Where are the great endemic zoos of the world?

Chlidonias said:
I dislike Zealandia/Karori Wildlife Sanctuary being lumped in with zoos and bird parks. Apart for a couple of notable exceptions (takahe and geckoes) all the wildlife there is wild. If you're going to include Zealandia then you have to also include all the offshore islands under zoos; the only difference is that one is bound by a fence and one is bound by water.
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I agree that its not entirely a true zoo, but it still qualifies by having contained animals (including the tuataras). Further, it is marketed as a zoo, and its interaction with the public is much similar to their interaction with a zoo compared with an offshore island.
 
CGSwans said:
Currumbin is a tricky one. It, like Australian Reptile Park, Ballarat Wildlife Park and Featherdale Wildlife Park to name a few are *almost* exclusively native parks, but all have a small handful of exotic birds or reptiles. So they don't strictly speaking qualify by my reckoning. True, Healesville Sanctuary also technically transgresses by having a Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo, but I give this a pass on the basis that PNG is biologically part of the Australian continent.

Thanks for everybody's nominations - look forward to seeing more. :)
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Why is Currumbin tricky? I don't know that they have exotic species in any number, and you've already given the Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos a free pass.

The Australian Reptile Park has a very large exotic reptile (and amphibian and invertebrate) component, and while the birds and mammals are native, I wouldn't call it an endemic zoo really. Featherdale on the other hand is almost completely native, but wouldn't that fall into the rescue/rehab centre to a certain degree? I can't comment on Ballarat.
 
Following up on reduakari's mention of the Nairobi Safari Walk, here is their webpage: KWS | Nairobi Safari Walk
In addition to the Safari Walk, Nairobi has the Giraffe Center which features Rothschild's giraffes, Daphne Sheldrake's elephant orphanage where you can see the baby elephants being cared for, and a butterfly farm. Combined, it forms a sort of major Kenyan zoo.

The Safari Walk is located near Nairobi National Park, which has a full complement of Kenyan savanna wildlife minus elephants. On my visit to the park I saw Masai giraffes, Nile crocodile, buffalo, pink-backed pelicans, a marsh mongoose, Thompson's gazelles and impalas. The zoo is an easy way for people to see what is also available very near by, but takes a vehicle to see.
 
zooboy28 said:
Why is Currumbin tricky? I don't know that they have exotic species in any number, and you've already given the Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos a free pass.
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Boa constrictors, peacocks and macaws. Tree kangaroos at least come from the Australian bioregion, though it's stretching the definition, I grant you.

The Australian Reptile Park has a very large exotic reptile (and amphibian and invertebrate) component, and while the birds and mammals are native, I wouldn't call it an endemic zoo really. Featherdale on the other hand is almost completely native, but wouldn't that fall into the rescue/rehab centre to a certain degree? I can't comment on Ballarat.
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Featherdale isn't a rescue/rehab place any more than anywhere else on the list, to my knowledge.
 
DavidBrown said:
Following up on reduakari's mention of the Nairobi Safari Walk, here is their webpage: KWS | Nairobi Safari Walk
In addition to the Safari Walk, Nairobi has the Giraffe Center which features Rothschild's giraffes, Daphne Sheldrake's elephant orphanage where you can see the baby elephants being cared for, and a butterfly farm. Combined, it forms a sort of major Kenyan zoo.

The Safari Walk is located near Nairobi National Park, which has a full complement of Kenyan savanna wildlife minus elephants. On my visit to the park I saw Masai giraffes, Nile crocodile, buffalo, pink-backed pelicans, a marsh mongoose, Thompson's gazelles and impalas. The zoo is an easy way for people to see what is also available very near by, but takes a vehicle to see.
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David, would you happen to have taken photos at this intriguing facility on your visit? I'm sure I would not be alone in wanting to see them!
 
Ituri said:
David, would you happen to have taken photos at this intriguing facility on your visit? I'm sure I would not be alone in wanting to see them!
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Hi Ituri, unfortunately I didn't make it to the zoo part, only the actual national park.
 
PAT said:
I really liked this presentation but I do have one question. Is it actually pronounced Apple-atch-ian? I've always thought it was Apple-A-shion
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I always thought it was app-a-lay-shin too
 
From memory, Dahlholzli in Berne, Switzerland, was just European natives.

:p

Hix
 
CGSwans said:
Currumbin is a tricky one. It, like Australian Reptile Park, Ballarat Wildlife Park and Featherdale Wildlife Park to name a few are *almost* exclusively native parks, but all have a small handful of exotic birds or reptiles. So they don't strictly speaking qualify by my reckoning. True, Healesville Sanctuary also technically transgresses by having a Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo, but I give this a pass on the basis that PNG is biologically part of the Australian continent.
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That's why I mentioned how long it's been since my last visit. Goodfellow's tree kangaroos were the only non-natives (that I can remember) when I visited but I recall seeing a photo on here of Fijian iguanas and wasn't sure if this was the extent of the new species.
 
