Thank you for the link callorhinus, very impresive pictures !
History of saiga in captivity
- Thread starter Shirokuma
- Start date
ungulate nerd
Well-Known Member
Besides the now closed Japan Serow Center in Gozaisho, I found another East Asian zoo that kept Saiga (Saiga tatarica), that zoo was the Seoul Zoo in South Korea and they kept 1.4 in the late 1980s
My source is the International Zoo Yearbooks
My source is the International Zoo Yearbooks
Morgan
Well-Known Member
according to this website the herd is kept in an enclosure of 62 hectare
ungulate nerd
Well-Known Member
I found yet another zoo in the United States that kept Saiga (Saiga tatarica) in the past, that zoo is the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey. Turtle Back Zoo had Saiga in the 1970s
Here is a link with a photo of Turtle Back Zoo's Saiga
Turtle Back Zoo - Brint Spencer and Caitlin A. Sharp - Google Books
Here is a link with a photo of Turtle Back Zoo's Saiga
Turtle Back Zoo - Brint Spencer and Caitlin A. Sharp - Google Books
Don't know if Dierenpark Wassenaar - the Netherlands is already mentioned but at least 1 pair was kept during 1954 - 1955 ! I'll upload a picture of this pair in the Dierenpark Wassenaar Gallery - the Netherlands.
Found some more dates about Dutch Saiga keeping :
Rotterdam Zoo :
1956 one obtained from Moscow Zoo
1974 ( Oct ) 1 male and 3 females arrived from Russia
1976 ( at least ) 1 young bred
Dierenpark Wassenaar :
1949 ( Jun. ) : 1 pair obtained from Russia ( the pair pictured at Walker's Mammals of the World ? )
Klant's Dierentuin ( Valkenburg ) :
1949 : at least 1 obtained from Russia
Rotterdam Zoo :
1956 one obtained from Moscow Zoo
1974 ( Oct ) 1 male and 3 females arrived from Russia
1976 ( at least ) 1 young bred
Dierenpark Wassenaar :
1949 ( Jun. ) : 1 pair obtained from Russia ( the pair pictured at Walker's Mammals of the World ? )
Klant's Dierentuin ( Valkenburg ) :
1949 : at least 1 obtained from Russia
ZooMan Texas
Active Member
Oklahoma City zoo had some Saiga in the mid-1980s while I worked there as a keeper. I understand a number of other US zoos had Saiga at the same time, to the best of my recollection. I don't think they did very well, the heat may have made it hard for them to resist parasites, and they always looked thin and bony. They ended up dying out.
Just discovered a photo of a pair of Saigas kept at Zoo Antwerp, am however not able to find out when it was taken. Does anyone have info about Antwerps saigas ?
( uploaded the photo in the Antwerp Photo Gallery )
( uploaded the photo in the Antwerp Photo Gallery )
A quick glance at the Zoo Yearbooks shows 2.1 in 1975 and 3.0 in 1976, 1.0 born in 1975. I'll check more thoroughly in the morning.
Thanks for this information bongorob !
Also Planckendael had Saigas. They should have been there untill the 1980-ties.
( photo placed in the Plackendael Gallery - Belgium )
( photo placed in the Plackendael Gallery - Belgium )
I have access to International Zoo Yearbooks up to and including volume 30.
Rare species census, numbers in parentheses are captive bred specimens.
Antwerp 1972 2.4
Antwerp 1973 2.4
Antwerp 1974 2.4
Antwerp 1975 2.1
Antwerp 1976 3.0
Antwerp 1977 2.3(1.0)
Antwerp 1978 1.3(1.0)
Antwerp 1979 2.4(1.1)
Antwerp 1980 3.2(3.1)
Antwerp 1981 3.2.2(3.1.2)
Antwerp 1982 2.1(2.1)
Plackendael 1983 1.6(1.1)
Plackendael 1984 1.7(1.7)
Plackendael 1985 0.8(0.8)
Plackendael 1986 1.8(1.8)
Plackendael 1987 1.6(1.0)
Plackendael 1988 1.3(1.1)
Plackendael 1989 1.1(1.0)
Plackendael 1990 not listed
reported breeding, numbers in parentheses lived for 30 days or less.
Antwerp 1973 (1)
Antwerp 1975 1.0
Antwerp 1978 1.1
Plackendael 1979 2.1
Plackendael 1980 2.0(1.0)
Plackendael 1981 (0.3)
Plackendael 1982 1.0
Plackendael 1983 0.1
Plackendael 1984 3.2.1(2.0.1)
Plackendael 1986 2.1.1(1)
Again thanks a lot of this intresting information bongorob !
As I know, only Beijing Zoo and Wuwei Zoo had kept saiga, and all of them are Russian saiga.
Thanks Baboon! I never knew that Beijing Zoo kept Saiga (Saiga tatarica) that is very interesting, when did last they keep them, and how were they sourced ?
Found some more info about Saigas at Rotterdam Zoo. Jan. 1950 Rotterdam send 50 Rhesus monkeys to Moskou and in exchange they should recieve Saigas and Argalis.
During Sept. 1940 - when Germany was also already in war - Hannover recieved a large shipment - 3 train-wagons - full of animals. Among them Red-breasted geese, Snow leopards, Bearded vultures, Sea-eagles, 1 Lynx, 2 Moose, a herd of Reindeer, a Markhor and 2 Saigas.
First UK breeding of Saiga was at Woburn
Artiodactyla - The Bartlett Society
Artiodactyla - The Bartlett Society
I have never seen them. According to the book, Beijing had obtained saiga in 1953 and bred them successfully in 1954. But it seems that they never survive into 1980s. I can't find where they origin, but I guess USSR ?