The Cassowary
Well-Known Member
I’d think vampire bats are pretty popular specifically because they feast on blood
Rarest animals seen in a zoo or aquarium
- Thread starter Arizona Docent
- Start date
The Spix's and Lear's macaws are still at Jurong. They will eventually be sent to Pairi Daiza. The Spix's are still on display but unsigned while the Lear's are off show
They were supposed to leave last year but the shipment was delayed by Covid correct? Along with the Shoebills?
Yes, supposedly so.
As mentioned in another thread: the problem with displaying vampire bats to the public is that the real animals can't live up to the huge expectations of most visitors. After decades of excessive fictional portrayals of vampires in the media, Average Joe & Jane expect spectacular giant monsters, but only get little smelly "flying rodents" hiding in the shadows. You'd need a very efficient zoo education program to counteract the disappointment.
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Not to mention that vampires are difficult and demanding to keep.
They pose similar husbandry demands as other neotropical microbats when it comes to humidity, temperatures etc. The daily blood feeding can be messy and you have to have constant access to a suitable blood source, but otherwise, there are way more difficult chiptera species to keep alive and well in captivity. I somehow think that some of the visitor demands and the federal requirements, like the ones in Austria, actually complicate their husbandry in zoos.
In my experience people have been intrigued by vampire bats, especially when their blood dish is out and people can watch them feed. This is excluding those afraid of bats of course.
My understanding is Europe has much stricter guidelines when it comes to importing and displaying these animals than America does, and this is part of the reason they're so rare over there.
~Thylo
Feeding times are in general very popular events among zoo visitors, no matter what species. Other than that, I have observed only little interest in vampire bats by most visitors. They usually take a look at the sign, look eagerly into the dark enclosure to see something at least the size of a large flying fox and either do not spot the bats or voice their disappointment that they are far smaller than expected.
Europe is not a monolithic country; the standards and requirements can differ from state to state. However, it appears that unlike the USA, common vampire bats have not managed to establish themselves in European zoos, as they are currently down to a single holder (Poznan).
TheZooUK
Active Member
I think that Howlett's Zoo in England has North Chinese Leopards aswell.
It does, along with 29 other European zoos, but in North America leopards that are not of the Amur subspecies are few and far between (particularly in accredited collections).
TheZooUK
Active Member
Ah, Ok, Thank you. I have not been to many American Zoos, so don't know about the collections that well.
TheChukaulorian
Well-Known Member
Darwin's frog: Santiago
White-backed stilt: Santiago/Buin
Austral parakeet: Santiago/Buin
Slender-billed parakeet: Santiago/Buin
Zorilla: Santiago
Colocolo: Santiago
Little grison: Santiago/Buin
Pichi armadillo: Santiago
Chilean pigeon: Santiago
Andean goose: Santiago
Diuca finch: Santiago
Black-faced ibis: Santiago/Buin
Leopard seal: Buin (rescue)
Guigna (Kodkod): Buin
Molina's hog-nosed skunk: Buin
Nene: Buin
Superb parrot: Buin
Pygmy hippo: Buin
Somali wild ass: Buin
Hope to add a lot of species once I include visits to American and European zoos.
White-backed stilt: Santiago/Buin
Austral parakeet: Santiago/Buin
Slender-billed parakeet: Santiago/Buin
Zorilla: Santiago
Colocolo: Santiago
Little grison: Santiago/Buin
Pichi armadillo: Santiago
Chilean pigeon: Santiago
Andean goose: Santiago
Diuca finch: Santiago
Black-faced ibis: Santiago/Buin
Leopard seal: Buin (rescue)
Guigna (Kodkod): Buin
Molina's hog-nosed skunk: Buin
Nene: Buin
Superb parrot: Buin
Pygmy hippo: Buin
Somali wild ass: Buin
Hope to add a lot of species once I include visits to American and European zoos.
Some amazing species there! Would particularly love to see the Kodkod and the leopard seal, though I am certainly envious of the Colocolo, Pichi and Zorilla.
Are Nene and Superb parrot rare in South America? In Europe they are held by 119 and 110 collections respectively, despite the former being so endangered.
African Forest Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus)
Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis)
Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)
Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola)
Grey Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)
Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus)
Reedbuck ( Redunca)
Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)
L'Hoest's Monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti)
Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii)
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
African Leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus)
Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus)
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)
Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Black Crested Mangabey (Lophocebus aterrimus)
Yellow Cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae)
Nile Crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus)
Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis)
Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)
Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola)
Grey Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)
Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus)
Reedbuck ( Redunca)
Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)
L'Hoest's Monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti)
Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii)
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
African Leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus)
Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus)
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)
Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Black Crested Mangabey (Lophocebus aterrimus)
Yellow Cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae)
Nile Crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus)
TheChukaulorian
Well-Known Member
It seems so, though honestly if I were to include every rare species in South America I'd have to add even popular species such as orangutans and white rhinos.
Amami Jay
Aye-aye
Japanese mole (not really a rare animal but still not a common zoo animal)
Aye-aye
Japanese mole (not really a rare animal but still not a common zoo animal)
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I don't think I've ever seen a nene here or a superb parrot and I would say that these are rare or even absent in both South America and wider Latin America.
But as @TheChukaulorian points out even species that are extremely common in European and North American zoos are rare or absent in Latin American zoos.
*Correction: Both species present in Buin zoo.
Last edited:
Don't suppose you have photos - even poor ones - of the kodkod and skunk? Both are missing from the gallery and hence my taxonomy threads.
Fantastic list! Do you happen to know if there are any Pichi, Leopard Seal or Guigna in Santiago or Buin currently?
@TeaLovingDave I have Molina's hog-nosed skunk photos in the gallery