Species on the brink of disappearing from U.K Collections

[TeaLovingDave]

AFAIK only Highland Wildlife Park has them in the UK now.

This is correct. The most recent collection to go out of the species was Welsh Mountain Zoo, about a year or two ago. If it wasn't for the fact HWP recently received a female, I think I would have counted this species among those likely to disappear in the next 5 years.

Almost certainly! Though it may take a number of years and a new generation of folk who have 'identified' with some other species. 'Cute' does seem the most popular theme at present, with Meerkats and Penguins at the forefront of popularity and mirrored in the zoo exhibits.

Shame there aren't really any collections which capitalise on this "cute" trend to bring back a wider variety of small carnivores! There are a good number of this group which have either disappeared from collections recently, or are on the wane rapidly. Examples of the latter include:

European genet - the only public collections with these now are Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, Camperdown Wildlife Centre and Wickid Pets Animal Adventure.

Common Palm Civet - only a handful of mostly petting-farm type collections hold these now.

Ratel - there's now only one male left at Howlett's, and I don't think populations in Europe are sufficient to make it likely a female will be brought in.

Steppe Polecat - last I heard, still kept by Trotter's but nowhere else.

Siberian Weasel - only kept at Longleat now.

 

[Davef68]

Shame there aren't really any collections which capitalise on this "cute" trend to bring back a wider variety of small carnivores! There are a good number of this group which have either disappeared from collections recently, or are on the wane rapidly. Examples of the latter include:


Ratel - there's now only one male left at Howlett's, and I don't think populations in Europe are sufficient to make it likely a female will be brought in.

According to Edinburgh staff I spoke to, the ratel was an incredibly difficult species to keep. The original plan in sending Tyson to Howletts was for him to get used to female company with a view to future breeding.

 

[Pertinax]

According to Edinburgh staff I spoke to, the ratel was an incredibly difficult species to keep.

In what ways are they difficult?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

From conversations at Edinburgh and Howlett's, I've been given to understand they destroy enclosures this may or may not be what Davef68 was referring to.

 

[Javan Rhino]

Almost certainly! Though it may take a number of years and a new generation of folk who have 'identified' with some other species. 'Cute' does seem the most popular theme at present, with Meerkats and Penguins at the forefront of popularity and mirrored in the zoo exhibits. Or maybe the Zoo exhibits actually make them more popular? I can imagine how in years to come, without the T.V marketing connection, a new generation may just look at Meerkats, if they are still displayed then, and think, oh, look, little Mongoose things- and promptly move on to something else.

General public are heavily influenced by what they see on T.V. or the media generally etc. as to what becomes fashionable or popular. As you said, in the dog world O.E. Sheepdogs are much more rarely seen nowadays. Many of those people who bought them couldn't cope with the grooming anyway and resorted to having them shaved, so they looked nothing like the big fluffy Dulux dog which would have been beautifully groomed by professionals for his/her advert appearances. I think they do still appear in the T.V. paint advert though more briefly, maybe no-one's intersted anymore though. The current vogue in dogs seems to be for 'designer crossbreeds'- labradoodles, sprockers, chiwesties etc and 'tough macho' or unusual-looking dogs. As a result, the rescue centres are just full of breeds like the 'blue-eyed' Huskies and Weimaraners nowadays.

Another example of this that really grinds my gears (more than meerkats) is clownfish and regal tangs. When Finding Nemo was released the popularity of these species rocketed, and they got into some danger as the wild-caught trade boomed for them (mainly going to family home aquariums that wouldn't know marine from freshwater).

At SeaLife Centre Birmingham, this gripe boiled to the surface when they had an exhibit named 'Nemo's Kingdom' - hardly encouraging the kids (and adults) to actually refer to them as clownfish

 

[Davef68]

From conversations at Edinburgh and Howlett's, I've been given to understand they destroy enclosures this may or may not be what Davef68 was referring to.

Yep, the only species the Edinburgh staff mentioned as coming close in terms of being destructive were the Sun Bears (this was before the tree destroying pandas arrived!).

Their ferocity also makes them difficult to manage in terms of getting them to go inside/outside etc.

 

[johnstoni.]

I'm sure they had an enclosure labelled with Arctic Foxes when I went.. hmm, about 5 years ago?

There are still listings online for arctic foxes at Exmoor, suggesting they did indeed keep this species.

I'm not sure Dartmoor ever held arctic fox? The 'blue' and 'silver' foxes (there is still one left) were more abundant under the previous owner.....these are morphs of the red fox and are almost certainly Russian or North American in origin. There may be a number of these in private hands in the UK, I'm not sure.

 

[stubeanz]

There are plenty of silver foxes and other red fox colours kept privately. Artic, silver, red, corsac, fennec, and possibly bat eared foxes are all kept privately in the UK

 

[stubeanz]

AFAIK only Highland Wildlife Park has them in the UK now.

