biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
It is interesting that while many zoo nerds seem to love ungulates, as far as the general public is concerned, if it's not a zebra, giraffe, rhino, hippo, or perhaps bison, it may as well not even be there.
Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
Duikers are rare in zoos and of all the species there's only two that I've seen in double figures. Yesterday I discussed Yellow-backed Duikers (21 zoos) and today it's Blue Duikers (16 zoos). There's a lot of subspecies of Blue Duiker and they are cute-looking yet shy antelope and it's easy to see why they can be difficult to find in modern, lush zoo exhibits.
As with Yellow-backed Duikers, I've come across Blue Duikers entirely in American zoos except for two in Europe. A couple of German zoos for Yellow-backed, and a German and a Danish zoo for Blue, and that's it for me otherwise it's been mainly AZA-accredited zoos more than a decade ago. I went on long European and Asian zoo trips and saw next to zero duikers anywhere. Why so few duikers in zoos? My personal opinion is that muntjacs have more than taken over around the world. If you recall, I've been to 101 zoos with muntjacs (78 Reeves’s, 21 Southern Red, 4 Northern Red - two zoos with multiple species) and while one animal is a deer and the other is an antelope, honestly from a visitor's perspective I'd imagine that muntjacs and duikers are all one and the same.
I've seen Blue Duiker at 16 zoos:
1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 1996
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2008
3- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2008
4- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
5- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
6- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
7- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2011
8- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2011
9- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
10- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
11- Denver Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
12- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2014
13- Moody Gardens (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2015
14- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2017
15- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Blue Duiker – 2019
16- Randers Regnskov (Denmark) – Blue Duiker – 2022
I noted in my 2008 review that I saw Blue Duiker at San Diego Zoo (USA) and there's probably been many sightings of that species there over the years. However, the only ZooChat photo from San Diego with 'Blue Duiker' in the heading is this one from 2024. The exhibit is shared with Gerenuk.
@pachyderm pro
Habitat Africa! The Forest at Brookfield Zoo (USA) had an all-indoor Blue Duiker exhibit when I toured that zoo in 2008.
@geomorph
There's quite a few photos in the gallery of the Blue Duiker exhibit at Kansas City Zoo (USA) and it was a grassy yard with a lot of shade.
@AnimalWondersKC
I saw Blue Duiker and Guenther's Dik-dik together at Montgomery Zoo (USA) in 2010.
Montgomery had a second Blue Duiker exhibit, this time as part of an aviary with the following 9 bird species: Lady Ross's Turaco, Violet Turaco, Sacred Ibis, Speckled Pigeon, African Grey Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Erckel's Francolin, Lilac-breasted Roller and Hamerkop.
My photo from San Antonio Zoo (USA) shows the quarry rockwork that is such an integral part of that Texas zoo. Here was the tiered landscape of the Blue Duiker exhibit in 2010.
@Baldur
In 2011, while visiting Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA), I saw a Blue Duiker, Saddle-billed Stork and Vulturine Guineafowl combination in an aviary setting.
Elsewhere in the zoo was a Blue Duiker/Guenther's Dik-dik mixed-species exhibit:
When I returned to Wildlife World last year, the zoo had a separate Blue Duiker exhibit as well as a Blue Duiker/King Vulture aviary. This zoo is fantastic for rare ungulates.
Here are two of my photos from Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) in 2011, with Blue Duikers in with Burmese Brown Tortoises. I'm not sure if the zoo has either species these days.
The combination of De Brazza's Monkey and Blue Duiker at Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) in 2012 was probably unique at the time.
It's interesting that some of these U.S. zoos had both Yellow-backed Duiker and Blue Duiker at the same time, including Denver Zoo (USA).
@savethelephant
Inside the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens (USA), there was a Blue Duiker exhibit when I toured that aquatic-based facility in 2015. It's a half-aquarium, half-zoo type establishment, with two large pyramids stocked with animals.
Second photo via @geomorph
I only saw Blue Duikers at two European zoos and the first was Duisburg Zoo (Germany).
Here's my photo:
@Maguari
Inside the African Dome at Randers Regnskov (Denmark) can be found free-roaming Blue Duikers.
@Toddy
Family Bovidae: 82 species so far
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
As with Yellow-backed Duikers, I've come across Blue Duikers entirely in American zoos except for two in Europe. A couple of German zoos for Yellow-backed, and a German and a Danish zoo for Blue, and that's it for me otherwise it's been mainly AZA-accredited zoos more than a decade ago. I went on long European and Asian zoo trips and saw next to zero duikers anywhere. Why so few duikers in zoos? My personal opinion is that muntjacs have more than taken over around the world. If you recall, I've been to 101 zoos with muntjacs (78 Reeves’s, 21 Southern Red, 4 Northern Red - two zoos with multiple species) and while one animal is a deer and the other is an antelope, honestly from a visitor's perspective I'd imagine that muntjacs and duikers are all one and the same.
I've seen Blue Duiker at 16 zoos:
1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 1996
2- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2008
3- Brookfield Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2008
4- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
5- Montgomery Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
6- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2010
7- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2011
8- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2011
9- Virginia Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
10- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
11- Denver Zoo (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2012
12- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2014
13- Moody Gardens (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2015
14- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Blue Duiker – 2017
15- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Blue Duiker – 2019
16- Randers Regnskov (Denmark) – Blue Duiker – 2022
I noted in my 2008 review that I saw Blue Duiker at San Diego Zoo (USA) and there's probably been many sightings of that species there over the years. However, the only ZooChat photo from San Diego with 'Blue Duiker' in the heading is this one from 2024. The exhibit is shared with Gerenuk.
@pachyderm pro
Habitat Africa! The Forest at Brookfield Zoo (USA) had an all-indoor Blue Duiker exhibit when I toured that zoo in 2008.
@geomorph
There's quite a few photos in the gallery of the Blue Duiker exhibit at Kansas City Zoo (USA) and it was a grassy yard with a lot of shade.
@AnimalWondersKC
I saw Blue Duiker and Guenther's Dik-dik together at Montgomery Zoo (USA) in 2010.
Montgomery had a second Blue Duiker exhibit, this time as part of an aviary with the following 9 bird species: Lady Ross's Turaco, Violet Turaco, Sacred Ibis, Speckled Pigeon, African Grey Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Erckel's Francolin, Lilac-breasted Roller and Hamerkop.
My photo from San Antonio Zoo (USA) shows the quarry rockwork that is such an integral part of that Texas zoo. Here was the tiered landscape of the Blue Duiker exhibit in 2010.
@Baldur
In 2011, while visiting Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA), I saw a Blue Duiker, Saddle-billed Stork and Vulturine Guineafowl combination in an aviary setting.
