Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

There are 4 species in the family known as Hyaenidae. The most common one that I've seen is of course the Spotted Hyena, at 44 zoos. This species has been seen by me across a wide range of zoos, from AZA accredited facilities to roadside establishments to more than a dozen European collections.

2019 = 10 new zoos with the species

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 1996
2- Denver Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2006
3- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Spotted Hyena – 2007
4- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
5- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
6- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
7- Zoo Miami (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
8- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
9- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
10- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
11- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
12- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
13- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
14- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
15- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2011
16- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2011
17- Naples Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
18- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
19- Sunset Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
20- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2014
21- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2014
22- G W Exotic Animal Park (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
23- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
24- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
25- Out of Africa (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
26- Sierra Safari Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
27- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2017
28- America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2017
29- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2018
30- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2018
31- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
32- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
33- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
34- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
35- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
36- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
37- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
38- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
39- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
40- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
41- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
42- Randers Regnskov (Denmark) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
43- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
44- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2023

Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) used to have a massive exhibit for Spotted Hyenas in the Wild Dog Drive section of the park.

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A pair of outdated cement grottoes once held Spotted Hyenas at San Diego Zoo (USA), along with a revolving cast of critters over the decades. This area has now been replaced by the new Africa Rocks complex.

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The River's Edge set of exhibits at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) are popular highlights of that establishment, including a very nice Spotted Hyena enclosure.

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@pachyderm pro

Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) added Spotted Hyenas to its collection when the zoo opened African Journey in 2009.

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@Rhino0118

Here's a Spotted Hyena having a snooze at Buffalo Zoo (USA) in 2010:

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An absolutely puny exhibit for Spotted Hyenas at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) in 2010:

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The terraced Spotted Hyena exhibit at San Antonio Zoo (USA) in 2010 is reminiscent of similar enclosures at Madrid Zoo (Spain):

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A really tiny enclosure for a Spotted Hyena at Sacramento Zoo (USA) in 2011 is like a smaller combination of the San Diego/San Antonio yards. Check out that molded cement.

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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) at one point had Spotted Hyenas rotating with African Lions in a large habitat in the Edge of Africa zone.

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Sunset Zoo (USA) exhibit for Spotted Hyenas in 2012:

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DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) have had anywhere from one to three different Spotted Hyena exhibits on site at various times, with a surprisingly great one that included a lot of tall trees.

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There was a series of 2 or 3 small, entirely covered enclosures for Spotted Hyenas at G W Exotic Animal Park (USA) before Joe Exotic's zoo was permanently closed down.

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This small enclosure had a pile of cement in the middle and was home to two Spotted Hyenas at the now closed Sierra Safari Zoo (USA):

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This nasty looking cage at America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) shows future keepers how to care for Spotted Hyenas, and also provides a functional yet ghastly home for the species. It's the worst I've ever seen.

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My very first time ever seeing a Spotted Hyena in Europe was at Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands). Right out of the gate, this single enclosure was better than probably anything that North American zoos have ever imagined for the species. The hyena in this photo looks almost regal as it surveys its domain.

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There's currently two exhibits for Spotted Hyenas at Planckendael Zoo (Belgium), both spacious, grassy yards that are aesthetically pleasing to view.

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@vogelcommando

At Pairi Daiza (Belgium), one of the Spotted Hyenas apparently crashed its yellow plane into this moated enclosure. Not many people realize that some hyenas have their pilot licenses.

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@KevinB

Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) has a big grassy yard for Spotted Hyenas and Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) has this new hyena enclosure that's larger than many small zoos! The Dutch pride themselves on exemplary zoo exhibits, which is why I headed straight to that nation during my first big European zoo trip in 2019. This is spectacular:

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@Mr Gharial

Not to be outdone, the German zoos have a number of great exhibits for Spotted Hyenas. Here's a terrific example, with a fantastic backdrop, at Osnabruck Zoo (Germany):

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Randers Regnskov (Denmark) has two enormous exhibits for Spotted Hyenas, with rolling terrain and numerous visitor viewing areas, including a tall tree lookout. It took me forever to locate a single hyena between the two huge habitats.

