Metro Richmond Zoo Metro Richmond Zoo

L

loxodonta

Well-Known Member
I visited the Metro Richmond Zoo in June of 2008 located in Moseley, VA. It is an interesting zoo because it is not accredited and seeing the enclosures one realizes why they are not accredited. But the collection of animals is very diverse and has a number of species that are rare or endangered.The collection includes but not limited to:
Asiatic Black Bear
Snow Leopard
Cheetah
N.A. River Otter
Chimps
Orang
Siamang
White Handed Gibbon
Allens Swamp Monkey
Howler Monkey
Black Handed Spider Monkey
Squirrel Monkey
Capuchin Monkey
Titi Monkey
White Face Saki
Night Monkey
Schmidts Guenon
GLT
GHLT
Callimico
Cottontop Tamarin
Takin
White Rhino
Lowland Tapir-(a baby was born the day I visited and was on display)
Malayan Tapir
Bongo
Retic Giraffe
Addra Gazell
Scimitar Oryx
Bighorn Sheep
Greater Kudu
Gemsbok
Red River Hog
Warthog
Pronghorn
Wallaroo
Red roo
Flying Fox
Stanley Crane
King Vulture
Crowned Crane
Galapagos Tortoise

If anyone has more info on this zoo, especially the history and whether they were aza at some point, I would appreciate it. Thanx
 
I don't personally know the owner but have always been told he was not someone easily likeable. He wouldn't dare be AZA as they would tell him what to do and he does NOT like that and would never listen to anyone else as he knows it all. The giraffe exhibit is nice and i hear it could have held something like 20 more than it does but he refused to raise the 9 ft. tall tunnel under the bridge for safety purposes so they didn't get all they could have had. Besides that probably the best overall collection of primates in non-AZA.
 
Safari Park said:
I don't personally know the owner but have always been told he was not someone easily likeable. He wouldn't dare be AZA as they would tell him what to do and he does NOT like that and would never listen to anyone else as he knows it all. The giraffe exhibit is nice and i hear it could have held something like 20 more than it does but he refused to raise the 9 ft. tall tunnel under the bridge for safety purposes so they didn't get all they could have had. Besides that probably the best overall collection of primates in non-AZA.
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Thank you very much. I have heard of other facilities with stubborn owners that refuse to give up animals. The only thing I don't understand is that when I was there the received 2 malayan tapir from Cleveland and Miami which are both aza. If he is not willing to transfer animals why would they send animals to Richmond.
I do agree the primate collection is amazing for a non-aza zoo. The giraffe exhibit could hold many more giraffes and it already holds one of the largest bongo herds I've seen.
I would also like to know were the lowland tapirs came from because the day I was there they had a baby born that morning and was on display. If the zoo is non-accredited and the animals came from an accredited place how can they be part of the SSP or why would they be allowed to go to Richmond?
 
SSP programs are a funny thing. Simply put if your big enough the rules don't apply. Take for example Arabian Oryx SSP there are 10 times more arabian in texas than the world combined, there are 3 times more bongo in the private sector and the studbooks keep showing them going out of the pop., largest number of grevy zebra are non-aza and the zoos send more to non-aza than aza every year, many more Mhorr Gazelle in the non-AZA, i could go on forever but basically it all comes down to who you know!

On the lowland tapirs, years back the zoos were giving them away like hot cakes in favor of more endangered tapirs. Anyone who asked could get them. I believe the malayan from this zoo came via Peace River but they just pulled the loan at the other zoos.
 
Safari Park said:
SSP programs are a funny thing. Simply put if your big enough the rules don't apply. Take for example Arabian Oryx SSP there are 10 times more arabian in texas than the world combined, there are 3 times more bongo in the private sector and the studbooks keep showing them going out of the pop., largest number of grevy zebra are non-aza and the zoos send more to non-aza than aza every year, many more Mhorr Gazelle in the non-AZA, i could go on forever but basically it all comes down to who you know!

On the lowland tapirs, years back the zoos were giving them away like hot cakes in favor of more endangered tapirs. Anyone who asked could get them. I believe the malayan from this zoo came via Peace River but they just pulled the loan at the other zoos.
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Excellent info. I really appreciate it. This zoo has been bugging me since i went last summer.

Cat-Man: GLT- Golden Lion Tamarin, GHLT- Golden Headed Lion Tamarin
 
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