Yeah, I read about this noble cause but somehow I: A) doubt, it will have the desired effect. and B) Don't understand why you exactly need an EEP for that, in the end, zoo will have the final decision anyway and any decent zoo (which should be every EAZA zoo) surely considers multiple species for a potential exhibit during the planning phase so they will think about other mongeese no matter the efforts of EEP.
It's the same with the "invasive mongeese" EEP that is supposed to oversee the phaseout of these species in Europe...like every solid zoo should be aware that there is something called list of invasive species and work with it accordingly, having one extra person to pester them regularly over e-mail "Yo, you got this invasive in your collection, how do you plan to get rid of it?" when the same is being done through local authorities (at least in our country) will surely be welcomed with open arms.
Yeah, I read about this noble cause but somehow I: A) doubt, it will have the desired effect. and B) Don't understand why you exactly need an EEP for that, in the end, zoo will have the final decision anyway and any decent zoo (which should be every EAZA zoo) surely considers multiple species for a potential exhibit during the planning phase so they will think about other mongeese no matter the efforts of EEP.
It's the same with the "invasive mongeese" EEP that is supposed to oversee the phaseout of these species in Europe...like every solid zoo should be aware that there is something called list of invasive species and work with it accordingly, having one extra person to pester them regularly over e-mail "Yo, you got this invasive in your collection, how do you plan to get rid of it?" when the same is being done through local authorities (at least in our country) will surely be welcomed with open arms.
I definitely agree that a meerkat EEP is quite of a facade. And it is too late to stop the meerkat tsunami. I even see them in the pet trade an animal that was not made to live alone or in our homes.
Number of zoos kept (current and former during the holding period):
A 1 zoo
B 2-5 zoos
C 6-10 zoos
D >10 zoos
Time period kept:
1 < 1 year
2 1-5 years
3 6-10 years
4 11-20 years
5 > 20 years
* Species successfully bred
♱ Dead end (in case of species gained)
↑ Species gaining popularity (in case of species gained)
Goats and allies - Caprini # Species kept 1-1-2000: 25
# Species kept currently: 22 (-3)
# Species gained: 1
# Species lost: 4
A group that includes goats, sheep and gorals but also the larger takins and muskox. While species richness is high, many of these species are relative rarities in the European zoo landscape and they are stable in their rarity.
I have left out both Corsican mouflon and Cretan wild goat, as they are the result of ancient human introduction and are generally not counted as members of a valid wild species, though in the case of Cretan wild goat, there is an argument to be made that it should be treated as part of the wild goat (Capra aegragus). Nevertheless the European zoo population apparently consists of hybrids and has an EEP for a phase-out. I have also left the alleged snow sheep (Ovis nivicola) of Tierpark Altenfelden in Austria out, as that was a hybrid group and it is impossible to trace when the final true snow sheep were kept.
@alexkant Cretan "wild" goat are on the way out in EAZA zoos
Species gained
Argali - Ovis ammon A4*
The largest of the sheep was imported from Moscow Zoo’s breeding centre in Sychovo by Tierpark Berlin in 2011. 1.2 Marco Polo argali (ssp. polli) were imported and breeding started in 2013. For several years only males were born, but this changed in 2018 and Tierpark Berlin now keeps a small breeding group and a bachelor group of these sheep.
@Ding Lingwei Marco Polo argali really are the king of sheep
Species lost
Japanese serow - Capricornis crispus C5*
This species was present between 1984-2018 in Europe and was bred in multiple zoos, mainly in Tiergarten Schoenbrunn, Vienna. But when breeding ceased the European population quickly collapsed and the final animal passed away in Zoo Usti, Czechia, in 2018. There are rumours Zoo Plzen wants to acquire this species, so who knows what is possible in the future.
Red goral - Naemorhedus baileyi A3
Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam, received 2 males from Shanghai Zoo in 1992 and a female in 1995. The female quickly died and one of the males was killed by a Sichuan takin. The final male died in 2000.