After visiting eagle heights yesterday we can add them to the very small list of zoos who have arctic foxes.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

There are plenty of silver foxes and other red fox colours kept privately. Artic, silver, red, corsac, fennec, and possibly bat eared foxes are all kept privately in the UK

Of course, a species can disappear from UK collections and still be held privately a few of those I have named fit this category.

After visiting eagle heights yesterday we can add them to the very small list of zoos who have arctic foxes.

Good to hear. Any idea of numbers and/or gender?

 

[stubeanz]

Unfortunatly It was in a far corner and a keeper wasn't nearby so I am unsure of sex but they deffinatly only had one on display. I wasn't best impressed with eagle heights though.

 

[JamesB]

Do they still keep Cheetahs in that miserable enclosure?

 

[tetrapod]

There are still listings online for arctic foxes at Exmoor, suggesting they did indeed keep this species.

I'm not sure Dartmoor ever held arctic fox? The 'blue' and 'silver' foxes (there is still one left) were more abundant under the previous owner.....these are morphs of the red fox and are almost certainly Russian or North American in origin. There may be a number of these in private hands in the UK, I'm not sure.

A good 12 years +/- since Exmoor had Arctics. Last time I was there the enclosure had N American porkys.

 

[stubeanz]

Do they still keep Cheetahs in that miserable enclosure?

It was my first and last time to eagle heights so im not sure if the enclosure has expanded but i found the huskys kennels to be in more of a sorry state!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Hamlyn's. I think Edinburgh may still have 3 (or maybe not?)

I have a feeling the young female - offspring of the older female and the deceased male - has been moved to another collection. Intend to check for sure when I next visit.

As noted elsewhere, this species is now the most recent loss to UK collections since I resurrected this thread.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Another little update regarding species previously mentioned in this thread....

European genet - the only public collections with these now are Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, Camperdown Wildlife Centre and Wickid Pets Animal Adventure.

Common Palm Civet - only a handful of mostly petting-farm type collections hold these now.

The situation with these is now even more precarious than before, with the closure of Wickid Pets. In the case of the European genet, so few people visit Auchingarrich or Camperdown that the species could easily be entirely gone from the UK now.

Ratel - there's now only one male left at Howlett's, and I don't think populations in Europe are sufficient to make it likely a female will be brought in.

I'm amazingly glad to have been proven wrong, with the recent arrival of a female things are still somewhat precarious, but they are better now than they have been for some years.

----

Can anyone think of any other news pertinent to this thread?

 

[Jordan-Jaguar97]

Another little update regarding species previously mentioned in this thread....



The situation with these is now even more precarious than before, with the closure of Wickid Pets. In the case of the European genet, so few people visit Auchingarrich or Camperdown that the species could easily be entirely gone from the UK now.



I'm amazingly glad to have been proven wrong, with the recent arrival of a female things are still somewhat precarious, but they are better now than they have been for some years.

----

Can anyone think of any other news pertinent to this thread?

I have a few, some are definitely 'wildcards' -

Patagonian Sea lion - Edinburgh went out of theirs in 2012, Colchester keep 0.5, and Dudley haven't bred theirs successfully in a while (Ever?)

Arabian/Mountain Gazelle - Blackpool had 0.7 at the start of 2011, finishing 2012 they had 0.2.

Arabian Striped Hyena - I know it's unlikely but with all the changes at Twycross, who knows?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I have a few, some are definitely 'wildcards' -

Patagonian Sea lion - Edinburgh went out of theirs in 2012, Colchester keep 0.5, and Dudley haven't bred theirs successfully in a while (Ever?)

Arabian/Mountain Gazelle - Blackpool had 0.7 at the start of 2011, finishing 2012 they had 0.2.

Arabian Striped Hyena - I know it's unlikely but with all the changes at Twycross, who knows?

The first of these has already been noted, but the observation about the gazelle is, I think, new. It certainly isn't a happy trend.

As far as striped hyena go, one would hope that if Twycross did send their individuals elsewhere they would remain in the UK. If not, non-subspecific individuals are held at Africa Alive, although I have no idea of the size or health of this population. All four species of hyena aren't exactly numerous in the UK, to be frank - and one is near-impossible to see!

 

[epickoala123]

Steppe Polecat - last I heard, still kept by Trotter's but nowhere else.

There's a enclosure beside the waterfowl ponds, that at one point held steppe polecats, and at one point, a striped skunk. I can't remember the order though.

At my last visit, there was no sign, and no animal that I saw.

I will check at my next visit(Easter 2013).

 

[TeaLovingDave]

There's a enclosure beside the waterfowl ponds, that at one point held steppe polecats, and at one point, a striped skunk. I can't remember the order though.

At my last visit, there was no sign, and no animal that I saw.

I will check at my next visit(Easter 2013).

If it transpires they no longer keep the species, see if you can learn from a staff member when they went out of them for us