San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo News 2025

Kudu21 said:
To finish off where others have left it -- the only animals from the above list that are still at the Zoo are the Wolf's monkeys and the lesser spot-nosed guenon, both of which are in a mixed species exhibit with the pygmy hippopotamus in the Lost Forest section of the map.

While people on the forum often do not mind helping out with questions such as these, I would encourage you next time to use the features and archives of this site to your full advantage! :) If you look under the "San Diego Zoo" filter, you'd see that @Coelacanth18 posted a recent and fairly comprehensive species list for the Zoo last month (San Diego Zoo Species List (On-Display) April 2025 [San Diego Zoo]), which would you provide you a lot answers about the Zoo's collection plus more! Perusing the San Diego Zoo gallery and using the forum's search function is also a good way to find information that you're looking for, as well :)
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind
 
Westcoastperson said:
Phoenix Zoo should also still have them.
Click to expand...
How come this species was so infinitely and badly managed population wise in the USA and seems not to be particularly well loved within AZA for this endangered species that is decreasing in population within its natural range?


Species information dates back to 2014: The species occurs on Busuanga, Calauit, Culion, Marily and Dimaquiat islands. It is under pressure and continuing to decline due to hunting pressure, human settlement and agricultural development. The situation has become quite acute on Busuanga where typhoon survivors resettled after Haiyan.
 
Last edited:
Kifaru Bwana said:
How come this species was so infinitely and badly managed population wise in the USA and seems not to be particularly well loved within AZA for this endangered species that is decreasing in population within its natural range?
Click to expand...

Three words - chronic wasting disease. The extremely strict regulations set by numerous states essentially crippled almost all the deer programs. Moving deer across state lines became near or completely impossible. Pudu, muntjac, and reindeer are pretty much the only deer holding on, along with hopefully Tufted and Pere David's. Everything else aside from the natives is toast. Well, and Fallow but they're a dime a dozen.
 
Great Argus said:
Three words - chronic wasting disease. The extremely strict regulations set by numerous states essentially crippled almost all the deer programs. Moving deer across state lines became near or completely impossible. Pudu, muntjac, and reindeer are pretty much the only deer holding on, along with hopefully Tufted and Pere David's. Everything else aside from the natives is toast. Well, and Fallow but they're a dime a dozen.
Click to expand...
Was it ever demonstrated that the exotic deer species under consideration within this legislation had any significant zoonosis or other veterinary health concerns...?

Somehow, I do not think there has been sufficient evidence from exotic deer species being singled out in any number in cases of chronic wasting disease, TSE, BSE or whatever! All too often exotic wildlife are made the scapegoat for veterinary health authorities issues with local zoonotic and bacterial/viral outbreaks that stem from the inefficacy of vet authorities and the cattle industry or the private wildlife (both domestic and exotics) holdings community to deal with these.

All this happens in some far flung delusional rationale and pretense that somehow a few individuals of any species foreign to this nation should have a disease ... while it is a significant issue within the cattle industry or the country itself and by design and failure of the very same veterinary authorities and other departments of Federal and State Government to to deal with the real issues at hand effectively.

TBH and I am afraid the USA nor North America are unique nor alone in this. The same toxic storyline and narrative in Europe and the United Kingdom, in Australia and New Zealand, South America with Argentina and Brazil plays the same fiddle ... and the list just goes on and on.

All the same it is a sorry Epitaph that the USA in particular is failing endangered species globally and doubling down on the easiest prey available .... exotics.


NOTA BENE: I have read and evaluated the publicly available data from US administrative bodies on CWD. The statistics are not what it is all made out to be.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Was it ever demonstrated that the exotic deer species under consideration within this legislation had any significant zoonosis or other veterinary health concerns...?
Click to expand...

Yes - the deer TAG acknowledges concerns with certain species having the carrier potential per genetic analysis. Some facilities do apparently test for cwd when doing deer necropsy. So it's not necessarily unfounded.

Kifaru Bwana said:
Somehow, I do not think there has been sufficient evidence from exotic deer species being singled out in any number in cases of chronic wasting disease, TSE, BSE or whatever! All too often exotic wildlife are made the scapegoat for veterinary health authorities issues with local zoonotic and bacterial/viral outbreaks that stem from the inefficacy of vet authorities and the cattle industry or the private wildlife (both domestic and exotics) holdings community to deal with these.
Click to expand...

They were not scapegoated, they were caught in the crossfire due to carrier potential. The disease was first observed in North America in native species, and remains primarily among native species. However, several former program species do have the potential to contract and carry cwd - at which point it is fair that due caution is observed given the disease is always fatal. Given that zoos often provide a convenient refuge for wild deer, it is not unreasonable to be cautious. Whether regulations are overblown I am uncertain, though I do know deer tend to carry a lot of diseases and have seen diseased deer on zoo grounds in the past. My understanding is that transfers are usually possible, but doing so requires so much testing and red tape it was becoming a tremendous hassle and headache. Subsequently the affected programs were driven into the ground.
 
IIRC, regarding deer, two states that are a little more lenient are CA and NY. Thus, for a lot of Asian deer, SDZSP and the Bronx are gonna be two big players for ex situ deer conservation

And not to get too spec zoo, but one idea I had for the WCS was to get an extra property in the state to sustain hoofstock ala the WildCare or Lembke Family Preserve. They seem super dedicated to Asian hoofstock so I'm sure they'd love a place to have big herds

A cool location would be the former Catskills Game Farm
 
Last edited:
 
Going to be back in town for a few months after some travels/time spent with family back home and so planning on buying a membership to the zoo. Does anyone here currently have a membership and if so is the San Diego Resident Premium that much more worth it then the normal San Diego Resident?
 
Jonathan Petersson said:
Going to be back in town for a few months after some travels/time spent with family back home and so planning on buying a membership to the zoo. Does anyone here currently have a membership and if so is the San Diego Resident Premium that much more worth it then the normal San Diego Resident?
Click to expand...
I would definitely say it is worth it for me. I love being able to go any time I want. I can’t imagine not being able to visit on the weekends, that is the most convenient time to visit for me.
 
 
 
I’ve neve
Haliaeetus said:
It has been called LULUA, from a river in Congo.
San Diego Zoo on Instagram: "(Baby) monkey business If you've swung by the De Brazza's monkey habitat recently, you may have spotted an adorable new addition exploring with the rest of the troop. Meet Lulua, a spunky little infant who was born on May 2nd and is named after a river from their native habitat in the Congo. Lulua has been learning the ropes from big brother Kasai while mama Lillie keeps a watchful eye nearby. So far the baby seems to be a morning monkey, and spends most of the AM bouncing around hammocks and getting better acquainted with their surroundings. #monkeybusiness #debrazzasmonkey #babyanimals #sandiegozoo"
Click to expand...
I’ve never seen their DeBrazzas monkeys, where are they located?
 
ZooFan1 said:
Take a left heading up Treetops Way after you pass the path entrance to Fern Canyon where it says Tiger Trail on this map, just right near the Babirusas on ground viewing;
https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/01-06-25_Zoo Map_web_0.pdf
Click to expand...
Ok now I can see it perfectly, like headed to the pictures colobus monkey. Perfect, thanks! I never even knew the zoo had Debrazza monkeys, I’ve never even seen one in my life now I might get to see a baby for the first time too when I go this Monday!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top