Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2019

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ThylacineAlive said:
Why would they be seen as any less attractive of an exhibit animal than the Przewalski's Wild Horse?

~Thylo
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Relax! This is not my personal conviction!

Just: in the perceptions of most MotR zoos the wild asses in general are deemed not much of a crowd puller and therefore ... A donkey uninteresting.

That seemingly unconcerned attitude has previously led to the species almost disappearing in AZA zoos. The current numbers in US zoos and private collections is but a fraction of which once was. Alas and shamelessly so
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Relax! This is not my personal conviction!

Just: in the perceptions of most MotR zoos the wild asses in general are deemed not much of a crowd puller and therefore ... A donkey uninteresting.

That seemingly unconcerned attitude has previously led to the species almost disappearing in AZA zoos. The current numbers in US zoos and private collections is but a fraction of which once was. Alas and shamelessly so
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I didn't realize I was worked up... :p ;) I was just curious if you knew why zoos look at the wild horse and see a good exhibit animal while they look at an Asiatic Wild Ass-- which would look rather identical to Joe Public-- and see an exhibitable animal. Perhaps the horses survival success story comes into play? It can't just be that zoos think donkeys are uninteresting or else the Somali Wild Ass wouldn't be as common as it is.

The issue with the US Onager population is that it was always a small population that was mixed with Kulan. The AZA chose to focus on pure Onager but the program has always been small. Smithsonian probably has the largest and only regularly breeding herd in the country unfortunately.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I didn't realize I was worked up... :p ;) I was just curious if you knew why zoos look at the wild horse and see a good exhibit animal while they look at an Asiatic Wild Ass-- which would look rather identical to Joe Public-- and see an exhibitable animal. Perhaps the horses survival success story comes into play? It can't just be that zoos think donkeys are uninteresting or else the Somali Wild Ass wouldn't be as common as it is.

The issue with the US Onager population is that it was always a small population that was mixed with Kulan. The AZA chose to focus on pure Onager but the program has always been small. Smithsonian probably has the largest and only regularly breeding herd in the country unfortunately.

~Thylo
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End 1977 the purebred population was 27.22 in 12/13 collections. All traceable to US Iran direct imports or via Hagenbeck Stellingen from Iran.

Kulan were more numerous and particularly concentrated in later years at Canyon Colorado.

Only on demise of the CC ranch and general disconcern in AZA quarters did potentially kulan and onager together. Even there I remain unconvinced since the actions were under cloak and dagger and at the behest of some knackerer.

This unfortunately has been repeated with other rare hoofstock too when on ill-fated phase-out.
 
The zoo has two new 5-year-old Aldabra tortoises! They just arrived from Henry Dorly and are too young to be sexed accurately until they reach maturity in 20 years or so lol. I find this so exciting, not only because one of the Zoo's tortoises died in April, but because they are so long-lived that more than a handful of generations of vistor families could see these same two tortoises over the next up-to-150 years, much the way we've all seen Rulon and Chyna as we've aged. So cool!

Two Young Aldabra Tortoises Move to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
 
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