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

Well, we are now up to 1,500 posts on this thread and still have Bovidae and a few odds n' ends to go. Wow. After today's post, I will have completed 22 of the 23 families in Artiodactyla and I'll have covered a lot of mammals. Primates and carnivores seem like a long time ago. ;) Of course, Bovidae will include an epic number of mammals and I will also include all the species I saw in Asia so that it's as updated as Cervidae has been.

Time for TWO more species today.

The 30th and final member of Cervidae that I've seen in captivity is the Southern Pudu at 14 zoos. Zootierliste has less than 50 zoos worldwide with the species and on my last two big zoo trips (Scandinavia and Southeast Asia) I saw ZERO southern Pudu in more than 80 different zoos. From my perspective, they seem quite scarce these days.

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 1996
2- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
3- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
4- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
5- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2010
6- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2011
7- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2017
8- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2017
9- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Southern Pudu – 2019
10- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
11- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
12- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
13- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Southern Pudu – 2019
14- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2023

AND...

I've seen Siberian Musk-deer at 3 zoos. This species is a different family (Moschidae), but having the word 'deer' in its name allows me to tag it along with all the other 30 deer species I've seen. This species, my 31st deer, is the only type of Musk-deer I've ever come across in all my zoo travels. That's a great pity, because how cool are these 'fang deer'? They are awesome at Halloween.

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2008
2- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2019
3- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2022

I've seen Southern Pudu at Woodland Park Zoo (USA) on loads of occasions and the zoo has had good breeding success with the species.

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Back when I first visited Minnesota Zoo (USA) in 2008, the facility had Southern Pudu in the Tropics Trail complex. Here's the only ZooChat photo of a Pudu in Minnesota and the species is long gone these days.

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@geomorph

Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) also had Southern Pudu that year and there's only two photos of the species in the gallery from Oklahoma. The zoo no longer has Pudu.

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@jbnbsn99

Here's a Southern Pudu nestled amongst foliage at Jacksonville Zoo (USA):

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@okapikpr

Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) has had Southern Pudu for many years, contained within the Australian-South American netted mesh complex.

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@Ituri

I first saw Southern Pudu at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) in 2011.

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@Julio C Castro

While at Micke Grove Zoo (USA) in 2017, I saw Southern Pudu in two different exhibits. This enclosure is too small for Pudu, but nevertheless there was an individual inside sharing space with Golden Lion Tamarins.

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At the same zoo, there was this enclosure with Black-tufted Marmosets, Yellow-knobbed Curassows and Southern Pudu and you can see a Pudu in the photo.

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So small and cute. Here's a Southern Pudu at Los Angeles Zoo (USA):

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@Julio C Castro

Southern Pudu are found at Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands):

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@Mr Gharial

Cologne Zoo (Germany) has maintained Southern Pudu for many years.

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@Taurinus

Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) has combined Southern Pudu with tapirs on a regular basis.

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@Fat-tailed dwarf lemur

Dortmund Zoo (Germany) has had Southern Pudu for many years and this zoo has a vast South American collection of animals.

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@Eagle

Now here's a rare sight! An exhibit with a Southern Pudu and a Woolly Monkey (in 2012) at Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands). Pudu are one of the very few non-primate species at this world-class zoo.

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@Maguari

Southern Pudu fawns have beautiful spotted coats:

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@Rhino00

As for Siberian Musk-deer, San Diego Zoo (USA) has kept the species, probably continuously, for at least 15 years. I remember seeing them while riding the moving escalator back in the day and I think that now they are mainly kept behind the scenes. Has anyone seen one on-show in the last couple of years?

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@Kowari

Berlin Tierpark (Germany) has Siberian Musk-deer. Was there ever any doubt? Why doesn't the zoo have ALL the Musk-deer species? :p

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@Green_mamba

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@twilighter

How's this for a rare image? I took this photo last year at Calgary Zoo (Canada) and the left side shows the Siberian Musk-deer exhibit and the right side shows the Japanese Serow exhibit. Two species that are practically extinct in North American zoos.

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Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

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

Cervidae: 30 species - (78 zoos with Reeves's Muntjac, 63 White-tailed Deer, 61 Common Fallow Deer, 57 Elk, 56 Caribou/Reindeer, 41 Axis Deer, 37 Sika Deer, 30 Mule Deer, 24 Moose, 23 Javan Rusa Deer, 21 Red Deer (TWO species: Central Asian + Western), 21 Southern Red Muntjac, 20 Hog Deer, 20 Pere David's Deer, 19 Sambar Deer, 17 Tufted Deer, 14 Barasingha, 14 Southern Pudu, 12 Eld's Deer, 8 Bawean Deer, 6 White-lipped Deer, 4 Northern Red Muntjac, 4 Persian Fallow Deer, 4 Philippine Spotted Deer, 3 Calamian Deer, 3 Chinese Water Deer, 3 Western Roe Deer, 2 Mexican Red Brocket Deer, 1 Common Red Brocket Deer)

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)

Moschidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Siberian Musk-deer)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 8 species (65 zoos with Red River Hog, 51 Warthog, 24 Babirusa, 17 Visayan Warty Pig, 17 Wild Boar, 6 Bearded Pig, 3 Javan Warty Pig, 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)
 
Well, we are now up to 1,500 posts on this thread and still have Bovidae and a few odds n' ends to go. Wow. After today's post, I will have completed 22 of the 23 families in Artiodactyla and I'll have covered a lot of mammals. Primates and carnivores seem like a long time ago. ;) Of course, Bovidae will include an epic number of mammals and I will also include all the species I saw in Asia so that it's as updated as Cervidae has been.

