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

[Kudu21]

The historic Bison Barns at Zoo Berlin are truly magnificent pieces of zoo architecture! I was absolutely in awe of the structures (and so many other buildings at this famous zoo) on my first visit to said collection last month. While the yards, themselves, are by no means anything special, seeing these buildings and just having the two species exhibited next to each other in this way has absolutely had a lasting impact on me!

I think that seeing the grand herd of 20+ Cape buffalo of all different ages graze across the scenic, grassy hillsides of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is one of the greatest zoo experiences to be had in North America, if not the world! They are such impressive animals, and seeing and hearing a herd of that size really does invoke visions of Africa.

 

[Mr.Ivory]

Does Safari west still maintain the largest herd of Cape Buffalo?

 

[Kudu21]

Does Safari west still maintain the largest herd of Cape Buffalo?

They do not. The herd has been massively downsized following their assorted USDA violations with containment and medical concerns and loss of AZA, with most of the dispositioned animals ending up in the private sector. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park's herd is the biggest herd in North America now, but I would not be surprised if one of the safari parks in Asia has an even bigger herd.

 

[Enzo]

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 20 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 6 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 = 20 zoos (including 6 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- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2008
7- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Cape Buffalo – 2009
8- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2010
9- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Cape Buffalo – 2017
10- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
11- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Cape Buffalo – 2019
12- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Cape Buffalo – 2019
13- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Cape Buffalo + African Forest Buffalo – 2019
14- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
15- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Cape Buffalo + African Forest Buffalo – 2019
16- Osnabruck Zoo (Germany) – African Forest Buffalo – 2019
17- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Cape Buffalo – 2022
18- Boras Zoo (Sweden) – Cape Buffalo – 2022
19- Safari World Bangkok (Thailand) – Cape Buffalo – 2024
20- 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.

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.

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.

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

@KevinB

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

@Patrick87

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

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.

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

@Zz123

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

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

@geomorph

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

@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.

@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!

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.

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

@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.

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

Family Bovidae: 4 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 20 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos

Buffalo! As for me, I have only seen Cape buffalo once, at the Lisbon zoo in 2018.

Domestic water buffalo, on the other hand, are annoyingly common in South America, leaving no space for Syncerus caffer. My local zoo has a regularly-breeding herd of Bubalus bubalis, and they are not leaving Quinta da Boa Vista anytime soon.

Brazil, I believe, is home to the second largest water buffalo herd in the world, and the police in the island of Marajó, an isle the size of Switzerland known for its monstruous feral buffalo herd, was the first in the world to use buffalo as a mount.

 

[Osedax]

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.

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.

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.

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

@KevinB

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

@Patrick87

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

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.

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

@Zz123

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

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

@geomorph

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

@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.

@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!

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.

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

@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.

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

I'm surprised you haven't seen water buffalo in any Australian zoos. They are relatively common here.

 

[NNM.]

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a surprisingly good multispecies habitat for Asian ungulates and birds, including water buffalo.

 

[cerperal]

For such impressive animals, buffalo are seemingly rather underrepresented in the UK and will soon be gone from Berlin with the construction of the Northern White Rhino breeding centre.

Almost 2 decades ago, Longleat safari park held water buffalo with their rhesus macaques, which were certainly more apt than the blue wildebeest that replaced them. With regards to the African buffalo, the bovid section of Tierpark Berlin is easily one of my favourite sections of any zoo and it will be a shame to see it gone, even if it means the Tierpark regains rhino. I believe they will retain water buffalo, which is a good thing as their exhibit is rather good and usually contains a surplus babirusa.

My favourite encounter with a water buffalo at a zoo, however, is at Schönbrunn. A raised viewing section allows you to get quite literally within touching distance of one wallowing, which is a surprisingly exciting experience.

 

[ralph]

I think Antwerp deserves a mention for keeping their Cape Buffalo inside of a huge African walkthrough aviary.

I'm so used to seeing Cape buffalo that I always overestimate how common they are in zoos.

 

[snowleopard]

There's been so many great comments on this thread in the last 24 hours and before I make the next post (later on today) I do want to highlight one exhibit that @ralph mentioned. The enclosure for Cape Buffalo at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) is astonishing and deserving of all the attention it receives from zoo nerds. Perhaps the space for the buffalo is a tad tight, but for an urban, legendary zoo to create such a masterpiece is amazing.

