Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Mutation raccoon dogs origins?

Z

Zoecatmeow

Active Member
I was looking at the zoo, I hadn't been there in years, and it had undergone a new name change.
I believe I went there last when it was the big cat and monkey sanctuary?

When looking through their animals, I saw their raccoon dogs, Pom & Poko, and i recognised they were some sort of white colour morph.

The website says they were rescues, but not from where.
I tried emailing for more info and got no response.
Do you think they were rescued Exotic pets? If a random morph appeared in a zoo, I'd be not too surprised but two? It definitely seems to be purpose bred to me. Yet a zoo wouldn't breed mutations, or at least I heard they are not allowed to breed white tigers or white lions in UK anymore.

Do you know more about these two's origins?

IMG_9378-1-768x576.jpg
 
Embu said:
Wildheart on Isle of Wight, I recognise the picture and names.

They were ex-pets but no idea if they were seized or given up.

A racoon dog has been seen loose in the wild up here in North Wales in the last 12 months but as far as I'm aware never been captured
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I thought they were ex pets.

Hope the raccoon dog in Wales gets rescued
 
Zoecatmeow said:
I was looking at the zoo, I hadn't been there in years, and it had undergone a new name change.
I believe I went there last when it was the big cat and monkey sanctuary?

When looking through their animals, I saw their raccoon dogs, Pom & Poko, and i recognised they were some sort of white colour morph.

The website says they were rescues, but not from where.
I tried emailing for more info and got no response.
Do you think they were rescued Exotic pets? If a random morph appeared in a zoo, I'd be not too surprised but two? It definitely seems to be purpose bred to me. Yet a zoo wouldn't breed mutations, or at least I heard they are not allowed to breed white tigers or white lions in UK anymore.

Do you know more about these two's origins?

IMG_9378-1-768x576.jpg
Click to expand...
I think you've got the wrong end of the stick.

Zoos shouldn't breed colour morphs of endangered species purposefully, especially the highly inbred, impure, no use for conservation, white tiger.

Non endangered species not subject to stud books and breeding programmes can be bred, depending on local regs. I mean there are plenty of albino wallabies in zoos, after all, for example.

And if these were ex-pets or private-bred and rescued/donated and not to be bred (which I believe is the case with this potentially invasive species) in the zoo, then all is fine.

No need to condemn or castigated anyone. The zoo have done a decent thing for the animals.
 
GaryA said:
I think you've got the wrong end of the stick.

Zoos shouldn't breed colour morphs of endangered species purposefully, especially the highly inbred, impure, no use for conservation, white tiger.

Non endangered species not subject to stud books and breeding programmes can be bred, depending on local regs. I mean there are plenty of albino wallabies in zoos, after all, for example.

And if these were ex-pets or private-bred and rescued/donated and not to be bred (which I believe is the case with this potentially invasive species) in the zoo, then all is fine.

No need to condemn or castigated anyone. The zoo have done a decent thing for the animals.
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I wasn't condemning the zoo, I already knew they were rescues. Just wondered if there was more info as I couldn't find any.

I didn't know it only referred to endangered animals with that colour morph thing.
Completely forgot about white wallabies. Makes sense though.
 
Zoecatmeow said:
I wasn't condemning the zoo, I already knew they were rescues. Just wondered if there was more info as I couldn't find any.

I didn't know it only referred to endangered animals with that colour morph thing.
Completely forgot about white wallabies. Makes sense though.
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All these Racoon dogs would tend to be rescues and rehomed pets now, whatever the morph / colour variant as they can no longer be bred here, so the zoo couldn't breed them anyway. Eventually they will die off and not be seen in any collection here any more I guess.

Keeping Raccoon Dogs As Pets | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk

Invasive non-native (alien) animal species: rules in England and Wales
 
Lafone said:
All these Racoon dogs would tend to be rescues and rehomed pets now, whatever the morph / colour variant as they can no longer be bred here, so the zoo couldn't breed them anyway. Eventually they will die off and not be seen in any collection here any more I guess.