Elsewhere in the zoo was a Blue Duiker/Guenther's Dik-dik mixed-species exhibit:
When I returned to Wildlife World last year, the zoo had a separate Blue Duiker exhibit as well as a Blue Duiker/King Vulture aviary. This zoo is fantastic for rare ungulates.
Here are two of my photos from Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) in 2011, with Blue Duikers in with Burmese Brown Tortoises. I'm not sure if the zoo has either species these days.
The combination of De Brazza's Monkey and Blue Duiker at Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) in 2012 was probably unique at the time.
It's interesting that some of these U.S. zoos had both Yellow-backed Duiker and Blue Duiker at the same time, including Denver Zoo (USA).
@savethelephant
Inside the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens (USA), there was a Blue Duiker exhibit when I toured that aquatic-based facility in 2015. It's a half-aquarium, half-zoo type establishment, with two large pyramids stocked with animals.
Second photo via @geomorph
I only saw Blue Duikers at two European zoos and the first was Duisburg Zoo (Germany).
Here's my photo:
@Maguari
Inside the African Dome at Randers Regnskov (Denmark) can be found free-roaming Blue Duikers.
@Toddy
Family Bovidae: 82 species so far
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
A species I've yet to see at all, although I narrowly missed out on the exact individuals you saw at Duisburg twicefold - I visited Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands just after they went offshow ready to depart for Duisburg, and visited Duisburg just before they arrived there
Gone from Duisburg now, too.
We definitely have a much lower level of duiker diversity than the USA, although we have reasonable numbers of Natal Red Duiker - which I've seen at 15 collections.
Houston also has both yellow-backed and blue duikers. I was really looking forward to seeing both again, but unfortunately the blues were a no-show (I assume there were currently off show due to the introduction of a new pygmy hippo)
I really miss the blue duikers in Burgers Zoo.
I really miss the blue duikers in Burgers Zoo.
Surely you would have seen the blues at Colchester? They had a sizeable group until a couple of years ago.
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
I remember when I first started working in zoos as a teen, a keeper told me that hoofstock were an acquired taste (I presume she did not mean that literally). At a superficial glance, they're all either deer, goats, or cows. Once you really dive deep into them, there's such a diversity of sizes, shapes, behaviors, etc that are lost on a casual visitor - though I suspect you could probably say that about a lot of other taxa as well.
For me, a big part of the appeal of hoofstock is that they are usually up and about doing something, even if its "only" grazing, and even when they are resting, they are at least awake and alert. The fact that most species are social also means that you can house groups, which generally increases the likelihood of seeing active animals doing something. The design of their enclosures means that you usually (again, species dependent) get an open, unobstructed view without glass or mesh. It can be easier to create a truly beautiful hoofstock habitat, and when you make it a mixed species panorama, it can be quite spectacular.
There's also a lot less welfare baggage around ungulates than there is around primates, carnivores, or cetaceans, and I've seen far fewer truly bad ungulate exhibits than i have primate or carnivore exhibits..
For me, a big part of the appeal of hoofstock is that they are usually up and about doing something, even if its "only" grazing, and even when they are resting, they are at least awake and alert. The fact that most species are social also means that you can house groups, which generally increases the likelihood of seeing active animals doing something. The design of their enclosures means that you usually (again, species dependent) get an open, unobstructed view without glass or mesh. It can be easier to create a truly beautiful hoofstock habitat, and when you make it a mixed species panorama, it can be quite spectacular.
There's also a lot less welfare baggage around ungulates than there is around primates, carnivores, or cetaceans, and I've seen far fewer truly bad ungulate exhibits than i have primate or carnivore exhibits..
@Aardwolf well written! I'd like to add that in terms of photography, they tend to pose nicely out in the open field, making for good facial closeups as well as full body photos without fences, food troughs etc. photobombing them. Even the aggressive species look sweet and mellow. Anthropomorphizing them, they tend to look like they're smiling or making "happy" faces when they chew their cud.
Apologies for the late response, as I've just been catching up on this thread today. Akron now has Cinerous Vulture in the old Tahr exhibit, but they have been discussing upcoming Snow Leopard exhibit renovations so I wonder if the leopard will move into that side of the exhibit as well.When I visited Akron Zoo (USA) in 2010, there was the Legends of the Wild zone and side-by-side exhibits for Snow Leopard and Himalayan Tahr. The viewing was a bit awkward and the tahr are no longer at the zoo. What's in their spot now?
Osedax
Well-Known Member
And in Australia, we have neither duikers nor muntjacWhy so few duikers in zoos? My personal opinion is that muntjacs have more than taken over around the world. If you recall, I've been to 101 zoos with muntjacs (78 Reeves’s, 21 Southern Red, 4 Northern Red - two zoos with multiple species) and while one animal is a deer and the other is an antelope, honestly from a visitor's perspective I'd imagine that muntjacs and duikers are all one and the same.
. Taronga was planning to import duikers for their 2002 masterplan, but that plan was never followed.
I've definitely gained a deeper appreciation for hooved mammals by tackling this epic, year-long thread, although in truth I've always loved hooved mammals due to my early years of visiting the Alberta Game Farm (later known as Polar Park) in Edmonton, Alberta. It was the Berlin Tierpark of North America, with a staggering collection of ungulates. However, it's really rewarding to hear from others about how they too love mammals and particularly those with hooves. I'd still vote for primates as my #1 type of mammal as they are incredibly active and diverse, but for sure both carnivores and ungulates have their mega-fans and I've seen that in action on this thread.
What will I do every morning before work, from 5:30 a.m. to sometimes 7:00 a.m., once I'm finished this thing? We're not done yet, but today I will discuss SEVEN species and finish off Bovidae. Phew!
Red-flanked Duikers have been phased out of maybe half the zoos I've seen them at over the years, but they've also been picked up by a number of other zoos across America. Zootierliste has 0 zoos in Australia, Asia or Europe with this species. Luckily for me, I've had multiple visits to 7 out of the 9 zoos where I've seen Red-flanked Duikers, as remember I only list the first time I have seen the species and some of these zoos I've toured on a number of occasions.
I've seen Red-flanked Duikers at 9 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
3- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
4- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
5- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
6- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
7- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
8- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
9- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2011
AND...
Black Duikers are almost extinct in captivity anywhere, with Zootierliste only having Los Angeles and Miami currently with the species. Is there really nowhere else? I'm extremely fortunate to have seen this species at all, let alone at 5 different zoos in the past. You folks who live near San Diego perhaps now have an idea of just how lucky you've been as the two big San Diego parks feature a LOT in the ungulate section of this thread.
I've seen Black Duikers at 5 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
3- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
4- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Duiker – 2008
5- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
AND...
The two zoos where I've seen Bay Duikers are the same two zoos that still have the species, according to Zootierliste. These guys must be on the precipice of extinction in zoos worldwide, so enjoy them while you can!
I've seen Bay Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2012
2- Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2015
AND...
