European animals in North American collections

kiang

kiang

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Is it me or is there a severe lack of indigenous European animals in North American collections?
Species i can think of on show and as our Australian friends put it, hanging on in there, are
European otter at San Diego zoo
European bison at Winnipeg
Reindeer at Toronto and Winnipeg
European wildcat at (0.1 female on ISIS:confused:) at San Diego
Alpine ibex at Vancouver, Calgary, San Diego WAP and Winnipeg
Chamois at Toronto

Are a few i can think of, if indeed San Diego still have the otters, which they bred from a few years ago.
What about such wonderful species as souslik, capercaille, European spoonbill, pine marten, would you Americans like to see these species or any others in your zoos?
Why such a defecit of European species in North America?
Not exotic enough?
Not rare enough?
Not spectacular enough?

Comments please.
 
You listed animals such as souslik, European shoebill and pine marten, and I'd love to be able to view such rare animals in North American zoos. It's amusing when I visit countless zoos to see any number of African Savannas, Asian rainforests, Australian "walkabouts" or Polar frontiers. The geographically determined zoos must find it hard to create a "European Eden" or "Eek, it's Europe" zone.:) I'm not sure how many average zoogoers even recognize the names of the 3 species you listed, and I agree that Europe is definitely poorly showcased throughout North American collections.
 
I would also love to see more European animals featured in North American zoos, such as the species kiang has mentioned. All beautiful and unique species. I was just thinking last night about what zoo in North America keeps European Wildcats!

Aside from Amur tigers, Amur and Snow Leopards, camels, Red Panda, Scimitar Horned Oryx (sometimes classified as a "Eurasian" animal despite their North African location), I also don't see too many Eurasian species represented either.
 
Thats the thing really, Most european animals have counterparts from other countries eg, badger, brown bear, otter, and having an asian otter sounds better to the averge zoo visitor than a european otter. It sounds more geographically exotic, even though they may look pretty similar.

Europe has very little in the way of "exotic" animals too, very few primates, not all that many large "popular" herbivores and not many cat species. This is what the average zoo visitor wants to see, and Europe cannot provide these, so European animals are not displayed.

Oddly enough i feel that many Noth American species are not displayed enough here in Europe, or the UK at least. E.g Virginia opposom, american badger, porcupine, pronghorn.
 
What would be nice is an exhibit that compares european and north american side by side. Have grizzlies next to european brown bears, moose next to european elk and plains bison next to wisent, etc. It would be an interesting exhibit to both zoo fanatics and the common visitor.

Also Toronto had the largest european wildlife collection I have seen (Wisent, european reindeer, chamois, mouflon, barbary apes).
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
Eurasian Wild Boars at Minnesota (reportedly "pure bred"). That's about it aside from the aforementioned Toronto collection.
 
loxodonta said:
What would be nice is an exhibit that compares european and north american side by side. Have grizzlies next to european brown bears, moose next to european elk and plains bison next to wisent, etc. It would be an interesting exhibit to both zoo fanatics and the common visitor.

Also Toronto had the largest european wildlife collection I have seen (Wisent, european reindeer, chamois, mouflon, barbary apes).
Click to expand...

I think you actually nailed the answer in your post. As most European animals have an American counterpart that is both easier to acquire and more recognizable to the common visitor. While the exhibit you suggest would be interesting to many of us, I can say with much confidence that the average zoo visitor wouldn't be nearly impressed in seeing what to them is the same animal twice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
I would love to see the pine marten and souslik! I would have to agree with what has been said, if I were to go to a zoo, I would be more familar with native species. I would love to see more European animals though!

I guess it goes to say that people would rather see an African animal than something from North America or Europe!
 
I would agree that European animals aren't seen as particularly exotic. I don't think there are many european animals that are so iconic that a normal zoo visitor would go to see.

There are some good alpine or tundra european animals that zoos like to include. As mention reindeer (for those tundra exhibits) and ibex. Also, aren't some chamois subspecies particularly rare? They are actually really neat animals with a unique dark splotch across the sides of the face. Persian Fallow Deer is another endangered European animal that I'd like to see in zoos. I would imagine a zoo that wanted to breed such endangered animals could do so, but I guess that's out of the interest of some North American zoos.

Come to think, since European animals are seen as being plain and unexotic, they'd might make good children's zoo animals.

Also, anyone know what zoos have lammergeier in them?
 
It is because American zoos concentrate on endangered species, and European animals are either not rare or conserved in European zoos.

