Long-overdue Species

DaLilFishie said:
It's crazy to me that someone could have seen so many crocodile species but not have seen a saltie! They're extremely common in Australian zoos, perhaps the most or second most common (the other contender is the freshie). To my knowledge, only four crocodilians are kept in Australian facilites - freshie and saltie are very common, a few holders of American Alligator and a single specimen of New Guinea Crocodile (C. novaeguineae sensu stricto) - of which I've seen all four.
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There are actually four holders of New Guinea Crocodile and roughly 24 of American Alligator, as well as two holders of Philippine Crocodile! Also possibly still Spectacled Caiman at Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park.
 
Osedax said:
There are actually four holders of New Guinea Crocodile and roughly 24 of American Alligator, as well as two holders of Philippine Crocodile! Also possibly still Spectacled Caiman at Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park.
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Wait, really? I thought Billabong Sanctuary was the only holder. Where are the other holders of New Guinea and Philippine?
 
Chamois. Close to 100 zoos now and never seen a chamois. Never been to a zoo that kept them, funnily enough. Off to Vienna and Slovenia next week, but Schonbrunn and Ljubljana zoo also don’t keep any. Perhaps I can see some in the wild at Triglav, but with a 4-year old in tow I highly doubt it… Oh well, I’ll get one eventually.
 
Kiwi, Tuatara and Markhor are three of my signature 'must see' species right now, alongside Gharial (technically seen long ago though) and Manatee. I have visited two holders of Tuatara while their individual animals were off display and two holders of Kiwi when I was too young to appreciate the birds, both of which are now out of them.

I have visited three holders of Dingo and missed them each time. My dad was just ahead of me in one instance and saw the single individual heading in for the night. Tasmanian Devil also feel very overdue but I've only visited Toledo so far that's held them.

Kea also feel overdue as I missed them at the Denver Zoo, not being aware of their then temporary accommodation.

I've seen black-crested mangabey but have missed them twice recently on distance troops so they also feel overdue. I also missed bontebok which are a longtime member of the 'to see list'.
 
Osedax said:
New Guinea Crocodile: Billabong Sanctuary, Crocodylus Park, Malcolm Douglas Wildnerness Park, Marineland Melanesia

Philippine Crocodile: Melbourne Zoo, Crocodylus Park
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Marineland Melanesia doesn't have New Guinea anymore, it was transferred to Billabong Sanctuary.
 
Let’s see, most of the overdue species I have listed are mainly captive mammals. Although, there are a few other non-mammalian species that are personally “needed” (yet even that’s a bit of a stretch).

By far, there are a few notable carnivorans which, somehow, I keep missing out on:
  • Asiatic Black Bear - the last bear species that I haven’t seen in person (for context, I’ve been lucky with the remaining seven).
  • Maned Wolf - a species I was really looking forward to seeing at the San Diego Zoo; but alas, I’ll have to look elsewhere.
  • Bat-Eared Fox - my most sought-after canid at the moment; who, for whatever reason, I keep missing due to their nocturnal nature.
  • Bush Dog - my other sought-after canid, and my second favorite species overall (first being the dhole, which I have seen :)). A true South American staple in my books, and a unique looking canine all the same!
Now as far as ungulates go (both even-toed & odd-toed), I don’t have too many that are exactly overdue (aside from the usual rarities). However, it would be hard to miss that I would love to see the following two species at some point; with both of them being bovids funnily enough:
  • Aoudad - a safari park-staple that I haven’t seen whatsoever. It would be nice to at least see them in a drive-through safari or two at some point though!
  • Musk Ox - a true Arctic icon, and a real rarity at that. However, while I have been lucky enough to have seen mounted specimens at a few museums and outdoor retail stores. Seeing them in person, whether at the Point Defiance Zoo or any facility in Alaska would be a dream come true.
Finally, for my remaining overdue mammals, I’m turning to the superorder Euarchontoglires, for which there are a few that have long evaded me:
  • Sumatran Orangutan - Despite being decently common in zoos, I have so far missed them at four different places; and every time I do see an orangutan, they’re always a Bornean!
  • Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur - Back before the Bronx Zoo became a holder, the only place where I tried to see this species was the Duke Lemur Center. Unfortunately, between the two times I visited the center; the nocturnal building where the lemurs were held was closed on my first visit. On my second visit, however, the building was open; yet, due to the presence of some researchers at the time, they remained a no-show. Safe to say, I do hope that a third visit to Duke or possibly, a return trip to the Bronx will finally give me the chance of seeing them in person!
  • Night Monkeys / Aotus (any species) - An entire family of primates that I haven’t had the fortune of seeing! Hopefully, I’ll run into a representative species in a zoo somewhere… one day, someday.
  • Rhesus Macaque - Even after attempting to see them as an invasive species in my home state (which ultimately failed). I have still not managed to see this rather infamous species anywhere else.
  • Potto - A rather neat prosimian that’s currently down to four holders in the United States alone! Hopefully, a visit to any one of those facilities will be all the worth while.
  • Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat - By far, despite having visited two facilities that have held the species. These panda-like buggers continue to remain as my biggest “white-whale” as far as rodents are concerned!
  • Lowland Paca - A personal favorite; like the bush dog, this is another signature mammal from South America that I haven’t had the chance to see.
  • Hares / Lepus (any species) - Whether in the wild or in captivity, I have not been the most fortunate with seeing any representative of this genus of lagomorph.
  • Sunda Colugo - Until I ever find myself in Southeast Asia, this is the most rarity-oriented of the overdue species listed so far. Therefore, the colugos in general are the last order of mammals from this superorder that I have yet to see.
Moving on from the mammals, the majority of overdue birds are species that I would prefer to find in the wild. However, I do have a few captive species that I keep missing out on as far as the first two go:
  • Golden Eagle (A. c. canadensis, specifically) - For whatever reason, despite being an extremely common raptor throughout the Northern Hemisphere (which shows for how many holders there are). I, for whatever reason, have never seen this famous species of eagle. Nothing that finding them in the wild, or perhaps, at the odd zoo or nature center can’t solve!
  • Kagu - Like the cloud rats, these birds continue to remain as a personal “white-whale”; and like the maned wolves, they were a species that I was looking forward to see at the San Diego Zoo.
  • Common / Ring-Necked Pheasant - Even though I have long been enamored by this species from a hunting perspective (in addition to having several feathers gifted from a friend). This species will certainly be a pleasure to see (and eat!) as an introduced species in the Great Plains; and if not there, a more obscure zoological facility elsewhere in the states.
Wrapping up this post with the reptiles, I suppose that an overdue species might be the Common Snapping Turtle, as well as a few venomous snakes as far as native species go. Otherwise, there’s not too much else to add besides the usual rarities and the majority of crocodilians (with the Black Caiman being the most noteworthy).

