Burgers' Zoo Burgers' Zoo 2021

Bighorn sheep have always been super rare in the European zoos, haven't they? Were there originally plans to start a breeding program and get more holders? Otherwise it seems a bit odd that Burgers suddenly decides to go out of a species because of a lack of genetic diversity in Europe when that was a problem from the very start.

How common are they in North American zoos?
There not super common here in the states, but are still at a fair few collections, with somewhere around 20-30 holders.
 
Bighorn sheep have always been super rare in the European zoos, haven't they? Were there originally plans to start a breeding program and get more holders? Otherwise it seems a bit odd that Burgers suddenly decides to go out of a species because of a lack of genetic diversity in Europe when that was a problem from the very start.

How common are they in North American zoos?

It's hard for me to imagine better big mammal inhabitant for this exhibit and I agree with you. This is probably just the politicaly correct "excuse". If they're afraid that they would be critisiced for the lack of outdoor access in the future, that would be the case with any other big mammal, including the Mountain Lion. Bighorn Sheeps are not uncommon in American zoos, but there you can find two different subspecies: Rocky Mountain (canadensis) and Desert Bighorn Sheep ( nelsoni). The ones at Burgers were californiana. It is possible that this taxa is synonym to canadensis, tho. I have seen the nelsoni at LA and San Diego Safari Park.
 
Burgers' Zoo has launched a manatee live stream.

According to the description the manatee calf is expected in December or January.

The icon of the video is of the rhinoceros barn, but it is in fact a live stream from the manatee exhibit.

They are still working on improving issues with reflection on the water surface.

 
Harpij Summary update:
Lots of last years hatchlings were send on transports to other zoos (mostly Walsrode)

1.0 Yellow Grosbeak was found dead in the Desert
Also they had to euthanize 1.0 Bobcat
Crested quail-dove have has a few hatchlings already roaming the bush, but the keepers were not aware of any nests.
Does anybody know how many Yellow Grosbeaks are left?
 
Visited today! Not much news, except that I saw the Spangled Cotinga male.. It was hanging around in a large mixed species flock (mainly Red-whiskered bulbuls but also Snowy-crowned robin-chats, Brazilian tanager, Turquoise tanager, Red-rumped cacique, Purple honeycreeper) that stuck around for most of the afternoon in a tree with berries right above the entrance to the Desert cave.

Other than that, I absolutely love the additions of Wrinkled hornbill, Turquoise tanager & Crested quail-dove to the Bush, and Violaceous euphonia, Blue ground dove & Crested bobwhite to the Mangrove!
Definitely the bobwhites add a lot of life to the hall, their loud calls filling the entire hall with bird sounds. They were pretty easy to see also, mainly easy along the natural path but also occasionally crossing the big concrete paths, and there were even ones calling from on top of the roof of the "hut" near the crabs!

All in all, really good species that fit the Burgers collection extremely well!
 
According to Zootierliste, Burgers' Zoo has recently got a new quail species in the Desert. It is the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), Burgers' Zoo is the only keeper of this quail species in Europe.

ZootierlisteHomepage

Happy to hear it! And they're absolutely beautiful! As well as being another fine addition to the Desert bird rarities

Though it is a bit of a shame they're not as visually distinct from the gambel's as the scaled quails were
 
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