Both times I've seen Natal Red Duikers have been in Europe and in both instances the animals have been mixed with Okapi.
I've seen Natal Red Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
2- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
AND...
Yet another duiker species that is virtually impossible to find in captivity outside of some African zoos, the Common Duiker is an animal I've only seen at one zoo. Also called the Grey/Gray Duiker or Bush Duiker, they were breeding and in a couple of exhibits at San Diego Zoo in 2006 but are long gone now.
I've seen Common Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Common Duiker – 2006
AND...
One of my holy grail animals, even though I've never been a species collector zoo nerd guy, is the Jentink's Duiker. I can recall eagerly anticipating seeing 'Gordo', the last of his kind in a zoo in Texas far away from every other major facility. Loads of zoo nerds had the same idea, as if you glance through the Gladys Porter Zoo's gallery on this site you will see 26 photos just of a single duiker or his exhibit. It was a pilgrimage I was happy to make and one of the very few times in my life that I was deliberating looking forward to seeing an individual animal. I've always been one to rack up the zoo count, but not until this year did I amass any lifetime species lists whatsoever.
I've seen a single Jentink's Duiker at 1 zoo:
1- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Jentink’s Duiker – 2010
AND...
My 7th duiker of this post, and 9th duiker overall (Yellow-backed and Blue were analyzed in previous days) is the Maxwell's Duiker. I saw this species in the Congo Gorilla Forest area of the Bronx Zoo (USA).
I've seen Maxwell's Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Maxwell’s Duiker – 2008
Long-time San Diego Zoo (USA) visitors might recall walking over Steenbok and Red-flanked Duikers mixed together up near the top of the zoo near the Skyfari ride.
The exact same combination has also been on display at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) this year!
@Julio C Castro
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker in my photo taken at Woodland Park Zoo (USA). The duikers were combined with Colobus Monkeys for years, but were eventually phased out and have never returned.
There's loads of images of Red-flanked Duikers at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) in the ZooChat gallery, including this one with a juvenile with its mouth open. L.A. has had a lot of breeding success with this species over the years.
@Blackduiker
Just like Woodland Park, Oregon Zoo (USA) has phased out Red-flanked Duikers. On my first few visits to the Oregon Zoo, a highlight was the walk-through wetland aviary with a variety of birds and a number of Red-flanked Duikers. There's 6 images of the duikers in the ZooChat gallery and all the photos were taken by me on a single visit in 2010 and so the duikers likely departed quite a number of years ago.
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker (on the right) in my photo from Kansas City Zoo (USA) in 2010. There's an 'African' themed hut as an animal shelter. Kansas City has since phased out these duikers.
Yet another American zoo that has phased out Red-flanked Duikers, Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had duikers with Okapi and Blue Cranes when I first visited in 2010, and going back in 2014 I saw the duikers with Nyala and Crowned Cranes. Long live Red Rocks!
An odd, rocky little exhibit for Red-flanked Duikers could be found at Dallas Zoo (USA) via the now defunct monorail ride. I seem to remember it being next to the Caracal exhibit.
And, lastly, there's Charles Paddock Zoo (USA), which had Red-flanked Duikers in a simple yet effective chain-link yard in 2011.
As for Black Duikers, seeing them at San Diego Zoo (USA) was relatively easy during my first few visits to the park. You can see a Black Duiker in the background near an Okapi and these two species shared an exhibit in the Ituri Forest zone.
At San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA), Black Duikers had their own exhibit in Mombasa Lagoon and I have a photo of it in the gallery. Here's a stunning portrait image of the species at the safari park:
@geomorph
Just like with Red-flanked Duikers, Los Angeles Zoo (USA) has loads of images of Black Duikers in the ZooChat gallery. The species has been kept with Okapi in the past, and also in one of those infamous 'roundhouses' with turacos in more recent years. There's even some nursery paddock photos of young Black Duikers with both Red-flanked Duikers and Gerenuk babies. Check out this 2009 image of 3 genuine rarities:
@Blackduiker (totally appropriate!)
Zoo Miami (USA) still has Black Duikers in its collection, apparently one of only TWO zoos on the planet. Wow!
@Ituri
As for Bay Duikers, I saw the species for the first time by taking the Safari Ride at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) in 2012. The species has shared space with a long list of other ungulates and birds at this zoo over the years.
@red river hog
I saw a Bay Duiker sharing an exhibit with Crowned Cranes at the rather obscure Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) in 2015.
As for Natal Red Duikers, I have seen them at least twice for sure. Here's another example of a duiker species sharing space with Okapi, this time at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium).
@KevinB
And, of course, Berlin Zoo (Germany) has had Natal Red Duikers in with Okapi as well. It's a nice contrast at many zoos to have Okapi with a smaller species.
@Mo Hassan
As for Common Duikers, it's only been San Diego Zoo (USA) for me and probably only on my first (and maybe) second visits in 2006 and 2008. Whatever happened to these guys? My guess is that there simply wasn't enough zoos to take them on back in the day, or perhaps inbreeding was occurring.
@Zebraduiker
As for Jentink's Duiker, I was able to lean over a wall and snap this image of 'Gordo', the last remaining captive Jentink's Duiker, in 2010 at Gladys Porter Zoo (USA). What a day that was! This duiker, Gaur, Bornean Bearded Pigs, Bushbuck, several Gorillas literally doing cannonballs into their water-filled moat...ahhh the memories.
As for Maxwell's Duikers, I also saw this species only once and it was at the Bronx Zoo (USA). They weren't difficult to spot and now I look back and wish that I had lingered longer because in 2008 I would have been more enamoured with the Colobus Monkeys that shared the same exhibit.
@Baldur
Family Bovidae: 89 total species (done!)
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Red-flanked Duiker - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Black Duiker - 5 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Bay Duiker - 2 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Natal Red Duiker - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Common Duiker - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Jentink's Duiker - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Maxwell's Duiker - 1 zoo (Bronx Zoo - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
What will I do every morning before work, from 5:30 a.m. to sometimes 7:00 a.m., once I'm finished this thing?
We're not done yet, but today I will discuss SEVEN species and finish off Bovidae. Phew!Red-flanked Duikers have been phased out of maybe half the zoos I've seen them at over the years, but they've also been picked up by a number of other zoos across America. Zootierliste has 0 zoos in Australia, Asia or Europe with this species. Luckily for me, I've had multiple visits to 7 out of the 9 zoos where I've seen Red-flanked Duikers, as remember I only list the first time I have seen the species and some of these zoos I've toured on a number of occasions.
I've seen Red-flanked Duikers at 9 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
3- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
4- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
5- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
6- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
7- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
8- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
9- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2011
AND...
Black Duikers are almost extinct in captivity anywhere, with Zootierliste only having Los Angeles and Miami currently with the species. Is there really nowhere else? I'm extremely fortunate to have seen this species at all, let alone at 5 different zoos in the past. You folks who live near San Diego perhaps now have an idea of just how lucky you've been as the two big San Diego parks feature a LOT in the ungulate section of this thread.