With that being said, it will be interesting to see as for how lucky I will be with several of the listed species in a few years time. Until then, I’ll just leave it off here.
 
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I may miss the following species that I have rarely (or never) seen in zoos : African Buffalo, Banteng, Bighorn, Saiga Antelope, Roan Antelope, Gerenuk, Babyrusa, Moose, Drill, Woolly Monkeys, Aye-aye, Mountain and Baird's Tapirs, Black Rhino, Civets (any species), Dhole, Sloth Bear, Walrus, Paca, North American Porcupine, American Marmot/Woodchuck, Wombat, Tamandua (the latter present in Beauval but very hard to see according to me). And for the birds : Hoopoe, Greater Hornbill, Verreaux's Eagle, Martial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Peruvian/Australian/North American White Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, American Wood Stork, Black-necked Stork, Lesser and Greater Adjutants, Shoebill, Kiwi, Kaka, Spix's Macaw, Hummingbirds (any species). I may add Galapagos Giant Tortoise, Indian Gharial and any Cobra species for the reptiles.
Some species were common in the past but rare now in French zoos : Dorcas Gazelle, Fennec Fox, Asiatic Black Bear and most true Cercopithecids, that I may add to this "wishlist".

Once there were Yellow-backed Duiker, Douc Langur, Harpy Eagle and Golden Monkey (!) but all of them are now in Beauval and some of them have bred at least once.
 
Several species I have never seen in captivity but very much want to:

Asiatic black bear: The only bear species I have not seen in person. In the AZA, they are a phase-out species, and the few remaining holders seem pretty scattered throughout the country and not in regions that I commonly, if ever, visit. However, to my excitement this species hopefully won’t be on my list for much longer as I have plans in just a few weeks to visit the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Denver, which holds several specimens of U. thibetanus that were rescued from abusive circumstances (with said visit being primarily motivated by hoping to finally see this species!).

Giant otter: This species seems to be present in a decent amount of AZA zoos, however what’s inconvenient for me is that barring Philadelphia and Roger Williams Park, they’re all in the southern tier, be it Miami, Houston, or Los Angeles. Hopefully I will get to visit one of the aforementioned facilities someday or another that holds these incredible mustelids.

Striped hyena: This another AZA phase-out (if I’m not mistaken) and it is consequently found in few of their zoos, although it does seem to have a decent presence in private collections. Hoping to make it to a Facility like The Living Desert or Fort Worth Zoo to finally see striped hyenas.

Muskox: As you likely know, this species has an extremely limited captive presence in the US, with the only facility in the Lower 48 now holding them being Port Defiance (although Minnesota Zoo, which is located just a few states over from me, did until a few years ago). If I can’t make it to Tacoma, I’ll have to go up to Canada or Alaska to see this species (which would be fun to do anyways!).

Tammar wallaby & yellow-footed rock wallaby: Both of these wallabies, especially the tammar, seem to have a decent amount of AZA zoos keeping them, yet I’ve never seen either in-person. Guess I’ll just have to keep visiting more zoos, especially in parts of the country I haven’t explored as much.
 
evilmonkey239 said:
Tammar wallaby & yellow-footed rock wallaby: Both of these wallabies, especially the tammar, seem to have a decent amount of AZA zoos keeping them, yet I’ve never seen either in-person. Guess I’ll just have to keep visiting more zoos, especially in parts of the country I haven’t explored as much.
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Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby only has four holders left, not sure I'd say they have a decent number of holders.

