Lost, rare, and non-existant media of Indonesian zoos and public aquariums
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Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Unlike most western facilities, I feel like there's a lack of information about the history, especially the historical collection and events of Indonesian zoos and aquarias which sometimes made some of these information to be lost to time. Not having a rather large number of zoos and aquarias observers contribute to that as well as the lack of transparancy from these facilities.
These make it more interesting for me especially to start researching more about these information. I would guess the Brazilian zoos and aquarias community experiences the same thing
Indeed, the lack of information easily available and the discoveries I have made about the sheer amount of taxa gone from Brazil made me obsessed with searching info about my country's zoos and aquaria. I'm actually trying to find info on Malayan tapirs, as São Paulo has held them. Also, the studbook holder for the species is actually Indonesian...Unlike most western facilities, I feel like there's a lack of information about the history, especially the historical collection and events of Indonesian zoos and aquarias which sometimes made some of these information to be lost to time. Not having a rather large number of zoos and aquarias observers contribute to that as well.
These make it more interesting for me especially to start researching more about these information. I would guess the Brazilian zoos and aquarias community experiences the same thing
Jonathan Harry
Well-Known Member
Taman Safari Cisarua used to have Sumatran rhinos in 1995
https://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/images/Sumatran-Rhino/t1_8/year/desc/8.php
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Indeed, there are a rather limited pictures available of the rhinoceros in Cisarua in the 1990's for a short time. Ragunan have the most information regarding their rhinos.
The Sumatran rhinoceros in Bandung and Surabaya, instead, have almost no information at all. Definitely need more research on their history.
The Sumatran rhinoceros in Bandung and Surabaya, instead, have almost no information at all. Definitely need more research on their history.
Some pictures from the male Rokan in Surabaya:
Courtesy of the Legendary Stephan Romo. RIP!
Courtesy of the Legendary Stephan Romo. RIP!
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Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much! Do you have in any chance information on Rokan or possibly other rhino in Surabaya?Some pictures from the male Rokan in Surabaya:
Courtesy of the Legendary Stephan Romo. RIP!
I also would like to ask how do you have access to the pictures from Stephen Romo?
I do not have more info, unfortunately.
I used to message a lot with John Romo back in the days. He was a good friend and was very generous with sharing his vast knowledge. Huge loss for the Conservation community..
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And some pictures from Ragunan. Possibly Jalu
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Caribbean Flamingo
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but did you had any photos of dugong in Surabaya Zoo? I'm still curious how does the dugong exhibit looks like in Surabaya Zoo.
I am sorry, I didn't even know that Surabaya had Dugong.
I know that the Aquarium at Ancol, Jakarta had the spieces until recently and we saw the former exhibit there, but not anymore.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Thanks to @Jonathan Harry in the other thread, we now aware that they're apparently some stuffs from Gembira Loka Zoo's past that aren't well documented.
- Supposedly a pair of giraffe used to be kept in the zoo atleast prior to 2014, which a plan to acquire a new pair (At some point, another SEA zoo even offered their giraffe) was postponned and at this point seems to be fully cancelled with the zoo's explanation being the "lack of space" (Curious on how they still able to kept them in the past despite this). The only known giraffe's documented history is during an expo in Ambarukmo Plaza (An mall in Yogyakarta), not sure what this meant but probably via old pictures or other artwork promoting the giraffes in GLZ
- Supposedly a rhino was once kept in the zoo. Its unknown wether it was the white rhinoceros or the Sumatran rhinoceros. The only known confirmation of the rhinoceros's document history is apparently in a souvenir, though not specified in what form
- A plan for a supposed Africa zone that seems to be either postponned or cancelled. Only the giraffe appears to be hinted at as being housed here
- The blue poison dart frogs was mentioned to be kept in the zoo at some point
- It was mentioned that the agile wallaby exhibits in the old herbivore complex once held the original group of capybaras and apparently the American beaver
- Zootierliste mentions the zoo had kept the Sunda pangolin, black-crested Sumatran langur, pig-tailed langur, and Kloss's gibbon in the past. No picture, video, or much information has been found online of these species in the zoo.
Rokan was captured in Sumatra in 1986, arrived to Surabaya in 1988 and had an infection from the snare on the right foot. He died in 1993. Surabaya also got a female, Wiwien in 1992, captured the same year - she died in 1996.