I've seen Black Duikers at 5 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
3- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
4- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Duiker – 2008
5- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
AND...
The two zoos where I've seen Bay Duikers are the same two zoos that still have the species, according to Zootierliste. These guys must be on the precipice of extinction in zoos worldwide, so enjoy them while you can!
I've seen Bay Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2012
2- Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2015
AND...
Both times I've seen Natal Red Duikers have been in Europe and in both instances the animals have been mixed with Okapi.
I've seen Natal Red Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
2- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
AND...
Yet another duiker species that is virtually impossible to find in captivity outside of some African zoos, the Common Duiker is an animal I've only seen at one zoo. Also called the Grey/Gray Duiker or Bush Duiker, they were breeding and in a couple of exhibits at San Diego Zoo in 2006 but are long gone now.
I've seen Common Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Common Duiker – 2006
AND...
One of my holy grail animals, even though I've never been a species collector zoo nerd guy, is the Jentink's Duiker. I can recall eagerly anticipating seeing 'Gordo', the last of his kind in a zoo in Texas far away from every other major facility. Loads of zoo nerds had the same idea, as if you glance through the Gladys Porter Zoo's gallery on this site you will see 26 photos just of a single duiker or his exhibit. It was a pilgrimage I was happy to make and one of the very few times in my life that I was deliberating looking forward to seeing an individual animal. I've always been one to rack up the zoo count, but not until this year did I amass any lifetime species lists whatsoever.
I've seen a single Jentink's Duiker at 1 zoo:
1- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Jentink’s Duiker – 2010
AND...
My 7th duiker of this post, and 9th duiker overall (Yellow-backed and Blue were analyzed in previous days) is the Maxwell's Duiker. I saw this species in the Congo Gorilla Forest area of the Bronx Zoo (USA).
I've seen Maxwell's Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Maxwell’s Duiker – 2008
Long-time San Diego Zoo (USA) visitors might recall walking over Steenbok and Red-flanked Duikers mixed together up near the top of the zoo near the Skyfari ride.
The exact same combination has also been on display at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) this year!
@Julio C Castro
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker in my photo taken at Woodland Park Zoo (USA). The duikers were combined with Colobus Monkeys for years, but were eventually phased out and have never returned.
There's loads of images of Red-flanked Duikers at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) in the ZooChat gallery, including this one with a juvenile with its mouth open. L.A. has had a lot of breeding success with this species over the years.
@Blackduiker
Just like Woodland Park, Oregon Zoo (USA) has phased out Red-flanked Duikers. On my first few visits to the Oregon Zoo, a highlight was the walk-through wetland aviary with a variety of birds and a number of Red-flanked Duikers. There's 6 images of the duikers in the ZooChat gallery and all the photos were taken by me on a single visit in 2010 and so the duikers likely departed quite a number of years ago.
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker (on the right) in my photo from Kansas City Zoo (USA) in 2010. There's an 'African' themed hut as an animal shelter. Kansas City has since phased out these duikers.
Yet another American zoo that has phased out Red-flanked Duikers, Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had duikers with Okapi and Blue Cranes when I first visited in 2010, and going back in 2014 I saw the duikers with Nyala and Crowned Cranes. Long live Red Rocks!
An odd, rocky little exhibit for Red-flanked Duikers could be found at Dallas Zoo (USA) via the now defunct monorail ride. I seem to remember it being next to the Caracal exhibit.
And, lastly, there's Charles Paddock Zoo (USA), which had Red-flanked Duikers in a simple yet effective chain-link yard in 2011.
As for Black Duikers, seeing them at San Diego Zoo (USA) was relatively easy during my first few visits to the park. You can see a Black Duiker in the background near an Okapi and these two species shared an exhibit in the Ituri Forest zone.
At San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA), Black Duikers had their own exhibit in Mombasa Lagoon and I have a photo of it in the gallery. Here's a stunning portrait image of the species at the safari park:
@geomorph
Just like with Red-flanked Duikers, Los Angeles Zoo (USA) has loads of images of Black Duikers in the ZooChat gallery. The species has been kept with Okapi in the past, and also in one of those infamous 'roundhouses' with turacos in more recent years. There's even some nursery paddock photos of young Black Duikers with both Red-flanked Duikers and Gerenuk babies. Check out this 2009 image of 3 genuine rarities:
@Blackduiker (totally appropriate!)
Zoo Miami (USA) still has Black Duikers in its collection, apparently one of only TWO zoos on the planet. Wow!
@Ituri
As for Bay Duikers, I saw the species for the first time by taking the Safari Ride at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) in 2012. The species has shared space with a long list of other ungulates and birds at this zoo over the years.
@red river hog
I saw a Bay Duiker sharing an exhibit with Crowned Cranes at the rather obscure Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) in 2015.
As for Natal Red Duikers, I have seen them at least twice for sure. Here's another example of a duiker species sharing space with Okapi, this time at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium).
@KevinB
And, of course, Berlin Zoo (Germany) has had Natal Red Duikers in with Okapi as well. It's a nice contrast at many zoos to have Okapi with a smaller species.
@Mo Hassan
As for Common Duikers, it's only been San Diego Zoo (USA) for me and probably only on my first (and maybe) second visits in 2006 and 2008. Whatever happened to these guys? My guess is that there simply wasn't enough zoos to take them on back in the day, or perhaps inbreeding was occurring.
@Zebraduiker
As for Jentink's Duiker, I was able to lean over a wall and snap this image of 'Gordo', the last remaining captive Jentink's Duiker, in 2010 at Gladys Porter Zoo (USA). What a day that was! This duiker, Gaur, Bornean Bearded Pigs, Bushbuck, several Gorillas literally doing cannonballs into their water-filled moat...ahhh the memories.
As for Maxwell's Duikers, I also saw this species only once and it was at the Bronx Zoo (USA). They weren't difficult to spot and now I look back and wish that I had lingered longer because in 2008 I would have been more enamoured with the Colobus Monkeys that shared the same exhibit.
@Baldur
Family Bovidae: 89 total species (done!)
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Red-flanked Duiker - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Black Duiker - 5 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Bay Duiker - 2 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Natal Red Duiker - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Common Duiker - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Jentink's Duiker - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Maxwell's Duiker - 1 zoo (Bronx Zoo - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
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biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
I waited around for the bay duiker at ZooTampa long enough for my wife to be annoyed and it just refused to pop out. I've definitely had this experience with duikers more often than any other type of ungulate. I generally don't consider Tampa a high priority return visit, but I do want to see the bay duiker....