Long-tailed goral - Naemorhedus caudatus B5*
Apart from Zoo Prague until 2002, it was only Zoo Tallinn that has kept this species in the past 35 years and they were the only zoo to have long term success with this species in Europe. With the original animals from Moscow this species was kept 1986-2020 and bred regularly between 1995 and 2007. But then breeding ceased and the population slowly died out, the final animal passed away in 2020. The species was never bred in a way that outpaced mortality in Tallinn either.
Mouflon - Ovis gmelini A5*
Apart from gorals and serows there was one more caprid loss this century and while at first it might sound surprising it is the mouflon, it shouldn’t be. While the Corsican mouflon is one of the most widespread mammals of all, this is not a true wild animal and truly wild mouflon were only kept in Zoo Tallinn, the caprid capital of Europe. Tallinn long maintained a breeding group but that one slowly collapsed in the early 2010s. The final 2 females passed away in 2021.
@Veno Japanese serow very quickly went from a rarity to extinction
Species gaining popularity
Himalayan takin - Budorcas taxicolor
The Mishmi takin (ssp taxicolor) was long a Tierpark Berlin speciality, but in the 1990s they started to spread to other zoos. While in their popularity they are being overtaken by their Chinese cousins and multiple zoos switching takin species, they are still far more common than they used to be. There are also still more Mishmi takin in captivity in Europe, but zoos that have added a takin in recent years opt for gold.
Chinese takin - Budorcas tibetana
While Sichuan takin (ssp tibetana) were already present at the start of the century and have become slightly more common, it is the golden takin (ssp bedfordi) that is the new craze. A pair of golden takin arrived in Zoo Liberec from China in exchange for a greater one-horned rhino in 2002. The first breeding occurred in 2004 and in 2010 Tierpark Berlin was the first zoo outside Czechia to obtain this subspecies. From then on it went very quick and there are currently 18 holders of a subspecies that doesn’t seem to mind a bit of incest. Sichuan takin are actually the takin with the broadest founder base with animals from San Diego, Moscow and Shanghai, but they are to be phased-out and apart from Tierpark Berlin have never really taken of this century. Exactly why takin have become so popular is anyone's guess, they aren't exactly crowd favourites, but at least they are sturdy unique-looking animals that are endangered.
Blue sheep - Pseudois nayaur
Another Asian caprid that is gaining in popularity. I am not sure when the first animals arrived in Europe, but it is likely Tierpark Berlin in 1989 was among the first. Together with imports by Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam, and Zoo Tallinn this created a solid basis for a now expanding population of this unique looking caprid.
West-Caucasian tur - Capra caucasica
These sturdy ibexes have always been uncommon, but multiple breeding groups have been maintained for decades in East Germany and other former Eastern Bloc countries. This century saw an increase from 10 to 15 holders, so while still uncommon it is gaining some ground. This will likely continue as they are one of the focus ibex for EAZA since a few years.
@Green_mamba Golden takin are one of the new fashion species
Species losing popularity
Rocky Mountain goat - Oreamnos americanus
While takin don’t seem to mind a bit of inbreeding, this goat seems to suffer from inbreeding depression and it remains to be seen whether it can be maintained in Europe long term. At the start of the century there were at least 10 breeding groups of this species, but currently there are just a few breeding groups left, with only the one in Tierpark Berlin of any significance. Tierpark Oberwald in Karlsruhe hopes to create another breeding group soon.
Dall’s sheep - Ovis dalli
The other white North American caprid is also on the losing side. While always a rarity with only 3 breeding groups in 2000, it is in even worse shape now. None of these breeding groups still exists and the future depends now on a small breeding group in Zoo Plzen and a German wildpark. The successful breeding group that was established in Zoo Tallinn this century has died out since 2019.