Time for TWO more species today.

The 30th and final member of Cervidae that I've seen in captivity is the Southern Pudu at 14 zoos. Zootierliste has less than 50 zoos worldwide with the species and on my last two big zoo trips (Scandinavia and Southeast Asia) I saw ZERO southern Pudu in more than 80 different zoos. From my perspective, they seem quite scarce these days.

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 1996
2- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
3- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
4- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2008
5- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2010
6- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2011
7- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2017
8- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2017
9- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Southern Pudu – 2019
10- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
11- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
12- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Southern Pudu – 2019
13- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Southern Pudu – 2019
14- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Southern Pudu – 2023

AND...

I've seen Siberian Musk-deer at 3 zoos. This species is a different family (Moschidae), but having the word 'deer' in its name allows me to tag it along with all the other 30 deer species I've seen. This species, my 31st deer, is the only type of Musk-deer I've ever come across in all my zoo travels. That's a great pity, because how cool are these 'fang deer'? They are awesome at Halloween.

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2008
2- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2019
3- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Siberian Musk-deer – 2022

I've seen Southern Pudu at Woodland Park Zoo (USA) on loads of occasions and the zoo has had good breeding success with the species.

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Back when I first visited Minnesota Zoo (USA) in 2008, the facility had Southern Pudu in the Tropics Trail complex. Here's the only ZooChat photo of a Pudu in Minnesota and the species is long gone these days.

full


@geomorph

Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) also had Southern Pudu that year and there's only two photos of the species in the gallery from Oklahoma. The zoo no longer has Pudu.

full


@jbnbsn99

Here's a Southern Pudu nestled amongst foliage at Jacksonville Zoo (USA):

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@okapikpr

Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) has had Southern Pudu for many years, contained within the Australian-South American netted mesh complex.

full


@Ituri

I first saw Southern Pudu at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) in 2011.

full


@Julio C Castro

While at Micke Grove Zoo (USA) in 2017, I saw Southern Pudu in two different exhibits. This enclosure is too small for Pudu, but nevertheless there was an individual inside sharing space with Golden Lion Tamarins.

full


At the same zoo, there was this enclosure with Black-tufted Marmosets, Yellow-knobbed Curassows and Southern Pudu and you can see a Pudu in the photo.

full


So small and cute. Here's a Southern Pudu at Los Angeles Zoo (USA):

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@Julio C Castro

Southern Pudu are found at Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands):

full


@Mr Gharial

Cologne Zoo (Germany) has maintained Southern Pudu for many years.

full


@Taurinus

Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) has combined Southern Pudu with tapirs on a regular basis.

full


@Fat-tailed dwarf lemur

Dortmund Zoo (Germany) has had Southern Pudu for many years and this zoo has a vast South American collection of animals.

full


@Eagle

Now here's a rare sight! An exhibit with a Southern Pudu and a Woolly Monkey (in 2012) at Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands). Pudu are one of the very few non-primate species at this world-class zoo.

full


@Maguari

Southern Pudu fawns have beautiful spotted coats:

full


@Rhino00

As for Siberian Musk-deer, San Diego Zoo (USA) has kept the species, probably continuously, for at least 15 years. I remember seeing them while riding the moving escalator back in the day and I think that now they are mainly kept behind the scenes. Has anyone seen one on-show in the last couple of years?

full


@Kowari

Berlin Tierpark (Germany) has Siberian Musk-deer. Was there ever any doubt? Why doesn't the zoo have ALL the Musk-deer species? :p

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@Green_mamba

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@twilighter

How's this for a rare image? I took this photo last year at Calgary Zoo (Canada) and the left side shows the Siberian Musk-deer exhibit and the right side shows the Japanese Serow exhibit. Two species that are practically extinct in North American zoos.

full


Order Artiodactyla:

Antilocapridae: 1 species (30 zoos with Pronghorn)

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

Cervidae: 30 species - (78 zoos with Reeves's Muntjac, 63 White-tailed Deer, 61 Common Fallow Deer, 57 Elk, 56 Caribou/Reindeer, 41 Axis Deer, 37 Sika Deer, 30 Mule Deer, 24 Moose, 23 Javan Rusa Deer, 21 Red Deer (TWO species: Central Asian + Western), 21 Southern Red Muntjac, 20 Hog Deer, 20 Pere David's Deer, 19 Sambar Deer, 17 Tufted Deer, 14 Barasingha, 14 Southern Pudu, 12 Eld's Deer, 8 Bawean Deer, 6 White-lipped Deer, 4 Northern Red Muntjac, 4 Persian Fallow Deer, 4 Philippine Spotted Deer, 3 Calamian Deer, 3 Chinese Water Deer, 3 Western Roe Deer, 2 Mexican Red Brocket Deer, 1 Common Red Brocket Deer)

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)

Moschidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Siberian Musk-deer)

Phocoenidae: 1 species (3 zoos with Harbour Porpoise)

Suidae: 8 species (65 zoos with Red River Hog, 51 Warthog, 24 Babirusa, 17 Visayan Warty Pig, 17 Wild Boar, 6 Bearded Pig, 3 Javan Warty Pig, 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)
I think when you visited Detroit Zoo last they had southern pudu, they got rid of them in 2019.
 
