Smaller antelopes - Aepycerotini, Cephalophini, Nesotragini, Oreotragini, Antilopini
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 17
# Species kept currently: 13 (-4)
# Species gained: 3
# Species lost: 7
This group contains mostly small(ish) antelopes from Africa and Asia and is incredibly diverse. With a few exceptions these smaller species are however generally less common than the large antelopes seen in the previous post. As a small note: Zootierliste lists Maxwell’s duiker until at least 2001 for Artis, Amsterdam, but these are most likely all blue duiker X Maxwell’s duiker hybrids and were listed at the time as blue duiker. The last hybrid of that line died in 2010 in Zoo Antwerp.
@Therabu Blue duiker have remained a rare antelope throughout this century, though all hybrid animals are now gone and the population consists solely of the congica subspecies
Species gained
Gerenuk - Litocranius walleri B4*
After being lost from Europe for decades, Tierpark Berlin imported this species from the USA in 2013. Over the past 10 years 6.6 animals were imported to Berlin, but despite regular breeding, the population has remained stable, due to relatively high losses. It is thus uncertain whether a long term population can be maintained of this unique antelope.
@amur leopard Gerenuk remain limited to the German capital for now
Species gained but lost
Royal antelope - Nesotragus pygmaeus A1
This tiny antelope was only kept very briefly in Europe, a single animal already died in quarantine in Poznan Nowe Zoo in 2004.
Red-flanked duiker - Cephalophus rufilatus A3*
Bioparc Valencia imported 2.1 animals from Los Angeles Zoo in 2009 and bred the species once. But that didn’t mean that a population could be established and the final animal died in 2015-2016.
@Flyer.Nick Red-flanked duiker remain limited to North America for now
Species lost
Klipspringer - Oreotragus oreotragus C5*
Zoo Frankfurt kept and bred this species from 1959-2018, but apart from Zoo Napoli in the 20th century it was the only European zoo breeding this species. In recent decades multiple zoos have kept offspring from Frankfurt, but nowhere was any breeding achieved. The final animal died in Bioparc Valencia in 2022, being born in Frankfurt in 1996.
Heuglin’s gazelle - Eudorcas tilonura A?
This species was in recent decades only kept in Zoo Warsaw, where the final animal died in 2010. It is unclear when the Warsaw holding started and how successful it was.
Arabian gazelle - Gazella arabica C5*
Based on imports from Yemen this species was successfully maintained for decades in a few UK zoos. But in the 21st century breeding ceased and the final animal died in Blackpool Zoo in 2015.
Cavendish’s dik-dik - Madoqua cavendishi A4
At the time this species was thought to be conspecific with the Kirk’s dikdik and the only reference to this species are 2 females acquired by Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam, in 1996. One animal lived only shortly, the other died in 2008.
Saiga - Saiga tatarica D5*
These tapir antelope have long been a popular curiosity for zoos and many zoos have attempted to keep this species, though only Zoo Cologne had any long term “success” between 1976-2009. The only other holder this century was Zoopark Chomutov in Czechia, until 2004. Being easily stressed and susceptible to disease many zoos could breed this species, but could not outpace all the deaths. The breeding group in Cologne got a visit from a fox, which meant the end of all females, and the final male died in 2009.
@KevinB Europe's final saiga living in Cologne until 2009.
Species gaining popularity
Kirk’s dik-dik - Madoqua kirkii
This is probably the bovid that has seen the largest number of new holders this century. From being a rarity which was mainly bred in Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover in the 1990s it has gained a strong foothold on the continent and now has over 80 holders. This is now the go-to small antelope and is used as stand in for duikers in some places. They can also be easily mixed with birds, so their versatility and their funny noses will have helped. Few bovids can look as “cute” as these ones.
Dama gazelle - Nanger dama
The main selling point of these beautiful antelope is that they are critically endangered. While the red-necked subspecies (
ruficollis) is now gone from Europe, the Mhor subspecies (
mhor) is gaining ground quickly in recent years and has gone from a rarely kept antelope to what could be the next big thing in antelope country. Zoos are increasingly adding this gazelle to their collection as replacement for less endangered antelope. The red-necked gazelle was always a rarity in Europe, with at max a few breeding groups of (mostly?) American descent. The annihilation of the Leipzig group by sending them to Safaripark Hodenhagen at the start of the century was the beginning of the end. This subspecies (or genetically more likely: colour morph) was phased-out in favour of Mhor gazelle, of which all species derive from a few animals imported to Almeria in 1971.