Musk ox - Ovibos moschatus
Like saiga this Ice Age steppe species are quite susceptible to disease and this is reflected in the loss of holders across the continent. The species is now predominantly maintained in Scandinavia and Central Europe where the climate is better suited to this species that always looks bigger then it is in real life.
East Caucasian tur - Capra cylindricornis
Since the TAG decided to focus on West-Caucasian tur instead of their distinctive eastern cousins, the breeding of this species has been halted across Europe, except Russia. This was always a rarity outside Russia, but until 2019 Zoo Tallinn kept about 60 individuals of this species in multiple groups (breeding & bachelor), though interest from other zoos was lacking. With breeding halted in Augsburg and Liberec too, this species could well disappear in about 15 years from now outside of Russia.
@Rhino00 Musk ox tend to do best in colder less rainy climates, zoos have finally recognized that and holdings in inappropriate climatic zones are dwindling fast
Bovids complete, only 2 cetacean posts to go.
Progress 21/22 orders completed
102/106 families completed
629-639 species present in 2000
636-640 species present in 2023
225-236 species gained this century
224-228 species lost this century
Blue sheep - Pseudois nayaur
Another Asian caprid that is gaining in popularity. I am not sure when the first animals arrived in Europe, but it is likely Tierpark Berlin in 1989 was among the first.....
London Zoo had the species more than a century earlier, way back in 1877. They bred prolifically there too; forty-seven were born in London Zoo between 1882 and 1908.
Himalayan takin - Budorcas taxicolor
The Mishmi takin (ssp taxicolor) was long a Tierpark Berlin speciality, but in the 1990s they started to spread to other zoos. While in their popularity they are being overtaken by their Chinese cousins and multiple zoos switching takin species, they are still far more common than they used to be. There are also still more Mishmi takin in captivity in Europe, but zoos that have added a takin in recent years opt for gold.
Chinese takin - Budorcas tibetana
While Sichuan takin (ssp tibetana) were already present at the start of the century and have become slightly more common, it is the golden takin (ssp bedfordi) that is the new craze. A pair of golden takin arrived in Zoo Liberec from China in exchange for a greater one-horned rhino in 2002. The first breeding occurred in 2004 and in 2010 Tierpark Berlin was the first zoo outside Czechia to obtain this subspecies. From then on it went very quick and there are currently 18 holders of a subspecies that doesn’t seem to mind a bit of incest. Sichuan takin are actually the takin with the broadest founder base with animals from San Diego, Moscow and Shanghai, but they are to be phased-out and apart from Tierpark Berlin have never really taken of this century. Exactly why takin have become so popular is anyone's guess, they aren't exactly crowd favourites, but at least they are sturdy unique-looking animals that are endangered.
Taxonomy question: when did this split happen? I'm not questioning the split or your taxonomic expertise, this is just the first time I'm hearing takin treated as two species instead of one.
Also- I'm jealous Europe has over twenty caprid species! I could be missing one or two, but off-hand I can only think of fourteen species with a presence in US zoos.
Dall’s sheep - Ovis dalli
The other white North American caprid is also on the losing side. While always a rarity with only 3 breeding groups in 2000, it is in even worse shape now. None of these breeding groups still exists and the future depends now on a small breeding group in Zoo Plzen and a German wildpark. The successful breeding group that was established in Zoo Tallinn this century has died out since 2019.
I wouldn’t have a problem with this species slowly being cast to the shadow realm if it wasn’t for the fact that this species is also underrepresented in the NA as well.
London Zoo had the species more than a century earlier, way back in 1877. They bred prolifically there too; forty-seven were born in London Zoo between 1882 and 1908.
Taxonomy question: when did this split happen? I'm not questioning the split or your taxonomic expertise, this is just the first time I'm hearing takin treated as two species instead of one.
Also- I'm jealous Europe has over twenty caprid species! I could be missing one or two, but off-hand I can only think of fourteen species with a presence in US zoos.