Granby, Calgary, Roosevelt Park and Assiniboine Park zoo are the only holders in NA.
Assiniboine Park Zoo no longer holds them as of November 2023. They sent their last male, Shimo to Zoo Granby to form a larger group at Granby. There is only 3 holders in North America. I made a list of the individuals in NA. There are two different Yuki, one male and one female. I wanted to start a population list so I choose a simple one with not a big population.

Canada

Zoo Granby: 2.1.1 individuals
1.0 Shimo- July 21, 2018- (Flash x Yuki)
0.1 Lily- May 10, 2013- San Diego Zoo( I need help about her parents)
0.0.1 Unnamed- May 25, 2021(Yuki x Lily)
1.0 Yuki - Unknown

Calgary Zoo:1.0 individuals
1.0 Flash -June 1st, 2016
0.1 Yuki -May 31, 2015, passed away on June 11, 2024

United States

Roosevelt Park Zoo: Unsure
 
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The deer species I have seen in Mexican zoos are the following, white tail deer, mule deer, elk, red brocket, Yucatán brocket, fallow deer, sika deer, axis deer, red deer , all in various collections. Africam Safari Puebla has been the only holder of Pere David deer and southern Pudu. Also Muntjac at Leon and Guadalajara zoos.
 
It's time to dive into BOVIDAE...good luck to me here! It's going to be a big task ;) Today I'm going to analyze TWO species to kick things off with a bang.

An emblematic mammal in North America is the 'Buffalo', which is still the name that is most commonly used all these years later since the animal almost went extinct. The mighty American Buffalo is an iconic creature in my part of the world. I recall visiting Elk Island National Park (Alberta, Canada) several times when I was a kid and seeing a huge herd of Bison on each occasion. Yellowstone National Park (USA) in 2008 also revealed 500+ Bison that single day. Bison meat is still regularly sold in many stores across North America, with private ranch hands working with Bison on farms. In my list below, American/Plains Bison has been differentiated from the other subspecies (Wood Bison) if I've known what a particular zoo had or what was listed on the sign.

As for Wisent, that's been a much rarer mammal for me to come across and before my big 2019 zoo trip through Western Europe I'd only seen Wisent on 3 occasions in my lifetime. Since then, I've been happy to come across those majestic animals far more often.

I've seen American Bison at 104 zoos and Wisent at 15 zoos.

113 zoos (104 American Bison, 15 Wisent, including 6 zoos with both species)

2014 = 19 zoos (cold, northern USA states)
2015 = 20 zoos (hot, southern USA states)
2019 = 17 zoos (Western Europe)

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – American Bison, Wood Bison, Wisent – 1975
2- Stanley Park Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 1986
3- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 1998
4- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – American Bison – 2003
5- Langenberg Wildlife Park (Switzerland) – Wisent – 2003
6- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (USA) – American Bison – 2005
7- Denver Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2006
8- B.C. Wildlife Park (Canada) – American Bison – 2006
9- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Wood Bison – 2006
10- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – American Bison – 2007
11- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
12- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
13- Detroit Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
14- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Wisent, Wood Bison – 2008
15- Bronx Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
16- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (USA) – American Bison – 2008
17- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
18- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Wood Bison – 2008
19- Wildlife Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2010
20- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
21- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
22- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
23- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
24- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
25- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
26- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
27- Cameron Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
28- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
29- Oakland Zoo (USA) – American Bison - 2011
30- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
31- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
32- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
33- Virginia Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
34- Pocatello Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
35- Yellowstone Bear World (USA) – American Bison – 2014
36- Bear Country U.S.A. (USA) – American Bison – 2014
37- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
38- Dakota Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
39- Roosevelt Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
40- Chahinkapa Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
41- Pine Grove Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
42- Como Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
43- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
44- Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
45- Lincoln Park Zoo - Wisconsin (USA) – American Bison – 2014
46- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – American Bison – 2014
47- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
48- Wildlife Prairie Park (USA) – American Bison – 2014
49- Grant’s Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2014
50- Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2014
51- Hutchinson Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
52- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
53- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
54- Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – American Bison – 2015
55- Riverside Discovery Center (USA) – American Bison – 2015
56- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – American Bison – 2015
57- Amarillo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
58- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
59- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
60- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
61- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
62- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – American Bison – 2015
63- Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
64- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
65- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – American Bison – 2015
66- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
67- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – American Bison – 2015
68- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
69- Spring River Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
70- Living Desert Zoo – New Mexico (USA) – American Bison – 2015
71- Grand Canyon Deer Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2015
72- Bearizona (USA) – American Bison – 2015
73- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
74- Olympic Game Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2016
75- Border City Petting Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
76- Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
77- Assiniboine Park Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
78- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
79- Wilderness Trails Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
80- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
81- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – American Bison – 2018
82- MacKenzie Center (USA) – American Bison – 2018
83- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
84- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
85- Doc’s Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
86- Wildwood Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
87- Zollman Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
88- Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands) – Wisent – 2019
89- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – American Bison – 2019
90- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Wisent, American Bison – 2019
91- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Wood Bison – 2019
92- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – American Bison – 2019
93- Wildpark Gangelt (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
94- Wildpark Dunnwald (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
95- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
96- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
97- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
98- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – American Bison, Wisent – 2019
99- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Wisent, Wood Bison – 2019
100- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
101- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
102- Olderdissen Zoo (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
103- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
104- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
105- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – American Bison – 2022
106- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – American Bison – 2022
107- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – American Bison – 2022
108- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Wisent – 2022
109- Nordens Ark (Sweden) – Wisent – 2022
110- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – American Bison – 2023
111- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – American Bison – 2024
112- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – American Bison, Wisent – 2024
113- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Wisent – 2024