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* On page 42 of this thread, there's an extensive list of all the species I've seen for Primates (141), Felidae (28) and Canidae (19).
 
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snowleopard said:
There are 4 species in the family known as Hyaenidae. The most common one that I've seen is of course the Spotted Hyena, at 44 zoos. This species has been seen by me across a wide range of zoos, from AZA accredited facilities to roadside establishments to more than a dozen European collections.

2019 = 10 new zoos with the species

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 1996
2- Denver Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2006
3- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – Spotted Hyena – 2007
4- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
5- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
6- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
7- Zoo Miami (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2008
8- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
9- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
10- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
11- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
12- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
13- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
14- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2010
15- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2011
16- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2011
17- Naples Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
18- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
19- Sunset Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2012
20- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2014
21- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2014
22- G W Exotic Animal Park (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
23- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
24- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
25- Out of Africa (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
26- Sierra Safari Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2015
27- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2017
28- America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2017
29- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2018
30- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2018
31- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
32- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
33- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
34- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
35- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
36- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
37- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
38- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
39- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
40- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Spotted Hyena – 2019
41- Jyllands Park Zoo (Denmark) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
42- Randers Regnskov (Denmark) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
43- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Spotted Hyena – 2022
44- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Spotted Hyena – 2023

Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) used to have a massive exhibit for Spotted Hyenas in the Wild Dog Drive section of the park.

full


A pair of outdated cement grottoes once held Spotted Hyenas at San Diego Zoo (USA), along with a revolving cast of critters over the decades. This area has now been replaced by the new Africa Rocks complex.

full


The River's Edge set of exhibits at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) are popular highlights of that establishment, including a very nice Spotted Hyena enclosure.

full


@pachyderm pro

Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) added Spotted Hyenas to its collection when the zoo opened African Journey in 2009.

full


@Rhino0118

Here's a Spotted Hyena having a snooze at Buffalo Zoo (USA) in 2010:

full


An absolutely puny exhibit for Spotted Hyenas at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) in 2010:

full


The terraced Spotted Hyena exhibit at San Antonio Zoo (USA) in 2010 is reminiscent of similar enclosures at Madrid Zoo (Spain):

full


A really tiny enclosure for a Spotted Hyena at Sacramento Zoo (USA) in 2011 is like a smaller combination of the San Diego/San Antonio yards. Check out that molded cement.

full


Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) at one point had Spotted Hyenas rotating with African Lions in a large habitat in the Edge of Africa zone.

full


Sunset Zoo (USA) exhibit for Spotted Hyenas in 2012:

full


DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) have had anywhere from one to three different Spotted Hyena exhibits on site at various times, with a surprisingly great one that included a lot of tall trees.

full


There was a series of 2 or 3 small, entirely covered enclosures for Spotted Hyenas at G W Exotic Animal Park (USA) before Joe Exotic's zoo was permanently closed down.

full


This small enclosure had a pile of cement in the middle and was home to two Spotted Hyenas at the now closed Sierra Safari Zoo (USA):

full


This nasty looking cage at America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) shows future keepers how to care for Spotted Hyenas, and also provides a functional yet ghastly home for the species. It's the worst I've ever seen.

full


My very first time ever seeing a Spotted Hyena in Europe was at Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands). Right out of the gate, this single enclosure was better than probably anything that North American zoos have ever imagined for the species. The hyena in this photo looks almost regal as it surveys its domain.

full


There's currently two exhibits for Spotted Hyenas at Planckendael Zoo (Belgium), both spacious, grassy yards that are aesthetically pleasing to view.

full


@vogelcommando

At Pairi Daiza (Belgium), one of the Spotted Hyenas apparently crashed its yellow plane into this moated enclosure. Not many people realize that some hyenas have their pilot licenses.