I am following the ASM Mammal Diversity Base, so I don't need to make any taxonomic calls myself, this split is a new one though based on a 2022 paper which you can find under the takin species in said database.
Taxonomy question: when did this split happen? I'm not questioning the split or your taxonomic expertise, this is just the first time I'm hearing takin treated as two species instead of one.
In their book Ungulate Taxonomy (2011), Groves and Grubb promote all four subspecies of takin to distinct species.
Their split taxonomy was adopted for the family Bovidae in the ungulate volume of Handbook of the Mammals of the World which therefore lists four separate species of takin.
The recent publication All the Mammals of the World (2023) reverts to a more traditional takin classification, listing one species with four subjects.
Number of zoos kept (current and former during the holding period):
A 1 zoo
B 2-5 zoos
C 6-10 zoos
D >10 zoos
Time period kept:
1 < 1 year
2 1-5 years
3 6-10 years
4 11-20 years
5 > 20 years
* Species successfully bred
♱ Dead end (in case of species gained)
↑ Species gaining popularity (in case of species gained)
Goats and allies - Caprini # Species kept 1-1-2000: 25
# Species kept currently: 22 (-3)
# Species gained: 1
# Species lost: 4
A group that includes goats, sheep and gorals but also the larger takins and muskox. While species richness is high, many of these species are relative rarities in the European zoo landscape and they are stable in their rarity.
I have left out both Corsican mouflon and Cretan wild goat, as they are the result of ancient human introduction and are generally not counted as members of a valid wild species, though in the case of Cretan wild goat, there is an argument to be made that it should be treated as part of the wild goat (Capra aegragus). Nevertheless the European zoo population apparently consists of hybrids and has an EEP for a phase-out. I have also left the alleged snow sheep (Ovis nivicola) of Tierpark Altenfelden in Austria out, as that was a hybrid group and it is impossible to trace when the final true snow sheep were kept.
@alexkant Cretan "wild" goat are on the way out in EAZA zoos
Species gained
Argali - Ovis ammon A4*
The largest of the sheep was imported from Moscow Zoo’s breeding centre in Sychovo by Tierpark Berlin in 2011. 1.2 Marco Polo argali (ssp. polli) were imported and breeding started in 2013. For several years only males were born, but this changed in 2018 and Tierpark Berlin now keeps a small breeding group and a bachelor group of these sheep.
@Ding Lingwei Marco Polo argali really are the king of sheep
Species lost
Japanese serow - Capricornis crispus C5*
This species was present between 1984-2018 in Europe and was bred in multiple zoos, mainly in Tiergarten Schoenbrunn, Vienna. But when breeding ceased the European population quickly collapsed and the final animal passed away in Zoo Usti, Czechia, in 2018. There are rumours Zoo Plzen wants to acquire this species, so who knows what is possible in the future.
Red goral - Naemorhedus baileyi A3
Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam, received 2 males from Shanghai Zoo in 1992 and a female in 1995. The female quickly died and one of the males was killed by a Sichuan takin. The final male died in 2000.
Long-tailed goral - Naemorhedus caudatus B5*
Apart from Zoo Prague until 2002, it was only Zoo Tallinn that has kept this species in the past 35 years and they were the only zoo to have long term success with this species in Europe. With the original animals from Moscow this species was kept 1986-2020 and bred regularly between 1995 and 2007. But then breeding ceased and the population slowly died out, the final animal passed away in 2020. The species was never bred in a way that outpaced mortality in Tallinn either.
Mouflon - Ovis gmelini A5*
Apart from gorals and serows there was one more caprid loss this century and while at first it might sound surprising it is the mouflon, it shouldn’t be. While the Corsican mouflon is one of the most widespread mammals of all, this is not a true wild animal and truly wild mouflon were only kept in Zoo Tallinn, the caprid capital of Europe. Tallinn long maintained a breeding group but that one slowly collapsed in the early 2010s. The final 2 females passed away in 2021.