The zoo has preserved and updated its 1893 Rhinoceros House and it's a stunning piece of architecture. There's a small herd of Cape Buffalo inside the Savanna Aviary that holds between 20-25 species at any given time. Extraordinary!

Here are SIX photos that showcase this fantastic complex.

@Dianamonkey

@Canihelpyou?

@Jogy

I actually ate my lunch in the restaurant (on the left) that overlooks the Savanna Aviary and in this photo you can see the historic Rhinoceros House in the distance.

@KevinB

There's even a lower viewing area and this image shows a Hooded Vulture and the herd of Cape Buffalo. This 67-meter 'cave zone' is beneath the restaurant.

@Tiger

@KevinB

 

[snowleopard]

It's the third day of Bovidae and I have another TWO species to analyze in this post.

I've seen Lowland Anoa at 18 zoos and Mountain Anoa at 2 zoos. Lowland Anoa are very rare in zoos and they seem to have always been difficult to ever see as there's never been a large population of the species in North American or European collections. According to Zootierliste, there's less than 30 zoos on the planet that currently have Lowland Anoa and it has always been a treat for me to see them in a zoo. I have only seen them at 8 North American zoos out of the hundreds that I've toured and only 3 zoos out of 120 in Europe! However, I just saw Lowland Anoa at 7 zoos in 3 weeks in Southeast Asia, with Surabaya having 4 exhibits all in a row with Lowland Anoa. The species is plentiful in Indonesia.

As for Mountain Anoa, there's perhaps only two specimens in captivity on the planet. I saw the elderly one at Krefeld Zoo in 2019 and then a brown-coated individual at Ragunan Zoo this summer. Mountain Anoa are one of the rarest mammal species in the world when it comes to zoos.

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 1996
2- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2005
3- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2008
4- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2008
5- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2008
6- Zoo Miami (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2008
7- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2012
8- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Lowland Anoa – 2015
9- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Lowland Anoa – 2019
10- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – Mountain Anoa – 2019
11- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Lowland Anoa – 2019
12- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Lowland Anoa – 2022
13- Singapore Zoo (Singapore) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
14- Night Safari (Singapore) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
15- Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
16- Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
17- Solo Safari (Indonesia) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
18- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Lowland Anoa – 2024
19- Ragunan Zoo (Indonesia) – Lowland Anoa + Mountain Anoa – 2024

I have seen Lowland Anoa many times at Woodland Park Zoo (USA) in an enclosure near the bird of prey presentation area.

The Asian Forest Sanctuary at Point Defiance Zoo (USA) has had a rotating set of exhibits for almost 20 years. Here's a couple of Lowland Anoa and they would quite often be mixed with White-cheeked Gibbons.

Of course San Diego Zoo (USA) has had Lowland Anoa, even combining them with Babirusa in 2012:

@MountainBongo

Does Los Angeles Zoo (USA) still have Lowland Anoa? The most recent photo is almost 5 years old and this image is from 2019:

@Ding Lingwei

Zoo Miami (USA) has consistently had a very impressive hoofstock collection, which has included Lowland Anoa and I believe the zoo still has the species today.

@robreintjes

Another Florida facility, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park (USA), has also maintained Lowland Anoa. Here was the exhibit in 2012:

Lowland Anoa were at Alexandria Zoo (USA) when I toured that establishment in 2015. You can see one at the back of the enclosure.

I think I used this image when discussing Sulawesi Crested Macaques earlier this year, but it's worth a second look as it's a brilliant photo. Here's a monkey hitching a ride on a Lowland Anoa at Artis Royal Zoo Amsterdam (Netherlands):

@korhoen

And my photo of the exhibit, complete with a Sumatran-styled house, in 2019. Why are European zoos so great at building these type of ungulate barns and the zoos in North America are so bland with their hoofstock houses?

Berlin Zoo (Germany) had Lowland Anoa when I was there in 2019, with a thatched holding area in the background.

I only saw ONE zoo with Lowland Anoa in Scandinavia and it was Skaerup Zoo (Denmark), a privately-owned facility that seems to specialize in rarities. You can see a Lowland Anoa on the far right-hand side.

I took this photo on August 11th and it shows the Lowland Anoa exhibit at Singapore Zoo (Singapore):

Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) has FOUR Lowland Anoa exhibits in a row. For some of you who never see the species, you can get your fix in Surabaya!

