Pinniped species in captivity?

sealion

sealion

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I'm not sure whether this thread has been done before but hey ho!

I was wondering how many different types of pinniped species are kept in captivity.

Sealion :)

(I am aware that I could use ISIS/Zootierliste, but they're not always correct and it would I require me to search every single species to find out! :P)
 
Don't be such a lazy toad. Unless there's a pinniped obsessive out there with the facts at their fingertips you're basically asking other people to do your research for you. It's not like you even don't know about ISIS or Zootierlist which is where most people answering the question would go to confirm their information anyway. Get mouse-clicking:D
 
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No offence but I agree with Shorts. Besides, if you're like me and love marine mammals, which I take that you do judging by your username, you'll get a kick out of researching this on your own.

I'm myself a marine mammal enthusiast and could spend the entire night listing where interesting species are kept but I don't have time now, with a report to write for university.

While I would always say that you should take what ISIS has to say with a grain of salt, Zootierliste is a more reliable source. There are several truly passioned German zoo enthusiasts behind it and they have a network of 'associates' spread around Europe who help keeping the information up to date, so it gets updated more quickly than ISIS ever will.
 
Thanks for the not-so-helpful help, not! There are other similar style threads on here, I recall there being one that listed all the facilities keeping seal and sea lion species in the UK not long back with many helpful comments and discussion points! Maybe I should have named the thread "What unusual pinniped species' are kept in captivity?". This is a website for sharing information- not denying people it, so if you personally don't have anything useful to say in this thread, go find another that you are interested in participating in.
Re: zootierliste, true, it is better than ISIS, but doesn't cover the rest of the world., so isn't the only source that would need to be used.

And for the record shorts, I do not appreciate being called a lazy toad. I recognise that it may have been in a humourous light, but over the internet it is sometimes difficult to tell.

(So for anyone reading this who has anything constructive to say, do you know of any unusual pinniped species being kept in captivity?) I will do my research in due course, but I like the discussion element of zoochat and would be interested in seeing who else has similar interests.
 
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Based on your emotional response (i.e. that you go into defence straight away) I take it that you're somewhere in your teens, so look at the classic proverb above and try to see why I put it there.

If you want to start a discussion, it is usually good to start it yourself in some way with some information or thoughts about the subject; not just popping a question and leaving it there for others to act, not to mention stating that you know of some useful sources but you can't be bothered with them as they MAY not be perfectly up to date. That is what cross-checking is for, and once you get to university level, you'll be expected to know this and more before turning in assignments. For instance: if you see a species mentioned on either Zootierliste or ISIS but have a feeling that it may not be correct or up to date, check the zoo's website to see if the species is listed. That is just one of the ways to find out...
 
Not much here in the Northeast U.S. Harbor Seals,Northern Fur Seals,California Sea Lions.... but Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut is one of four places in North America to have Steller Sea Lions.
 
The most interesting/unusual pinniped I've ever seen in captivity was the Leopard Seals at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, they are very cool. Amazing size!

In NZ we have two Californian Sea Lions, and ex-rehab NZ and Subantarctic Fur Seals in captivity.

Australia has Californian and Australian Sea Lions, NZ, Subantarctic and Australian Fur Seals, Leopard Seal and Pacific Harbour Seal.
 
Burger's Zoo in Arnhem has ringed seals, I found that fairly odd.

But I'd have to say the Hawaiian Monk Seals at the Waikiki Aquarium were the most unusual pinniped I have had the good chance to see in captivity. Though probably the locals didn't think them that exotic (that being said, they live a bloody long way away from human habited hawaii)

I'd love to know if there are any Caspian or Baikal seals in captivity or my favourite the Juan Fernandez Fur Seal if anyone would be willing to tell me without first berating me for not having telephoned every pinniped studbook keeper and emailing the entire Pinniped Specialist Group (before you say it, i know: kit.kovacs@npolar.no) before having the audacity to bring it up in a friendly chat site.
 
Whats an Ounce said:
I'd love to know if there are any Caspian or Baikal seals in captivity
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Last I heard there is still a single Baikal Seal in Leipzig (who I hope survives until my next visit in September as I'd love to see the species again). They had them not far from me at Twycross for some time but alas no more.
 
Baldur said:
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Based on your emotional response (i.e. that you go into defence straight away) I take it that you're somewhere in your teens, so look at the classic proverb above and try to see why I put it there.

If you want to start a discussion, it is usually good to start it yourself in some way with some information or thoughts about the subject; not just popping a question and leaving it there for others to act, not to mention stating that you know of some useful sources but you can't be bothered with them as they MAY not be perfectly up to date. That is what cross-checking is for, and once you get to university level, you'll be expected to know this and more before turning in assignments. For instance: if you see a species mentioned on either Zootierliste or ISIS but have a feeling that it may not be correct or up to date, check the zoo's website to see if the species is listed. That is just one of the ways to find out...
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You have no idea how old I am and I have no idea how old you are. I am infact a university student and I know perfectly well how research works. As this is a personal query I did not feel the need to go about it like a phD thesis. I was just looking for some discussion with like-minded zoochatters. You can save your demeaning speeches for someone who is actually younger and less experienced than you-and make sure you know enough about them first.
 
zooboy28 said:
The most interesting/unusual pinniped I've ever seen in captivity was the Leopard Seals at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, they are very cool. Amazing size!

