List of AZA-Locked Species

[pachyderm pro]

I've seen them for sale on exoticanimalsfosale.net a few times, they seem to sell for shockingly low amounts of money. I wasn't able to re-find any of the listings I've seen before on there, but there's also this somewhat infamous screenshot of a Craigslist listing that's been circulating the internet since 2014 (though I can't say if it's legit or not):

Clearly fake. Everyone knows koalas love Hugh Jackman movies, not Vin Diesel.

Seriously though, this is the fakest thing I've ever seen. There's no way koalas are in the private trade, or at least never for long. Nobody in the private animal trade is gonna be able to reliably get large shipments of eucalyptus.

 

[birdsandbats]

Clearly fake. Everyone knows koalas love Hugh Jackman movies, not Vin Diesel.

Seriously though, this is the fakest thing I've ever seen. There's no way koalas are in the private trade, or at least never for long. Nobody in the private animal trade is gonna be able to reliably get large shipments of eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus grows in southern California though, and could be harvested.

I remember that the Koala listings on exoticanimalsforsale.net were from legit places that I've seen sell stuff like Yapok before, though sometime animals are advertised before an import actually takes place just to gage interest (like the infamous African Manatee listing a few years back).

 

[JVM]

Typically it seems that once a species becomes more established within the AZA, more non-AZA holders end up getting the species. The same thing has been happening with giant anteaters and pygmy hippos in recent years too.

This is what I was suspecting based on similar threads to this in the past, but wasn't sure I was informed enough to draw the conclusion.

Considering the existence of Hemker Park (not accredited to my knowledge but clearly receiving AZA excess stock) and admittedly rare situations like Pittsburgh, I don't think the AZA can keep species in a permanent situation. We've established before in threads about phase-outs that the AZA does not have control over collections besides helpful suggestions, and it's not as if they can simply tell a zoo losing accreditation to return a population.

EDIT: That Koala listing, while clearly fake, is hilarious! Also love the Mr. Magoo story!

 

[lintworm]

Eucalyptus grows in southern California though, and could be harvested.

It is not as if koala eat just any eucalypt, they are quite picky about their favourite species (and want a diet with multiple species) and it seems most of the eucalypt species in California are not koala favourites, with exception of red gum. So no, wild harvesting is not an option, regardless of logistics and food safety...

 

[15399]

and it's not as if they can simply tell a zoo losing accreditation to return a population.

Although, especially given that so many animals at zoos are loaned from other accredited zoos, zoos that have lost accreditation historically HAVE been told to return certain animals in their collection- including Pittsburgh Zoo with king penguins. I suppose it all depends on the specific arrangements between the two zoos and the SSP leadership at the time.

 

[MRJ]

but there's also this somewhat infamous screenshot of a Craigslist listing that's been circulating the internet since 2014 (though I can't say if it's legit or not):

There is so much in that which is just so absurd.

I believe that many of the scam emails and similar that we receive are deliberately made obvious so that only the truly gullible respond, and the scammer does not have to waste their time on people who might see through their scam.

Maybe this is the same - there is so much that anybody who knows koalas would instantly recognise as ridiculous.

So, I'd say this is either a joke or a scam, certainly not a serious attempt to sell a koala.

 

[Wisp O' Mist]

Przewalski's horses, rather infamously, were discovered to be in the private trade earlier this year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/clim...9/przewalskis-horses-rescued-dna-shrek-fiona/

Which the AZA was absolutely not aware of.

I know this because I emailed the Minnesota Zoo (Which holds the AZA's studbook for the species) and the lady who got back to me was flabbergasted!

She actually tried to insist that Shrek and Fiona couldn't possibly be Przewalski's initially! I had to email her back with screenshots of their DNA tests to get her to realize that yes, they were legit P-Horses.

And not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty sure that I've figured out how the species entered the private trade in the first place.

The Life and Death of Canyon Colorado Equid Sanctuary

 

[ZooNews2024]

I've seen them for sale on exoticanimalsfosale.net a few times, they seem to sell for shockingly low amounts of money. I wasn't able to re-find any of the listings I've seen before on there, but there's also this somewhat infamous screenshot of a Craigslist listing that's been circulating the internet since 2014 (though I can't say if it's legit or not):

Lets just hope that no-one in any position of authority in Australia, takes ANY notice of what is published on this forum.

 

[JVM]

Although, especially given that so many animals at zoos are loaned from other accredited zoos, zoos that have lost accreditation historically HAVE been told to return certain animals in their collection- including Pittsburgh Zoo with king penguins. I suppose it all depends on the specific arrangements between the two zoos and the SSP leadership at the time.

My expectation is that the AZA can absolutely action loans, as the AZA zoo is still the legal owner of the animals in question, but that once something passes into possession and ownership of the newly ex-AZA facility, there's no takebacks. Good point with the King penguins -- the only example I had on my mind for this would have sounded distractingly absurd.

 

[biggest_dreamer]

To my understanding okapi aren't found outside of AZA zoos.

 

[Aardwolf]

To my understanding okapi aren't found outside of AZA zoos.

Tanganyika has okapi