight feet does seem rather deep to me.

Bronx Zoo’s first hippo was, of course, the famous and long-lived “Pete” who was born in the Central Park Menagerie in 1903, transferred to Bronx Zoo in 1906 and died in 1953. I don’t think that Bronx Zoo acquired its second hippo until after “Pete” died.
 
Thank you, ThylacineAlive.

It's so sad the Bronx-Zoo is in financial Trouble since a couple of years, but nevertheless I hope,they can rebuild the african savannah to give the White rhinos a good new home, if they plan to breed with them. I think, the present in,-and outdoor exhibit is large enough for two male rhinos, but not for a breeding Group.

But what I can't understand is, why the Bronx-zoo isn't opening the barns for elephants and Indian rhinos to the public ? Both species can't been seen from october til May, but both are very popular species.Its very unuasally for a zoo at the the northern Us-Eastcoast with itslLong and hard winter.

@Tim May.

I can't tell who's right-Crandall or the guidebook.Wow,"Pete" reached a very high Age for a hippo. I didn't knew he was born at Centralpark.

I will do a search for the rhinobook in the internet. Can you tell me more about it ? Does it contains a lot of historical informations and Pictures ?
 
The Bronx Zoo and Wcs are not in that much of financial trouble. They just have other priorities suh as the recently destroyed aquarium that needs over 150 million dollars in upgrades and new exhibits. The zoo has no bad exhibits really except for the polar bears and the other institutions could use the money. The zoo is sinking money into the dinosaur exhibit to raise easy money for the zoo. This will help fund future projects. The white rhinos have a nice home that will suffice for several years at least. Not seeing the elephants is a minus but there is no logical way to see them in there current location year round. The zoo will get rid of elephants in the future but left the door open for a future new exhibit for them. The zoo center was outdated for them and the zoo made the right descison moving them from there. The rhinos are 2 males right now i believe so no breeding will occur. The african exhibits are not in dire need for a renovation so the zoo will not rush to build a new exhibit.
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Wow,"Pete" reached a very high Age for a hippo. I didn't knew he was born at Centralpark.
Click to expand...

“Pete” held the longevity record for a captive hippo for a while but his lifespan of 49 years and 6 months has now been surpassed by several animals that lived for over half-a-century and one individual that reached 61 years of age.

Bib Fortuna said:
I will do a search for the rhinobook in the internet. Can you tell me more about it ? Does it contains a lot of historical informations and Pictures ?
Click to expand...

Yes Rookmaaker’s rhinoceros book contains much historical information and is well illustrated; it provides details of 2,439 captive rhino specimens.
 
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