I saw a Jentink's duiker at Berlin Tierpark in 1984 and zebra duikers at Los Angeles Zoo in 1991
Indeed, despite the name, "common" duikers are seldom seen in zoos. I've seen eight duiker species (including the rarely seen zebra duiker and Jentink’s duiker) but I've only ever seen common duiker once, in Edinburgh Zoo, about forty years ago. (Incidentally, Edinburgh Zoo's common duiker is not listed on ZooTierListe.)
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Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
Duikers are among my favorite antelope ("among my favorite antelope," there's a phrase a lot of folks don't get to use often), and except for a little bit with blues, I've never gotten to work with them. I have seen a respectable number, though not as many as snowleopard - yellow-backed, red-flanked, blue, and black, as well as common in the wild. Not seeing zebra or Jentink's is a major disappointment of mine.
One species which I have seen, possibly uniquely on this page, is Abbot's duiker. I encountered the species when I was visiting the compound of a wildlife dealer outside of Arusha, Tanzania in 2007. I was there to talk snakes, antelope being pretty far from my mind at the time, having been introduced to him by a mutual acquaintance. He had a pair of Abbot's there, which he told me were the only ones of their kind in captivity at the time. I wonder what he ever wound up doing with them - did he sell them off, or did they remain there for the rest of their lives? I guess I'll never know.
One species which I have seen, possibly uniquely on this page, is Abbot's duiker. I encountered the species when I was visiting the compound of a wildlife dealer outside of Arusha, Tanzania in 2007. I was there to talk snakes, antelope being pretty far from my mind at the time, having been introduced to him by a mutual acquaintance. He had a pair of Abbot's there, which he told me were the only ones of their kind in captivity at the time. I wonder what he ever wound up doing with them - did he sell them off, or did they remain there for the rest of their lives? I guess I'll never know.
So many duikers! I've seen 'only' four species, one of which I only saw once. The red-flanked duiker was kept in Valencia, Spain until a few years ago when the last one died.
I'm not sure if I'll ever get to see a bay duiker or black duiker, and I am 99% I will never have the pleasure of seeing a Jentinck's or zebra duiker.
I'm not sure if I'll ever get to see a bay duiker or black duiker, and I am 99% I will never have the pleasure of seeing a Jentinck's or zebra duiker.
I've definitely gained a deeper appreciation for hooved mammals by tackling this epic, year-long thread, although in truth I've always loved hooved mammals due to my early years of visiting the Alberta Game Farm (later known as Polar Park) in Edmonton, Alberta. It was the Berlin Tierpark of North America, with a staggering collection of ungulates. However, it's really rewarding to hear from others about how they too love mammals and particularly those with hooves. I'd still vote for primates as my #1 type of mammal as they are incredibly active and diverse, but for sure both carnivores and ungulates have their mega-fans and I've seen that in action on this thread.
What will I do every morning before work, from 5:30 a.m. to sometimes 7:00 a.m., once I'm finished this thing?
Red-flanked Duikers have been phased out of maybe half the zoos I've seen them at over the years, but they've also been picked up by a number of other zoos across America. Zootierliste has 0 zoos in Australia, Asia or Europe with this species. Luckily for me, I've had multiple visits to 7 out of the 9 zoos where I've seen Red-flanked Duikers, as remember I only list the first time I have seen the species and some of these zoos I've toured on a number of occasions.
I've seen Red-flanked Duikers at 9 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2006
3- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
4- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2008
5- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
6- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
7- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
8- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2010
9- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red-flanked Duiker – 2011
AND...
Black Duikers are almost extinct in captivity anywhere, with Zootierliste only having Los Angeles and Miami currently with the species. Is there really nowhere else? I'm extremely fortunate to have seen this species at all, let alone at 5 different zoos in the past. You folks who live near San Diego perhaps now have an idea of just how lucky you've been as the two big San Diego parks feature a LOT in the ungulate section of this thread.
I've seen Black Duikers at 5 zoos:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
2- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Black Duiker – 2006
3- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
4- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Duiker – 2008
5- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Duiker – 2008
AND...
The two zoos where I've seen Bay Duikers are the same two zoos that still have the species, according to Zootierliste. These guys must be on the precipice of extinction in zoos worldwide, so enjoy them while you can!
I've seen Bay Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2012
2- Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) – Bay Duiker – 2015
AND...
Both times I've seen Natal Red Duikers have been in Europe and in both instances the animals have been mixed with Okapi.
I've seen Natal Red Duikers at 2 zoos:
1- Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
2- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Natal Red Duiker – 2019
AND...
Yet another duiker species that is virtually impossible to find in captivity outside of some African zoos, the Common Duiker is an animal I've only seen at one zoo. Also called the Grey/Gray Duiker or Bush Duiker, they were breeding and in a couple of exhibits at San Diego Zoo in 2006 but are long gone now.
I've seen Common Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Common Duiker – 2006
AND...
One of my holy grail animals, even though I've never been a species collector zoo nerd guy, is the Jentink's Duiker. I can recall eagerly anticipating seeing 'Gordo', the last of his kind in a zoo in Texas far away from every other major facility. Loads of zoo nerds had the same idea, as if you glance through the Gladys Porter Zoo's gallery on this site you will see 26 photos just of a single duiker or his exhibit. It was a pilgrimage I was happy to make and one of the very few times in my life that I was deliberating looking forward to seeing an individual animal. I've always been one to rack up the zoo count, but not until this year did I amass any lifetime species lists whatsoever.
I've seen a single Jentink's Duiker at 1 zoo:
1- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Jentink’s Duiker – 2010
AND...
My 7th duiker of this post, and 9th duiker overall (Yellow-backed and Blue were analyzed in previous days) is the Maxwell's Duiker. I saw this species in the Congo Gorilla Forest area of the Bronx Zoo (USA).
I've seen Maxwell's Duikers at 1 zoo:
1- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Maxwell’s Duiker – 2008
Long-time San Diego Zoo (USA) visitors might recall walking over Steenbok and Red-flanked Duikers mixed together up near the top of the zoo near the Skyfari ride.
The exact same combination has also been on display at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) this year!
@Julio C Castro
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker in my photo taken at Woodland Park Zoo (USA). The duikers were combined with Colobus Monkeys for years, but were eventually phased out and have never returned.
There's loads of images of Red-flanked Duikers at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) in the ZooChat gallery, including this one with a juvenile with its mouth open. L.A. has had a lot of breeding success with this species over the years.
@Blackduiker
Just like Woodland Park, Oregon Zoo (USA) has phased out Red-flanked Duikers. On my first few visits to the Oregon Zoo, a highlight was the walk-through wetland aviary with a variety of birds and a number of Red-flanked Duikers. There's 6 images of the duikers in the ZooChat gallery and all the photos were taken by me on a single visit in 2010 and so the duikers likely departed quite a number of years ago.
You can see a Red-flanked Duiker (on the right) in my photo from Kansas City Zoo (USA) in 2010. There's an 'African' themed hut as an animal shelter. Kansas City has since phased out these duikers.
