Species not exhibited in American Zoos

C

Crocodile

Member
I was wondering: why do zoos in America not exhibit animals like platypus, fijian crested iguanas, tasmanian devils, taipans, jackals, bilbies, and proboscis monkeys? Animals like these are common in other collections, but aren’t present in American collections. I’ve particularly noticed this with Australian species. What other animals are common in other zoos and why don’t we exhibit them? Does it involve border restrictions, are they too difficult to maintain, or are they just not popular enough?

Just wondering.
 
Australian collections in general are poor in American Zoos. If a zoo has anything more than the usual Kangaroos, Wallabies, and a few bird species, it is notable. I know platypus' are very cost intensive, so that is the big barrier to them becoming for widely seen.
 
Here are a few

South african fur seal (1.0 in Canada)
pampas deer
black muntjac
chamois (a few in Canada)
wisent (a few in Canada)
 
FSBlue said:
Australian collections in general are poor in American Zoos. If a zoo has anything more than the usual Kangaroos, Wallabies, and a few bird species, it is notable. I know platypus' are very cost intensive, so that is the big barrier to them becoming for widely seen.
Click to expand...

Platypus aren't particularly costly, I wouldn't think - probably more so than your average small animal exhibit (because they need an aquatic, nocturnal enclosure and a freshwater invert diet) but not compared to big mammals. They're just difficult to breed and are quite restricted even in Australian collections (they're present, off the top of my head, only at Melbourne, Taronga, Healesville, Australia Zoo and Sydney Aquarium).

They're aren't any Tassie devils in captivity to spare at the moment for overseas zoos - all that are of breeding age are essential to the breeding program to save the species... and they don't live a particularly long time so overseas zoos are not likely to want retired breeders that might only live 3-4 years.

Don't really know about the bilbies, although there are none listed on ISIS outside Australia.
 
Although I'm not an expert since I don't work at a zoo, from everything I have heard Australia has by far the most stringent animal export regulations on the planet. It appears to be difficult even for accredited zoos to gain permission from the Australian government to get any animal. My guess as to the reason (and this is just a cynical guess) is that Australian wildlife is so unique and such a big tourist draw that they want to force people to fly to their country to see it, so they won't let them out of the country very easily. I could be wrong, but that's my hunch.
 
I've seen Fiji banded iguanas in a couple of places. Cincy used to keep them. Don't know if that's the same thing as cresteds.

Tasmanian devils have made appearances here and there on temporary arrangements.

I'm pretty sure there are no more brown hyenas in US zoos. SD had them for awhile.

Other than alligator farm-type attractions, you rarely if ever see a mugger crocodile. Don't know why, I just can't ever recall seeing one. Large crocs are somewhat seldom seen. Most zoos just go for gators or smaller species like West African dwarf crocs, Chinese gators or caiman. This is changing a bit as more have niles than in the past, especially in the south. I've been to a few places with acutus as well.

I feel that before long we will look back at the time when we saw lots of varied rare hoofed stock in US collections and realize that they have been replaced with more common species.
 
Houston Zoo has fiji banded iguanas

Hi there - I work at the Houston Zoo and we do have three fiji banded iguanas here.
 
Blackduiker

I'm quite certain San Diego still has Fiji Banded Iguanas, and have kept them for years. And I believe Los Angeles still has one off exhibit remaining from a pair that were housed in the old(now gone) Reptile House. I believe several other zoos currently exhibit them as well.

Los Angeles also exhibited Brown Hyenas in the 60s and maybe early 70s, and Tasmanian Devils on several occasions. I even went behind-the-scenes with their keeper, who I got to know fairly well, back in my keeper's training days in 1985. They were then in an outdoor enclosure, though they once shared a nocturnal house with a pair of Kiwi, on the remodeled site of the current Komodo Dragon exhibit.
 
No, Fiji Banded Iguanas (Brachylophus fasciatus) and Fiji Crested Iguanas (Brachylophus vitiensis) are two different species, and according to ISIS there is no zoos outside of Australia that currently have Fiji Crested Iguanas.