Which American Bison exhibits have been memorable? Of the 20 zoos I've been to in Australia, only one held this species and that was Monarto Zoo (Australia). There was a herd of 17 when I was there in 2007 and here's my only photo of the massive enclosure. A bison is rolling around in the dust, long before 'photo bombing' became a thing.

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Bronx Zoo (USA) is legendary for helping save the American Bison from extinction, which is recognized by a commemorative plaque on the zoo's grounds.

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@ThylacineAlive

Buffalo Zoo (USA), rather appropriately, had a small herd of American Bison when I was there in 2010.

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An American Bison and Elk appear to be eyeing each other up at North Carolina Zoo (USA). This fantastic zoological facility has a huge Prairie enclosure that is many acres in size for the two species.

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@Breckenridge

Montgomery Zoo (USA) has grand vistas over its African, Asian and North American paddocks. This enclosure held American Bison, White-tailed Deer, Elk, Bighorn Sheep and Wild Turkeys when I was there in 2010.

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While the nearby San Francisco Zoo (USA) has gradually gotten to the point where it's become a very poor facility, Oakland Zoo (USA) has doubled its attendance numbers and become a terrific establishment. That's what happens when you open a 56-acre/23-hectare complex called California Trail in 2018, which cost a whopping $70 million. Part of that new zone is a 13-acre/5-hectare American Bison paddock that can be seen via a gondola ride up a mountain. The views are stunning and all those new animal exhibits are world-class.

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@TheEthiopianWolf03

American Bison are huge, shaggy beasts but in truth many zoos have pretty minimal fencing for them. Here's the enclosure at Dakota Zoo (USA):

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Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari (USA) is the sister zoo to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) and there's a sprawling American Bison/Elk drive-through section at that park.

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@Pleistohorse

It's possible to be just a few feet away from American Bison at several roadside, drive-through type zoos such as one I toured in 2015 called Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA).

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Living Desert Zoo (USA) in New Mexico had two or three enclosures of American Bison and Elk when I was there in 2015.

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Tons of junky American roadside menageries have American Bison, such as Indian Creek Zoo (USA) with its rickety fence and police tape (!!). Bison are magnificent mammals when seen in large, prairie type habitats, but they are reduced to the equivalent of domestic cows when kept in poor conditions.

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Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands) had a WALK-THROUGH exhibit with Wisent when I toured that Dutch zoo in 2019. There was a large herd of Wisent and I took this photo while casually strolling down the visitor pathway that goes through the paddock. Is it crazy or just a typical European-style zoo experience? ;)

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Pairi Daiza (Belgium) has been highlighted a lot on this thread because the zoo is eye-catching in many ways. That includes an American Bison topiary statue!

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@KevinB

Would you like to lean out of your home's window and see a rustic American Bison barn? You can do just that at Cologne Zoo (Germany).

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@Crowthorne

Check out these fantastic, iconic 'Bison Barns' at Berlin Zoo (Germany):

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@SivatheriumGuy

My photo from 2019 at Berlin Tierpark (Germany) shows some high-rises in the background of this splendid prairie exhibit that is near the zoo's entrance.

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At Tierpark Nordhorn (Germany), also near the zoo's entrance, is a wonderful Wood Bison/Collared Peccary mixed-species exhibit that is one of the highlights of the zoo.

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@RonBurrgundy

What's this here? Oh, it's just an American Bison hanging out with an American Black Bear at Ree Park Safari (Denmark). Nothing unusual going on.

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@korhoen

When I was at Boras Zoo (Sweden) with @twilighter in 2022, we saw THREE separate Wisent exhibits during our tour of the zoo. Here's one of them:

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I was surprised to come across both American Bison and Wisent at Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) in a forested environment that looks far different in comparison to the thick jungle that surrounds most of the zoo. Remarkable!

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Family Bovidae: 2 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
 
At Montgomery Zoo, were the Wild Turkeys actually in the zoo or were they wild and just flew in the enclosure, because they seem like a very weird species to keep with bison?
 
