Which zoos have shown a marked change in species numbers?

S

Strathmorezoo

Well-Known Member
Which zoo/zoos do you think have shown a marked Increase/Decrease overall of species numbers ,say in the last five years
 
Over the last five years, London would have to be up there due to the closure of the aquarium and the North Bank aviaries (including the removal of all birds from the Snowdon Aviary) in 2019, as well as the departure or passing away of several other species throughout the zoo that same year, such as Giant Anteaters and Bearded Pigs. If we narrow it down to the last three years, however, I have no doubt that London would have seen a marked increase, as there have been countless new arrivals, particularly throughout 2023, it would seem.
 
The North Carolina Zoo took 2 major hits to their (on-display) collection with the closures of the African Pavilion (sometime between 2013-2015, although the animals have been moved out by 2010) and the Rainforest Aviary (2022). Both exhibits were the most species-rich in the zoo, especially for the former, which was also very diverse in its lineup. Not only did both exhibits close for the same reason (the buildings suffered deterioration from humidity and climate), but both were located in the same general area, creating huge gaps in both the zoo's lineup and layout. Some sources continue to quote the zoo as having "250" species; this may have been the case back then, but today's it's close to 150.

On the other side of the scale, the nearby Greensboro Science Center has expanded its collection tremendously in the same time period with the opening of the Aquarium in 2013 (later expanded in 2018) and Revolution Ridge in 2021. They are also working on a new ambassador animal exhibit and a rainforest biodome, but I believe both are replacing existing exhibits.
 
Cyclone said:
Both Chicago zoos seem to show a decrease
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This is definitely true, although I feel I should note Lincoln Park has mostly tried to keep their numbers even when possible; while a lot of new construction has lead to decreases in the name of larger exhibits for lions, polar bears and so forth, but when species are lost in Small Mammal-Reptile House or Camel-Zebra Area, they spaces pretty promptly filled. It's not the same story for ol' Brookfield.
 
JVM said:
This is definitely true, although I feel I should note Lincoln Park has mostly tried to keep their numbers even when possible; while a lot of new construction has lead to decreases in the name of larger exhibits for lions, polar bears and so forth, but when species are lost in Small Mammal-Reptile House or Camel-Zebra Area, they spaces pretty promptly filled. It's not the same story for ol' Brookfield.
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JVM said:
This is definitely true, although I feel I should note Lincoln Park has mostly tried to keep their numbers even when possible; while a lot of new construction has lead to decreases in the name of larger exhibits for lions, polar bears and so forth, but when species are lost in Small Mammal-Reptile House or Camel-Zebra Area, they spaces pretty promptly filled. It's not the same story for ol' Brookfield.
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Very true but most of the hoofstock yards seems very sparse at Lincoln 1 to 2 yards for zebras 1 yard for camels 1 small yard for chicoan peccery prollie misspelled that 1 yard for kangaroos I do believe and I want to say at one point a yard for alpaca and I think 2 yards for takin for Brookfield it's 2 yards for addex 2 for camels 2 for zebra and 1 or 2 for the wild horse the old antelope house had many more that are now gone not to mention the loss of the forest buffalo and I'm sure there are many many more that could be listed
 
Cyclone said:
Very true but most of the hoofstock yards seems very sparse at Lincoln 1 to 2 yards for zebras 1 yard for camels 1 small yard for chicoan peccery prollie misspelled that 1 yard for kangaroos I do believe and I want to say at one point a yard for alpaca and I think 2 yards for takin for Brookfield it's 2 yards for addex 2 for camels 2 for zebra and 1 or 2 for the wild horse the old antelope house had many more that are now gone not to mention the loss of the forest buffalo and I'm sure there are many many more that could be listed
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It depends some how far back we go. When I was a child in the 90s, the species numbers at Lincoln Park's Camel-Zebra Area were about the same number as today. Some species (mostly antelope) were phased out but most of the losses were replaced with a new species, such as replacing white-lipped deer with Pere David's Deer. It might have been very different back in the eighties but I've not found a lot of sources about that exhibit that far back.

Brookfield is different with a very large number of mammal losses and a lot of reptiles being phased out and then back in between the Reptile House closure and the conversion of the zoo's two bird buildings into reptile-dominated spaces. You're also correct about the old Antelope House.
 
