Franklin Park Zoo really hasn't had much of a change in recent years. Yes, there have been species lost (e.g., tiger, capybara, Grevy's zebra), but there have also been new species too (e.g., Somali wild ass, African wild dog, grey kangaroos). Really it's more so a zoo that has never had that large of a collection relative to the size of the zoo.
Which zoos have shown a marked change in species numbers?
- Thread starter Strathmorezoo
- Start date
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
Few zoos in my memory have undergone a more dramatic case of shrinkage than Baltimore. Since the turn of the millennium, the zoo closed the mammal house (a poor building for animal welfare, but one which did hold a lot of fascinating species), the reptile house (at first glance not one of the bigger zoo reptile houses, but still holding dozens of species), and an entire third of the zoo, which included the bulk of the non-penguin bird collection, as well as many other species. A subtle leak of species has continued to the present, while new species are added rarely
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) has opened a new Adventureland zone and a two-part Safari Park area, plus a 4th Aquarium building, and even a Dragon World complex all in the last dozen years. It's not an AZA-accredited facility, and some of the exhibit quality is hit-and-miss, but I'm confident that Wildlife World is in the top 10 American zoos for number of species and there's definitely some good stuff there. It's a full-day out experience and the zoo has doubled in size.
Zoo map:
https://www.wildlifeworld.com/maps
Zoo map:
https://www.wildlifeworld.com/maps
Zhao yun
Well-Known Member
The Night Safari in Singapore has shown a marked decrease in species.
Additions:
Tassie Devil
North Island Brown kiwi
Phase outs:
Red-and-white flying squirrel
Yellow- Spotted Chervotain
Giant Flying Squirrel
Banteng
Asian Golden Cat
Himalayan Tahr
Lechwe
Bat-eared Fox
Indian wolf
Scimitar-Horned oryx
Spectral Tarsier
In then out: Luzon Cloud Rat
Additions:
Tassie Devil
North Island Brown kiwi
Phase outs:
Red-and-white flying squirrel
Yellow- Spotted Chervotain
Giant Flying Squirrel
Banteng
Asian Golden Cat
Himalayan Tahr
Lechwe
Bat-eared Fox
Indian wolf
Scimitar-Horned oryx
Spectral Tarsier
In then out: Luzon Cloud Rat
The Philadelphia Zoo has seen a notable decrease in collection. Researching the zoo's history, it had so many animals, and I have seen many animals such as elephants, venomous snakes, cats, dogs, and large hoofed mammals come and go. The zoo is hoping to get venomous snakes again but elephants are an impossibility.
Why don't they have venomous snakes?
They no longer have keepers with the training to handle venomous snakes and the zoo is trying to save money so they refuse to hire any new people who can handle venomous snakes or provide training to their staff. The only venomous snake at the zoo right now is the common garter snake and their venom is very weak and not dangerous to humans.
There's a big cobra statue inside the Reptile House but no cobras. Zoos need to exhibit venomous snakes to teach people that snakes are to be respected and not feared, to help protect threatened species, and have a supply of venom so in case anyone gets bit by a venomous snake that there will be antivenom that a zoo can provide.
Does this also mean that zoos should keep other animals that can kill people, even if they don't have keepers able to look after them? Should they keep dangerous sharks, blue-ringed octopuses etc?
Didn‘t they also get aardvark?
Night Safari has added these within the past 5 years:
Aardvark
Brazilian porcupine
Gambian pouched rat
Grey-handed night monkey
Kinkajou
Southern three-banded armadillo
Spectacled owl
Woylie
River Wonders has lost quite a significant amount of species since opening just to name a few
African dwarf crocodile
Alligator gar
Alligator snapping turtle
Chinese giant salamander (may return soon)
Goonch
Jaguarundi
Mississippi paddlefish
Red-bellied piranha
Rhea
Scarlet ibis
Zoo adventures
Well-Known Member
Well Zoo Granby has phased out many species because of their space. They did not have a lot of space. They want to expand their exhibit. Here are some that were phased out starting in around 2010 to now:
Ruwnzori mounts bats
red monkeys
spectacled bear
ocelots
patas monkey
fishing cat
muntjac
Andean bear
common eland
Przewalski's horse
Thompson's gazelles
White-throated toucan
African elephants(the zoo is waiting for them to die)
There are some animals that I forgot to add but Zoo Granby has new animal like dholes. They also have a group of Japanese serow, a pair of Asiatic bear. They are building a new exhibit for the mandrils and mantled guereza. The new exhibit for Japanese serow, dholes and Red-crowned crane
Ruwnzori mounts bats
red monkeys
spectacled bear
ocelots
patas monkey
fishing cat
muntjac
Andean bear
common eland
Przewalski's horse
Thompson's gazelles
White-throated toucan
African elephants(the zoo is waiting for them to die)
There are some animals that I forgot to add but Zoo Granby has new animal like dholes. They also have a group of Japanese serow, a pair of Asiatic bear. They are building a new exhibit for the mandrils and mantled guereza. The new exhibit for Japanese serow, dholes and Red-crowned crane
Granby lost some really nice species. I heard that they castrated their Japanese serow male and they are phasing out this spieces too. I am happy to be proven wrong.
