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

[Utahraptor]

Where have you heard those other names used?

Caititu, cateto and porco-do-mato(wild pig) are all names i heard people here in southeast Brazil use, Tateto is used sometimes on the south region and while i never seen "patira" being used, some dictionaries mention the word as being a synonymous for peccary.

 

[birdsandbats]

Caititu, cateto and porco-do-mato(wild pig) are all names i heard people here in southeast Brazil use, Tateto is used sometimes on the south region and while i never seen "patira" being used, some dictionaries mention the word as being a synonymous for peccary.

Have you ever heard them used in English, or just in Portuguese?

 

[Utahraptor]

Have you ever heard them used in English, or just in Portuguese?

I've seen caititu being used once in a English context, but aside from it, just in Portuguese.

 

[Osedax]

Melbourne Zoo (Australia) had a large group of Collared Peccaries when I was there in 2008, but I suspect that there's very few left now.

Indeed, there are only three left now. They are the last peccaries in the Australasian region.

 

[15399]

pretty much anyone familiar with this species within its native range (at least in the US and Mexico) will call them Javelinas.

In Belize they are referred to as peccaries. It makes sense, however, that they'd refer to it as such since Belize was a British colony, not a Spanish one like the rest of Central America, so the cultural roots are very different and English is the official language.

Interestingly enough, at Belize Zoo I saw two separate peccary exhibits, one for collared and one for white-lipped (@snowleopard did you see any zoos with multiple peccary species on display?). Both species are native to Belize. The collared exhibit was definitely impressive and held a large group:

Unfortunately, peccaries were one of the more realistic animals that I had wanted to see in the wild in Belize but did not. There were some species that I knew the chances of seeing were slim (especially tapirs), but peccaries was one that I had a fairly good chance at but was unable to. I definitely knew they were in the area, however- on one hike I experienced the very distinctive smell of a wild white-lipped peccary herd!

 

[birdsandbats]

In Belize they are referred to as peccaries. It makes sense, however, that they'd refer to it as such since Belize was a British colony, not a Spanish one like the rest of Central America, so the cultural roots are very different and English is the official language.

Interestingly enough, at Belize Zoo I saw two separate peccary exhibits, one for collared and one for white-lipped (@snowleopard did you see any zoos with multiple peccary species on display?). Both species are native to Belize. The collared exhibit was definitely impressive and held a large group:

Unfortunately, peccaries were one of the more realistic animals that I had wanted to see in the wild in Belize but did not. There were some species that I knew the chances of seeing were slim (especially tapirs), but peccaries was one that I had a fairly good chance at but was unable to. I definitely knew they were in the area, however- on one hike I experienced the very distinctive smell of a wild white-lipped peccary herd!

Interesting. Although Wikipedia says that "javelina" can refer to any peccary species, in Costa Rica it referred exclusively to Collared despite the fact that they also have White-lipped.

I saw both Collared and White-lipped Peccaries at ZooAve in Costa Rica. The exhibits looked pretty similar to what you show there.

In the wild I never got to see White-lipped sadly, but I've seen Collared in both Costa Rica and Arizona. I even got to see the babies (are they piglets?) in Costa Rica, but I think my favorite experience with wild Javelinas was seeing them in the snow at the Grand Canyon.

 

[snowleopard]

Yesterday I had a long post, with 20 photos, that analyzed the 33 zoos I had seen Collared Peccaries at. Today I will take a look at TWO species.

I have seen Chacoan Peccaries at 17 zoos and White-lipped Peccaries at only 4 zoos.

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2006
2- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2008
3- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2008
4- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2010
5- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2010
6- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2010
7- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2011
8- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2012
9- Sunset Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2012
10- Abilene Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2015
11- Sequoia Park Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2015
12- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2017
13- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Chacoan Peccary – 2017
14- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Chacoan Peccary – 2019
15- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Chacoan Peccary – 2019
16- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2023
17- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Chacoan Peccary – 2023

AND...

1- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – White-lipped Peccary – 2019
2- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – White-lipped Peccary – 2019
3- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – White-lipped Peccary – 2019
4- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – White-lipped Peccary – 2019

San Diego Zoo (USA) was the very first place I ever came across Chacoan Peccaries and they still have the species now in one of the remnants of Horn & Hoof Mesa.

When I first visited Phoenix Zoo (USA) in 2008, the facility had exhibits for BOTH Collared Peccaries (Arizona Trail loop) and Chacoan Peccaries (Tropics Trail loop). To answer the question from @Neil chace yesterday, Phoenix is the ONLY zoo I've ever been to with two peccary species at the same time. Remarkable.

Chacoan Peccary exhibit:

@geomorph

There's been Chacoan Peccaries at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) for more than 20 years.

@Julio C Castro

I wonder if Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) still has Chacoan Peccaries? There's not many photos of the species in the ZooChat gallery other than a few I took in 2010.

In the iconic Red Rocks hoofstock zone at Saint Louis Zoo (USA), I saw Chacoan Peccaries there in 2010.

My image of the Chacoan Peccary exhibit at Utah's Hogle Zoo (USA) is the most recent one in the gallery and I snapped it 12 years ago.

Here's a zoo that definitely has maintained Chacoan Peccaries for a long time, as they had the species when I first visited in 2011 and then I took this photo last year at Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA).

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) had Chacoan Peccaries when I was there in 2012 and the species still resides at the zoo.

Here is a very basic, dirt yard for Chacoan Peccaries at Sunset Zoo (USA):

This was bizarre to see when I toured Abilene Zoo (USA) in 2015. The Chacoan Peccaries were found in a cage-like structure that was obviously designed for another species.

Chacoan Peccaries were together with Rheas at Sequoia Park Zoo (USA) in 2015.

San Francisco Zoo (USA) had Chacoan Peccaries when I was last there in 2017.

Chacoan Peccaries outside in the snow on a cold, wintry November day at Calgary Zoo (Canada):

@Pleistohorse

European zoos are famous for their mixed-species exhibits, so seeing a White-nosed Coati chilling with a herd of Chacoan Peccaries shouldn't really shock anyone. This photo was taken at the excellent Planckendael Zoo (Belgium):

@KevinB

I remember being stunned at just how impressive the Chacoan Peccary exhibit was at Berlin Tierpark (Germany). It's nothing earth-shattering in terms of originality, but it's so well done that it immediately sprung to mind when I began this post on the species. So many of the Tierpark's legendary hoofstock enclosures are truly excellent.

GaiaZOO (Netherlands) had very rare White-lipped Peccaries in 2019, within an exhibit that was situated inside the walk-through Squirrel Monkey area.

@KevinB

Duisburg Zoo (Germany), no stranger to mammal rarities, also had White-lipped Peccaries when I was on my 2019 Euro zoo trek.

@gulogulogulo

Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) is also well known for mammal rarities, so it's not a huge surprise that they added White-lipped Peccaries several years ago.

@vogelcommando

Berlin Zoo (Germany), that zoological behemoth, has White-lipped Peccaries in abundance!

@sooty mangabey

Not that long ago, Berlin Zoo had approximately 40 White-lipped Peccaries. Go big or go home!

@kiang

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (28 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Tayassuidae: 3 species (33 zoos with Collared Peccary, 17 Chacoan, 4 White-lipped)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[snowleopard]

Moving onwards to the family Suidae, I've seen Warthogs in 51 zoos. Here is a mammal that I used to see with high frequency, with literally more than half my sightings occurring between the years 2006-2010. Since then, Warthogs have decreased for me as I saw loads in North American zoos, then very few in Western Europe, only one zoo in Scandinavia and zero in Southeast Asia. I have seen the 3 peccary species at 53 different zoos, so slightly ahead of Warthogs.