At Montgomery Zoo, were the Wild Turkeys actually in the zoo or were they wild and just flew in the enclosure, because they seem like a very weird species to keep with bison?

The Wild Turkeys are captive specimens and occasionally zoos will have this species in their collection. Looking through my photos, I see that Taman Safari II Prigen, Zollman Zoo, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (with White-tailed Deer), Spring River Park & Zoo (with Reeves's Muntjac), Zootah at Willow Park (with Reindeer), El Paso Zoo (with Collared Peccaries) and a half-dozen other zoos all have had Wild Turkeys. Baton Rouge and Montgomery might be the only two zoos I've visited that combine them with American Bison, which is quite interesting.
 
The Wild Turkeys are captive specimens and occasionally zoos will have this species in their collection. Looking through my photos, I see that Taman Safari II Prigen, Zollman Zoo, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (with White-tailed Deer), Spring River Park & Zoo (with Reeves's Muntjac), Zootah at Willow Park (with Reindeer), El Paso Zoo (with Collared Peccaries) and a half-dozen other zoos all have had Wild Turkeys. Baton Rouge and Montgomery might be the only two zoos I've visited that combine them with American Bison, which is quite interesting.
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary doesn't keep Wild Turkey, but they have large flocks of wild individuals on the grounds which often hang out in the deer exhibit.
 
B
The Wild Turkeys are captive specimens and occasionally zoos will have this species in their collection. Looking through my photos, I see that Taman Safari II Prigen, Zollman Zoo, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (with White-tailed Deer), Spring River Park & Zoo (with Reeves's Muntjac), Zootah at Willow Park (with Reindeer), El Paso Zoo (with Collared Peccaries) and a half-dozen other zoos all have had Wild Turkeys. Baton Rouge and Montgomery might be the only two zoos I've visited that combine them with American Bison, which is quite interesting.
Montgomery Zoo is personally the better of Alabama’s two zoos as of now, but there’s an unfortunate trend of Montgomery losing rarer species and replacing them with more common species. Birmingham is going in the opposite direction, however, in which the zoo is gaining species and making many much-needed improvements. My recent visit is a far cry from my 2016 visit, as many of the poor enclosures have been demolished or are in the process of being renovated/phased out. The entrance is probably the most drastic change of all, as it’s a grand two-story building with a huge fountain, contrasted with the simple brick 1930s WPA-era gate that stood in its place until 2018.
 
Perhaps surprisingly, one of the very best Moose complexes I've seen is at Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA), with three yards for the species. This zoo has a terrific North American section in general. Here's my photo of one portion of the largest yard:

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@Milwaukee Man

The last few years have seen a few changes to this moose habitat. A whooping crane enclosure now takes up a portion of one of the exhibits; in fact, the section in the photo is where the birds now reside. Also, chain-link fencing has been put up around the exhibits and along the guest walkway, which to me takes away some of the immersive element. It still is a solid area, the highlight of NEW Zoo and the best moose habitat I've seen in my opinion, just not quite as strong/successful as it used to be.
 
It's time to dive into BOVIDAE...good luck to me here! It's going to be a big task ;) Today I'm going to analyze TWO species to kick things off with a bang.

An emblematic mammal in North America is the 'Buffalo', which is still the name that is most commonly used all these years later since the animal almost went extinct. The mighty American Buffalo is an iconic creature in my part of the world. I recall visiting Elk Island National Park (Alberta, Canada) several times when I was a kid and seeing a huge herd of Bison on each occasion. Yellowstone National Park (USA) in 2008 also revealed 500+ Bison that single day. Bison meat is still regularly sold in many stores across North America, with private ranch hands working with Bison on farms. In my list below, American/Plains Bison has been differentiated from the other subspecies (Wood Bison) if I've known what a particular zoo had or what was listed on the sign.

As for Wisent, that's been a much rarer mammal for me to come across and before my big 2019 zoo trip through Western Europe I'd only seen Wisent on 3 occasions in my lifetime. Since then, I've been happy to come across those majestic animals far more often.

I've seen American Bison at 104 zoos and Wisent at 15 zoos.

113 zoos (104 American Bison, 15 Wisent, including 6 zoos with both species)

2014 = 19 zoos (cold, northern USA states)
2015 = 20 zoos (hot, southern USA states)
2019 = 17 zoos (Western Europe)