full


@KevinB

Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) has a big grassy yard for Spotted Hyenas and Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) has this new hyena enclosure that's larger than many small zoos! The Dutch pride themselves on exemplary zoo exhibits, which is why I headed straight to that nation during my first big European zoo trip in 2019. This is spectacular:

full


@Mr Gharial

Not to be outdone, the German zoos have a number of great exhibits for Spotted Hyenas. Here's a terrific example, with a fantastic backdrop, at Osnabruck Zoo (Germany):

full


Randers Regnskov (Denmark) has two enormous exhibits for Spotted Hyenas, with rolling terrain and numerous visitor viewing areas, including a tall tree lookout. It took me forever to locate a single hyena between the two huge habitats.

full


* On page 42 of this thread, there's an extensive list of all the species I've seen for Primates (141), Felidae (28) and Canidae (19).
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DeYoung has actually had as many as five (!) Spotted Hyena enclosures at any given time, as well as one or two for Striped Hyena at the same time.
 
turkeyfox said:
Where in the zoo is the unsigned exhibit?
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The Ruppell's sand fox at the Los Angeles Zoo is located in the roundhouse across from the zebra habitat in the current Animals of the Drylands area. The roundhouse is divided into three sections and the fox is on the right side, which is unsigned. Originally, the fox was signed and on the left side. However, last summer the three sections were all changed around with different animals and the fox was moved to the right side with no sign. Since the zoo has quite a few empty exhibits, I just thought that was also one of them. However, one of the members of ZooChat posted a photo of the sand fox taken this year and that's how I found out it was still there and just moved to the other side. It's strange that the zoo never put the sign back next to it though because the other two exhibits do have signs. I venture to say that most zoo visitors have no idea there's even an animal in there, let alone the rare Ruppell's sand fox!
 
ralph said:
Interesting, I am at 140 so that's almost exactly the same (144 if I count wild animals).

I've seen 28 species of feline, same as you. It could have been 29 if the Iberian lynxes at Lisbon zoo hadn't been no-shows.
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To piggyback on this, including wild animals I've seen:
342 species of Primates
40 species of Felids
34 species of Canids

@ralph how many Canids for you??
 
While I have seen Spotted Hyenas at 44 of the zoos I've visited, Striped Hyenas are at 14 zoos. I'll finish off Hyaenidae in one fell swoop as I've never seen a Brown Hyena and I've only once seen a bundle of fur in a corner that gives me an Aardwolf at 1 zoo.

1- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Striped Hyena – 1987
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2006
3- Zoo Boise (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2010
4- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2011
5- Naples Zoo (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2012
6- Denver Zoo (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2012
7- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2014
8- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2014
9- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2015
10- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2015
11- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Striped Hyena – 2019
12- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Striped Hyena – 2019
13- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Striped Hyena – 2019
14- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Striped Hyena – 2023

AND...

1- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Aardwolf – 2008

The now-closed Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) still had a single Aardwolf when I went for a guided tour in 2008, and the staff member pointed out a patch of fur lying in the grass near the rear of the exhibit. It was and still remains my only single sighting of this species in my lifetime and it was a very poor sighting indeed! Taxonomic changes made in the last year or so now recognize two Aardwolf species (Eastern and Southern) and I have no idea which one was at that obscure Canadian facility all those years ago. I missed seeing an Aardwolf at zoos such as Cincinnati and Berlin Tierpark. Here's the animal at Mountain View in 2006:

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@drzoomi

As for Striped Hyenas, they are much rarer than their spotted cousins. San Diego Zoo (USA) had both species at the same time and here are a couple of my photos of Striped Hyenas from 2011.

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Zoo Boise (USA) had Striped Hyenas when I was there in 2010:

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On my visits in both 2011 and 2023, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) had Striped Hyenas in the African loop of the zoo. Both of my photos are from last year.

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Naples Zoo (USA) had a very basic, functional enclosure for Striped Hyenas in 2012 and the zoo also had Spotted Hyenas at the same time:

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Just as in the case with San Diego and Naples, Denver Zoo (USA) had both Striped and Spotted Hyenas on exhibit at the same time back in 2012. Of course the species were in two separate enclosures, but nevertheless it made for a nice comparison. These two photos are ones I took in 2012 and I'm not sure that this exhibit even exists these days. Does anyone know? It would have been attached to the old Feline House.

