So bush dogs are no longer held at Atlanta or Saint Louis? I hope this is not the beginning of the end for the North American population, small and precarious as it already has been.
Bush Dogs in USA zoos
- Thread starter Coelacanth18
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So bush dogs are no longer held at Atlanta or Saint Louis? I hope this is not the beginning of the end for the North American population, small and precarious as it already has been.
Doesn't Alexandria have bush dogs?
From what I recall and quickly searched, Sequoia Park, Stone, San Antonio, and Palm Beach Zoos, along with Alexandria Zoo have bush dogs. Miller Park, according to a zoophoria interview, plans to get into the species as well.
Bush dogs have never really had any stability with holders.
Why is that? They're cute, dog-like, and interesting to observe from what I've read online. (I haven't been able to see them Zoo Atlanta didn't have their dogs on display when I visited.)
Their population has always been small and reproduction inconsistent; periodic imports are the only reason they are still around. I'm unsure if zoos not pursuing them is due to lack of awareness, lack of availability, or both.
Detroit and Little Rock also hold them. Stone is new as of last year, but Atlanta and Saint Louis have both lost them recently.
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
I agree--what's not to like?! I've gotten my first closeup look at this species on SecretLives of the Zoo, and seeing the pack dynamic with every member dog having a function like painted dogs is fascinating. And they can produce new litters several times a year! What prevents them from being exhibited and bred here? Getting founder animals?
They are exhibited and bred here, but the problems as we know are outlined here:
Imports come from Europe (the only logistically feasible option) and never in high enough numbers to do anything beyond preventing a bad bust cycle from wiping them out completely. I suspect few zoos consider them in collection planning either because they are rare and thus difficult to obtain, or because their rarity keeps them off curators' radar.
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
I apologize. These comments were posted while I was writing mine. I hadn't seen them.
drill
Well-Known Member
Little Rock also
Update: Bush dogs were noted as being at 7 zoos in the US, after being recently phased out at Atlanta and Saint Louis and recently phased in at Stone. According to a post by @pachyderm pro, Palm Beach no longer holds them either. That narrows the list of known holders down to six zoos: Alexandria, Detroit, Little Rock, San Antonio, Sequoia Park, and Stone.
If this update brings in any more responses, it might be worth splitting this conversation into a new thread so as to separate it from the Atlanta news.
If this update brings in any more responses, it might be worth splitting this conversation into a new thread so as to separate it from the Atlanta news.
I think making a topic for Bush Dogs would be interesting. We can try to find out information on the individuals and make a list.
Update: Detroit appears to no longer hold Bush Dogs. That leaves five holders in the US: Alexandria, Little Rock, San Antonio, Sequoia Park, and Stone.
Does Alexandria for sure still have the species? It's no longer listed on their website (the page itself exists, but isn't linked to). I think they had just one old one.
After some review, I suspect that they may no longer have bush dog. The last reference to one is over a year ago, when they were being moved elsewhere in the zoo so that their exhibit and the tayra exhibit could be renovated. Since then the tayra has moved back in, but no reference to a bush dog doing so. Additionally, there is an unlabeled enclosure on Alexandria's map next to the tayra, which is presumably where they should be.
If they indeed when out of the species (though it could also be temporary), that would bring the number of holders down again to four.
I'm surprised there's so few holders in the USA, given their compact size and appeal I figured there'd be more interest. But as some folks have said, inconsistent reproduction + few holders have probably made maintaining the population a pain, it's a shame.
One thing to note (and not a cheerful note, either), is that the pair at Sequoia Park Zoo are brothers, no breeding is taking place. I was good friends with a keeper there in the early 2010's, and from what he told me they were really optimistic and invested in the bush dog acquisition. That was in 2014, though, and with the zoos housing them dwindling, their plans may have changed.
A recent video of the pair:
One thing to note (and not a cheerful note, either), is that the pair at Sequoia Park Zoo are brothers, no breeding is taking place. I was good friends with a keeper there in the early 2010's, and from what he told me they were really optimistic and invested in the bush dog acquisition. That was in 2014, though, and with the zoos housing them dwindling, their plans may have changed.
A recent video of the pair:
That's what I came across as well, the same last mention being the temporary moving, but I didn't know enough about the place to say for sure. Thanks for confirming it! Hopefully they get more soon. I really wish more places had them.