Zoo adventures
Well-Known Member
It is a shame that I cannot see these animals anymore in Canada. Last year, they acquired a male, Shimo from a Japanese facility, they said they wanted to enlarge the group and not breed. I think they will just exhibit them and not breeding. A few years ago, they had a birth. The dholes might just live maybe 2 generations if there isn't new import.
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AndyJ08
Well-Known Member
Under new management, ZooWorld in Panama City, Florida, has seen many new species arrive. It’s really amazing how it’s transitioned from a depressing roadside collection to somewhat impressive. (this list is from the past 5 years or so):
Red Kangaroo
Emu
Aardwolf (a lifer for me!)
Spotted Hyena
Brazilian Porcupine
Baird’s Tapir
Bat-eared Fox
Schmidt’s Guenon
Virginia Opossum
Red-rumped Agouti
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Hawk-headed Parrot
Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill
Grey Crowned Crane
Laughing Kookaburra
Curl-crested Aracari
Red-crested Turaco
Chilean Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
American Alligator
Emerald Tree Monitor
California Kingsnake
Argentine Tegu
Jungle Carpet Python
Red Kangaroo
Emu
Aardwolf (a lifer for me!)
Spotted Hyena
Brazilian Porcupine
Baird’s Tapir
Bat-eared Fox
Schmidt’s Guenon
Virginia Opossum
Red-rumped Agouti
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Hawk-headed Parrot
Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill
Grey Crowned Crane
Laughing Kookaburra
Curl-crested Aracari
Red-crested Turaco
Chilean Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
American Alligator
Emerald Tree Monitor
California Kingsnake
Argentine Tegu
Jungle Carpet Python
What do you mean by this?
I wouldn't mind taking that big cobra statue off their hands if they don't need it anymore...
As for the rest: Look, I really like venomous snakes; which shouldn't come as a surprise. However, you don't necessarily need them to teach people about snakes in general and conservation in particular or to counteract ophiophobia. And zoos neither need to supply venom nor antivenom...
There have been times where zoos had antivenom when someone was bitten by a venomous snake and a life was saved. The Toledo Zoo has a huge repository of antivenom and has sent antivenom to hospitals to save people.I wouldn't mind taking that big cobra statue off their hands if they don't need it anymore...
As for the rest: Look, I really like venomous snakes; which shouldn't come as a surprise. However, you don't necessarily need them to teach people about snakes in general and conservation in particular or to counteract ophiophobia. And zoos neither need to supply venom nor antivenom...
USZOOfan42
Well-Known Member
*screams in Detroit Zoo*
...and that's still the case for American zoos keeping venomous snakes, albeit in [slowly] dwindling numbers. HOWEVER, said antivenoms are first and foremost specifically bought and storaged to be used for the zoo staff working with said venomous snakes in the case of an envenomation, not for random private bite victims. Despite the happy-go-lucky attitude of some private venomous snake owners and their infantile, reckless antics online to generate social media attention, zoos are NOT antivenom banks. They are not obliged to, as you so melodramatically put it, "save a life" if the circumstances are not right. And that's exactly what happened this year in the case of Jeff Leibowitz. The Kentucky Reptile Zoo publicly stated that they would not provide taipan antivenom for Leibowitz, as they need their existing (and very pricey) supply for their staff. Granted, Leibowitz's previous and ongoing [he survived...yet] controversial, crude, attention-seeking and antagonistic behaviour online (including recklessly freehandling the inland taipan prior to the bite and statements like "Antivenom is for *Insert vulgar slang word for female genitalia*") did and does not help his cause in that matter...