Also I'm a little confused why some rather rare species are being listed as overdue? I thought overdue species would imply ones you keep missing or are common but somehow haven't managed to run across one?
 
Great Argus said:
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby only has four holders left, not sure I'd say they have a decent number of holders.

Also I'm a little confused why some rather rare species are being listed as overdue? I thought overdue species would imply ones you keep missing or are common but somehow haven't managed to run across one?
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I’ve seen some fairly rare animals given on this thread before, so figured there was no harm in me doing the same. And I think species can be “overdue” in another sense, like Asian black bear being the only ursid I haven’t seen.
 
Great Argus said:
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby only has four holders left, not sure I'd say they have a decent number of holders.

Also I'm a little confused why some rather rare species are being listed as overdue? I thought overdue species would imply ones you keep missing or are common but somehow haven't managed to run across one?
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evilmonkey239 said:
I’ve seen some fairly rare animals given on this thread before, so figured there was no harm in me doing the same. And I think species can be “overdue” in another sense, like Asian black bear being the only ursid I haven’t seen.
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The original suggested definition in the thread was this:
Kalaw said:
Are there any species that are either widespread in captivity, or that you have had multiple strong opportunities to see, and yet luck is simply not in your favour, and you are yet to have seen them?
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I think based on this, the intent is that very rare species count if you have had opportunities to see them but missed them due to bad luck, but not merely for distance.

For example, I visited Omaha four consecutive days and the Desert Dome close to eight times across days, but didn't see the African wild cat. It's a rarity with one holder, but I did visit the exhibit several times - just bad luck! I might not list the species if I hadn't been in the zoo and seen the exhibit though.

Asiatic Black Bear make for a particularly interesting example as they were still held in several facilities fifteen years ago. I saw one at Milwaukee as a child and had hoped to see the ones at Cheyenne or Manitowoc someday, both of which have since passed. I found out Henson Robinson previously had them just a few years before my visit, by which point they had American black bears. So I think a lot of members could say they had a chance but missed out, even as their numbers continue to decline.
 
Looking back at my own post on this thread from February of last year, I finally was able to get two excellent viewings of a bald eagle. Sadly, this eagle recently passed away so there's no telling when I'll see another one. I also got a brief view of a California condor from binoculars, but I'm still waiting for a better experience on that bird. Upon reflection, I should add two species that are at my home zoo in Los Angeles that I've never seen despite dozens of visits: Calamian deer and Indian rhino. I've also managed to miss the golden-headed lion tamarins at the Santa Ana Zoo.

@Austin the Sengi -- the next time you come to SoCal, you should check out the L.A. Zoo to see the maned wolves and lowland paca. The maned wolves are almost always visible when I go and the paca is in a more advantageous viewing area than previously. Likewise, @evilmonkey239 you would have a good chance of seeing the giant otters and yellow-footed and tammar wallabies in L.A. I'm fortunate to have seen musk oxen, but it was over 20 years ago at the Oregon Zoo!
 
JVM said:
I think based on this, the intent is that very rare species count if you have had opportunities to see them but missed them due to bad luck, but not merely for distance.
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I definitely agree with that - your African Wild Cat example works, multiple chances and just struck out. The Asiatic Black Bear is fair enough too, plenty of near misses for people and still several scattered about the country. Though I do not see how a species can be "overdue" if it's both rarely kept and you've never visited the handful of zoos with it or never been to a country where the species is wild - that's a target species or bucket list.
 
dillotest0 said:
I see these species mentioned around quite a bit....not sure why. Are they very popular in Europe?
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Both species are native breeding birds in Europe, including France. Although they are rare and threatened (especially the Bonelli's Eagle, that is under a conservation and restoration plan in France) they remained always rare within European zoos.
I had the chance to see migrating Booted Eagles in Southern France (and a very long time ago, a pair in the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes too), plus a very probable Bonelli's Eagle from the windows of my father's car in Spain (near the French border). But I would like to see more of these birds in our zoos and falconry centres ; it would be interesting to inform the general public about the conservation of these magnificent birds, and maybe to supply reintroduction programs.
 
Haliaeetus said:
Both species are native breeding birds in Europe, including France. Although they are rare and threatened (especially the Bonelli's Eagle, that is under a conservation and restoration plan in France) they remained always rare within European zoos.
I had the chance to see migrating Booted Eagles in Southern France (and a very long time ago, a pair in the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes too), plus a very probable Bonelli's Eagle from the windows of my father's car in Spain (near the French border). But I would like to see more of these birds in our zoos and falconry centres ; it would be interesting to inform the general public about the conservation of these magnificent birds, and maybe to supply reintroduction programs.
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I recall there being a falconry in the UK that has one of the 'B'-eagles [not beagles], I think it was Bonelli's? But strange how rare they are around here in falconry - have to agree
 
On the same trip, I missed out on Puerto Rican Boa at both St. Louis Zoo (in the exhibit but the keeper said it liked to burrow under limestone), and Brookfield Zoo (tank had paper over the glass, said "under renovation"). Now I'm hoping to stumble across one at a reptile store.
 
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