Species no longer held in Australian zoos

nanoboy · 25 Nov 2013

The 'exotic mammals' thread got me thinking: which species (and subspecies where appropriate) were once held in Australian collections but aren't anymore?

I assume there is a thread about this already?

If not, I (along with other readers no doubt) will be very interested in reading as much information as you can give (last zoo held at, last year the species was held in Australia, reason it is no longer held here etc.).

MRJ · 25 Nov 2013

My memories, such as they are, date back to my childhood in the 1960's. Species I remember from Melbourne Zoo that have disappeared, some quite recently:

Aardvark
Armadillo (sp?)
European Badger
North American Beaver
Porcupine (I think an Asian species)
Giant Anteater
Smooth-coated Otter
Harbour Seal
Black-backed Jackal
Coyote
African Forest Buffalo
Lynx (sp?)
Leopard Cat
Caracal
Golden Cat
American Black Bear
Sloth Bear (could be wrong on this one)
I seem to remember Moon Bear, but they might have just been Sun Bear

There must have been more birds back in the fifties, but I can't remember any that still aren't with us. I have a faint memory of vultures, but that may be false.

I don't know if Melbourne Zoo was ever particularly species rich. Australian zoos were distant from the networks of animal dealers that kept European and North American zoos well supplied. Melbourne Zoo suffered from tough times in the 1920's, then the depression, then war and by the 1950's and early 60's was in a bad way. In fact there was a serious campaign to close it in the early 1960's that nearly succeeded.

I visited Taronga once in the late '60's and then more often in the '80's. Taronga was a bigger collection, mostly because of Edward Hallstrom, and apparently had a great collection of birds of paradise, although I can only ever remember seeing one species. Also Crowned Pigeons (sp). Have Nicobar Pigeons gone?

Mammal species I can remember include:

Jaguarundi
Pere Davids Deer
Hallstroms Dog

It is also worth noting that some Australian species have disappeared from zoos, including:

Cuscus
Kowari
Eastern Pygmy Possum

Not really what you wanted, I hope others can fill the gaps.

Jabiru96 · 25 Nov 2013

MRJ said:
Have Nicobar Pigeons gone?

Still at Taronga and other zoos/wildlife parks. Also, some held privately I think.

Hix · 25 Nov 2013

Taronga and Melbourne used to have Bobcats. I think they've all gone.

Hix

Shirokuma · 25 Nov 2013

Also jaguar and clouded leopard.

nanoboy · 26 Nov 2013

Shirokuma said:
Also jaguar and clouded leopard.

Clouded leopard? That sounds interesting - what's the story there?

Shirokuma · 26 Nov 2013

Taronga used to have clouded leopards but I think they are gone from Australia.

Taronga also had shoe-bill stork, black footed penguin, snowy owl, crowned cranes, marabou stork, sarus crane (as opposed to brolga), babirusa and sitatunga.

PAT · 26 Nov 2013

nanoboy said:
Clouded leopard? That sounds interesting - what's the story there?

Melbourne Zoo had a female clouded leopard until the mid-2000's. She was the last one in the country.

I find it hard to keep track species that have been moved to smaller collections. For example, Melbourne Zoo used to have a wide range of primates but various species were moved and I can't say for certain whether they're still alive somewhere else in the country (e.g. lion-tailed macaques, De Brazza's monkey).

Astrobird · 26 Nov 2013

the lion tailed Macaques and the De Brazza's went to Tasmania zoo, although I'm not sure how many are still alive. They were my 2 favourite monkeys at Melbourne. I thought there were only 3 De Brazza's (1:2)when they left melb, I would like to know if they were /are still of breeding age and if they have been successful. National Zoo only has males, what is at Mogo with this species?
Of course the leopards of various kinds have also gone now (Black, Persian) from everywhere except The Gorge Zoo

PAT · 26 Nov 2013

Astrobird said:
the lion tailed Macaques and the De Brazza's went to Tasmania zoo, although I'm not sure how many are still alive.

That's what I meant. News from these type of zoos is slow so they could be dead and I wouldn't know.

Jabiru96 · 26 Nov 2013

There are 1.3 lion-tailed macaques also at Rockhampton Zoo, but I don't know where they came from (Melbourne?) or how old they are.

EDIT: There were 6 left in 2012, 1.3 at Rockhampton and 0.2 at Tasmania Zoo.

ungulate nerd · 26 Nov 2013

From what I read in a book about the history of the Adeaide Zoo, I found out that they had Spanish ibex, Dorcas gazelle, Chinkara gazelle, Maral, Kashmir stag, and Javan rhinoceros, I was shocked to find this information out, most of those ungulate species are either gone from captivity or gone from zoos outside of their home range.

If I find more information in this book about rare species gone from Australian zoos, particularly Adelaide Zoo, I will keep you guys posted

zooboy28 · 26 Nov 2013

ungulate nerd said:
From what I read in a book about the history of the Adeaide Zoo, I found out that they had Spanish ibex, Dorcas gazelle, Chinkara gazelle, Maral, Kashmir stag, and Javan rhinoceros, I was shocked to find this information out, most of those ungulate species are either gone from captivity or gone from zoos outside of their home range.

If I find more information in this book about rare species gone from Australian zoos, particularly Adelaide Zoo, I will keep you guys posted

What book is this? Sounds great.

ungulate nerd · 26 Nov 2013

zooboy28 said:
What book is this? Sounds great.

The book is called the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, 1878-1978 by C.E. Rix.

I first discovered it in 2012 in the library at the Los Angeles Zoo, then I decided that I had to have this book, and now I have it!

Hix · 26 Nov 2013

Shirokuma said:
Also jaguar and clouded leopard.

There's still a jaguar at Gorge.

Shirokuma said:
Taronga also had shoe-bill stork, black footed penguin, snowy owl, crowned cranes, marabou stork, sarus crane (as opposed to brolga), babirusa and sitatunga.

I remeber the Sarus crane and the sitatunga (and the anoa and guanacos).

Pat said:
I find it hard to keep track species that have been moved to smaller collections.

Same here. Taronga used to have Crabeaters and Pigtailed Macaques, and Patas Monkeys as well as the DeBrazzas, and I don't know if they are still held in any collections or not.

And Adelaide had a Pallas' cat.

Ungulate Nerd said:
and Javan rhinoceros

Javan?

Hix

zooboy28 · 26 Nov 2013

Hix said:
There's still a jaguar at Gorge.

I remeber the Sarus crane and the sitatunga (and the anoa and guanacos).

Same here. Taronga used to have Crabeaters and Pigtailed Macaques, and Patas Monkeys as well as the DeBrazzas, and I don't know if they are still held in any collections or not

Leopard at Gorge, not Jaguar.
Would the Sarus cranes have been native?
Don't know of any Pig-tails or Patas Monkeys, but the other two are still around.

nrg800 · 26 Nov 2013

Chlidonias · 27 Nov 2013

Hix said:
Javan?

it died in 1907 and ended up in the museum. While it was alive it was believed to be an Indian rhinoceros.

TeaLovingDave · 27 Nov 2013

Chlidonias said:
it died in 1907 and ended up in the museum. While it was alive it was believed to be an Indian rhinoceros.

As far as anyone is aware, the last of the species to be held in captivity - now in the Adelaide Museum.

ungulate nerd · 28 Nov 2013

ungulate nerd said:
The book is called the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, 1878-1978 by C.E. Rix.

I first discovered it in 2012 in the library at the Los Angeles Zoo, then I decided that I had to have this book, and now I have it!

This book actually has a live photo of the Javan rhino, I can scan it and share it with you guys if you are interested.

Species no longer held in Australian zoos

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