You mentioned Sumatran Rhino at Bandung. Do you have source regarding this ?
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Only in the Bandung Zoo former species list in Zootierliste, which is where I first aware of the rhino in Bandung. Aside from that, sadly nothing at all.
If I may ask also, where do you get the information on Rokan and Wiwien? The fact that Rokan got infection in his right foot does explain the context of some of the photos.
I got the main information about the Surabaya rhinos from the book "The Rhinoceros in captivity" Rookmaker 1996
I checked the source that ZTL used for the former holding at Bandung. It is a Zoo Yearbook census from 1961, but it list a Sumatran rhino at Bandung with a question mark.
Neither "The Rhinoceros in captivity" book, neither the Studbook mentioned any Sumatran Rhino at Bandung. It is not impossible, tho
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
I do wonder why it was still listed in the book though, I guess there really was a rhino in Bandung but the author wasn't fully aware or confirmed?
Again, the validity of the Sumatran rhino existence in Bandung is up in the air at this point, especially with almost no information at all available online. Asking the Zoo themself might be considered but knowing how old the rhinoceros must be and with a brand new management after 2019, I feel like it will be very unlikely to know for sure and the story of the rhino in Bandung Zoo might be lost forever.
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
Talking about species which existence in a zoo are ambigous, another case that I took notice of is the warthog at Taman Safari Bogor.
An stuffed warthog housed in a glass casing is present in one of sheltered resting platform in the Meerkat-Mandrill complex. It have no sign at all, but it can be easily spotted just behind the meerkats exhibits.
This specific complex has always kept meerkats and mandrills for a long time, so I didn't really found no place on where the warthogs would be located if they're truly been displayed at some point.
These are my theories from what I think to be likely to unlikely, but still possible. Though all of these couldn't explain the lack of signage:
An stuffed warthog housed in a glass casing is present in one of sheltered resting platform in the Meerkat-Mandrill complex. It have no sign at all, but it can be easily spotted just behind the meerkats exhibits.
This specific complex has always kept meerkats and mandrills for a long time, so I didn't really found no place on where the warthogs would be located if they're truly been displayed at some point.
These are my theories from what I think to be likely to unlikely, but still possible. Though all of these couldn't explain the lack of signage:
- This is just a random stuffed animals that aren't related to the former park's collection at all. Worth noting that atleast in the early 2010's (Around 2011-2012), this complex is heavily marketed as a "Lion King" exhibit, with the meerkats and mandrills to represent the characters of Timon and Rafiki, respectively. Pumbaa the warthog is also a very popular character from the series and is associated with Timon the meerkat. Maybe they couldn't get a warthog to complete the roster for some reason and instead make up for that by adding and stuffed, possibly fake warthog instead.
- The warthog is one of the warthog or even the one warthog that was already acquired by the park when its alive, but passed away during the habituation period for some reason. Since warthog is probably quite a prized animal in zoos, the park doesn't simply threw away the warthogs and instead used them for other purposes, like for an stuffed collection.
- The warthog at some point was kept and displayed by the park in the past, died atleast somewhere in the 2000's or even earlier in the late 90's, and later put on display again as a stuffed animals. Not really much explanation aside from the fact that they do did the same thing with their former polar bears (Bjurn and Tasha) in the now Humboldt penguin exhibit.
Indeed you can see from the pictures that the foot is treated. The injured was caused by a poacher's snare. The Rookmaker also mentions that the animals in Surabaya lived on a 0.5 ha moated island, designed to house one pair of rhinos.
@Rizz Carlton do you know, if this was the Bawean Deer/Proboscis Monkey current enclosure?
Rizz Carlton
Well-Known Member
I'm not aware, sorry. The Bawean deer and proboscis monkey now each have their own exhibits to my very best knowledge.
Me and @snowleopard visited Surabaya last month and they indeed have separate enclosures, but they also live at huge moated island at the right side of the zoo with big viewing platform next to it. As far as I know there were viewing platforms at Ragunan and Taman Safari Bogor Sumatran rhino exhibits, so most likely the current Bawean Deer/Proboscis Monkey home is the former Sumatran rhino exhibit.
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