Like most UK ZooChatters, I have seen many animals that were the last if their kind in the UK. What follows are just a few notable examples that particularly interest me and which immediately came to mind; there are, of course, a great many others that could be added to this list.
- West Indian manatee at London Zoo (died early 1960s)
- Barton’s long-beaked echidna at London Zoo (three were sent to Taronga in 1994)
- Sumatran rhinoceros “Torgamba” at Port Lympne 1986 - 1998 (sent to Indonesia)
- northern white rhinoceros “Ben” at London Zoo 1955 – 1986 (sent to Dvur Kralove)
- African forest elephant “Jumbo III” at Whipsnade 1973 – 1988
- mountain gorilla “Reuben” at London Zoo 1960 – 1962
- red uakari at Twycross Zoo 1968 - 2000
- Kloss gibbon at Twycross 1979 - 2006