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – American Bison, Wood Bison, Wisent – 1975
2- Stanley Park Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 1986
3- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 1998
4- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – American Bison – 2003
5- Langenberg Wildlife Park (Switzerland) – Wisent – 2003
6- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (USA) – American Bison – 2005
7- Denver Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2006
8- B.C. Wildlife Park (Canada) – American Bison – 2006
9- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Wood Bison – 2006
10- Monarto Zoo (Australia) – American Bison – 2007
11- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
12- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
13- Detroit Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
14- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Wisent, Wood Bison – 2008
15- Bronx Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
16- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (USA) – American Bison – 2008
17- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2008
18- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Wood Bison – 2008
19- Wildlife Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2010
20- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
21- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
22- Roger Williams Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
23- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
24- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
25- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
26- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
27- Cameron Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
28- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2010
29- Oakland Zoo (USA) – American Bison - 2011
30- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
31- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
32- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
33- Virginia Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
34- Pocatello Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2012
35- Yellowstone Bear World (USA) – American Bison – 2014
36- Bear Country U.S.A. (USA) – American Bison – 2014
37- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
38- Dakota Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
39- Roosevelt Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
40- Chahinkapa Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
41- Pine Grove Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
42- Como Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
43- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
44- Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
45- Lincoln Park Zoo - Wisconsin (USA) – American Bison – 2014
46- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – American Bison – 2014
47- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
48- Wildlife Prairie Park (USA) – American Bison – 2014
49- Grant’s Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2014
50- Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2014
51- Hutchinson Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
52- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
53- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2014
54- Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – American Bison – 2015
55- Riverside Discovery Center (USA) – American Bison – 2015
56- Arbuckle Wilderness Park (USA) – American Bison – 2015
57- Amarillo Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
58- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
59- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
60- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
61- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
62- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – American Bison – 2015
63- Bear Creek Pioneers Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
64- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
65- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – American Bison – 2015
66- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
67- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (USA) – American Bison – 2015
68- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
69- Spring River Park & Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2015
70- Living Desert Zoo – New Mexico (USA) – American Bison – 2015
71- Grand Canyon Deer Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2015
72- Bearizona (USA) – American Bison – 2015
73- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – American Bison – 2015
74- Olympic Game Farm (USA) – American Bison – 2016
75- Border City Petting Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
76- Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
77- Assiniboine Park Zoo (Canada) – American Bison – 2018
78- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
79- Wilderness Trails Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
80- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
81- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – American Bison – 2018
82- MacKenzie Center (USA) – American Bison – 2018
83- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
84- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
85- Doc’s Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
86- Wildwood Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
87- Zollman Zoo (USA) – American Bison – 2018
88- Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands) – Wisent – 2019
89- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – American Bison – 2019
90- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Wisent, American Bison – 2019
91- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Wood Bison – 2019
92- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – American Bison – 2019
93- Wildpark Gangelt (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
94- Wildpark Dunnwald (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
95- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
96- Tiergarten Monchengladbach (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
97- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
98- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – American Bison, Wisent – 2019
99- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Wisent, Wood Bison – 2019
100- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
101- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – American Bison – 2019
102- Olderdissen Zoo (Germany) – Wisent – 2019
103- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
104- Nordhorn Zoo (Germany) – Wood Bison – 2019
105- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – American Bison – 2022
106- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – American Bison – 2022
107- Kolmarden Wildlife Park (Sweden) – American Bison – 2022
108- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Wisent – 2022
109- Nordens Ark (Sweden) – Wisent – 2022
110- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – American Bison – 2023
111- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – American Bison – 2024
112- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – American Bison, Wisent – 2024
113- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Wisent – 2024

Which American Bison exhibits have been memorable? Of the 20 zoos I've been to in Australia, only one held this species and that was Monarto Zoo (Australia). There was a herd of 17 when I was there in 2007 and here's my only photo of the massive enclosure. A bison is rolling around in the dust, long before 'photo bombing' became a thing.

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Bronx Zoo (USA) is legendary for helping save the American Bison from extinction, which is recognized by a commemorative plaque on the zoo's grounds.

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@ThylacineAlive

Buffalo Zoo (USA), rather appropriately, had a small herd of American Bison when I was there in 2010.

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An American Bison and Elk appear to be eyeing each other up at North Carolina Zoo (USA). This fantastic zoological facility has a huge Prairie enclosure that is many acres in size for the two species.

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@Breckenridge

Montgomery Zoo (USA) has grand vistas over its African, Asian and North American paddocks. This enclosure held American Bison, White-tailed Deer, Elk, Bighorn Sheep and Wild Turkeys when I was there in 2010.

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While the nearby San Francisco Zoo (USA) has gradually gotten to the point where it's become a very poor facility, Oakland Zoo (USA) has doubled its attendance numbers and become a terrific establishment. That's what happens when you open a 56-acre/23-hectare complex called California Trail in 2018, which cost a whopping $70 million. Part of that new zone is a 13-acre/5-hectare American Bison paddock that can be seen via a gondola ride up a mountain. The views are stunning and all those new animal exhibits are world-class.

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@TheEthiopianWolf03

American Bison are huge, shaggy beasts but in truth many zoos have pretty minimal fencing for them. Here's the enclosure at Dakota Zoo (USA):

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Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari (USA) is the sister zoo to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) and there's a sprawling American Bison/Elk drive-through section at that park.

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@Pleistohorse

It's possible to be just a few feet away from American Bison at several roadside, drive-through type zoos such as one I toured in 2015 called Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA).

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Living Desert Zoo (USA) in New Mexico had two or three enclosures of American Bison and Elk when I was there in 2015.

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Tons of junky American roadside menageries have American Bison, such as Indian Creek Zoo (USA) with its rickety fence and police tape (!!). Bison are magnificent mammals when seen in large, prairie type habitats, but they are reduced to the equivalent of domestic cows when kept in poor conditions.