2008 = 12 zoos
2010 = 12 zoos

1- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2006
3- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Warthog – 2006
4- Denver Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2006
5- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Warthog – 2008
6- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
7- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
8- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Warthog – 2008
9- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
10- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
11- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Warthog – 2008
12- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
13- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2008
14- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Warthog – 2008
15- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Warthog – 2008
16- Zoo Miami (USA) – Warthog – 2008
17- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
18- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
19- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
20- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
21- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
22- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
23- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
24- Houston Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
25- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
26- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
27- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
28- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2010
29- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2011
30- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Warthog – 2011
31- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Warthog – 2011
32- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2011
33- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
34- John Ball Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
35- Erie Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
36- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Warthog – 2012
37- Little Rock Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
38- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
39- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2012
40- Roosevelt Park Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2014
41- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2014
42- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2015
43- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Warthog – 2017
44- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Warthog – 2017
45- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Warthog – 2019
46- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Warthog – 2019
47- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Warthog– 2019
48- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Warthog – 2019
49- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Warthog – 2019
50- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Warthog – 2019
51- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Warthog – 2022

What are some memorable Warthog exhibits?

San Francisco Zoo (USA) has hardly improved at all in the 18 years that have elapsed since my first visit, and arguably has regressed while other facilities have modernized. Nevertheless, this was where I saw my first Warthogs.

@geomorph

Warthogs in a mock-rock kingdom at San Diego Zoo (USA) brings back some memories, as I'm not sure that the zoo has had the species for a decade now. There was a plan to incorporate Warthogs with Hamadryas Baboons in Africa Rocks, but that was soon abandoned.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) had Warthogs in with Bat-eared Foxes for years, but that mixture doesn't happy any more and it's a disappointment to see it discontinued. But, even in recent years, the park has had staff members walk a Warthog around on a leash. Check out those tusks!

@pachyderm pro

Warthogs were combined with African Crested Porcupines at Indianapolis Zoo (USA) when I was last there in 2012:

Phoenix Zoo (USA) has been turning more and more into a dust-bowl in recent years, with a lot of the previous lushness gone due to global warming, and that is also reflected in the Warthog exhibit. Of course, wild pigs are hard on the surface of any enclosure.

Caldwell Zoo (USA) has had Warthogs rambling around the East African Savanna exhibit, which was a treat to see. There would be African Elephants and Lions (in side enclosures), and the main paddock would have Grevy's Zebras, Warthogs, Soemmerring's Gazelles, Greater Kudu and various cranes and assorted other antelope over the years.

@Arizona Docent

Staying in Texas, Dallas Zoo (USA) has its Giants of the Savanna complex and there was Warthogs when I was last at the zoo in 2015.

Another Texas facility, San Antonio Zoo (USA), is set inside an old rock quarry and the Warthog exhibit that I saw in 2010 was a tiered, almost Madrid Zoo-style enclosure. Not to my taste. It's a small, bland space with big cement walls on either side. Ugh.

When I was last at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA), in 2023, the zoo had two big, dust-bowl type enclosures for Warthogs. The Arizona heat is merciless.

I'm not sure if they still have Warthogs, but John Ball Zoo (USA) had a very nice exhibit for the species in 2012. There was an abundance of shade and some nicely-textured mock-rock 'riverbanks' as a backdrop to the animals.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) could yet be another AZA zoo to phase out Warthogs. This photo of mine, from 2012, is the only one of the Warthog exhibit at the facility in the ZooChat gallery. The trend has been for many non-AZA accredited zoos to pick up the species.

Woodland Park Zoo (USA) replaced African Wild Dogs with Warthogs in 2012.

Does DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) still have Warthogs? The only two photos in the ZooChat gallery of the species at this facility are mine from a decade ago.

Another non-accredited facility, Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA), which lost that status 3 years ago, had Warthogs in a small pen when I toured the facility in 2017. This looks like a local pig-pen at someone's hobby farm.

Of the 120 European zoos I've visited, only SIX have had Warthogs. What's the reason why the species is so rare there? Maybe other members of the Suidae family take up the exhibits? In Southeast Asia, I saw lots of Babirusa and zero Warthogs, so perhaps there's something similar going on in Europe.

Pairi Daiza (Belgium) has Warthogs in with White Rhinos:

@KevinB

Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) also has Warthogs and White Rhinos together, so the mix obviously works in Belgium!

@KevinB

Opel Zoo (Germany) has Warthogs in the upper portion of the zoo:

The legendary African area at Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) includes Zebras, Ostriches and Warthogs all together.