Similar, in European zoos it is very rare to see opossum, grizzly, american badger, coyote, fisher, canadian lynx, white-tailed and mule deer, bighorn, mountain goat, sandhill crane, woodchuck, striped ground squirrels, colorful american quails, jays or cardinals...

Funny that things came in a full circle - some zoochatters would prefer some common European animals.
 
Ituri said:
I can say with much confidence that the average zoo visitor wouldn't be nearly impressed in seeing what to them is the same animal twice.
Click to expand...

I believe they would because most people don't realize there are European counterparts to our native North American species. If you point out the differences the visitor would probably observe the animal to see these differences and see how they are different. I don't think it would be more popular than an indoor rainforest or African savannah but it could be more popular than a stand alone Europe or North America section.
 
Mesopotamia was never considered as part of Europe, @Otter Lord...

Most of the reasons why most of Europe's local wildlife (not spectacular or exotic enough, American counterparts, European zoo focus,...) is not common in American zoos ; I would also add that some of the European wild animals, like Chamois or Roe Deer, as well as several European fish species, are not that easy to keep and maintain. Another reason NOT to put them into children's zoos.
 
Last edited:
I would mention one other reason for missing european species in american zoos (and vice versa). There was made an agreement between EAZA and AZA (beginning of 1990es?) that each region will focus on breeding programes of its own fauna. The reason is simple - both regions are relativelly weathy and thus can take care effectivelly about its own endangered species. And to carry out breeding programs of its own natives is far easier for logistic, economic, veterinary, legislative etc. reasons, than to f.e. move all californian condors to Europe to continue here with the program and then move single birds to America to release them back.

I can´t state my source for this, I read about it some years ago, when it was beeing explained why north american bear (sub-)species are not recommended to be propagated in my local zoos. After they would be phased out, the free space can be utilised either for endagered bear species from other parts of world or for rescued orphaned/ex-circus animals. It sounds reasonable to me.

But during last few years, I could see more and more zoos creating north american themed exhibits here in Europe. So I´m asking, if maybe the mentioned agreement is no longer valid? Or do the zoos not longer care about which species are or aren´t recommended by respective TAGs?
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
Otter Lord said:
Really? O.o I've never seen them... Is this from ISIS?
Click to expand...

At the Zoo they are labeled as Bearded Vultures (an alternate common name), and when I last visited were in one of the big Raptor aviaries (next to the Steller's Sea Eagles and Condors)
 
reduakari said:
At the Zoo they are labeled as Bearded Vultures (an alternate common name), and when I last visited were in one of the big Raptor aviaries (next to the Steller's Sea Eagles and Condors)
Click to expand...


Re: bearded vultures.
Yours is a North African bearded vulture if we are to believe ISIS.
However, in ISIS captivity - excluding any North African or ME collections holding the ssp. - it is the only representative of this taxon.


Re: European vs. N.American species debate.
The prime reason is - as Jana suggested - that EAZA and AZA being traditionally strong on cooperative breeding programmes can very well take care of their own respective regions as this pertains to species interest, endangerment or other public appeal for a given taxon.

I would however contest that some European species are not easy to maintain in captivity (SW), rather that the maintenance technique or space allocation issue has not been properly addressed. Prime example: chamois (it requires a natural undisturbed setting - something like the exhibit Tierpark Berlin has devised for the species - and its feeding strategy needs to be properly looked at).

I would however say that not all EAZA zoos (e.g. European countries like Netherlands (my home country), France, Spain, Greece, Turkey) in every European region are particularly strong on native species exhibits (excluding zoo associations in Scandinavia, Central (including Germany) and Eastern European regions).

In several other instances like Bactrian deer or Mesopotamian fallow deer they are extra-limittal, but on the grounds of their being endangered and complimentary to the European red or fallow deer (incidentally the wild European fallow is equally endangered as it is only ranging wild in small populations in Turkey)

In some respects even the European Union is lagging its N.American counterparts in species recovery programmes. More and more though the EU recognises the real need for species recovery projects transcending individual borders (e.g. European bison, alpine ibex, bearded, griffon and European black vultures, European hamster). It is slowly catching on ...!!!
 
@Kifaru Bwana: Several species of European wildlife, especially of the Alpine region, usually don't do well in captivity. Chamois husbandry has improved in European collections over the past years, but it is still not easy.
Another reason why only very few European zoos (Innsbruck, Lohberg, Chomutov, to name some) more or less focus on the husbandry...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top