In NZ we have two Californian Sea Lions, and ex-rehab NZ and Subantarctic Fur Seals in captivity.

Australia has Californian and Australian Sea Lions, NZ, Subantarctic and Australian Fur Seals, Leopard Seal and Pacific Harbour Seal.
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Leopard seals would be great to see!
 
Zoomarine in Portugal used to keep Harp Seals and so did the National Aquarium in Baltimore, but I guess they are all gone now ? For Europe, Hannovers Northern fur seals are very unusual, but South American fur seals are also not very common.
 
Saro said:
Zoomarine in Portugal used to keep Harp Seals and so did the National Aquarium in Baltimore, but I guess they are all gone now ? For Europe, Hannovers Northern fur seals are very unusual, but South American fur seals are also not very common.
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I saw my first Harp Seal at Zoomarine (in summer 2002) but I think they have indeed gone from there; they do still have them at Oceanopolis in Brest (France) I believe.

When I did Oceanopolis (also, as it happens, in 2002, but a few months later!) the Harp Seals were mixed with Ringed Seals but I don't know if this is still the case; the only Ringed I've come across lately are the aforementioned Arnhem animals.


EDIT: While we're on weird pinnipeds, there are two species I've seen in captivity only as rescue animals - Northern Elephant Seal at SeaWorld San Diego (1998) and Hooded Seal at the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek (2009).

http://www.zoochat.com/505/hooded-seal-eating-ice-cubes-national-73936/
 
Duisburg kept a (rescued) northern Elephant seal in the early eighties for a short time and Sea World San Diego occasionally has Guadalupe fur seals in rehab, which are although usually not visible for the general public.
 
I've seen a few uncommon pinniped species in japan. Most japanese zoos are not on ISIS....So I've seen Beared Seals, caspian seal, largha seal,Baikal Seal, Northen Furseal and Steller Sealion, to name the uncommon species.

Toba Aquarium is keeping 9 species of pinnipeds. Oceanpolis Brest in France is keeping Harp Seals, I think, they are the only place in europe with them. Waikikki Aquarium is keeping hawaian Monkseals.
 
sealion said:
And for the record shorts, I do not appreciate being called a lazy toad. I recognise that it may have been in a humourous light, but over the internet it is sometimes difficult to tell.
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Trust me, where I'm from "lazy toad" is vaguely endearing. Of course I wasn't suggesting you're a toad, but I do stand by the lazy remark:

sealion said:
(I am aware that I could use ISIS/Zootierliste, but they're not always correct and it would I require me to search every single species to find out! :P)
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I'm sorry, I consider not being bothered to perform a task which would take, ooh, 15 minutes (at most) is a little lazy.

That said, your original post has opened up some interesting points so it's not all bad:)
 
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Saro said:
Zoomarine in Portugal used to keep Harp Seals and so did the National Aquarium in Baltimore, but I guess they are all gone now ? For Europe, Hannovers Northern fur seals are very unusual, but South American fur seals are also not very common.
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The National Aquarium, Baltimore moved the three species of seals out of their enclosure in 2002 for the Animal Planet Australia exhibit. The Harbor Seals and Gray Seals were moved to the Albuquerque Aquarium. I have no idea where the Harp Seals went. I don't think they moved to Albuquerque.
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
The National Aquarium, Baltimore moved the three species of seals out of their enclosure in 2002 for the Animal Planet Australia exhibit. The Harbor Seals and Gray Seals were moved to the Albuquerque Aquarium. I have no idea where the Harp Seals went. I don't think they moved to Albuquerque.
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Detroit has, or at least had, a single Harp Seal when I was there in 2003, to this day my only one, at least until I go down to Brest in France to see theirs. Then I'll get to see Ringed Seals for the first time too; the last time I was in Arnhem was in 2004, I think they got theirs the following year.
 
This is according to ISIS

Walruses

Europe
Walrus
North America
Walrus
Asia
Walrus

Sea Lions and Fur Seals

Europe
South American Fur Seal
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Northern Fur Seal
Steller's Northern Sea Lion
South American Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
North America
Northern Fur Seal
Steller's Northern Sea Lion
South American Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
South America
South American Fur Seal
South American Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Asia
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Steller's Northern Sea Lion
Australian Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Africa
South American Fur Seal
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
South American Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Oceania
New Zealand Fur Seal
Subantarctic Fur Seal
Australian Sea Lion
California Sea Lion

I may do seals later tonight.
 
Shorts said:
Trust me, where I'm from "lazy toad" is vaguely endearing. Of course I wasn't suggesting you're a toad, but I do stand by the lazy remark:



I'm sorry, I consider not being bothered to perform a task which would take, ooh, 15 minutes (at most) is a little lazy.

That said, your original post has opened up some interesting points so it's not all bad:)
Click to expand...

Regarding your alphabet zoo, what have you got lined up for the letter X? on second thoughts I bet you have something in mind!
 
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