I would like to mention in Portugal:

Parque Biológico de Gaia
The best in Portugal, and focusing in native species, including some that were extinct recently.
From the total of around 150 species, the major ones include European Bison, Spanish Ibex, European Otter, Common Genet and Greater Flamingo. A big (4 Ha) central area where animals can walk freely (includes Fallow Deer, Wild Boar, European Otter and Greater Flamingo) in also a major attraction.
The Park was founded in 1999, so many changes are done every year, and expected sometime in the folowing months are the arrival of European Brown Bear, Iberian Wolf and Iberian/European Lynx.

Aquário Vasco da Gama
The second major aquarium in Portugal, it houses many portuguese natives not seen anywhere else in the world. A small amount of foreign species are housed.
With around 400 species, it now houses Cape Fur Seal where Mediterranean Monk Seals were exhibited until 20 years ago.
 
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Hix said:
From memory, Dahlholzli in Berne, Switzerland, was just European natives.

:p

Hix
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That's wrong, sorry. MOST animals in Tierpark Daehlhoelzli are from Europe. But there are - among others - also Iranian Leopards, Humboldt penguins and some exotic small mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes and invertebrates in the Vivarium house. And they had Siberian Tigers and Pumas/Cougars in the past as well.
 
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There are many such parks in Europe as well as zoos which have a broader range of species from temperate and colder regions.

The 'wildpark' concept is very common in Germany, Austria and also Switzerland with mainly European fauna such as deer, ibex, mouflon and wild boar but some also have tigers, bears, snow leopards and more.

This place in Bavaria is notable I think: http://www.zoochat.com/109/tier-freigel-nde-neusch-nau-246586/

Other places I know of (some have been mentioned) include:

Ranua, Kitee and Ähtäri zoos in Finland

Järvzoo, Skansen, Nordens Ark, Skåne wildlife park in Sweden

Polarzoo and Langedrag (check out flickr for some amazing pictures of wolves with a stunning panorama in the background) in Norway

Scandinavian animal park in Denmark

Chomutov zoo in the Czech Republic

Most of all I would draw people's attention to the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey. It has an excellent collection, imaginatively housed - especially the barn and hedgerow sections - and unlike similar facilities (such as the New Forest wildlife park which has lynx, wolves, otters from around the world) only has British wildilfe. I think the place is fantastic and well worth a visit.
 
Where are the great endemic zoos...

The late lamented Norfolk Wildlife Park had almost entirely European species, apart from waterfowl and the Ornamental Pheasant Trust's collection. Among the birds I can remember Stone Curlew, Alpine Chough, Azure-winged Magpie & Tengmalm's Owl. At least the first three bred. Mammals include Suslik, Arctic Fox, Iberian Wolf, Scottish Wildcat and European Bison. This was also the first use of the term 'Wildlife Park'.
 
PAT said:
I really liked this presentation but I do have one question. Is it actually pronounced Apple-atch-ian? I've always thought it was Apple-A-shion
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It actually depends on what part of this region you are from. The Appalachians harbor many dialects of the English language.
 
Austria- pfandzer wild park in at the top of an austrian alp, and features alpine wildlife such as;Wild boars, red deer, alpine ibex, marmots etc.
I have some pictures in the austria-other gallery.

Scotland- cupar deer centre, as the name suggests, specializes in deer but has other animals such as red fox, eurasian badger, scottish wildcat are just some species.

macduff aquarium is a small aquarium in the north east of scotland, The main feauture is a large, circular tank with native fish that live in seaweed forests.
Other features include a ray pool, tidepool, touch pool and crustaceans.

england- British wildlife centre- haven't been there but it looks great.

these are just the ones I've been to as well the main one in britain.
 
In Mexico City, zoologico Los Coyotes features only fauna that has inhabited the central mexican highlands. It has had great success breeding mexican wolves, volcano rabbits and the lake xochimilco axolotl.
The best regional zoo which focues on native animals is by far the Zoomat in the state of Chiapas in southern mexico. Zoomat´s breeding record and collection are unique, baird´s tapir, grison, tayra, horned guan, resplandecent queztal, all of the feline species found in Mexico, mexican tamandua, black mexican beaded lizard, mexican black howler monkey, all are here and have produced offspring.
I have not visited belize zoo but i understand their collection also focuses on regional fauna.
It is a pity there are not more animal collections in Latin america focusing exclusively on local animals, because when carried out correctly these zoos can obtain great results.
 
carlos77 said:
The best regional zoo which focues on native animals is by far the Zoomat in the state of Chiapas in southern mexico. Zoomat´s breeding record and collection are unique, baird´s tapir, grison, tayra, horned guan, resplandecent queztal, all of the feline species found in Mexico, mexican tamandua, black mexican beaded lizard, mexican black howler monkey, all are here and have produced offspring.
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What feline species are found in Mexico carlos? Jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots, bobcats, and what else?
 
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