As for Mountain Anoa, there's the almost mythical specimen at Krefeld Zoo (Germany) which I saw in 2019. Here's a crystal clear portrait of the individual:

@Jakub

Here's the Krefeld Zoo exhibit:

@twilighter

Ragunan Zoo (Indonesia), which coincidentally was my 600th zoo all-time, has a single Mountain Anoa as well. It's a brown-coloured specimen.

@twilighter

Family Bovidae: 6 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos

 

[birdsandbats]

Lowland Anoas have actually been making their way into roadside zoos in the US recently, since the Timbavati Wildlife Park/Shamba Safari guy has been breeding them. This could become a common roadside zoo species in the future.

 

[Tim May]

I think Antwerp deserves a mention for keeping their Cape Buffalo inside of a huge African walkthrough aviary.

I agree; Antwerp Zoo's African buffalo group, housed in a huge walkthrough aviary, makes a superb, innovative exhibit.

Digressing slightly, on my first few visits to Antwerp, the collection included a Sudanese buffalo (the only individual of the subspecies brachyceros that I've ever seen). I'd love to see another one but doubt I ever will.

 

[Ituri]

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

Unfortunately the Asian Farm was demolished for a temporary entrance when the new zoo entrance was being built. The zoo's lone water buffalo now occupies a small pen near the Africa farm that lacks a water feature for the animal.

 

[snowleopard]

I've seen Banteng at 27 zoos. Here is a species that was initially very rare for me to see, with my hometown Canadian zoo having a small herd when I was a kid and Perth and Zurich both having Banteng back in the day. Just a handful of American zoos have kept the species and I'm not sure if there are any left in AZA zoos beyond the 4 establishments (SDZSP, Saint Louis, Miami, The Wilds) on Zootierliste. Is this a phase-out species for the AZA or are Banteng still breeding? They are honestly such impressive animals that I'm surprised more zoos haven't taken them on.

Things look a bit better in Europe and I saw Banteng at 5 zoos there in 2019 and then this summer I saw a TON of Banteng in Southeast Asia. When @twilighter and I toured SEA, we saw both the Javan and Burma subspecies and at times in big numbers. Literally a dozen zoos on our trip had Banteng and the species is very common. We didn't see them at the Singapore parks, but Banteng were in zoos in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Once, while travelling in a car, we saw a huge herd in a field and they looked as if they were wild specimens. Apparently there are many farms with domesticated Banteng, but judging from the surroundings what we saw could well have been a wild group and they looked almost regal with a lush jungle backdrop.

2019 = 5 zoos
2024 = 12 zoos

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Banteng – 1975
2- Perth Zoo (Australia) – Banteng – 1987
3- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Banteng – 2003
4- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Banteng – 2006
5- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Banteng – 2006
6- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Banteng – 2008
7- White Oak Conservation Center (USA) – Banteng – 2008
8- Zoo Miami (USA) – Banteng – 2008
9- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Banteng – 2010
10- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Banteng – 2010
11- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Banteng – 2019
12- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Banteng – 2019
13- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Banteng – 2019
14- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Banteng – 2019
15- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Banteng – 2019
16- Khao Kheow Zoo (Thailand) – Banteng – 2024
17- Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) – Banteng – 2024
18- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Banteng – 2024
19- Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) – Banteng – 2024
20- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Banteng – 2024
21- Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) – Banteng – 2024
22- Taman Safari III Bali (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024
23- Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024
24- Taman Safari II Prigen (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024
25- Solo Safari (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024
26- Bandung Zoo (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024
27- Taman Safari I Bogor (Indonesia) – Banteng – 2024

Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) had a Banteng paddock when I was there in 2003:

@Baldur

Back in the zoo nerd halcyon days of Horn & Hoof Mesa, San Diego Zoo (USA) had a herd of Javan Banteng. I saw this species there on my very first visit to the zoo in 2006, but I'm guessing that not many years later the Banteng were gone.

@Baldur

Meanwhile, San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) has had a lot of breeding success with Banteng and has maintained the species all along. They've even castrated males due to breeding success.

@King of Komodo Dragons

The Banteng, Eld's Deer and Blackbuck paddock at Disney's Animal Kingdom (USA) seems to have remained since the Asian zone opened around 25 years ago. It's just too bad this place has been stagnant in terms of major new animal exhibits for those entire 25 years...

@Mr.Weasel

I saw Banteng at White Oak Conservation Center (USA) in December 2008, on the same day I petted Harapan the Sumatran Rhino!

