The Giant panglin has always been a very rare animal in captivity. Zootierliste only mention the following zoos in Europe having kept this species : Zoo Berlin no year given Zoo Duisburg 1955 till 1957 Zoo Frankfurt no year given Zoo Krefeld no year given Zoo Münich no year given Zoo Antwerp 1966 to 1970, they got it from Barcelona, have some pictures Paris Jardin des Plantes 1978 till 1979, a male Amsterdam zoo 1968 Bred it ! Barcelona zoo till 1966, then send it to Antwerp London zoo 1964 till ? Not mentioned on Zootierliste is an animal recieved by Dierenpark Wassenaar in July 1964, don't know however how long it lived at Wassenaar. I would be intrested to know if, when and where the species was kept on other continents. Also I would like to know if anything about the breeding at Amsterdam zoo is known.
According to “Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; From the Living Collections of the World” (Richard Weigl; 2005):- Antwerp Zoo received this animal from Barcelona on 2nd February 1966 and it died 10th September 1970. This book does not state how long it had been in Barcelona before being sent to Antwerp. Regarding giant pangolins kept outside Europe:- Crandall (1964) records that a giant pangolin acquired by New York (Bronx) Zoo on 15th June 1949 was probably the first giant pangolin to be seen alive outside Africa. Sadly this animal refused all food and only survived for six days in New York. More successfully, Crandall also records that Fort Worth Zoo (Texas) received a young female giant pangolin on 3rd February 1954; this animal lived until 12th March 1958. (This specimen is also detailed in Weigl’s book.)
Besides Bronx Zoo and Fort Worth Zoo 2 other United States zoos kept Giant pangolin (Manis gigantea) in the past, those zoos were Milwaukee County Zoo and the now closed Crandon Park Zoo in Miami As for places other than the United States or Europe, Giant pangolin (Manis gigantea) were kept at 2 facilities in the past, those places were Baroda Zoo in India And Abidjan Zoo in Ivory Coast
I have 2 questions When did you see the Giant pangolins (Manis gigantea) at London Zoo And Did you possibly see Ground pangolin (Manis temminkii), Giant pangolins are actually their closest living relatives ?
London Zoo acquired two giant pangolins in 1964; this is recorded in the Zoological Society of London Annual Report for that year where giant pangolin is listed as being a species new to the collection.
Giant Pangolin... I must have seen them in 1964 then, in the 'experimental' nocturnal house in the Children's Zoo.