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Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands) had a WALK-THROUGH exhibit with Wisent when I toured that Dutch zoo in 2019. There was a large herd of Wisent and I took this photo while casually strolling down the visitor pathway that goes through the paddock. Is it crazy or just a typical European-style zoo experience? ;)

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Pairi Daiza (Belgium) has been highlighted a lot on this thread because the zoo is eye-catching in many ways. That includes an American Bison topiary statue!

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@KevinB

Would you like to lean out of your home's window and see a rustic American Bison barn? You can do just that at Cologne Zoo (Germany).

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@Crowthorne

Check out these fantastic, iconic 'Bison Barns' at Berlin Zoo (Germany):

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@SivatheriumGuy

My photo from 2019 at Berlin Tierpark (Germany) shows some high-rises in the background of this splendid prairie exhibit that is near the zoo's entrance.

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At Tierpark Nordhorn (Germany), also near the zoo's entrance, is a wonderful Wood Bison/Collared Peccary mixed-species exhibit that is one of the highlights of the zoo.

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@RonBurrgundy

What's this here? Oh, it's just an American Bison hanging out with an American Black Bear at Ree Park Safari (Denmark). Nothing unusual going on.

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@korhoen

When I was at Boras Zoo (Sweden) with @twilighter in 2022, we saw THREE separate Wisent exhibits during our tour of the zoo. Here's one of them:

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I was surprised to come across both American Bison and Wisent at Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) in a forested environment that looks far different in comparison to the thick jungle that surrounds most of the zoo. Remarkable!

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Family Bovidae: 2 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Finally, bovids!

As for myself, I remember only seeing both species once. I saw the final two wisent in Brazil nine years ago, in Curitiba. Three years later, at the Lisbon zoo, I would see my first (and only so far) American bison.
 
Time for TWO more species today. Sticking with my introductory 'Buffalo' theme for Bovids, I've seen Asian Water Buffalo at 17 zoos and Cape Buffalo at 21 zoos. The Asian type is one that sometimes pops up in roadside American collections and is occasionally called Asian Wild Buffalo or Domestic Water Buffalo. Cape Buffalo is sometimes called the African Buffalo and it's a shock to many people to realize that the African Forest Buffalo is actually not a separate species but instead a subspecies of the Cape Buffalo. I mention that it's a surprise because the African Forest Buffalo, which I've seen at 7 zoos, is much smaller and red in colour and yet it's not a full species. Fascinating stuff.

Asian Water Buffalo = 17 zoos

2024 = 5 zoos

1- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2010
2- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2015
3- Gone Wild Safari (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2015
4- Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2015
5- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2015
6- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2017
7- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) – Water Buffalo – 2018
8- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Water Buffalo – 2019
9- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Water Buffalo – 2019
10- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Water Buffalo – 2019
11- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Water Buffalo – 2019
12- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Water Buffalo – 2022
13- Wildlife Rescue Center No. 1 (Thailand) – Water Buffalo – 2024
14- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Water Buffalo – 2024
15- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Water Buffalo – 2024
16- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Water Buffalo – 2024
17- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Water Buffalo – 2024

AND...

Cape Buffalo = 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)

2019 = 7 zoos

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Cape Buffalo – 1975
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – African Forest Buffalo – 2006
3- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2006
4- Denver Zoo (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2006
5- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Cape Buffalo – 2008
6- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – African Forest Buffalo – 2008
7- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2008
8- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Cape Buffalo – 2009
9- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2010
10- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2017
11- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
12- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Cape Buffalo – 2019
13- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Cape Buffalo – 2019
14- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Cape Buffalo + African Forest Buffalo – 2019
15- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
16- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Cape Buffalo + African Forest Buffalo – 2019
17- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
18- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Cape Buffalo – 2022
19- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Cape Buffalo – 2022
20- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Cape Buffalo – 2024
21- Night Safari (Singapore) – Cape Buffalo – 2024

When I visited Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) in 2010, I saw Asian Water Buffalo in the Asian Farm section of the Children's Zoo.

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At Monterey Zoo (USA) in 2017, there was a multi-acre, very bland paddock with 4 African Elephants, Ostriches, Zebras and at least two Asian Water Buffalo all mixed together. Since then the zoo has gone out of elephants and they have White Rhinos these days.

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Glacier Animal Ridge (USA), a rundown, junky USA zoo that I toured in 2018 and has subsequently closed down, had Asian Water Buffalo in a little muddy paddock.

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Asian Water Buffalo and Visayan Warty Pigs hanging out at Pairi Daiza (Belgium):

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@KevinB

Here's a stunning portrait of an Asian Water Buffalo at Berlin Tierpark (Germany):

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@Patrick87

I saw one zoo in Scandinavia with Asian Water Buffalo and it was Givskud Zoo (Denmark):

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How stunning is this landscape? Wildlife Rescue Center No. 1 (Thailand) is a rural facility surrounded by jungle and it's breathtaking. I counted at least 24 Asian Water Buffalo in this gorgeous paddock, plus there were some others beyond the fence line.

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Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) has a large herd of Asian Water Buffalo that can be seen via the 50-minute safari tour.

