Zoo Animal Bucket List

iluvwhales

iluvwhales

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
WOW! My first thread!

I hope nobody's already done this, but I wonder if any of us have a "bucket list" of animals we want to see in zoos.

The categories are: 1. never seen before. 2. only rarely seen before.
And 3. seen many times, but they always bring a smile to your face.

Here's my bucket list (animals may be added if i think of new ones):

My never before seen animals:
Moose, Sumatran rhino (I waited too long to go to Cincinnati :( ), striped hyena, saiga (I think there are still some somewhere on Earth), pygmy hippo, aye-aye, echidna, Tasmanian devil, aardwolf, Commerson's dolphin, Amazon river dolphin (none in US), blue-footed boobies (any in captivity?), dhole, bush dog, musk ox, chimpanzee, bonobo, Hawaiian monk seal, whooping crane, European ibis, any kind of wombat, Pacific white-sided dolphin, harbor porpoise, false killer whale, kiang, onager, wild ass, any of the South American tapir species, proboscis monkey (none in US), rough-toothed dolphin, common dolphin, beaver, kiwi, skuas (any in captivity?), platypus (I am aware that none live outside of Australia).

Rarely seen:
African elephant, sloth bear, Asian black bear, giant panda, common hippo, walrus, emperor penguin, jaguar, takin, orca, bottlenose dolphin, black rhino, giant river otter.

Seen several times, but love nevertheless:
Giraffe, Komodo dragon, any crocodilian, any snake, Asian elephant, tigers, snow leopard, Amur leopard, Przewalski's horse, polar bear, red panda, gorilla, orangutan, any otter, any penguin, California sea lion, harbor seal, harbor seal, hyena, African painted dog
 
From your list, I put in bold species that I have seen already and in red species that I've seen but that I would like to see again (mainly because my photos of them are too bad). All species in bold I've seen in zoos except common dolphin, seen only in the wild.

The question in Amur leopard is because I don't care much about subspecies and hence I've seen many leopards, but I don't know how many of them are Amur if none at all. Anyway I would like to see again a leopard in good position and nice background for better photos, a not difficult goal.
Dhole and sloth bear are species that maybe I've seen (for sure at least I've been at their enclosures), but too far + bad positioned for photo so I don't remember well if I've really saw them.

Fom the species never seen, saiga, wombat, proboscis monkey, kiwi, skuas and platypus I have at least photos of taxidermy specimens, that at least is enough for my purposes (publish species factsheets), hoping to substitute some day the images by photos of alive specimens.

Moose, Sumatran rhino, striped hyena, saiga, pygmy hippo, aye-aye, echidna, Tasmanian devil, aardwolf, Commerson's dolphin, Amazon river dolphin, blue-footed boobies, dhole, bush dog, musk ox, chimpanzee, bonobo, Hawaiian monk seal, whooping crane, European ibis, any kind of wombat, Pacific white-sided dolphin, harbor porpoise, false killer whale, kiang, onager, wild ass, any of the South American tapir species, proboscis monkey, rough-toothed dolphin, common dolphin, beaver, kiwi, skuas, platypus.

African elephant, sloth bear, Asian black bear, giant panda, common hippo, walrus, emperor penguin, jaguar, takin, orca, bottlenose dolphin, black rhino, giant river otter.

Giraffe, Komodo dragon, any crocodilian, any snake, Asian elephant, tigers, snow leopard, Amur leopard(?), Przewalski's horse, polar bear, red panda, gorilla, orangutan, any otter, any penguin, California sea lion, harbor seal, hyena, African painted dog
 
My list based on yours:

-Moose (both the European and American species; American wild)
-Sumatran Rhinoceros
-Striped Hyena (two subspecies)
-Pygmy Hippopotamus
-Aye-Aye
-Short-Beaked Echidna (two subspecies)
-Tasmanian Devil
-Aardwolf (both subspecies)
-Dhole
-Bush Dog
-Muskox (both subspecies, if valid)
-Common Chimpanzee (three subspecies)
-Bonobo
-Whooping Crane
-"European ibis" (I don't know what species this is but I believe I've seen every ibis kept in the US and Europe apart from the Malagasy Sacred so I'm sure I have)
-Wombat (Common and Southern Hairy-Nosed)
-Onager
-African Wild Ass
-South American tapirs (Brazilian, Baird's, and Mountain)
-Beaver (European and multiple subspecies of American)
-North Island Brown Kiwi
-Arctic Skuas (wild)
-African Bush Elephant
-Sloth Bear (both subspecies)
-Asiatic Black Bear
-Giant Panda
-Common Hippopotamus
-Walrus,
-Emperor Penguin
-Jaguar
-Takin (Mishmi and Sichuan)
-Orca
-Bottlenose dolphin (the Atlantic and Pacific subspecies of Common; Pacific wild)
-Black Rhinoceros (two subspecies)
-Giant Otter
-Giraffe (three species)
-Komodo Dragon
-Crocodilian (29 taxa, possibly more depending on how certain splits go and what the captive dwarf crocs turn out to be)
-Snake (I'll have to get back to you on a total here in a few weeks or so)
-Asian Elephant (two subspecies)
-Tigers (three subspecies)
-Snow Leopard
-Amur Leopard
-Przewalski's Wild Horse
-Polar Bear
-Red Panda (both subspecies)
-Western Lowland Gorilla
-Orangutan (two species)
-Otter (8 species including Giant)
-Penguin (13 taxa)
-California Sea Lion (wild)
-Harbor Seal (West Atlantic and Pacific subspecies; Pacific wild)
-Hyena (5 taxa, including those mentioned above)
-African Wild Dog