Yet another American zoo that has phased out Red-flanked Duikers, Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had duikers with Okapi and Blue Cranes when I first visited in 2010, and going back in 2014 I saw the duikers with Nyala and Crowned Cranes. Long live Red Rocks!
An odd, rocky little exhibit for Red-flanked Duikers could be found at Dallas Zoo (USA) via the now defunct monorail ride. I seem to remember it being next to the Caracal exhibit.
And, lastly, there's Charles Paddock Zoo (USA), which had Red-flanked Duikers in a simple yet effective chain-link yard in 2011.
As for Black Duikers, seeing them at San Diego Zoo (USA) was relatively easy during my first few visits to the park. You can see a Black Duiker in the background near an Okapi and these two species shared an exhibit in the Ituri Forest zone.
At San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA), Black Duikers had their own exhibit in Mombasa Lagoon and I have a photo of it in the gallery. Here's a stunning portrait image of the species at the safari park:
@geomorph
Just like with Red-flanked Duikers, Los Angeles Zoo (USA) has loads of images of Black Duikers in the ZooChat gallery. The species has been kept with Okapi in the past, and also in one of those infamous 'roundhouses' with turacos in more recent years. There's even some nursery paddock photos of young Black Duikers with both Red-flanked Duikers and Gerenuk babies. Check out this 2009 image of 3 genuine rarities:
@Blackduiker (totally appropriate!)
Zoo Miami (USA) still has Black Duikers in its collection, apparently one of only TWO zoos on the planet. Wow!
@Ituri
As for Bay Duikers, I saw the species for the first time by taking the Safari Ride at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) in 2012. The species has shared space with a long list of other ungulates and birds at this zoo over the years.
@red river hog
I saw a Bay Duiker sharing an exhibit with Crowned Cranes at the rather obscure Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) in 2015.
As for Natal Red Duikers, I have seen them at least twice for sure. Here's another example of a duiker species sharing space with Okapi, this time at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium).
@KevinB
And, of course, Berlin Zoo (Germany) has had Natal Red Duikers in with Okapi as well. It's a nice contrast at many zoos to have Okapi with a smaller species.
@Mo Hassan
As for Common Duikers, it's only been San Diego Zoo (USA) for me and probably only on my first (and maybe) second visits in 2006 and 2008. Whatever happened to these guys? My guess is that there simply wasn't enough zoos to take them on back in the day, or perhaps inbreeding was occurring.
@Zebraduiker
As for Jentink's Duiker, I was able to lean over a wall and snap this image of 'Gordo', the last remaining captive Jentink's Duiker, in 2010 at Gladys Porter Zoo (USA). What a day that was! This duiker, Gaur, Bornean Bearded Pigs, Bushbuck, several Gorillas literally doing cannonballs into their water-filled moat...ahhh the memories.
As for Maxwell's Duikers, I also saw this species only once and it was at the Bronx Zoo (USA). They weren't difficult to spot and now I look back and wish that I had lingered longer because in 2008 I would have been more enamoured with the Colobus Monkeys that shared the same exhibit.
@Baldur
Family Bovidae: 89 total species (done!)
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Red-flanked Duiker - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Black Duiker - 5 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Bay Duiker - 2 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Natal Red Duiker - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Common Duiker - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Jentink's Duiker - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Maxwell's Duiker - 1 zoo (Bronx Zoo - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
@snowleopard You saved one of the best for last in Duikers! Love those guys!! Now that you've completed Bovidae, I'd like to share my Bovid list. Once again too many to go through all of my first encounters (I'm also preparing for another imminent trip), so if anyone's curious where I saw any of these species, please don't hesitate to ask! One's I've seen wild are in bold.
1.) (Tragelaphus angasi) lowland nyala
2.) (Tragelaphus buxtoni) Mountain nyala
3.) (Tragelaphus eurycerus) bongo
4.) (Tragelaphus imberbis) lesser kudu
5.) (Tragelaphus scriptus) harnessed bushbuck
6.) (Tragelaphus spekii) situtunga
7.) (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) Greater Kudu
8.) (Tragelaphus sylvaticus) cape bushbuck
9.) (Taurotragus derbianus) giant eland
10.) (Taurotragus oryx) common eland
11.) (Boselaphus tragocamelus) Nilgai
12.) (Tetracerus quadricornis) Four-horned Antelope
13.) (Bos bantang) Bantang
14.) (Bos frontalis) Gayal
15.) (Bos gaurus) Gaur
16.) (Bos grunniens) Domestic Yak
17.) (Bos taurus) Domestic Cow
18.) (Bubalus bubalis) Domestic Asian water buffalo
19.) (Syncerus caffer) Cape Buffalo
20.) (Bubalus depressicornis) Lowland Anoa
21.) (Bubalus quarlesi) Mountain Anoa
22.) (Bison bison) American bison
23.) (Bison bonasus) Wisent
24.) (Cephalophus dorsalis) Bay Duiker
25.) (Cephalophus harveyi) Harvey’s red Duiker*
26.) (Cephalophus jentinki) Jentink's Duiker
27.) (Cephalophus natalensis) Natal Red Duiker
28.) (Cephalophus nigrifrons) black-fronted Duiker
29.) (Cephalophus niger) Black Duiker
30.) (Cephalophus rufilatus) Red-flanked Duiker
31.) (Cephalophus silvicultor) Yellow-backed Duiker
32.) (Cephalophus weynsi) Weyn’s duiker*
33.) (Cephalophus zebra) Zebra Duiker
34.) (Philantomba maxwellii) Maxwell's Duiker
35.) (Philantomba monticola) Blue Duiker
36.) (Sylvicapra grimmia) Common Duiker
37.) (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) Waterbuck
38.) (Kobus kob) Kob
39.) (Kobus leche) Lechwe
40.) (Kobus vardonii) Puku
41.) (Kobus megaceros) Nile Lechwe
42.) (Pelea capreolus) Grey Rhebok
43.) (Redunca arundinum) Common Reedbuck
44.) (Redunca fulvorufula) Mountain Reedbuck
45.) (Redunca redunca) Bohor Reedbuck
46.) (Hippotragus equinus) Roan antelope
47.) (Hippotragus niger) Sable Antelope
48.) (Addax nasomaculatus) Addax
49.) (Oryx beisa) Beisa/Fringe-eared Oryx
50.) (Oryx dammah) Scimitar-Horned Oryx
51.) (Oryx gazella) gemsbok
52.) (Oryx leucoryx) Arabian Oryx
53.) (Alcelaphus buselaphus) Hartebeest
54.) (Beatragus hunter) Hirola
55.) (Connochaetes gnou) Black Wildebeest