@Veno Japanese serow very quickly went from a rarity to extinction
Species gaining popularity
Himalayan takin - Budorcas taxicolor
The Mishmi takin (ssp taxicolor) was long a Tierpark Berlin speciality, but in the 1990s they started to spread to other zoos. While in their popularity they are being overtaken by their Chinese cousins and multiple zoos switching takin species, they are still far more common than they used to be. There are also still more Mishmi takin in captivity in Europe, but zoos that have added a takin in recent years opt for gold.
Chinese takin - Budorcas tibetana
While Sichuan takin (ssp tibetana) were already present at the start of the century and have become slightly more common, it is the golden takin (ssp bedfordi) that is the new craze. A pair of golden takin arrived in Zoo Liberec from China in exchange for a greater one-horned rhino in 2002. The first breeding occurred in 2004 and in 2010 Tierpark Berlin was the first zoo outside Czechia to obtain this subspecies. From then on it went very quick and there are currently 18 holders of a subspecies that doesn’t seem to mind a bit of incest. Sichuan takin are actually the takin with the broadest founder base with animals from San Diego, Moscow and Shanghai, but they are to be phased-out and apart from Tierpark Berlin have never really taken of this century. Exactly why takin have become so popular is anyone's guess, they aren't exactly crowd favourites, but at least they are sturdy unique-looking animals that are endangered.
Blue sheep - Pseudois nayaur
Another Asian caprid that is gaining in popularity. I am not sure when the first animals arrived in Europe, but it is likely Tierpark Berlin in 1989 was among the first. Together with imports by Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam, and Zoo Tallinn this created a solid basis for a now expanding population of this unique looking caprid.
West-Caucasian tur - Capra caucasica
These sturdy ibexes have always been uncommon, but multiple breeding groups have been maintained for decades in East Germany and other former Eastern Bloc countries. This century saw an increase from 10 to 15 holders, so while still uncommon it is gaining some ground. This will likely continue as they are one of the focus ibex for EAZA since a few years.
@Green_mamba Golden takin are one of the new fashion species
Species losing popularity
Rocky Mountain goat - Oreamnos americanus
While takin don’t seem to mind a bit of inbreeding, this goat seems to suffer from inbreeding depression and it remains to be seen whether it can be maintained in Europe long term. At the start of the century there were at least 10 breeding groups of this species, but currently there are just a few breeding groups left, with only the one in Tierpark Berlin of any significance. Tierpark Oberwald in Karlsruhe hopes to create another breeding group soon.
Dall’s sheep - Ovis dalli
The other white North American caprid is also on the losing side. While always a rarity with only 3 breeding groups in 2000, it is in even worse shape now. None of these breeding groups still exists and the future depends now on a small breeding group in Zoo Plzen and a German wildpark. The successful breeding group that was established in Zoo Tallinn this century has died out since 2019.
Musk ox - Ovibos moschatus
Like saiga this Ice Age steppe species are quite susceptible to disease and this is reflected in the loss of holders across the continent. The species is now predominantly maintained in Scandinavia and Central Europe where the climate is better suited to this species that always looks bigger then it is in real life.
East Caucasian tur - Capra cylindricornis
Since the TAG decided to focus on West-Caucasian tur instead of their distinctive eastern cousins, the breeding of this species has been halted across Europe, except Russia. This was always a rarity outside Russia, but until 2019 Zoo Tallinn kept about 60 individuals of this species in multiple groups (breeding & bachelor), though interest from other zoos was lacking. With breeding halted in Augsburg and Liberec too, this species could well disappear in about 15 years from now outside of Russia.
@Rhino00 Musk ox tend to do best in colder less rainy climates, zoos have finally recognized that and holdings in inappropriate climatic zones are dwindling fast
Bovids complete, only 2 cetacean posts to go.