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
My list based on yours:

-Moose (both the European and American species; American wild)
-Sumatran Rhinoceros
-Striped Hyena (two subspecies)
-Pygmy Hippopotamus
-Aye-Aye
-Short-Beaked Echidna (two subspecies)
-Tasmanian Devil
-Aardwolf (both subspecies)
-Dhole
-Bush Dog
-Muskox (both subspecies, if valid)
-Common Chimpanzee (three subspecies)
-Bonobo
-Whooping Crane
-"European ibis" (I don't know what species this is but I believe I've seen every ibis kept in the US and Europe apart from the Malagasy Sacred so I'm sure I have)
-Wombat (Common and Southern Hairy-Nosed)
-Onager
-African Wild Ass
-South American tapirs (Brazilian, Baird's, and Mountain)
-Beaver (European and multiple subspecies of American)
-North Island Brown Kiwi
-Arctic Skuas (wild)
-African Bush Elephant
-Sloth Bear (both subspecies)
-Asiatic Black Bear
-Giant Panda
-Common Hippopotamus
-Walrus,
-Emperor Penguin
-Jaguar
-Takin (Mishmi and Sichuan)
-Orca
-Bottlenose dolphin (the Atlantic and Pacific subspecies of Common; Pacific wild)
-Black Rhinoceros (two subspecies)
-Giant Otter
-Giraffe (three species)
-Komodo Dragon
-Crocodilian (29 taxa, possibly more depending on how certain splits go and what the captive dwarf crocs turn out to be)
-Snake (I'll have to get back to you on a total here in a few weeks or so)
-Asian Elephant (two subspecies)
-Tigers (three subspecies)
-Snow Leopard
-Amur Leopard
-Przewalski's Wild Horse
-Polar Bear
-Red Panda (both subspecies)
-Western Lowland Gorilla
-Orangutan (two species)
-Otter (8 species including Giant)
-Penguin (13 taxa)
-California Sea Lion (wild)
-Harbor Seal (West Atlantic and Pacific subspecies; Pacific wild)
-Hyena (5 taxa, including those mentioned above)
-African Wild Dog

~Thylo
Click to expand...
'European Ibis' could be Waldrapp (historical and being restored), Sacred Ibis (currently invasive and possibly natural colonist), or Glossy Ibis (regular breeder). All currently in zoos, although Sacred is now banned from breeding and will disappear.
 
Very clearly "European ibis" refers to Glossy ibis, just by the reasons you mention (tough I was unaware of Sacred ibis being invasive in mainland Europe, I just knew about that in Canary Islands).
 
Kakapo said:
Very clearly "European ibis" refers to Glossy ibis, just by the reasons you mention (tough I was unaware of Sacred ibis being invasive in mainland Europe, I just knew about that in Canary Islands).
Click to expand...
Why is Glossy Ibis "very clearly" what is meant? I would certainly never call such a widespread species "European Ibis", and if you try googling the name the most common results are for the Waldrapp and the hotel chain.
 
Chlidonias said:
Why is Glossy Ibis "very clearly" what is meant?
Click to expand...

Read again...

Kakapo said:
Very clearly "European ibis" refers to Glossy ibis, just by the reasons you mention (tough I was unaware of Sacred ibis being invasive in mainland Europe, I just knew about that in Canary Islands).
Click to expand...

Of course, these reasons are Waldrapp being exterminated from Europe since eons, very recently reintroduced and with extremely tiny populations in very tiny range... and Sacred is exotic to European fauna, and introduction is very local and recent... so obviously the only Ibis that is fully European in all senses is the Glossy ibis.

Chlidonias said:
I would certainly never call such a widespread species "European Ibis", and if you try googling the name the most common results are for the Waldrapp and the hotel chain.
Click to expand...

Common sense, dear Chli, common sense... obviously I or Google also would don't use that as common name, but if you use the common name "Sea bear" instead "Polar bear", it's not evident what bear species are we talking about?
 
Kakapo said:
Read again...

Of course, these reasons are Waldrapp being exterminated from Europe since eons, very recently reintroduced and with extremely tiny populations in very tiny range... and Sacred is exotic to European fauna, and introduction is very local and recent... so obviously the only Ibis that is fully European in all senses is the Glossy ibis.
Click to expand...
But that isn't "very clearly" why it is Glossy Ibis - that's just your opinion on what the poster meant when there is literally no further information in the post than just "European Ibis". And as the poster is an American, I'm not sure your reasoning would even be considered a logical conclusion.