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Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) had Striped Hyenas on a cement patch of ground in 2014:

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While DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) has had multiple Spotted Hyena grassy enclosures at once, they also had Striped Hyenas at the same time when I visited in 2014. Those poor suckers were kept in this cage:

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Another roadside American zoo, Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA), had Striped Hyenas in this enclosure in 2015:

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This photo from my 2015 visit to Fort Worth Zoo (USA), shows an exhibit that once held Sun Bears and Sloth Bears (and probably other species), but was home to Striped Hyenas at the time.

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The zoo still has the species:

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@BerdNerd

In visits to 120 European zoos, I only ever saw Striped Hyenas 3 times. You can see a Striped Hyena sleeping in its den at Opel Zoo (Germany) and I saw two exhibits for this species while there in 2019. Apparently, Opel used to have Brown Hyenas as well.

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@Jogy

Yet again, here's an example of a zoo having two hyena species at the same time. Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) has a new-ish Spotted Hyena yard but also this old-fashioned Striped Hyena enclosure.

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Look at this stunning individual! A Striped Hyena at Berlin Tierpark (Germany):

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@Fat-tailed dwarf lemur

Incredibly, of the 14 zoos where I've seen Striped Hyenas, SIX of them have also had Spotted Hyenas at the same time. That was a surprise to me and obviously zoos choose to go all in on hyenas. Which zoo has Spotted, Striped and Brown all at once? Doesn't Dvur Kralove (Czech. Rep.) have multiple species of Hyaenidae?

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) was the 6th zoo in this category when I took these photos last year:

Spotted Hyena exhibit:

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Striped Hyena exhibit:

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Hyaenidae: 3 TOTAL SPECIES

Spotted Hyenas - 44 zoos
Striped Hyenas - 14 zoos
Aardwolves - 1 zoo

* On page 42 of this thread, there's an extensive list of all the species I've seen for Primates (141), Felidae (28) and Canidae (19).
 
snowleopard said:
Incredibly, of the 14 zoos where I've seen Striped Hyenas, SIX of them have also had Spotted Hyenas at the same time. That was a surprise to me and obviously zoos choose to go all in on hyenas. Which zoo has Spotted, Striped and Brown all at once? Doesn't Dvur Kralove (Czech. Rep.) have multiple species of Hyaenidae?
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It really surprises me that so many zoos have multiple hyena species. I've never seen a zoo with multiple, and it seems to me like having multiple hyena species is the type of redundancy that zoos are trying to avoid as they move away from being "postage stamp" collections into cohesively themed zoological parks. I've seen my fair share of spotted hyenas, and did see striped hyenas at Utica Zoo, but I didn't realize there were many zoos dedicated to having more than a single hyena species. In the future, I'm hoping more zoos try to keep larger groups of hyenas- as their social structure is really fascinating and it could make for a really engaging display to have more than two or three hyenas in an enclosure.
 
snowleopard said:
The now-closed Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) still had a single Aardwolf when I went for a guided tour in 2008, and the staff member pointed out a patch of fur lying in the grass near the rear of the exhibit. It was and still remains my only single sighting of this species in my lifetime and it was a very poor sighting indeed! Taxonomic changes made in the last year or so now recognize two Aardwolf species (Eastern and Southern) and I have no idea which one was at that obscure Canadian facility all those years ago. I missed seeing an Aardwolf at zoos such as Cincinnati and Berlin Tierpark.
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That one looks to have been Southern :) unfortunately, had you managed to see aardwolf at either of the other collections you cite, you'd have gotten Eastern!
 
@Philipine eagle Dvur Kralove has an extraordinary collection. Between Prague, arguably a top 5 European zoo, and Plzen, and Dvur Kralove, and Zlin, and all the rest, the Czech. Rep. really packs a punch for zoos!

@Neil chace It really surprised me as well. Having 6 out of the 14 zoos with Striped Hyenas also having Spotted Hyenas makes me think that those zoos could possibly have housed a different canid such as Bush Dogs, Red Wolves or something else.