Natal red duiker - Cephalophora natalensis
This is a relative newcomer on the European zoo scene, as the species was first kept by Zoo Dresden in 1996. At the turn of the century this animal was kept in Zoo Berlin and in Zoo Dresden, but boomed quickly afterwards. High inbreeding does have it’s disadvantages and the boom is now a small bust. But the species is still kept and bred in roughly 10 different zoos, so it is in much better shape looking at the numbers compared to 2000. Whether this species can be maintained long term is something of a question mark though with only 3 founders.
Yellow-backed duiker - Cephalophus silvicultor
The current population of this species is also relatively new, with the first recent holding starting in 1999 in Zoo Wuppertal. It looked as if the species would die out again, but in recent years multiple zoos have imported animals from the USA and this year saw the first breeding result. So there is a possibility this species could gain ground in the future in Europe too.
Cuvier’s gazelle - Gazella cuvieri
While still a rarity, this species is now more widely kept then ever before in Europe. The Parque de Rescate de Fauna Sahariana in Almeria, Spain, has kept and bred this species since 1975. This century multiple zoos have acquired the species from there and at least 2 other zoos have bred these vulnerable antelope too. Given this species is EEP managed, I expect to see a further increase in the coming years. There is plenty of source material in Almeria, which keeps close to 100 of these gazelles.
@hmb_zoo Kirk's dikdik are a dry scrub species that have adapted perfectly to any savanna or rainforest habitat in zoos
Species losing popularity
Springbok - Antidorcas marsupialis
This was long one of the most common gazelle-like animals in Europe with multiple safari parks and zoos maintaining large breeding groups. In recent years interest has declined, which will likely accelerate with the EAZA decision to phase-out the species in favour of endangered gazelles. That move doesn’t seem to make any sense to me given that the gazelles that should replace springbok aren’t generally kept in the large mixed-species exhibits in which springbok are often found. So less springbok doesn’t necessarily mean more room for others. As one of the most typical antelope of Southern Africa it would also be a shame to lose them and fortunately breeding is still going on in 4 zoos including the Reserve Africaine de Sigean, France, which has a group of 75 springbok.
Goitered gazelle - Gazella subgutturosa
This Asian gazelle is having a hard time in zoos, with foxes, stress and disinterest being their main nemeses. With Zoo Karlsruhe and Zoo Helsinki there are fortunately 2 hardcore breeders and Tierpark Goerlitz, Germany, and Safaripark Beekse Bergen, Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands, are also actively breeding the species in recent years. So there is still plenty of opportunity for these vulnerable small antelopes.
@Julio C Castro Springbok and Thomson's gazelle are the most common and easily recognizable "gazelle" of their region, but both are having a tough time in Europe
Dead ends
Slender-horned gazelle - Gazella leptoceros
Always a great rarity in Europe, Dierenpark Planckendael in Mechelen, Belgium, has maintained a breeding group from 1987 to the late 2010s. In the early 2010s things looked quite bright and 3.3 animals were even sent to Zoo Landau, Germany, to set up a second breeding group. But that didn’t work out and the group in Planckendael was decimated around 2016 with only a single animal remaining now. So it is only a matter of time before we will lose this gazelle from Europe.
@twilighter Slender-horned gazelle in Europe were a typical boom-and-bust species showing how fragile rare species can be in captivity
Progress
21/22 orders completed
101/106 families completed
604-614 species present in 2000
614-618 species present in 2023
224-235 species gained this century
220-224 species lost this century
(note corrected number of species present in 2000/2023, apparently I still haven't learned to add numbers properly)
. But regardless of the use of spreadsheets, the one thing that still seems to determine most whether a zoo increases or decreases their animal collection (or parts of it) is who is in charge. This might be more apparent in zoos which are not businesses, but are city/region owned and thus less limited to making ends meet. But even in zoos that don't receive subsidies it seems to me that who are the curators and the director mean more than anything else. The differences in willingness seems more important than the financing to me, though both are entwined...