I'm not saying it isn't Glossy Ibis because I have no idea, but Waldrapp is just as likely (or even "very clearly", if you want to go with just opinion as well). FBBird's post is the only reasonable conclusion based on the original post - i.e. it could be any of the three species found in Europe, because there is no species called "European Ibis".



Kakapo said:
Common sense, dear Chli, common sense... obviously I or Google also would don't use that as common name, but if you use the common name "Sea bear" instead "Polar bear", it's not evident what bear species are we talking about?
Click to expand...
Leaving aside that "sea bear" has also been used for fur seals, that's not even equivalent to "European Ibis" because there is literally only one species of bear which is sea-going.
 
I'll chime in and third that it is most likely in regards to a waldrapp ibis as well. Glossy Ibis range over most of the Americas as well, and I have never once heard to them referred to as "European ibis".
 
FBBird said:
'European Ibis' could be Waldrapp (historical and being restored), Sacred Ibis (currently invasive and possibly natural colonist), or Glossy Ibis (regular breeder). All currently in zoos, although Sacred is now banned from breeding and will disappear.
Click to expand...

In that case I've seen all three many times, including Glossy in the wild since, as mentioned, it is also an American species.

~Thylo
 
Like @Kakapo from your list, I put in bold species that I have seen already, and in red species I haven't seen haha. You'll notice the red is looking pretty lonely.

This has led me down a rabbit hole of if I've seen Skua or not before haha. I don't really keep track of/photograph the birds I see in captivity but I'm fairly certain I've never seen captive Skuas (unless they've been kept in captivity commonly in the US after 1990- anyone know?) I just checked my photos from The Southern Chilean cost, the Galapagos, and from whale watching out of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I have possible Skua sightings at all 3 that will need to be verified with some help of the zoochat birders. I'm going to post the pictures now, so any ID help will be greatly appreciated.

**update: I've seen at least one Skua species from Punta Arenas, Chile

Moose (2 species), Sumatran rhino, striped hyena, saiga, pygmy hippo, aye-aye, echidna (2 species), Tasmanian devil, aardwolf, Commerson's dolphin, Amazon river dolphin, blue-footed boobies, dhole, bush dog, musk ox, chimpanzee, bonobo, Hawaiian monk seal, whooping crane, European ibis, any kind of wombat (2 species), Pacific white-sided dolphin, harbor porpoise, false killer whale, kiang, onager, wild ass, any of the South American tapir species (3 species), proboscis monkey, rough-toothed dolphin, common dolphin, beaver, kiwi, skuas, platypus.

African elephant, sloth bear, Asian black bear, giant panda, common hippo, walrus, emperor penguin, jaguar, takin (3 subspecies), orca, bottlenose dolphin (2 species), black rhino, giant river otter.

Giraffe, Komodo dragon, any crocodilian, any snake, Asian elephant, tigers, snow leopard, Amur leopard, Przewalski's horse, polar bear, red panda, gorilla, orangutan (2 species), any otter (10 species), any penguin, California sea lion, harbor seal, hyena (all 4 species), African painted dog
 
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Giant Eland said:
I have possible Skua sightings at all 3 that will need to be verified with some help of the zoochat birders. I'm going to post the pictures now, so any ID help will be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
One is of a skua.
 
Ok correction from my list: I've not seen a skua. I am mistaken for having possibly seen an Arctic Skua while birding in the UK but we never reached an ultimate ID.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Ok correction from my list: I've not seen a skua. I am mistaken for having possibly seen an Arctic Skua while birding in the UK but we never reached an ultimate ID.

~Thylo
Click to expand...
I've seen Antarctic (I think) Skuas at Birdland and London Zoo in the past. Big brown Skuas from that part of the world anyway. None there now of course.
 
FBBird said:
I've seen Antarctic (I think) Skuas at Birdland and London Zoo in the past. Big brown Skuas from that part of the world anyway. None there now of course.
Click to expand...
Antarctic skua, Catharacta maccormicki, at Regent's Park
Antarctic skua 1976

Antarctic skua 1976

Eastern Aviary, London, 10th October 1976. Scanned from a Kodachrome slide.
 
Alright, here's my list;
Never seen:
- Orinoco crocodile
- Black caiman
- Spectacled bear
- California condor
- Pallas cat
- Emperor penguin
- Sumatran rhinoceros
- Killer whale
- False killer whale
- Elephant seal (southern or northern)
- Mountain tapir

Rarely seen:
- Cougar
- Black bear
- American crocodile
- Slender-snouted crocodile
- Gharial
- Leopard seal
- Black rhinoceros
- Bonobo
- Steller's sea eagle
- Shoebill stork
- Platypus
- Tasmanian devil
- Pacific walrus
- Baird's tapir
- Proboscis monkey
- Sloth bear

Seen often, enjoyed always:
- Indian and southern white rhinoceros
- All other crocodilian species
- All other penguin species
- Sea lions
- Vultures
- Orang-utans (both species)
- Binturong
- Armadillos
- Anteaters
- Short-beaked echidna
- North Island brown kiwi
- Southern cassowary
- Malaysian and Brazilian tapir
 
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