Keeping Raccoon Dogs As Pets | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk

Invasive non-native (alien) animal species: rules in England and Wales
Click to expand...
Yeah, I heard about the Exotic Pet trade and these.
Also how they were illegal to be bred here. I went through a phase of researching Exotic pets, not to own of course, just out of curiosity.

Which is why I was so confused to see these colour morphs* ,let alone the racoon dogs over here. My guess was rescued from private collection but I thought you couldn't even have them in private collection anymore.

*But I guess it could have appeared from another zoo, even though that's not the case. But like you said, they are not allowed to be bred here. I didn't know the colour morph rule was endangered animals only in zoos (forgot about albino wallabies).

So how the original owners had them I don't know, I guess even if it is illegal to breed, it doesn't stop people from trying. I font know if they can be imported pets either. I know some exotic pets can't even be imported here either.

I really hope I get to see them. It's rare I go to isle of wight as I can't drive (to the ferry) and rely on others. But this might be my only chance to see racoon dogs alive.
 
Zoecatmeow said:
Yeah, I heard about the Exotic Pet trade and these.
Also how they were illegal to be bred here. I went through a phase of researching Exotic pets, not to own of course, just out of curiosity.

Which is why I was so confused to see these colour morphs* ,let alone the racoon dogs over here. My guess was rescued from private collection but I thought you couldn't even have them in private collection anymore.

*But I guess it could have appeared from another zoo, even though that's not the case. But like you said, they are not allowed to be bred here. I didn't know the colour morph rule was endangered animals only in zoos (forgot about albino wallabies).

So how the original owners had them I don't know, I guess even if it is illegal to breed, it doesn't stop people from trying. I font know if they can be imported pets either. I know some exotic pets can't even be imported here either.

I really hope I get to see them. It's rare I go to isle of wight as I can't drive (to the ferry) and rely on others. But this might be my only chance to see racoon dogs alive.
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Some illegal breeding still goes on and they remain the subject of confiscations etc.

There are a few places that have them too if any other locations work for you. I've seen two at Johnson's of Oldhurst and Ark wildlife and Dinosaur park have a whole group including morphs and Lincoln (previously Woodside) have them too.

ZTL lists a few other places with them which include Thrigby (I can't recall them there but someone will know better than me) and Wingham among the more widely accessible collections.
 
Lafone said:
Some illegal breeding still goes on and they remain the subject of confiscations etc.

There are a few places that have them too if any other locations work for you. I've seen two at Johnson's of Oldhurst and Ark wildlife and Dinosaur park have a whole group including morphs and Lincoln (previously Woodside) have them too.

ZTL lists a few other places with them which include Thrigby (I can't recall them there but someone will know better than me) and Wingham among the more widely accessible collections.
Click to expand...

I really want to go.to the Ark Wildlife and Dinosaur park one day.
They have a jungle cat and Bobcat that I really want to see.
I think I heard they had Asian leopard cat once too.
 
In my area Sewerby, Filey and Bridlington Animal Park all have them (one of the three at BAP is a white mutation). Funnily enough only last Friday I was talking about the species with the owners at Filey and reminiscing about how not so long ago the internet was awash with colour mutations for sale.
 
Parrotsandrew said:
In my area Sewerby, Filey and Bridlington Animal Park all have them (one of the three at BAP is a white mutation). Funnily enough only last Friday I was talking about the species with the owners at Filey and reminiscing about how not so long ago the internet was awash with colour mutations for sale.
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That's cool

I remember when exotic animals were extremely common online, colour mutations were quickly found and bred on mass too. I think the trend of social media and YouTube influencers with these sort of exotic pets helped too.

I believe it has slowed down abit, but I still occasionally see sugar gliders etc.
But I dont see it as often now

I think people have begun to realise how hard these pets are to keep aswell.
 
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