@twilighter

Having a mixed-species environment in a zoo really is a European delight, as many North American collections are hesitant to combine certain species. To create a more authentic, 'wild' experience, it's vital that zoos add species in one location as they would encounter each other in nature. On that note, Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) has Warthogs with Colobus Monkeys.

Of the last 80+ new zoos I have visited, between Scandinavia and Southeast Asia, only ONE of them has had Warthogs. I feel as if I never see the species these days!

Here's that solitary zoo. Inside the African Village area, Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) has a small Warthog exhibit.

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (28 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 1 species so far (51 zoos with Warthog)

Tayassuidae: 3 species (33 zoos with Collared Peccary, 17 Chacoan, 4 White-lipped)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[birdsandbats]

DeYoung hasn't had warthogs in over a decade at this point. DeYoung's collection has really declined during this time period.

 

[USZOOfan42]

I'm not sure if they still have Warthogs, but John Ball Zoo (USA) had a very nice exhibit for the species in 2012. There was an abundance of shade and some nicely-textured mock-rock 'riverbanks' as a backdrop to the animals.

John Ball should still have warthogs they had them on my last visit in Sept. 2023.

 

[Milwaukee Man]

@snowleopard John Ball’s warthog habitat was closed off as of my visit yesterday, but I was told by a staff member that new pigs will be coming soon. Also, this thread has been a fascinating read so far - it’s amazing to realize how rare some species are compared to others and from the past to recent times.

Also, is it just me, or are warthogs starting to be phased out of more zoos, especially in the U.S.? I can’t help but feel that red river hogs are slowly dominating the African pig scene.

 

[cerperal]

Also, is it just me, or are warthogs starting to be phased out of more zoos, especially in the U.S.? I can’t help but feel that red river hogs are slowly dominating the African pig scene

They've been particularly scarce in much of Europe for at least a couple of decades now. It's a shame given how charismatic they are as species as well as their popularity, but red river hogs and, to a tangential extent, babirusa and warty pigs have exploded in numbers.

Other pork-based casualties in Europe are the collared and white-lipped peccaries, as well as the bearded pigs. ZSL and Berlin are the last major collections to keep a wide variety of swine, the latter holding arguably the best collection in Europe (though I am open to correction), but with the final bearded pig in Europe passing in January one does have to worry for the status of species like the warthog in zoos.

 

[Komodo Dragon]

Moving onwards to the family Suidae, I've seen Warthogs in 51 zoos. Here is a mammal that I used to see with high frequency, with literally more than half my sightings occurring between the years 2006-2010. Since then, Warthogs have decreased for me as I saw loads in North American zoos, then very few in Western Europe, only one zoo in Scandinavia and zero in Southeast Asia. I have seen the 3 peccary species at 53 different zoos, so slightly ahead of Warthogs.

Interesting they're rare in Europe considering that the best African Savanna complexes in the world are there.

A real highlight of Woodland Park Zoo (USA) was the Night Exhibit nocturnal house, before it closed down in 2010. I would see a Tamandua in there all the time. Memphis Zoo (USA) also had a Tamandua inside a nocturnal house when I was there in 2008.

Woodland Park Zoo used to have paid backstage tours of various exhibits. My family and I went behind the scenes of the Nocturnal House when I was young, getting up close to many species. One of my best zoo experiences ever.

 

[turkeyfox]

Also, is it just me, or are warthogs starting to be phased out of more zoos, especially in the U.S.? I can’t help but feel that red river hogs are slowly dominating the African pig scene.

The AZA heavily favors red river hogs over warthogs. If you're an AZA zoo and have room to keep an African piggy 9 times out of 10 it's a red river hogs.

Warthogs are still pretty common outside the AZA though.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Interesting they're rare in Europe considering that the best African Savanna complexes in the world are there.

They're not rare at all - around 44 European zoological collections hold the species at present, only marginally fewer than the 46 which hold Warty Pig.