56.) (Connochaetes taurinus) Blue Wildebeest
57.) (Damaliscus lunatus) Topi
58.) (Damaliscus pygargus) Blesbuck/Bontebok
59.) (Madoqua guentheri) Günther's Dik-dik
60.) (Madoqua hindei) Hinde’s Dik-dik
61.) (Madoqua cavendishi) Cavendish’s Dik-dik
62.) (Madoqua saltiana) Salt’s dik-dik
63.) (Madoqua tomasi) Thomas’s Dik-dik
64.) (Neotragus moschatus) Suni
65.) (Neotragus pygmaeus) Royal Antelope
66.) (Oreotragus oreotragus) Klipspringer
67.) (Ourebia ourebi) Oribi
68.) (Raphicerus campestris) Steenbok
69.) (Raphicerus melanotis) Cape grysbok
70.) (Raphicerus sharpie) Sharpe’s grysbok
71.) (Aepyceros melampus) impala
72.) (Antidorcas marsupialis) springbok
73.) (Antilope cervicapra) Blackbuck
74.) (Litocranius walleri) Gerenuk
75.) (Eudorcas rufifrons) Red-fronted gazelle
76.) (Eudorcas thomsonii) Thomson's gazelle
77.) (Gazella arabica) Arabian Mountain gazelle
78.) (Gazella bennettii) Chinkara
79.) (Gazella cuvieri) Cuvier's Gazelle
80.) (Gazella dorcas) Dorcas Gazelle
81.) (Gazella gazella) mountain gazelle
82.) (Gazella leptoceros) slender-horned gazelle
83.) (Gazella marica) Arabian sand gazelle
84.) (Gazella spekei) Speke's Gazelle
85.) (Gazella subgutturosa) Goitered gazelle
86.) (Nanger dama) Dama gazelle
87.) (Nanger granti) Grant's gazelle
88.) (Nanger notatus) Bright’s gazelle
89.) (Nanger petersii) Peter’s gazelle
90.) (Nanger soemmerringii) Soemmerring's Gazelle
91.) (Saiga tatarica) saiga
92.) (Budorcas taxicolor) Takin
93.) (Capricornis crispus) Japanese serow
94.) (Capricornis sumatraensis) Maned Serow
95.) (Capricornis swinhoei) Formosan serow
96.) (Arabitragus jayakari) Arabian tahr
97.) (Hemitragus jemlahicus) Himalayan Tahr
98.) (Naemorhedus baileyi) Red goral (griseus hybrid)
99.) (Naemorhedus goral) Himalayan Goral
100.) (Naemorhedus griseus) Chinese Goral
101.) (Oreamnos americanus) mountain goat
102.) (Ovibos moschatus) muskox
103.) (Pseudois nayaur) bharal
104.) (Rupicapra pyrenaica) Pyrenean chamois
105.) (Rupicapra rupicapra) Alpine chamois
106.) (Capra aegagrus) wild goat
107.) (Capra caucasica) West Caucasian tur
108.) (Capra cylindricornis) East Caucasian tur
109.) (Capra falconeri) Markhor
110.) (Capra hircus) Domestic Goat
111.) (Capra ibex) Alpine ibex
112.) (Capra nubiana) Nubian ibex
113.) (Capra pyrenaica) Spanish ibex
114.) (Capra sibirica) Siberian Ibex
115.) (Ammotragus lervia) Aoudad or Barbary Sheep
116.) (Capra walie) Walia ibex
117.) (Ovis ammon) argali
118.) (Ovis aries) domestic sheep
119.) (Ovis canadensis) bighorn sheep
120.) (Ovis dalli) Dall sheep
121.) (Ovis nivicola) snow sheep
122.) (Ovis orientalis) Mouflon
123.) (Ovis vignei) Urial
*indicates no photograph
It's interesting to pause and take stock of the massive number of statistics and facts that I've been immersed in during the course of compiling this thread. Looking at my list of Bovidae, it's worth noting a few items.
American Bison are practically off the charts with a whopping 104 zoos. Bison are almost double the next species and I must have seen one thousand American Bison in zoos. It's a sobering thought that the species was close to extinction and yet incredibly common these days in captivity. A real success story.
Then there's a whole group (Bongo, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Blackbuck, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Waterbuck, Aoudad) that are quite common in zoos across the world. Even in Australia, with its famously strict ungulate importation laws.
As I glance through my list, a few surprises for me personally would be Banteng (27 zoos and driven higher by my recent Asia trip), Cape Buffalo (21 zoos), Gerenuk (19 zoos) and even Gaur (16 zoos). Those numbers are all much higher than I would have initially guessed and I've been very fortunate to have had so many zoo-based road trips over the years. It's not like I'm some mega-rich guy as I'm a schoolteacher, and I have a schoolteacher wife and we have 4 kids, and so we work hard to provide for our family and earlier in my career I worked two jobs for 5 years. Many of my early zoo trips were cheaper affairs (AZA reciprocal membership agreement saved a fortune on admission fees, I slept in my vehicle on numerous nights) and even though I've been spending more on flights in recent times, I use a credit card and loads of debt and traveling with @twilighter this time around saved a fortune on hotels and transportation. There's many folks reading this thread that don't have 4 children (who cost a fortune!) and I honestly think if you've got a half-decent paying job then you could do all of the same trips I've done and in fact you could do far more of them. It boggles my mind to consider how much travelling I would be doing if I were single, but then again I'd miss the chaos and energy of my loving family. Maybe.
It's remarkable that I have 14 species that I only ever came across in one zoo each. In fact, there's 34 species that I saw in 5 zoos or less. That means 38% of all the Bovidae species I've ever seen have been at 5 zoos or less. That points to a huge lack of diversity in zoos.
Of course, there's been a lot of talk from me and others about all the phase-outs that have occurred and how a great deal of the species listed below are now in less zoos than ever before. It really has been a crying shame in some cases, especially with species that were found in large numbers and now they are totally gone. However, the flipside is that with some species, such as American Bison, Takin and Arabian Oryx, the numbers are healthier than they've ever been. But, overall, there's no doubt that diversity has been lacking and how many zoos have big African Savannas with the same homogenous group of ungulates?
My last comment on Bovidae is that it's always a little amusing to see the geographical location of zoo nerds and how that influences the species they've seen. I've seen Gerenuk at 19 zoos while there are nerds in Europe who have seen that species only once or twice. I've seen Klipspringers at 13 zoos and Bighorn Sheep at 26 zoos, while some zoo nerds overseas have never seen either species. In contrast, there are species that are common elsewhere that I've struggled to find. All of this showcases how wonderful it is to travel, to gain a new perspective of what can be seen elsewhere, and sometimes there are genuine shocks to be had. Just this morning it was announced that Beauval Zoo (France) will be receiving a trio of Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys in 2025 and I'm not sure that anyone saw that coming!
