The Detroit Zoo has had snow leopards. They were in what is now the lemur exhibit.
One animal that would improve a collection
- Thread starter Pandamich
- Start date
The Detroit Zoo has had snow leopards. They were in what is now the lemur exhibit.
When was this?
Looking at previous threads on ZooChat, about 1991.
cloudedleopard611
Well-Known Member
As could be easily guessed by my username, I think any zoo that doesn't have a clouded leopard in their collection would benefit greatly is one were to be added 
DetroitZoo42
Member
Detroit Zoo: Kakapo
The Free Flight Aviary is just one of many parts of the zoo that need a renewal
If the area where you first walk into the aviary with the green winged macaws was converted into an exhibit for one of the rarest birds on earth
Shedd Aquarium: Walrus
If something happened to the beluga whales imagine how cool it would be to see a walrus or two in the Oceanarium
Lincoln Park Zoo: Aye Aye
With such an influence on indoor exhibits
It would be interesting to see such a unique species on display
Memphis Zoo: Shoebills
With such amazingly themed exhibits an a natural wetland environment I think a species as rare in US zoos like this would be interesting to see.
John Ball Zoo: Spectacled Bear
Already rare in US zoos it would be a nice addition at the John Ball Zoo
Potter Park Zoo: Aardwolf
A pretty small zoo but a rare species like this would be a major highlight
Will add more as I think of them
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DetroitZoo42
Member
Edit Since Kakapo’s aren’t allowed to be kept in captivity
If the Detroit Zoo replaced the green winged macaws in the free flight aviary with Golden Lion Tamarins
that would be an amazing addition to Zoo with a collection that’s shrinking
Sphenisciologist
Well-Known Member
Tennessee Aquarium - Puffins, or another shorebird of some sort.
Reason: The Tennessee Aquarium is the epitome of an aquarium in my eyes. They have a diverse collection of fish, reptiles and ocean animals but also tropical animals that are non-aquatic, with a perfect balance of each. However, I think their birds collection is somewhat lacking. Besides the penguins, most of their birds are found in Tennessee, and it could use a more diverse collection of birds. Adding a species of puffin would be perfect for that in my opinion.
Saint Louis Zoo - An Australian species, such as wombats or emus.
Reason: The Saint Louis Zoo has a diverse collection from nearly every region in the world: but it lacks in Australian animals. Yes, there are kookaburras, kangaroos and wallabies, but compare that to their star animals and the Australian animals are pushed into the shadow. Adding a couple or even just one Australian species would definitely help, and the Red Rocks would be a perfect place to put them, especially since that’s where the kangaroos and wallabies reside anyway.
Memphis Zoo - A new reptile species.
Reason: I have a lot of different opinions on Memphis, but I will say that they do not have a great reptile collection, and it could use growth. Adding a new species of reptile to a current existing exhibit, like Aldabra Giant Tortoises to the African Veldt or even small turtle species in the Bird House (a lot of zoos are known to mix reptiles in their collections as side exhibits).
Reason: The Tennessee Aquarium is the epitome of an aquarium in my eyes. They have a diverse collection of fish, reptiles and ocean animals but also tropical animals that are non-aquatic, with a perfect balance of each. However, I think their birds collection is somewhat lacking. Besides the penguins, most of their birds are found in Tennessee, and it could use a more diverse collection of birds. Adding a species of puffin would be perfect for that in my opinion.
Saint Louis Zoo - An Australian species, such as wombats or emus.
Reason: The Saint Louis Zoo has a diverse collection from nearly every region in the world: but it lacks in Australian animals. Yes, there are kookaburras, kangaroos and wallabies, but compare that to their star animals and the Australian animals are pushed into the shadow. Adding a couple or even just one Australian species would definitely help, and the Red Rocks would be a perfect place to put them, especially since that’s where the kangaroos and wallabies reside anyway.
Memphis Zoo - A new reptile species.
Reason: I have a lot of different opinions on Memphis, but I will say that they do not have a great reptile collection, and it could use growth. Adding a new species of reptile to a current existing exhibit, like Aldabra Giant Tortoises to the African Veldt or even small turtle species in the Bird House (a lot of zoos are known to mix reptiles in their collections as side exhibits).
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
North Carolina Zoo:
Nile Hippo
For this zoo, I wanted to pick an animal that could easily go into the zoo as a part of one of the two continents that the NC Zoo currently represents (So not an animal for the coming regions: Asia, Australia, or the Amazon). So I went with the Nile Hippo. NC has enough space to house a good sized pod and I think this could go near the hippo beach picnic area that has never actually held hippos.