 

[aardvark250]

Singapore Zoo had warthog before until a few years ago

 

[snowleopard]

If I've seen all 3 types of Peccary at 53 different zoos, and Warthogs at 51 zoos, what other 'pigs' would I have come across many times in my zoological travels? Well, the most common by far would be the one in today's post, a type of mammal I've seen in captivity in 10 countries. In some ways, Red River Hogs are more engaging than all the numerous grey-coloured wild pigs that are found in zoos. These guys stand out with their bright colouration and I have seen Red River Hogs at 65 zoos.

2008 = 11 zoos
2010 = 11 zoos
2019 = 19 zoos (Western Europe)

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
3- Denver Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
4- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
5- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2008
6- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
7- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
8- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
9- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
10- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
11- Knoxville Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
12- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
13- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
14- Zoo Miami (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
15- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
16- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
17- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
18- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
19- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
20- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
21- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
22- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
23- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
24- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
25- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
26- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
27- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
28- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
29- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
30- Naples Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
31- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
32- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
33- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
34- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
35- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2012
36- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2014
37- Peoria Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2014
38- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2015
39- Houston Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2015
40- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Red River Hog – 2017
41- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2017
42- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
43- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
44- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Red River Hog – 2019
45- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Red River Hog – 2019
46- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
47- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
48- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
49- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
50- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
51- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
52- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
53- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
54- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
55- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
56- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
57- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
58- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
59- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
60- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
61- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2022
62- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Red River Hog – 2022
63- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Red River Hog – 2022
64- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Red River Hog – 2024
65- Batu Secret Zoo (Indonesia) – Red River Hog – 2024

AND...

I have seen a Bushpig at 1 zoo.

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) - Bushpig - 2006

The classic and highly recognizable mock-rock backdrop to this Red River Hog exhibit can only mean San Diego Zoo (USA)

When I was last at Denver Zoo (USA), I saw two exhibits containing Red River Hogs.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) had Red River Hogs when I was there in 2012, but since this is the most recent photo in the gallery I suspect the species has left the zoo.

This is a neat photo, taken at Oklahoma City Zoo (USA), as it shows the old Red River Hog exhibit and the building in the background is the Giraffe House. ZooChat is a wonderful archive for historical images.

@Baldur

Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) has had Red River Hogs for many years in the Pride of the Plains African kopje zone.

The most recent photos of the Red River Hog exhibit at Binder Park Zoo (USA) were all taken by me in 2010 and it appears that the zoo no longer showcases the species. That's a pity, as I recall this exhibit to be spacious, well shaded, and perfect for wild pigs.

San Antonio Zoo's (USA) Red River Hogs fare better than their Warthogs, with a larger exhibit that contains some big stones.

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) often has multiple paddocks for its hoofstock, often in different sections of the grounds, and when I visited last year I saw 3 exhibits containing Red River Hogs.

The mega popular theme park Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) kept Red River Hogs in a tiny area in Jambo Junction when I was there in 2012. It must be the smallest space I've ever seen given to this species.

Faces of the African Forest is the name of an exhibit inside the Tropics Trail complex at Minnesota Zoo (USA) and when I was last there in 2014 this enclosure held Red River Hogs, Colobus Monkeys, De Brazza's Monkeys and Rock Hyrax. Unless I'm mistaken, all 4 of those species had no outdoor access. What does this exhibit look like 10 years down the road?

I often mention how North American zoos are too scared to create a lot of mixed-species exhibits, but credit to Minnesota in the above photo and Peoria Zoo (USA) also had Red River Hogs with Colobus Monkeys that same summer.

Is there much interaction at all between the Gorillas and Red River Hogs at Houston Zoo (USA)? Or do the apes and pigs avoid each other? It is possible for the Gorillas to come down to the Red River Hog area and apparently they occasionally do just that.

@geomorph

Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) has a very low barrier for their Red River Hog exhibit and it wouldn't take much for a visitor to reach over and give a hog a good scratch.

The natural substrate used in the Red River Hog exhibit at Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) is memorable as I think it's all wood chips. Soft, malleable, able to soak up pig urine...

@Mr Gharial

Duisburg Zoo (Germany) has combined Red River Hogs with Watusi Cattle for many years.

