I think it has been talked about on Zoochat before that all the so-called 'mountain gorillas' in zoos past (eg, Chester) weren't actually mountain gorillas at all. I can't remember the details thoughJakub said:
Elite Species List
- Thread starter Blackduiker
- Start date
I think only two females from Koeln were true 'mountain gorillas' G.beringei beringei. All the other ones are of graueri subspecies, once called eastern lowland gorilla.
Pity that so few made it to 1980's, where gorilla breeding became more-the-less commonplace in zoos... We could enjoy three forms of gorilla and wouldn't worry so much whether gorillas survive another year of endless war in Virunga region.
It is an interesting discussion, but probably people need to differentiate between what they personally feel is an elite species that they have seen, and what the wider zoo community sees as an 'unusual' species to keep. Virtually every Australian zoo keeps koalas and Tassie devils and thinks little of it (although realising the pulling power to visitors), while both are rare outside the country. Go to Chinese zoos and giant pandas are coming out of their ears. Takin and Przewalski horses are almost common place now.
My suggested list includes species that are rare (both in zoos and wild), difficult to keep/breed and charismatic: platypus, aye-aye, mountain gorilla, proboscis monkey, uakari, Sumatran/Javan rhino, giant armadillo, giant otter, sea otter, dugong, most cetaceans (bar bottlenose), Californian condor, shoebill, Philippine eagle, (most) bird of paradise, gharial and great white shark (well Monterey kept them). You would need to be a dedicated zoo-goer to have seen all of these.
Most of the other species already mentioned would fall into a group of species that also elite, but for various reasons are easier (relatively) to acquire/keep/breed/see.
My suggested list includes species that are rare (both in zoos and wild), difficult to keep/breed and charismatic: platypus, aye-aye, mountain gorilla, proboscis monkey, uakari, Sumatran/Javan rhino, giant armadillo, giant otter, sea otter, dugong, most cetaceans (bar bottlenose), Californian condor, shoebill, Philippine eagle, (most) bird of paradise, gharial and great white shark (well Monterey kept them). You would need to be a dedicated zoo-goer to have seen all of these.
Most of the other species already mentioned would fall into a group of species that also elite, but for various reasons are easier (relatively) to acquire/keep/breed/see.
I think tetrapod's definition and list are both great. I have been blessed to have seen nearly everything on his list: great whites both at Monterey and the very first one ever kept (briefly) at the old Steinhart Aquarium in the late 70s; mountain gorillas (in Rwanda and Uganda, not in a zoo), but no Javan rhinos (not kept in any zoo for a hundred years), or Giant Armadillos.
Off the top of my head I would add to the list: Chinese Giant Softshell turtle, Saiga, Golden Monkey, Zebra Duiker, Marine Iguana, Picathartes, Tuatara, Giant River Otter, Pygmy Hog, Murquri, Babirusa, Red Colubus.
Off the top of my head I would add to the list: Chinese Giant Softshell turtle, Saiga, Golden Monkey, Zebra Duiker, Marine Iguana, Picathartes, Tuatara, Giant River Otter, Pygmy Hog, Murquri, Babirusa, Red Colubus.
This is my elite species list.
Barbary lions
Indochinese tigers
Javan leopard
Arabian leopard
Maned wolf
Bonobo
Ratel
Black wildebeest
Giant Eland
African forest elephant
Sumatran elephant
Sumatran rhino
Mountain tapir
Bairds tapir
White faced saki monkey
Sun bear
Polar bear
Syrian brown bear
Aye aye
Komodo dragon
Mugger crocodile
Arctic fox
Moose
Barbary lions
Indochinese tigers
Javan leopard
Arabian leopard
Maned wolf
Bonobo
Ratel
Black wildebeest
Giant Eland
African forest elephant
Sumatran elephant
Sumatran rhino
Mountain tapir
Bairds tapir
White faced saki monkey
Sun bear
Polar bear
Syrian brown bear
Aye aye
Komodo dragon
Mugger crocodile
Arctic fox
Moose
Buckeye092
Well-Known Member
Because L. A. Africana and L. A. Knochenhaueri are similar and we need all the breeding we can get, both subspecies are kept together.
And if you're talking about Loxodonta Cyclotis - that "subspecies" has been upgraded to full species status, about six years ago. And only one has been identified in zoos as L. Cyclotis - there could be others but no one is really looking right now.
I feel lucky to have grown up in Cincy having the chance to see a lot of those species. Over time off the top of my head I can say I've seen:
Okapis
Douc Langurs
Golden (snub-nosed) Langurs
Proboscis Monkeys
Congo Peafowl
King Cheetah
Florida Manatee
Sumatran Rhinos
Takin
Zebra Duikers
Chinese Alligators
Koalas
Tasmanian Devils
Tarsiers
Fiji Iguanas
Komodo Dragons
Giant Panda
Clouded Leopard
Marbled Cat
Jaguarundi
Galopagos Tortoise
Echidna
Aardwolf
These are just the ones I remember. There's no telling how many rare bird species I've seen there and know little to nothing about. Many of those species were there on loan. The exhibits could be better, but the collection is just terrific. The nocturnal house once had all sorts of odd primates like tarsiers and I believe even aye-ayes at some point, not to mention an echidna. The Cat House was also a treasure trove of rarely seen species. I still love the zoo, but I miss the little odds and ends you could once find in places where patrons don't neccessarily look for big-ticket species.
Okapis
Douc Langurs
Golden (snub-nosed) Langurs
Proboscis Monkeys
Congo Peafowl
King Cheetah
Florida Manatee
Sumatran Rhinos
Takin
Zebra Duikers
Chinese Alligators
Koalas
Tasmanian Devils
Tarsiers
Fiji Iguanas
Komodo Dragons
Giant Panda
Clouded Leopard
Marbled Cat
Jaguarundi
Galopagos Tortoise
Echidna
Aardwolf
These are just the ones I remember. There's no telling how many rare bird species I've seen there and know little to nothing about. Many of those species were there on loan. The exhibits could be better, but the collection is just terrific. The nocturnal house once had all sorts of odd primates like tarsiers and I believe even aye-ayes at some point, not to mention an echidna. The Cat House was also a treasure trove of rarely seen species. I still love the zoo, but I miss the little odds and ends you could once find in places where patrons don't neccessarily look for big-ticket species.
chek it out i will,
a zoo that keeps them, do you no of???
There are some zoos that keep Arabian leopard but I don't think there are any in the UK or in the US (correct me if I'm wrong) but there are some in zoos in Israel and Yemen that keep them.
taun
Well-Known Member
Total captive population stands at about 22.12.
Collections housing them are;
Al Ain Zoo (United Arab Emirates) - 1.0
Al Bustan Zoological Center (United Arab Emirates) - 3-2
Sharjah Breeding Centre For Endangered (United Arab Emirates) - 17.10 (5 births in the last 12 months)
Exotic Feline Breeding Compound Inc. (USA) - 1.0