Zoo Miami (USA) has done a great job keeping Banteng in the collection for a long time.

@Sarus Crane

Another long-time holder of Banteng in the U.S. is Saint Louis Zoo (USA) in the Red Rocks zone. Banteng and Sarus Cranes are kept together and this photo shows a large metal sculpture that's near the zoo's exit area.

@pachyderm pro

I recall the very minimal barrier at the Banteng/Blackbuck exhibit at Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands) in Rotterdam.

I saw a small herd of Banteng at Cologne Zoo (Germany) in 2019.

The Rimba zone of Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) has Banteng mixed with Eld's Deer, Hog Deer, Siamang and Pig-tailed Macaque. Wow!

@twilighter

Tierpark Strohen (Germany) had Banteng and Blackbuck together in 2019, with a few zoos combining those Asian ungulates. And this barn can only be in a German zoo, right? I quite enjoy seeing hoofstock holding areas with memorable buildings.

Holy smokes, the Banteng exhibit at Khao Kheow Zoo (Thailand) is amazing and @twilighter and I spent a long time in this area as there was also a big male Gaur next door. The huge herd, the close proximity to the animals, the stunning jungle backdrop, the wild Long-tailed Macaques all over the place...this is heaven for zoo nerds. If KK Zoo was in North America then it would perhaps be a top 10 zoo. My photo shows the steep drop-off if one of the Banteng wanders too close to the edge. I have no idea how far back the enclosure goes because we saw a couple of Banteng emerge from the forest into the clearing.

@twilighter

Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) has Banteng in a huge 'Asian Hoofstock' zone with several deer species, a second massive exhibit with Banteng and multiple deer species, and a third Banteng exhibit with two enormous males on their own.

Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand), a totally separate facility from Chiang Mai Zoo (Thailand) has a big Banteng paddock that can be seen via the safari tour. Songkhla Zoo (Thailand) has two Banteng exhibits, one for males and one for females.

The size of the Banteng exhibit at Zoo Negara (Malaysia) is a bit disappointing, especially considering the large breeding group that is there.

An equally large and impressive herd of Banteng can be found at Zoo Melaka (Malaysia):

Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) is home to 200+ Javan Rusa Deer and perhaps 50+ Sitatunga, and many other large groupings of hoofstock, but I only saw a pair of Banteng there. It was surprising for Surabaya. If you zoom in then you can see that the 'Banteng Barn' is a very tiny structure made of stone and some of the indoor accommodation for animals in Southeast Asia is minimal because they are in their outdoor area 24/7.

Family Bovidae: 7 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos

 

[Austin the Sengi]

Banteng are one of my all-time favorite bovines and I agree that more AZA zoos should emphasize on this species, especially since they are relatively easier to manage when compared to similar bovines like gaur.

Also, as it was mentioned previously, the Banteng at Disney’s Animal Kingdom were indeed replaced with Asian Water Buffalo. The mix itself still prevails to this day, albeit with a different cast of creatures.

 

[Jurek7]

I wish zoos added one cattle not found in any zoo: the wild water buffalo or Arnee, with monstrous horns reaching the span of 2 meters. For some reason, even zoos in Assam do not keep them.

They are endangered because of poaching and cross-breeding with domestic buffaloes, and, allegedly, so easy to keep in captivity that locals used to catch wild calves and add them to a domestic herd.

 

[cornu aspersum]

allegedly, so easy to keep in captivity that locals used to catch wild calves and add them to a domestic herd.

Two buffaloes once came down from Kaziranga to a village in the foothills. One of them was killed for meat, while the other was quite friendly with the domestic buffalo and would graze together with them and if I remember correctly, will also enter their stables and stay there for some time before roaming out again.

 

[snowleopard]

One of the most impressive mammals that a zoo nerd can ever see is a Gaur. A fully-grown male can weigh 2,000 pounds and they don't seem to really move around much. Usually, whenever I've seen a huge male Gaur in a zoo, the individual is simply standing there showing everyone how damn incredible he is. I added to my Gaur totals by seeing this species 5 times in Southeast Asia this year. It's very odd to me that I saw Gaur in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, but not in Indonesia even though that nation had Lowland Anoa, Mountain Anoa and vast herds of Banteng everywhere. But no Gaur.