Progress 21/22 orders completed
102/106 families completed
629-639 species present in 2000
636-640 species present in 2023
225-236 species gained this century
224-228 species lost this century
Caprines have fared just about as poorly as exotic deer have in major American collections, and that is without any major laws and regulations restricting their movement across state lines. That said, it is also really the only ungulate group that has seen an entirely new population founded in recent years, with San Diego's import of golden takin from Europe in the late 2010s.
In North America, the Sichuan takin is really the only taxon of this tribe to see a significant rise in popularity. It has spread quite rapidly across the continent, largely due to the very large and very prolific herd at The Wilds. Mishmi takin had historically been present, as well; however, they have vanished from public collections, with the San Diego Zoo being the last public holder and the animals only being visible from the Skyfari gondola.
Two native taxa have shown recent but smaller increases in popularity -- the Rocky Mountain goat has seen a slight increase in its population and holders with the recent efforts to remove invasive populations from the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon to the point of the creation of a new consortium, and the desert bighorn sheep has seen an expansion of support within facilities in its native range.
For the exotics, efforts have been made to promote the expansion of Chinese goral; however, this program has struggled to get off of its feet despite institutional interest, with poor breeding results and survivability. There have been quite a few recent births that have resulted in surviving offspring, so hopefully this species is finally able to gain a foothold. A similar effort was made for Japanese serow; however, they have seen even less success and are likely a dead-end. There was a very short-lived program for Kordofan aoudad; however, the founder base was so small that the population suffered immensely from high infant mortality rates and some research suggested that these animals weren't actually Kordofan aoudad at all but rather Saharan. The Turkmenian markhor has one of the larger populations, which has has been largely stable in the major collections that maintain them, while the Transcaspian urial remains stable at its much fewer but dedicated facilities. The Nubian ibex program was doing quite well earlier this century, but with the tragic loss of the Los Angeles Zoo herd and mismanagement by the program coordinators, this species is now being single-handedly supported by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, which still maintains a breeding herd of roughly 20 individuals.
As with most other ungulates, the picture looks quite different when you look at private facilities and ranches. Generic aoudad are one of the most common animals in private collections, and Afghan urial, Alpine ibex, Armenian mouflon, bharal, Himalayan tahr, and east and west Caucasian turs are all around in some number, as well -- although there has been an unfortunately high level of hybridization amongst Caprines on many of the ranches.
Caprines have fared just about as poorly as exotic deer have in major American collections, and that is without any major laws and regulations restricting their movement across state lines. That said, it is also really the only ungulate group that has seen an entirely new population founded in recent years, with San Diego's import of golden takin from Europe in the late 2010s.
In North America, the Sichuan takin is really the only taxon of this tribe to see a significant rise in popularity. It has spread quite rapidly across the continent, largely due to the very large and very prolific herd at The Wilds. Mishmi takin had historically been present, as well; however, they have vanished from public collections, with the San Diego Zoo being the last public holder and the animals only being visible from the Skyfari gondola.
Two native taxa have shown recent but smaller increases in popularity -- the Rocky Mountain goat has seen a slight increase in its population and holders with the recent efforts to remove invasive populations from the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon to the point of the creation of a new consortium, and the desert bighorn sheep has seen an expansion of support within facilities in its native range.
For the exotics, efforts have been made to promote the expansion of Chinese goral; however, this program has struggled to get off of its feet despite institutional interest, with poor breeding results and survivability. There have been quite a few recent births that have resulted in surviving offspring, so hopefully this species is finally able to gain a foothold. A similar effort was made for Japanese serow; however, they have seen even less success and are likely a dead-end. There was a very short-lived program for Kordofan aoudad; however, the founder base was so small that the population suffered immensely from high infant mortality rates and some research suggested that these animals weren't actually Kordofan aoudad at all but rather Saharan. The Turkmenian markhor has one of the larger populations, which has has been largely stable in the major collections that maintain them, while the Transcaspian urial remains stable at its much fewer but dedicated facilities. The Nubian ibex program was doing quite well earlier this century, but with the tragic loss of the Los Angeles Zoo herd and mismanagement by the program coordinators, this species is now being single-handedly supported by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, which still maintains a breeding herd of roughly 20 individuals.