According to ISIS, San Diego Zoo has 2 brown hyenas, but I'm not sure if this is true.

I once read in the LA Zoo's "Zoo View" monthly issue that they were planning in acquiring Tasmanian Devils in the near future, but I'm not sure if that is still the plan. Also, the Rio Grande Zoo was planning in acquiring at least a dozen Tasmanian devils, but I don't know if that will still happen.
 
Blackduiker

mstickmanp said:
No, Fiji Banded Iguanas (Brachylophus fasciatus) and Fiji Crested Iguanas (Brachylophus vitiensis) are two different species, and according to ISIS there is no zoos outside of Australia that currently have Fiji Crested Iguanas.

According to ISIS, San Diego Zoo has 2 brown hyenas, but I'm not sure if this is true.

I once read in the LA Zoo's "Zoo View" monthly issue that they were planning in acquiring Tasmanian Devils in the near future, but I'm not sure if that is still the plan. Also, the Rio Grande Zoo was planning in acquiring at least a dozen Tasmanian devils, but I don't know if that will still happen.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure of your response of "no" here Mario, since ISIS lists Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus), the species in question as 1.0 at Los Angeles, as I had stated and 24.15.2 at San Diego, and pairs/individual specimans at several American Zoos. Was there another post that mentioned Fiji Crested Iguanas (Brachylophus vitiensis)? I'm a bit puzzled fellow ZooChat buddy. Of course some would say that I'm "always confused.":confused::rolleyes::D
 
Blackduiker said:
I'm not quite sure of your response of "no" here Mario, since ISIS lists Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus), the species in question as 1.0 at Los Angeles, as I had stated and 24.15.2 at San Diego, and pairs/individual specimans at several American Zoos. Was there another post that mentioned Fiji Crested Iguanas (Brachylophus vitiensis)? I'm a bit puzzled fellow ZooChat buddy. Of course some would say that I'm "always confused.":confused::rolleyes::D
Click to expand...

I said no to groundskeeper24, since he (or she?) did not know that both crested and banded were different species.
 
I've seen proboscis monkeys, Amazon dolphins, and Tasmanian devils in the past when different USA zoos had them -- though none have them now.

Here's my list of "Never Seen, but really want to" animals:
1. Platypus -- answered above, Australia won't let them out
2. Marine Iguana -- from Galapagos Islands. Have they ever been exhibited?
3. Elephant Seal -- are they even exhibitable? Are they too big?
4. Narwhal -- ditto, are they exhibitable?
5. Great white shark -- I need to get to Monterey when they have one!
6. Golden monkey -- darn those Chinese for cancelling LA Zoo's contract!
7. Baikal seal -- I'm intrigued by the idea of a fresh-water seal.
8. Saiga antelope -- I may have seen one (without knowing it) at SDWAP years ago.

One question: Are there any Barbary apes in any USA zoo today? I know Toronto has them, as do many European zoos. I'm excited to see them "in their habitat" on Gibraltar next month.
 
Blackduiker

mstickmanp said:
I should have probably been more clear when writing that post.
Click to expand...

Hey, I've had about the most embarrassing posts and threads on the site. But meanwhile back at the ranch, hopefully our new reptile collection will include Fiji Banded Iguanas paired again for future breeding. Look at San Diego over the last 12 months; according to ISIS, 5 births (hatchings).

And maybe we'll get our Exuma Island Iguanas back too! I miss those walks through the old Reptile House, I'd been doing it since 1966, dilapidated though that building had become. And please bring back my Crocodile Monitor, maybe with a mate this time.
 
@ANyhuis: The San Francisco Zoo has elephant seals once in a while, but they are all rescued pups, not adults.
 
ANyhuis said:
........
2. Marine Iguana -- from Galapagos Islands. Have they ever been exhibited?
..........
Click to expand...

London Zoo exhibited marine iguanas in the 1930s.

According to the International Zoo Yearbook for 1965, there were marine iguanas at both Chicago (Brookfield) and St. Louis.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top