I've seen Gaur at 16 zoos:

2024 = 5 zoos

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Gaur – 1975
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Gaur – 2006
3- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Gaur – 2008
4- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Gaur – 2008
5- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Gaur – 2008
6- Zoo Miami (USA) – Gaur – 2008
7- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Gaur – 2010
8- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Gaur – 2014
9- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Gaur – 2019
10- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Gaur – 2019
11- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) – Gaur – 2019
12- Khao Kheow Zoo (Thailand) – Gaur – 2024
13- Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) – Gaur – 2024
14- Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) – Gaur – 2024
15- Zoo Negara (Malaysia) – Gaur – 2024
16- Night Safari (Singapore) – Gaur – 2024

AND...as a 'bonus mammal species'

I've seen Gayal at only 2 zoos:

1- Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park (Canada) – Gayal – 1975
2- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Gayal – 2019

San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) used to have a big herd of Gaur, with at least a dozen individuals even a few years ago. What happened to them? For this park to have had a brilliant monorail ride, a dozen Gaur, 20+ Giant Eland and many other fantastic elements, and for all of that to be gone is a crying shame. The Gaur on the right apparently had some kind of birth defect, hence the odd horns.

@Anteaterman

When I was at Toronto Zoo (Canada) in 2008, the facility had a Gaur Pavilion and here's a great photo of it. Does the zoo still have Gaur? Of course not, why maintain a herd of such a magnificent species? On that note, I wonder how the Gaur dealt with Toronto's long, cold winters. Perhaps they struggled in the snow? Or maybe they were tough, hardy animals? Who knows!

@Newzooboy

Thankfully, Bronx Zoo (USA) continues to breed and showcase Gaur to U.S. zoo nerds. You can only see them for 30 seconds on the Wild Asia monorail ride 50% of the year, and its insignificant compared to the Southeast Asian jungle zoos, but it's better than nothing and I applaud Bronx for hanging in there with the species.

@Pleistohorse

I only have one photo of Gaur from my first visit to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) and at that time (2008) the zoo had the largest captive population of Gaur in the world. I think they had maybe 40 Gaur in one area and it was amazing to see. Later on, the herd was shifted to the 'sister zoo' called Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park.

Does Zoo Miami (USA) have Gaur these days? They were down to one female not that long ago. It's such a shame as this species should thrive in the heat and humidity of south Florida.

@Austin the Sengi

Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) is still working with Gaur and here's my photo called 'Three Gaur in the Rain' from 2010:

Here's a couple of Gaur that I saw at the somewhat obscure Lee Richardson Zoo (USA):

The male Gaur I saw at Dortmund Zoo (Germany) in 2019 was gargantuan!

Look at that gorgeous red-and-white holding area for Gaur at Berlin Zoo (Germany). European zoos really do have stunning indoor quarters for ungulates.

@ZooTripper365

I already highlighted the fantastic Banteng exhibit at Khao Kheow Zoo (Thailand) and right next door is an equally stunning Gaur habitat. Visitors take a golf cart around and stop in front of these two masterpiece enclosures and it's tough to get moving again! There was a male Gaur in with a few female Banteng and if someone was brave enough then they could cross a wooden bridge and be in with the animals.

Gaur are on the tour at the Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) with jungle all around.

Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) has a scenic, spacious Gaur paddock and a beautiful Gaur mural that must be 12 feet high. This species is on the logo for the zoo.

There used to be two on-show subspecies of Gaur at Zoo Negara (Malaysia), but one died. Like so many jungle Asian zoos, there are wild monkeys in the vicinity and trees everywhere. Teams of workers cut back the jungle every day or else it would take over the zoo!

Night Safari (Singapore) has Gaur on the tram tour.

@Nadchew_

As for Gayal, when I was a young kid I saw the species at Alberta Game Farm (Canada) and that was the first zoo in North America to breed Gayal. The only other time I've seen this domesticated cattle in a zoo was at Berlin Tierpark (Germany) in 2019.

@Patrick87

@Maguari

Family Bovidae: 8 species so far

American Bison - 104 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos

Bonus species: (kind of like my New Guinea Singing Dog example)

Gayal - 2 zoos

 

[Austin the Sengi]

Indeed, regarding Miami’s gaur, it is just down to (0.1) Kali who, of course, is a photogenic gem!

I have been grateful to have seen Kali and her kin at the Bronx Zoo; and the sheer majesty mentioned in the prior post exemplifies my appreciation for this wonderful species.

 

[ralph]

I was fortunate to see a wild gaur in Thailand this year, an adult male. Such majestic creatures!