As with most other ungulates, the picture looks quite different when you look at private facilities and ranches. Generic aoudad are one of the most common animals in private collections, and Afghan urial, Alpine ibex, Armenian mouflon, bharal, Himalayan tahr, and east and west Caucasian turs are all around in some number, as well -- although there has been an unfortunately high level of hybridization amongst Caprines on many of the ranches.
Aoudad, I feel, is one of the species that most easily illustrates the difference in collections of AZA vs non-AZA zoos in the US. Outside of the AZA, Aoudad are one of the most ubiquitous species, really the only non-AZA collections that seem to lack them are ones specializing in native species. Meanwhile Aoudad are almost entirely absent from AZA zoos.
Overall Aoudad are legitimately one of the most common zoo animals in the country - but if you only visited AZA zoos you may very well have no idea!
Re: antelope in North America versus Europe. The U.S. are lucky to have several big zoos located in dry hot climate favored by gazelle and many other antelope. Together with large hunting ranches. In Europe, similar establishments are very rare. There is a center for Saharan fauna in Almeria, and a handful of other zoos in Spain and southern France.
For antelope and goat, again, subspecies are very important. Common impala are doing well in Europe, but in the same period, the vulnerable subspecies black-faced impala dwindled to the dead end. The same is with diverse subspecies of mountain sheep, which include some common forms and several very threatened ones.
There are a bunchillion of them in 30 of 27 EU state. Only 20 individual of them have a zoological meaning and 15 of these individual are male. All in like two zoos at other side of Europe eachother.
(It's ironic but not so farfetched if you see aoudad situation)
CETACEANS - CETACEA 95 species across 13 families
13 species kept this century (14%)
There isn’t a group of which their presence in captivity is more controversial than the cetaceans. With their large size, intelligence and expensive husbandry they are challenging to keep anyway in a modern zoo. But public opinion is somewhat against them, with multiple zoos or regions banning them from captivity altogether. Cetaceans have never been very common and only the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) has a self-sustaining population in Europe.
Amazon River dolphins - Iniidae # Species kept 1-1-2000: 1
# Species kept currently: 0 (-1)
# Species gained: -
# Species lost: 1
If there was ever a zoo animal that reached celebrity status on Zoochat, it was a member of this family.
Species lost
Orinoco River dolphin - Inia humboldtiana A5
In the top days for collectors, Zoo Duisburg acquired 5 of these dolphins from Venezuela in 1975. By 1978 only 2 males survived and these lived until 2006 and 2020 respectively. The final animal named “Happy” was the goal of many a pilgrimage as it was arguably the most unusual mammal in a European zoo at the time and a species that is unlikely to ever make a comeback in Europe. Until recently this taxon was treated as a subspecies of Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)
@Maguari Happy the river dolphin was a remnant from the time that Zoo Duisburg was Europe's cetacean capital
Narwhals & Belugas - Monodontidae # Species kept 1-1-2000: 1
# Species kept currently: 1
# Species gained: -
# Species lost: -
At the start of the century there was only a single male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) in Europe, a male called Ferdinand, in Zoo Duisburg. He was sent to Sea World San Diego in 2004. This was not the end as in 2003 l’Oceanografic, Valencia, acquired a pair of beluga from Argentina. The species successfully bred once in 2016 and one male died in 2022. An import from Marineland Canada is purportedly planned and there are 2 “rescued” animals living in a bay / holding area in Iceland since 2019. This month Ferdinand, Duisburg’s last beluga, died in San Diego at the ripe age of 53.