@reduakari Dog & Cat Canyon, combined with Horn & Hoof Mesa, has a real nostalgic feeling about it. Those were the days.

@TeaLovingDave Southern Aardwolf it is. Cheers!

@PossumRoach Yes, Mountain View did have Brown Hyenas, but prior to my 2008 visit. That place was certainly full of rarities over the years and I wish that I'd visited more than once. At the time, there was very limited hours, one had to pre-book a tour, the cost was around $35 for an hour or so, and all of that combined to make a visit a little more difficult than a standard zoo.
 
Neil chace said:
t really surprises me that so many zoos have multiple hyena species. I've never seen a zoo with multiple, and it seems to me like having multiple hyena species is the type of redundancy that zoos are trying to avoid as they move away from being "postage stamp" collections into cohesively themed zoological parks.
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It was probably more common 10-15 years ago when @snowleopard was making some of these mentioned visits; from what research I've done both Spotted and Striped Hyenas have become less common in major US collections since that time - especially Striped since Spotted is the species with an SSP. As for privately operated collections like Wildlife World, there seems to be a different ethos about collection planning and "redundancy" of holding similar species. Hyenas are a relatively easy species for private zoos to acquire, so holding more than one type isn't that surprising for them.

Neil chace said:
In the future, I'm hoping more zoos try to keep larger groups of hyenas- as their social structure is really fascinating and it could make for a really engaging display to have more than two or three hyenas in an enclosure.
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I've long felt this way too; keeping hyenas in pairs or trios is a waste of display potential IMO, as one of the most fascinating things about hyenas *is* their social structure in larger groups. But in order for this to ever be actualized the managed hyena population in the US will have to grow quite a bit, and it's unclear when or if that might happen.

A zoo would also have to be dedicated enough to them to invest money in a large, expensive setup for a proper clan - and the interest trend in hyenas has been going the opposite way in recent years if anything. They continue to be relegated as side displays to higher focus predators like Lions, Cheetahs and Painted Dogs rather than promoted as star attractions... to the public's educational detriment, I'd say.
 
This article, from 2014, might be of interest in this discussion about hyenas. A short drive from Oakland Zoo is the University of Berkeley. Back in 1985, a group of 20 newborn Spotted Hyenas were taken from Kenya and placed at a 'Field Station' near the university in California and studied for three decades. The colony of Spotted Hyenas peaked at 43 individuals, an astonishing number, but due to funding issues the whole program was canceled after almost 30 years. Did anyone on ZooChat ever visit this research group? How many hyenas were together in one space?

It's a fascinating article:

Berkeley's colony of spotted hyenas closes after 30 years
 
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I never visited it, but am very familiar with it - the hyena researchers there were actually consulted for the Lion King movie in the 90s (and were reportedly pretty unhappy with the final product). There was actually a period of time when they were looking at importing a bunch of aardwolves as well for an additional research project, though that never came to fruition.
 
snowleopard said:
Thanks so much to everyone who contributes to this thread, as it's been a fascinating tour through Primates, Felidae and Canidae. Whether it's @Lori Patton mentioning a species I've never come across in my life (the elusive Ruppell's Fox at Los Angeles Zoo), @Giant Eland talking about wild Jackal species, @PossumRoach and @Lafone discussing Raccoon Dogs in the U.K., @Neil chace and @evilmonkey239 providing information about Bush Dogs...and that's just the last few replies out of hundreds on this thread! I really appreciate the endless stream of tidbits of valuable information that others provide, from telling me about mixed-species exhibits that no longer exist, or new additions to zoos, or whatever the case may be. Thank you.

Onto my final entry in Canidae, but this thread has a LONG way to go still.

I've seen Dholes in 10 zoos. Here's another species that is almost extinct in North American collections, and 7 of my sightings have been in Europe. There are many zoo nerds on my side of the Atlantic who have never seen Dholes, which is a shame as they are charismatic animals with a beautiful red coat.

1- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Dhole – 2006
2- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Dhole – 2008
3- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Dhole – 2014
4- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Dhole – 2019
5- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Dhole – 2019
6- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Dhole – 2019
7- Munkholm Zoo (Denmark) – Dhole – 2022
8- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Dhole – 2022
9- Parken Zoo (Sweden) – Dhole – 2022
10- Nordens Ark (Sweden) – Dhole – 2022

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@Austin the Sengi

First up for Dholes is San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA), but there are zero photos of that species in the gallery. Thank goodness I decided to snap a photo of the Dhole exhibit on my solitary visit to Toronto Zoo (Canada) in 2008. This is the only image of the actual enclosure in the ZooChat gallery when it held Dholes.

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@Meaghan Edwards

The exhibit was originally built for Giant Pandas, then if I'm not mistaken it held Red Pandas, then Dholes and now Wattled Cranes. Next up will be Guinea Pigs or Hamsters.

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@Yi Qi

After 6 more years of visiting zoos I stumbled across Dholes at Minnesota Zoo (USA) in 2014. Here's 4 photos I took during that visit, as I was very impressed with the spacious, naturalistic habitat. Just like with Toronto, Dholes are long gone from Minnesota and I believe that Grey Wolves are in the enclosure these days.

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After seeing Dholes only three times in my lifetime, I then went to Europe and that's where there's loads of zoos with the species. Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) had Dholes in 2019 and I think that the zoo only added the species shortly before my visit, if my memory serves me well.

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@twilighter

I was genuinely surprised to see Dholes at the privately-owned Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands), but afterwards I realized that this Dutch zoo was jam-packed with rarities in every nook and corner. Again, I believe that the Dholes were a fairly recent addition when I toured this zoo in 2019.

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And of course Berlin Tierpark (Germany) has Dholes. The 'Berlins' are loaded with rarities and great exhibits, making them candidates for two of the world's greatest zoos.

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@twilighter

I then saw Dholes 4 times in just over a week in Scandinavia! It's funny to go one's whole life with barely seeing a particular species, and then there's a glut of them. Feast or famine. :p Zoo nerds talk about that when touring Aussie zoos, which I did in 2007. Koalas, Potoroos and Tasmanian Devils are left, right and center. "What's that over there? Another Tassie Devil. Yawn."

The family-run, very tiny Munkholm Zoo (Denmark) looked untidy and some enclosures were a bit of a shambles, but they had Dholes!

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The Scandinavian zoos are something else when it comes to giving vast acres of space to their animals. So many of the zoos there are mammal-heavy, and the Dhole exhibit at Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) is sensational. Look at this photo. There's actually a Dhole in the center of it, resting against a tree. I don't even know how large this enclosure is, but it's massive and a slice of Swedish woodland.

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Even the viewing deck is enormous:

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Another section of the Dhole exhibit:

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Parken Zoo (Sweden) also has a very impressive Dhole exhibit:

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Not to be outdone by Kolmarden and Parken, Nordens Ark (Sweden) maintains the Swedish tradition of fabulous Dhole habitats in zoos.

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Canidae: 19 TOTAL SPECIES

Grey Wolves - 129 zoos (I won't count Eastern Wolves, but it's possible)
Red Foxes - 75 zoos
African Wild Dogs - 51 zoos
Arctic Foxes - 49 zoos
Coyotes - 49 zoos
Fennec Foxes - 44 zoos
Maned Wolves - 38 zoos
Northern Grey Foxes - 35 zoos
Bat-eared Foxes - 25 zoos
Red Wolves - 22 zoos
Swift Foxes - 19 zoos
Bush Dogs - 16 zoos
Dholes - 10 zoos
Raccoon Dogs - 10 zoos
Corsac Foxes - 6 zoos
Island Foxes - 6 zoos
Kit Foxes - 6 zoos
Black-backed Jackals - 5 zoos
Golden Jackals - 2 zoos

AND...

Not included as part of my Canidae list, but interesting to track nonetheless:

New Guinea Singing Dogs - 17 zoos
Dingoes - 5 zoos
Click to expand...
Don't worry, Zoo Granby has now dholes. The 5 females are from San Diego and 2 males from France. Do you plan visiting Zoo Granby?
 
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