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@Zz123

Zoo Negara (Malaysia) has a spacious paddock for Asian Water Buffalo:

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As for Cape Buffalo, San Diego Zoo (USA) had African Forest Buffalo in the Ituri Forest mixed-species complex for many years.

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@geomorph

While 45 minutes away at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA), there's been Cape Buffalo there seemingly forever.

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@Julio C Castro

Denver Zoo (USA) has had success maintaining a small herd of Cape Buffalo for at least the last 15 years or longer.

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@Milwaukee Man

In 2009, the Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) obtained two Cape Buffalo and placed them in a large paddock with 4 Plains Zebra. Rapidly, one by one, all 4 zebra died and it was a huge scandal in the local newspapers at the time. The zebras had been literally scared to death and they had each panicked whenever the buffalo trudged near them. An extraordinary story!

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It was a little nerve-wracking to take the jeep tour of Safari West (USA) in 2017 as on my visit the guide drove very close to a herd of 40 Cape Buffalo. I was told that it was the largest captive herd outside of Africa.

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Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) had African Forest Buffalo in a gorgeous forested setting when I was there in 2019.

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@KevinB

Is there a zoo on the planet with a better exhibit for Cape Buffalo than Boras Zoo (Sweden)? I was in awe of seeing a herd of African Elephants and a herd of Cape Buffalo, along with several antelope species, all coexisting in a 5-acre African Savanna. Sublime. Zoo nerds...go to Scandinavia and you will not be disappointed with the large size of the animal exhibits.

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African Forest Buffalo, Drills and Diana Monkeys all together at Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) was a world-class experience for me in 2019.

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Family Bovidae: 4 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
 
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Cape Buffalo is sometimes called the African Buffalo and it's a shock to many people to realize that the African Forest Buffalo is actually not a separate species but instead a subspecies of the Cape Buffalo
I am many people; had no idea they weren't considered a separate species until this post! Both are amazing animals, although I personally prefer the more mysterious and colorful forest buffalo. It's a shame they're no longer present in the AZA. Regardless, seeing a large herd of imposing Cape buffalo at San Diego has always been a highlight of each visit.

You should've also seen forest buffalo at Brookfield as they held the subspecies up until 2010. Somewhat miraculously, the zoo intends to bring the them back as part of the forthcoming African Forest redevelopment. No idea if that'll actually come to fruition, but the fact there's even interest is wonderful.
 
Aren't all Asian water buffalo in our zoos domesticated? But maybe I did not remember correctly and you also treat livestock.

That's correct. As far as I'm aware, Wild water buffalo are not present in captivity. Not in North America, at the very least.

Hence why their domestic counterparts are ridiculously common in roadside zoos and unaccredited safari parks. Since they're a domesticated species, there are no crazy hoops to jump through in order to keep them. You just... can, as they aren't regulated any diffently than cattle.

Domesticated water buffalo were originally imported to North America for dairy purposes! In fact, Europe has multiple home-grown water buffalo breeds! How else could Italy produce its famous mozzarella cheese? Lol
 
Aren't all Asian water buffalo in our zoos domesticated? But maybe I did not remember correctly and you also treat livestock.

Water buffalos in European zoos are all domectics, correct.

However ZTL seems inconsistent in asigning holdings to domestic breeds. While "kerabau" is rare and very distinctive looking animal going back to direct import (-s?) from SE Asia, all European domectic breeds look so similar to each other that visitors can´t tell them apart and go by either zoo signage or gut feeling.

Most ZTL listings for "South European Watterbuffalo" are not real Italian mozarella buffalos but instead go back to Hungarian, Romanian or Bulgarian animals or hybrids of them with each other or with Italians. Collections east of former Iron Curtain would source their grounding stock locally and later bring new blood from other zoos without caring for purity. Most should be probably listed under generic water buffalo without designated breed.
 
Thanks @pachyderm pro for mentioning the African Forest Buffalo at Brookfield Zoo (USA). I went back and looked at my 2008 review (which is also on ZooChat) and I mentioned the buffalo in the Habitat Africa zone and so I edited my post to include Brookfield. Occasionally someone will message me and say "did you really see this particular species at that many zoos?" and if anything my totals should be one or two higher because it's tricky to go through my 600+ zoo reviews and account for each mammal species.

Good question @Philipine eagle as I already announced that I would not be posting totals for species such as Dromedary, Bactrian Camel, Llama, etc., but with Asian Water Buffalo I didn't know if there were any 'wild' specimens in captivity. I am unsure if Wildlife Rescue Center No. 1 (Thailand) had some wild individuals as not all of the buffalo were inside a single fenced area, or if any of the other Asian zoos had wild buffalo. Either way, it's fun to see the totals and a future question mark will also be over my Yak numbers. The same applies there, in that I'm not sure if there's any 'wild' Yak in captivity anywhere.

Interesting facts @Wisp O' Mist and @Jana when it comes to Asian Water Buffalo. Much like the generic zoo Tigers that are listed as 'Bengal', probably the same could be applied to many buffalo exhibits. There's been a lack of purebred animals with a lot of species.
 
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