Family Bovidae: 89 total species
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Red-flanked Duiker - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Black Duiker - 5 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Bay Duiker - 2 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Natal Red Duiker - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Common Duiker - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Jentink's Duiker - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Maxwell's Duiker - 1 zoo (Bronx Zoo - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
American Bison are practically off the charts with a whopping 104 zoos. Bison are almost double the next species and I must have seen one thousand American Bison in zoos. It's a sobering thought that the species was close to extinction and yet incredibly common these days in captivity. A real success story.
Then there's a whole group (Bongo, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Blackbuck, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Waterbuck, Aoudad) that are quite common in zoos across the world. Even in Australia, with its famously strict ungulate importation laws.
As I glance through my list, a few surprises for me personally would be Banteng (27 zoos and driven higher by my recent Asia trip), Cape Buffalo (21 zoos), Gerenuk (19 zoos) and even Gaur (16 zoos). Those numbers are all much higher than I would have initially guessed and I've been very fortunate to have had so many zoo-based road trips over the years. It's not like I'm some mega-rich guy as I'm a schoolteacher, and I have a schoolteacher wife and we have 4 kids, and so we work hard to provide for our family and earlier in my career I worked two jobs for 5 years. Many of my early zoo trips were cheaper affairs (AZA reciprocal membership agreement saved a fortune on admission fees, I slept in my vehicle on numerous nights) and even though I've been spending more on flights in recent times, I use a credit card and loads of debt and traveling with @twilighter this time around saved a fortune on hotels and transportation. There's many folks reading this thread that don't have 4 children (who cost a fortune!) and I honestly think if you've got a half-decent paying job then you could do all of the same trips I've done and in fact you could do far more of them. It boggles my mind to consider how much travelling I would be doing if I were single, but then again I'd miss the chaos and energy of my loving family. Maybe.
It's remarkable that I have 14 species that I only ever came across in one zoo each. In fact, there's 34 species that I saw in 5 zoos or less. That means 38% of all the Bovidae species I've ever seen have been at 5 zoos or less. That points to a huge lack of diversity in zoos.
Of course, there's been a lot of talk from me and others about all the phase-outs that have occurred and how a great deal of the species listed below are now in less zoos than ever before. It really has been a crying shame in some cases, especially with species that were found in large numbers and now they are totally gone. However, the flipside is that with some species, such as American Bison, Takin and Arabian Oryx, the numbers are healthier than they've ever been. But, overall, there's no doubt that diversity has been lacking and how many zoos have big African Savannas with the same homogenous group of ungulates?
My last comment on Bovidae is that it's always a little amusing to see the geographical location of zoo nerds and how that influences the species they've seen. I've seen Gerenuk at 19 zoos while there are nerds in Europe who have seen that species only once or twice. I've seen Klipspringers at 13 zoos and Bighorn Sheep at 26 zoos, while some zoo nerds overseas have never seen either species. In contrast, there are species that are common elsewhere that I've struggled to find. All of this showcases how wonderful it is to travel, to gain a new perspective of what can be seen elsewhere, and sometimes there are genuine shocks to be had. Just this morning it was announced that Beauval Zoo (France) will be receiving a trio of Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys in 2025 and I'm not sure that anyone saw that coming!
Family Bovidae: 89 total species
American Bison - 104 zoos
Bongo - 58 zoos
Common Eland - 58 zoos
Greater Kudu - 51 zoos
Blue Wildebeest - 47 zoos
Blackbuck - 45 zoos
Scimitar-horned Oryx - 43 zoos
Waterbuck - 43 zoos
Aoudad - 40 zoos
Nilgai - 40 zoos
Impala - 38 zoos
Addax - 36 zoos
Dama Gazelle - 36 zoos
Bontebok - 33 zoos
Sable Antelope - 32 zoos
Sitatunga - 29 zoos
Banteng - 27 zoos
Bighorn Sheep - 26 zoos
Yak - 26 zoos
Nyala - 25 zoos
Takin - 23 zoos
Mouflon - 22 zoos
Southern Lechwe - 22 zoos
Cape Buffalo - 21 zoos (including 7 with African Forest Buffalo)
Kirk's Dik-dik - 21 zoos
Yellow-backed Duiker - 21 zoos
Gemsbok - 20 zoos
Gerenuk - 19 zoos
Lowland Anoa - 18 zoos
Thomson's Gazelle - 18 zoos
Asian Water Buffalo - 17 zoos
Arabian Oryx - 16 zoos
Blue Duiker - 16 zoos
Gaur - 16 zoos
Lesser Kudu - 16 zoos
Muskox - 16 zoos
Rocky Mountain Goat - 16 zoos
Springbok - 16 zoos
Wisent - 15 zoos
Markhor - 14 zoos
Roan Antelope - 14 zoos
Alpine Ibex - 13 zoos
Dall Sheep - 13 zoos
Klipspringer - 13 zoos
Nile Lechwe - 12 zoos
Grant's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Speke's Gazelle - 11 zoos
Beisa Oryx - 10 zoos
Chinese Goral - 10 zoos
Himalayan Tahr - 10 zoos
Nubian Ibex - 9 zoos
Red-flanked Duiker - 9 zoos
Guenther's Dik-dik - 7 zoos
Slender-horned Gazelle - 7 zoos
Cuvier's Gazelle - 6 zoos
Black Duiker - 5 zoos
Giant Eland - 5 zoos
Goitered Gazelle - 5 zoos
Siberian Ibex - 5 zoos
Soemmerring's Gazelle - 5 zoos
West Caucasian Tur - 5 zoos
Black Wildebeest - 4 zoos
Japanese Serow - 4 zoos
Mainland Serow - 4 zoos
Northern Chamois - 4 zoos
Urial - 4 zoos
Bharal - 3 zoos
Steenbok - 3 zoos
Bay Duiker - 2 zoos
Cavendish's Dik-dik - 2 zoos
Dorcas Gazelle - 2 zoos
Mountain Anoa - 2 zoos
Natal Red Duiker - 2 zoos
Royal Antelope - 2 zoos
Sand Gazelle - 2 zoos
Argali - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Burmese Goral - 1 zoo (Chiang Mai Night Safari - Thailand)
Common Duiker - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Hartebeest - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Iberian Ibex - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Jentink's Duiker - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Kob - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Maxwell's Duiker - 1 zoo (Bronx Zoo - USA)
Mountain Reedbuck - 1 zoo (Berlin Tierpark - Germany)
Northern Bushbuck - 1 zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo - USA)
Red-fronted Gazelle - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo Safari Park - USA)
Rhebok - 1 zoo (San Diego Zoo - USA)
Saiga - 1 zoo (Alberta Game Farm/Polar Park - Canada)
Topi - 1 zoo (San Antonio Zoo - USA)
Bonus species: (similar to my New Guinea Singing Dog example)
Gayal - 2 zoos
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