@Al

A sprawling, sandy exhibit for Red River Hogs and Banded Mongooses can be found at Beekse Bergen (Netherlands).

@Mr Gharial

Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) had Red River Hogs with White Rhinos and Plains (Chapman's) Zebras when I was there in 2019.

Elsewhere, in the Takamanda African loop, Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) had Red River Hogs with Impala and Bongos. Osnabruck takes mixed-species exhibits to a whole new level!

Visiting San Diego Zoo (USA) on the first few occasions I toured that great zoo, a real highlight was seeing the odd-looking, black wild pig specimen that no one seemed to know much about. For many years, it was listed as a Giant Forest Hog and that was the established name. Then some folks thought it might be a melanistic form of a Red River Hog, but judging from comments in recent years, and getting some context from a couple of zoo sources before I made this post, it seems that the modern consensus is that it was a Bushpig and a dark phase of that species. Either way, it was a remarkable creature to see at that 'world-famous' California park.

@Baldur

@Giant Eland

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (27 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 3 species so far (65 zoos with Red River Hog, 51 Warthog, 1 Bushpig)

Tayassuidae: 3 species (33 zoos with Collared Peccary, 17 Chacoan, 4 White-lipped)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

 

[USZOOfan42]

The most recent photos of the Red River Hog exhibit at Binder Park Zoo (USA) were all taken by me in 2010 and it appears that the zoo no longer showcases the species. That's a pity, as I recall this exhibit to be spacious, well shaded, and perfect for wild pigs.

The zoo still has 2 red river hogs.

 

[birdsandbats]

If I've seen all 3 types of Peccary at 53 different zoos, and Warthogs at 51 zoos, what other 'pigs' would I have come across many times in my zoological travels? Well, the most common by far would be the one in today's post, a type of mammal I've seen in captivity in 10 countries. In some ways, Red River Hogs are more engaging than all the numerous grey-coloured wild pigs that are found in zoos. These guys stand out with their bright colouration and I have seen Red River Hogs at 65 zoos.

2008 = 11 zoos
2010 = 11 zoos
2019 = 19 zoos (Western Europe)

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
3- Denver Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2006
4- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
5- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2008
6- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
7- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
8- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
9- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
10- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
11- Knoxville Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
12- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
13- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
14- Zoo Miami (USA) – Red River Hog – 2008
15- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
16- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
17- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
18- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
19- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
20- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
21- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
22- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
23- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
24- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
25- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2010
26- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
27- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
28- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2011
29- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
30- Naples Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
31- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
32- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
33- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
34- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2012
35- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2012
36- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2014
37- Peoria Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2014
38- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2015
39- Houston Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2015
40- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Red River Hog – 2017
41- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Red River Hog – 2017
42- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
43- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
44- Maubeuge Zoo (France) – Red River Hog – 2019
45- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Red River Hog – 2019
46- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
47- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
48- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
49- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
50- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
51- Dierenpark Zie-ZOO (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
52- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
53- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
54- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
55- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
56- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
57- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
58- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
59- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Red River Hog – 2019
60- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Red River Hog – 2019
61- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Red River Hog – 2022
62- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Red River Hog – 2022
63- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – Red River Hog – 2022
64- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Red River Hog – 2024
65- Batu Secret Zoo (Indonesia) – Red River Hog – 2024

AND...

I have seen a Bushpig at 1 zoo.

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) - Bushpig - 2006

The classic and highly recognizable mock-rock backdrop to this Red River Hog exhibit can only mean San Diego Zoo (USA)

When I was last at Denver Zoo (USA), I saw two exhibits containing Red River Hogs.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) had Red River Hogs when I was there in 2012, but since this is the most recent photo in the gallery I suspect the species has left the zoo.

This is a neat photo, taken at Oklahoma City Zoo (USA), as it shows the old Red River Hog exhibit and the building in the background is the Giraffe House. ZooChat is a wonderful archive for historical images.

@Baldur

Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) has had Red River Hogs for many years in the Pride of the Plains African kopje zone.

