Species you hate to see in zoos

Sorry , I didn't see your comment Dave.

This is good news IMO as if there is an animal in need of ex-situ conservation and captive breeding it is definitely the pangolin.

Do you think more zoos in Europe / North America will eventually start keeping pangolins?
North America, yes. Europe, I don't think so.
 
Why would Europe be less likely to ?

Mainly for political reasons ; China and South-East Asia is more likely to want ties with the USA than a now slightly floundering Europe, (least of all the UK, given the mess we've got ourselves into...), although I wouldn't rule out more zoos in Germany and France magically getting some. I'd say Berlin and Beauval are probably two highest candidates if I were China :p
 
Mainly for political reasons ; China and South-East Asia is more likely to want ties with the USA than a now slightly floundering Europe, (least of all the UK, given the mess we've got ourselves into...), although I wouldn't rule out more zoos in Germany and France magically getting some. I'd say Berlin and Beauval are probably two highest candidates if I were China :p

So its kind of a "panda diplomacy" type situation ?

But then again Pangolins occur in a lot of regions outside of China like Africa , Indian subcontinent, South East Asia so China dont really have a monopoly on these animals.

Also , correct me if I'm wrong but the Chinese certainly don't have the same standing/authority/ credentials when it comes to in-situ or ex-situ conservation of pangolins as they have historically with the giant panda.
 
So its kind of a "panda diplomacy" type situation ? But then again Pangolins occur in a lot of regions outside of China like Africa , Indian subcontinent, South East Asia so China dont really have a monopoly on these animals.

It is not really, though you need the right contacts ;)

@amur leopard , in a way some Asian countries are growing closer to Europe with the Angry Orange at the wheel in the US, Europe is a somewhat boring, but more reliable trading partner and the large scale investments in the Belt-and-Road projects confirm this.
 
Mainly for political reasons ; China and South-East Asia is more likely to want ties with the USA than a now slightly floundering Europe, (least of all the UK, given the mess we've got ourselves into...), although I wouldn't rule out more zoos in Germany and France magically getting some. I'd say Berlin and Beauval are probably two highest candidates if I were China :p

If this were sound analysis then Europe would have received no Giant Pandas in recent years and more American cities would have them. But the opposite is true.

More generally, I've never seen a pangolin in a zoo on the Chinese Mainland. I would like to, because there is important work to be done with educating people about the threats to them in relation to traditional medicine.
 
So its kind of a "panda diplomacy" type situation ?

It isn't in the slightest, no - quite apart from anything else neither of the main Asian collections holding pangolins are located in China.

(Or rather, neither are in the PRC - just in case someone decides to be a smartarse about the official name of Taiwan)
 
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Mainly for political reasons ; China and South-East Asia is more likely to want ties with the USA than a now slightly floundering Europe, (least of all the UK, given the mess we've got ourselves into...), although I wouldn't rule out more zoos in Germany and France magically getting some. I'd say Berlin and Beauval are probably two highest candidates if I were China :p

Apart from the points everybody else already made, if this were true then why do several European zoos such as Prague have ties for zoos/breeding centers in Indochinese countries such as Vietnam? Additionally, Prague and Wroclaw have announced plans to finance a pangolin breeding center in Laos so that also sounds contradictory to your claim. If anything, I'd say Prague is the most likely candidate for the next zoo to receive pangolins.

Also, the way US zoos received the pangolins in the first place is somewhat controversial.

This reminds me, there is also a private place in St. Augustine, Florida, which keeps and supposedly breed White-Bellied Pangolins. The owner is the guy who imported the entire current population from Togo.

~Thylo
 
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