Have you ever visited a zoo for a specific species?

Sorting through my photos, to free up some hard disk space, I suddenly came across an example I should have remembered. I visited the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Arundel on 18th February 2009 just to see and photograph the New Zealand blue ducks, they were old birds that I knew would not be likely to be replaced. I only had time for a very short visit, but as a WWT member I did not need to pay to enter and I got a few photos. I did manage another longer visit before the last bird passed away.
Blue duck at Arundel

Blue duck at Arundel

  • Media owner gentle lemur
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My first view of this species. The two drakes are silly tame, but I was impressed with their...
 
My goal is to photograph as many species (including fungi & plants) as I possibly can so I will hunt for new species wherever I can. To be honest I do try to visit places that have good species indexes

Folly Farm: Macaroni penguin, Dhole (no show)
Edinburgh zoo: Northern rockhopper penguin, King penguin, Giant panda, Central Chinese goral
Twycross zoo: Dusky langur, Colombian brown spider monkey, Francois leaf monkey (no show), Bonobo
Bolton museum: Most of their collection
The Deep aquarium: Green sawfish, Grey reef shark
 
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Usually no, but I started a Zoo Life List earlier this year, so in the future I can see myself going to certain places specifically to see a species I don't have on my list yet, or even re-visiting places to see if I can catch a species I didn't manage to see last time.
 
For the last several years, I've planned a trip each fall to a different city, usually where I can knock out 2-3 new facilities in two days. These trips are usually inspired by a specific animal that I really want to see, usually the only of its kind in the country (and usually down to a single specimen that might not be around for much longer). For example, the first one I did was to Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium, with the primary goal of seeing the Sumatran rhino. I'm always up for visiting any new zoo or aquarium, either for work or for fun, but there are so many out there and time is limited, so I needed some way to prioritize.
 
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Hello. The main reason behind my visit to the Lisbon zoo was to see an okapi for the first (and currently still only) time in my life. I knew, however, it also held many species I had never seen before. Some examples included siamangs, gorillas, American bison, Cape buffalo, common eland, lowland nyala, bongo, sitatunga, impala, lechwe, sable and roan antelope, scimitar-horned oryx, and Indian rhinos.
 
I visited the tiny Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo for their Asiatic Black Bear, as I barely remember seeing the species at San Diego Zoo and the population is in an overall decline. Unfortunately, it was not out...

Staying in Wisconsin, I primarily visited the Henry Vilas Zoo for the American Badger, an active pair which were very obliging. I went to Shamba Safari mostly just for the escaped Prairie Dog population, although it was nice to see Cassowary and Indian Rhino there.

I also visited Georgia Aquarium for the Whale Sharks of course.

There are many other zoos which I visited specifically for a number of target species, but these are the places that really had one main species I went to see.
 
This hasn't happened yet, but only because as a novice zoo traveler most facilities have multiple species of interest for me as opposed to only one. I think I should mention my first trip to the National Zoo was driven largely by seeing pandas, although at once I was determined not to rush to see only them.
 
Just done so.

Peak Wildlife Park for the polar bears

I didn't travel specifically for them, I had a trip to the Peak District for a few days planned anyway and back in the summer when it was announced that they had become the UK's third holder I decided to pay a visit. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have been that bothered about going.
 
Quite often

Visited Bioparc Valencia for the Spotted-Necked Otters (first time seeing them).
Visited the Beardsley Zoo for the Grey Fox
and others.
 
I enjoy wildlife world for the small mammals like the porcupine, degu, bushbabys and fruit bats (but only a few of the small mammals) I can only recall in the arizona area the phoenix zoo having bush babies albeit gone for a while now, and a fruit bat with the radiated tortoise and ibis in the children’s zoo.
 
Metro Richmond Zoo I visited just for the purpose of seeing African Clawless Otters
 
Visited a couple zoos in particular to see elephants (Auckland zoo, Franklin zoo)
Most others is more than one species though
Though im planning on going down to Wellington Zoo to see the new snow leopards
 
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