I'd imagine if trying to find facilities with a marked increase in species, the first place to look would be if any zoos opened a new aquarium and/or insectarium in recent years, as these are the kinds of exhibits that tend to drive really high species counts, not the large and charismatic megafauna.
 
Detroit is infamous for phasing out many animals over the past 15 or so years. This is a non-exhaustive list of species that were phased out of the collection, as well as those that were added to it over that general time period:

Departed
  • Common hippopotamus
  • European fallow deer
  • Elk
  • Guanaco
  • Sichuan takin
  • Collared peccary
  • Przewalski’s horse
  • Lowland tapir
  • American black bear
  • Syrian brown bear
  • Harbor seal
  • Gray seal
  • Harp seal
  • African wild dog
  • Arctic fox
  • Binturong
  • Meerkat
  • Drill
  • Lion-tailed macaque
  • Lar gibbon
  • Red-ruffed lemur
  • Gray crowned crane
  • Saddle-billed stork
  • Emu
  • White-napped crane
  • African spurred tortoise (?)
  • Siamese crocodile
Arrived and Departed
  • Pronghorn
  • Bush dog
  • Andean bear
  • Slender-snouted crocodile
Arrived
  • Red-ruffed lemur
  • Allen’s swamp monkey
  • Sea otter
  • Blue wildebeest
  • Southern cassowary
  • Gentoo penguin
  • Chinstrap penguin
  • Red and green macaw
  • Sandhill crane
 
birdsandbats said:
I'm sure Prauge has lost more individual species, but it will me a much smaller percentage of its collection than Detroit.
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I mean they had a significant uptick in species. With the Gobi and Dja Reserve pavilions to start, along with past developments.
 
Wildlife World Zoo has increased tremendously in size and collection in the last decade or so from what I've heard. I think Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas is also growing. A lot of those non-AZA safari parks are growing at exponential rates right now.

Blank Park has added quite a few new species recently, mostly hoofstock, birds, and herps. Nashville has greatly increased the number of species in its education department.

Off the top of my head, I think Gladys Porter Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Zoo Tampa, Birmingham Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, Jackson Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo are zoos that I have seen Zoochatters comment on their declines in species holdings.
 
StoppableSan said:
I mean they had a significant uptick in species. With the Gobi and Dja Reserve pavilions to start, along with past developments.
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Prague had significant uptick of species under the previous director Fejk - it almost doubled from 366 (in year 1997) when he was hired to 661 (2009) when he left. Since then figures remained more or less fluctuating at stable level between 660 and 690 for more more than a decade. Current number is 703 species at 31.12.2023.

While developments like Dja or Gobi brought in new species, these was also slight decrease in birds when pheasantry was dismantled step by step.
 
Wilhelma Zoo does have a nice Increase with the Opening of the Terra Australis House and several new Arrivals in late 2023 and early 2024. To my Knowledge only Northern Gannet, White handed Gibbon and Javan Langur have departed. I know the Gannets and Langurs are rare and it is sad that the Zoo does not longer have them but the Zoo has gained some Raritys too.

Terra Australis

Northern blue toungued Skink
Goodfellows Tree Kangaroo
Koala
Long losed Potoroo
Quokka
Spinnifex Hopping Mouse
Brushtail Possum, golden Form
Sugar Glider
Rufous rat Kangaroo
Brush tailed Bettong
Kowari
Eastern Quoll

Other New Arrivals in 2023 and 2024

Pratincole
african Beeater
Long toed Lapwing
Solitary Tinamou
Red billed Currasow
Toco Toucan
Arabian Partridge
Oriental white Stork
Common Wombat
Tasmanian grey Kangaroo

Gained again

Persian Leopard
 
I don’t have the exact numbers, but with the rate of recent developments ZooParc de Beauval and Pairi Daiza must be some of the fastest-growing collections in the world in terms of species numbers.

Whipsnade has probably also seen an increase due to the number of species in the Aquarium (2019) and Butterfly House (2017), although the other areas of the zoo seem to be a little more stagnant. There was a time when species were being lost at an alarming rate (onager, moose and wolves come to mind, but there were many more), but much like their sister collection in Regent’s Park the last few years have seen some lovely new arrivals such as babirusa, langurs and forest reindeer to name just a few.
 
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