Nile Hippo
For this zoo, I wanted to pick an animal that could easily go into the zoo as a part of one of the two continents that the NC Zoo currently represents (So not an animal for the coming regions: Asia, Australia, or the Amazon). So I went with the Nile Hippo. NC has enough space to house a good sized pod and I think this could go near the hippo beach picnic area that has never actually held hippos.
Brandywine Zoo: if I had to stick to the master plan, any of the big-ticket animals. Flamingos, jaguar, giant anteater/maned wolf/capybara, sloth bear, snow leopard, spotted hyena, colobus monkey, komodo dragon, etc. The addition of *just* the first five animals (distilled even more to basically a big animal like the jaguar) would give a big boost to the zoo as a whole, much like Madagascar has. If I went beyond the master plan and added things I'd *personally* want, I'd probably expand across the road to that nice, unsuspecting 5 acre plot of land that currently houses a baseball field, a soccer field, and a playground, the latter of which can easily be moved over to Brandywine Park... all I can say is, if Lincoln Children's Zoo was able to fit tigers, red pandas, spider monkeys, giraffes, cheetahs and giant anteaters all in 5 acres, I have a few ideas in mind for how to switch it up and make things more unique.
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
Is Safari zoo Cumbria the former South Lakes Safari Zoo?
I'm not quite sure that I would consider the Memphis Zoo's reptile collection to be lackluster, by any means. The collection is actually quite nice and not an area I would consider them to be lacking in. The Herpetarium is definitely in need of an upgrade, but the collection is quite good compared the vast majority of zoos. They also already have Aldabra giant tortoises in the row of tortoise enclosures just past the Komodo dragon house.
Jambi
Well-Known Member
It is, they've dropped the "South Lakes" prefix in most of their marketing now.
Sphenisciologist
Well-Known Member
I haven’t been in a while, so you could be right. From what I remember, the Dragon house is the only thing that’s promoted, and reptile houses in zoos in general are not promoted as much as they should be, collectively.
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
I can respect that, especially with all the carnage and controversy that happened during the former ownership
On my last visit to Lincoln Park Zoo, it really felt to me that the collection could use the return of an antelope/gazelle to the African Savannah. They've previously held Addra gazelle, Arabian oryx, Sable antelope, Grant's gazelle and Waterbuck at various times and it feels strange that not a single member of the group remains, and I can't get used to the Antelope-Zebra Area being the Camel-Zebra Area. I think adding ostrich to the area would also be helpful. These are is not the most obvious missing animals but replacement would be pretty no-fuss, whereas tigers would need a new space entirely.
What's left in the hoofstock loop? Is it just grevy's zebra, camels, and pere david's deer? One benefit of focusing on ungulates other than antelope is that deer and caprids are more cold tolerant, however there are some African antelope species that are surprisingly very cold tolerant that could be great options for Lincoln Park Zoo, depending on what kind of space they'd like to dedicate to antelope.
Common Ostrich, Chacoan Peccary, Patagonian Cavy, Red Kangaroo, and Sichuan Takin are all still there.
TheImmigrant1
Well-Known Member
Houston Zoo: American Bison
Definitely a hard choice between this or the Common Hippo but the bison is just such a historically important species to Houston that I couldn’t justify not choosing them. A lone bison named Earl is credited as the animal to have started the Houston Zoo about 100 years ago and this hypothetical exhibit could pay homage to him. The Houston Zoo as a whole just doesn’t have any large North American herbivores in its collection to begin with, there was White Tailed Deer a few years ago in the Children’s zoo and that’s about it, so we are sorely lacking in that department and the bison would fill that hole incredibly. If they were to be added someday I’d assume they’d either replace their aging Watusi Cattle or have a brand new exhibit in the eventually renovated “Children’s Zoo: Texas!” area in their master plan. The area is meant to exhibit black bears, cougars, otters, and even ocelots so the bison (which historically lived in Texas in great numbers) would fit right in.
Definitely a hard choice between this or the Common Hippo but the bison is just such a historically important species to Houston that I couldn’t justify not choosing them. A lone bison named Earl is credited as the animal to have started the Houston Zoo about 100 years ago and this hypothetical exhibit could pay homage to him. The Houston Zoo as a whole just doesn’t have any large North American herbivores in its collection to begin with, there was White Tailed Deer a few years ago in the Children’s zoo and that’s about it, so we are sorely lacking in that department and the bison would fill that hole incredibly. If they were to be added someday I’d assume they’d either replace their aging Watusi Cattle or have a brand new exhibit in the eventually renovated “Children’s Zoo: Texas!” area in their master plan. The area is meant to exhibit black bears, cougars, otters, and even ocelots so the bison (which historically lived in Texas in great numbers) would fit right in.