The most recent photos of the Red River Hog exhibit at Binder Park Zoo (USA) were all taken by me in 2010 and it appears that the zoo no longer showcases the species. That's a pity, as I recall this exhibit to be spacious, well shaded, and perfect for wild pigs.

San Antonio Zoo's (USA) Red River Hogs fare better than their Warthogs, with a larger exhibit that contains some big stones.

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) often has multiple paddocks for its hoofstock, often in different sections of the grounds, and when I visited last year I saw 3 exhibits containing Red River Hogs.

The mega popular theme park Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) kept Red River Hogs in a tiny area in Jambo Junction when I was there in 2012. It must be the smallest space I've ever seen given to this species.

Faces of the African Forest is the name of an exhibit inside the Tropics Trail complex at Minnesota Zoo (USA) and when I was last there in 2014 this enclosure held Red River Hogs, Colobus Monkeys, De Brazza's Monkeys and Rock Hyrax. Unless I'm mistaken, all 4 of those species had no outdoor access. What does this exhibit look like 10 years down the road?

I often mention how North American zoos are too scared to create a lot of mixed-species exhibits, but credit to Minnesota in the above photo and Peoria Zoo (USA) also had Red River Hogs with Colobus Monkeys that same summer.

Is there much interaction at all between the Gorillas and Red River Hogs at Houston Zoo (USA)? Or do the apes and pigs avoid each other? It is possible for the Gorillas to come down to the Red River Hog area and apparently they occasionally do just that.

@geomorph

Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) has a very low barrier for their Red River Hog exhibit and it wouldn't take much for a visitor to reach over and give a hog a good scratch.

The natural substrate used in the Red River Hog exhibit at Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) is memorable as I think it's all wood chips. Soft, malleable, able to soak up pig urine...

@Mr Gharial

Duisburg Zoo (Germany) has combined Red River Hogs with Watusi Cattle for many years.

@Al

A sprawling, sandy exhibit for Red River Hogs and Banded Mongooses can be found at Beekse Bergen (Netherlands).

@Mr Gharial

Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) had Red River Hogs with White Rhinos and Plains (Chapman's) Zebras when I was there in 2019.

Elsewhere, in the Takamanda African loop, Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) had Red River Hogs with Impala and Bongos. Osnabruck takes mixed-species exhibits to a whole new level!

Visiting San Diego Zoo (USA) on the first few occasions I toured that great zoo, a real highlight was seeing the odd-looking, black wild pig specimen that no one seemed to know much about. For many years, it was listed as a Giant Forest Hog and that was the established name. Then some folks thought it might be a melanistic form of a Red River Hog, but judging from comments in recent years, and getting some context from a couple of zoo sources before I made this post, it seems that the modern consensus is that it was a Bushpig and a dark phase of that species. Either way, it was a remarkable creature to see at that 'world-famous' California park.

@Baldur

@Giant Eland

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (27 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 3 species so far (65 zoos with Red River Hog, 51 Warthog, 1 Bushpig)

Tayassuidae: 3 species (33 zoos with Collared Peccary, 17 Chacoan, 4 White-lipped)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)

Faces of the African Forest at Minnesota still looks exactly the same as you pictured it here and none of the animals have outdoor access. The only change is that Rock Hyrax is no longer part of the mix.

 

[snowleopard]

I have seen Babirusas at 24 zoos. This species has been nowhere near as common as the numbers of other wild pigs I've covered thus far, and I have an intriguing history with viewing them in zoos. I saw Babirusa at a dozen different American zoos between 2007 and 2012, then I didn't see any whatsoever for 7 years and that includes loads of zoo visits, and only then saw Babirusa at 3 out of 120 European collections. From my perspective, they've been incredibly rare to come across in captivity in recent years.

However, travelling through Southeast Asia with @twilighter last month, we saw Babirusa at 8 zoos in 3 weeks and that really boosted my numbers.

1- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2007
2- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2008
3- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2008
4- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Babirusa – 2008
5- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
6- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
7- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
8- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
9- Houston Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
10- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2010
11- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Babirusa – 2011
12- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Babirusa – 2012
13- Opel Zoo (Germany) – Babirusa – 2019
14- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Babirusa – 2019
15- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Babirusa – 2019
16- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Babirusa – 2023
17- Singapore Zoo (Singapore) – Babirusa – 2024
18- Night Safari (Singapore) – Babirusa – 2024
19- Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024
20- Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024
21- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024
22- Batu Secret Zoo (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024
23- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024
24- Ragunan Zoo (Indonesia) – Babirusa – 2024

Oregon Zoo (USA) had an area called Island Pigs of Asia that had Babirusa for less than a decade. This whole section (Babirusa, Visayan Warty Pigs, Sun Bears) was demolished when the new Polar Bear complex was built and Oregon Zoo's species diversity has plummeted over the years.

I'm not sure what the situation is now, but the Bronx Zoo (USA) used to have a Babirusa exhibit that could be seen via the Wild Asia monorail ride, as well as a second Babirusa exhibit near Zoo Center. Here's the one seen for seconds on the monorail ride:

@Baldur

Los Angeles Zoo (USA) has had Babirusas for many years.

@Julio C Castro

Babirusas have been a fixture at Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA) for a long time as well.

An excellent place to see Babirusa exhibits is at Saint Louis Zoo (USA), with the facility often having multiple enclosures for the species in the Red Rocks zone.

Here's a rare look at one of the indoor Babirusa stalls at Saint Louis Zoo. I took this shot in 2014.

Louisville Zoo (USA) has an Islands complex that sees Southeast Asian species rotate through several different habitats. The exhibit below can hold a Babirusa, Tiger, Orangutan, Siamang or Malayan Tapir, depending on the day. Compared to the genuine jungle zoos in Southeast Asia, this is one 'naff' setup.

* naff - lacking in style or good taste; vulgar and unfashionable.

Babirusa have been a common sight at Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) for a long time.

@Andrew_NZP

When I toured Audubon Zoo (USA) in 2010, there was a mixed-species exhibit with Babirusa and Small-clawed Otters, and another enclosure with Babirusa and Milky Storks. Here's the otter one:

In 2010, inside Houston Zoo's (USA) World of Primates loop, was an oddly-placed Babirusa exhibit. What is this now?

Babirusa exhibit at San Antonio Zoo (USA) in 2010:

Babirusa shared an exhibit with Lowland Anoa at San Diego Zoo (USA) in 2011:

The Asian Gardens loop at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) had a Babirusa exhibit in 2012.

The Babirusa exhibit at Opel Zoo (Germany) has massive stone blocks dividing it from a second enclosure. An interesting barrier!

Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) has Babirusa, one of only 3 zoos out of 120 in Europe where I've seen the species.

@Maguari

Ahhh... the legendary Swine House at Berlin Zoo (Germany). How many little piglets have been born there? I saw Babirusa here in 2019.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) brought back Babirusa in recent years and the species is now found in the Nairobi Village area.

@Ding Lingwei

I saw Babirusa at Singapore Zoo (Singapore) last month, but I believe they've already left and been replaced by an even rarer mammal: Bornean Bearded Pig.

@twilighter

I saw Babirusa at 6 Indonesian zoos, including Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia):

@animalman0341

Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

Camelidae: 2 species (27 zoos with Guanaco, 18 Vicuna)

Delphinidae: 7 species (15 zoos with Common Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, 3 Killer Whale, 3 Pacific White-sided Dolphin, 1 Commerson's Dolphin, 1 False Killer Whale, 1 Short-finned Pilot Whale)

Giraffidae: 5 species (175 zoos with Giraffe (4 species), 31 Okapi)

Hippopotamidae: 2 species (65 zoos with Common Hippo, 44 Pygmy Hippo)

Iniidae: 1 species (1 zoo with Amazon River Dolphin)

Monodontidae: 1 species (7 zoos with Beluga Whale)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 4 species so far (65 zoos with Red River Hog, 51 Warthog, 24 Babirusa, 1 Bushpig)

Tayassuidae: 3 species (33 zoos with Collared Peccary, 17 Chacoan, 4 White-lipped)

Tragulidae: 4 species (13 zoos with Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain, 9 Javan, 7 Greater Indo-Malayan, 2 Balabac)