@Baldur Beluga Ferdinand with his tank mate Jogi the Commerson's dolphin just before their move to San Diego
Porpoises - Phocoenidae # Species kept 1-1-2000: 1
# Species kept currently: 1
# Species gained: -
# Species lost: -
In Europe only the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is kept of which a few animals are kept in Denmark and the Netherlands. The main result this century was the world first breeding in Fjord & Baelt Center, Denmark, which was repeated a few years later in Dolfinarium, Harderwijk.
@bubblywums Harbour porpoise in Europe are all originally rescued individuals
Progress 21/22 orders completed
105/106 families completed
632-642 species present in 2000
638-642 species present in 2023
225-236 species gained this century
225-229 species lost this century
In the top days for collectors, Zoo Duisburg acquired 5 of these dolphins from Venezuela in 1975. By 1978 only 2 males survived and these lived until 2006 and 2020 respectively.
This would be a good point to note that last week, my ongoing project to index and catalogue my fairly sizeable collection of back-issues for International Zoo News reached the point where I found a short news article on this very subject:
Dolphins - Delphinidae # Species kept 1-1-2000: 5
# Species kept currently: 2 (-3)
# Species gained: 5
# Species lost: 8
Currently the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the orca (Orcinus orca) are the only dolphins kept in Europe. This century 8 other species were also kept, 6 of which are species only kept as rescued animals. Bottlenose dolphins are the only widespread species, though they have seen a slight net decline in the number of holders. Due to lack of space breeding of bottlenose dolphins is currently severely limited.
@Sicarius Orca were only kept at a single European zoo at the start of the century and this will soon be the case again
Species gained but lost
Common dolphin - Delphinus delphis B2
Single beached individuals have lived shortly in Delfinariu Constanta, Romania, in 2009 and in Dolfinarium Harderwijk, the Netherlands, in 2011.
Short-finned pilot whale - Globicephala melas A2
A single animal lived in Zoo Lisbon 2006-2009.
Risso’s dolphin - Grampus griseus B3
4 stranded animals have lived in Europe, most only for a short period of time. The first was kept in 2004 in Zoomarine, Albufeira in Portugal and in Parco Oltremare in Riccione, Italy, this species was kept from 2005-2012. Zoomarine Roma has also shortly this species, but Zootierliste in unclear when this was.
Atlantic white-sided dolphin - Leucopleurus acutus A1
A single beached individual lived 1 month in Dolfinarium Harderwijk in 2000.
White-beaked dolphin - Lagenorhynchus albirostris A1
A single beached individual lived 6 months in Dolfinarium Harderwijk in 2011.
@Moebelle Pilot whales turn up as rescues on other continents too
Species lost
Commerson’s dolphin - Cephalorhynchus commersonii A5
In 1978, 1980 and 1984 Zoo Duisburg imported 17 wild caught animals in total, 13 of which died soon after arrival. Only 4 males survived for more than a year and after 1991 only a single animal remained. He was moved to Sea World San Diego in 2004 together with his tank mate the beluga. No other European zoo has ever kept this species.
Tucuxi - Sotalia fluviatilis B5
A few of these animals were imported in the 1970s, but they were never successfully bred. From 1991 onwards only 3 males in the Allwetterzoo Muenster remained, 2 of which lived until the 21st century. The final animal died of old age in 2009.
Striped dolphin - Stenella coeruleoalba B3
A total of 6 stranded individuals have been kept in this time period, with the exception of an individual in Dolfinarium Harderwijk that lived there from 1997-2002, all animals lived less than a year. The final animal was kept in 2014 in l’Oceanografic Valencia.
@Animal The final tucuxi died in 2009 at the age of 40 years
Progress 22/22 orders completed
106/106 families completed
637-647 species present in 2000
640-644 species present in 2023
230-240 species gained this century
233-237 species lost this century
We have now come to the end of the species accounts. A summarizing post for ungulates & cetaceans will come soon and then it is time for the summarizing posts for all mammals.
an animal that was not made to live alone or in our homes.
