Tarsiers in North American zoos

Tarsiers in North American zoos
17-12-2007

Aim intrested in knowing more about the history of this group of mammals in North American zoos, they have been brought in at several occasions and to my knowledge over 20 was imported from Mindano in the 1960s or 1970s, from what I know there is no Tarsiers being keept in captivity anywhere in North America anymore. I dont know which species that has been imported to USA or Candada and would love to hear more about which specific species/subspecies.

But I would be intrested to hear if anyone knows any place that keept them in the past, which species and for how long time.

I know that Tarsius syrichta carbonarius has been keept in the following places in the past.

Philadelphia Zoological Garden
Brookfield Zoo
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Thanks,

17-12-2007

The german database tells me that:

Tarsius syrichta carbonarius has been kept at Zoo Frankfurt from 1964 till 1977. They never bred them. And later Tarsius syrichta (no subspecies noted) was also kept at Frankfurt Zoo between 1982 and 1992. In that period they bred once.

How many individuals they kept over that period i would not know, but i'd estimate one pair and i would be surprised if they weren't kept in the famous Grzimek House (the nocturnal house).

30-12-2007

I also know that at one point the Minnesota zoo exhibited tarsiers, I could not tell you what species however.

Re:Tarsiers in US Zoos/Welcome to this site
28-02-2008

Hello everyone, I am new to this site and have been to zoos/aquariums/wildlife parks all over the world.

Regarding Tarsiers - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, OH may still have a single Western Tarsier exhibited in their Rainforest Building. I met with the General Curator, at the time-it was August 2005, who let us go into the exhibit and take some good photos. It was in a diurnal bamboo filled exhibit with Larger Malayan chevrotains. They were looking to acquire additional specimens, but with no success. By the way, Cleveland has one of the largest collections of primate species in any North American zoo, some in wonderful spaces, some in old school exhibits.
Was in Frankfurt last year and met with keepers. They no longer keep tarsier ( but we did get to go in the enclosure with the aye-aye-Amazing animal) and their new building for gorillas, bonobos, and orangs was under construction and looked like a spectacular improvement.
Singapore ( 2006 visit ) was keeping a very active tarsier at the Night Safari, next to the Zoo.
Cincinnati and San Diego have exhibited tarsiers in the past- believe they were Philippine species, but don't quote me on that - saw them in Cincinnati's Nocturnal House probably 12 years ago. They are no longer in either collection.

Eric in Portland, Oregon

28-02-2008

Hey Eric welcome aboard, you seem to be a well travelled zoo enthusiast.

21-05-2008

I have seen the Tarsiers in Cincinnati in the late 90s. This is one of the animals I want to photograph this summer. Unfortunately they no longer exhibit this animal in their nocturnal house. However, they do have other prosimians like potto and galagos.

16-06-2008

The only way to see the PHILIPPINE Tarsier is at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Bohol, Philippines along with some other native animals (macaque, palm civet, etc.)

17-06-2008

If you take trouble to go to Philippines, wild tarsiers can be reliably seen with the help of guides. Same goes for great philippine eagle, anoa and babirussa and crested macaques.

BTW, they are apparently very stress-prone animals which don't thrive in noisy enclosures. That's why you get bushbabys in zoos instead.

17-06-2008

I will see a tarsier at the Night safari in Singapore, and there is quite a large chance of seeing some wild western tarsier in Sabah.

17-06-2008

@ Potto, I personally would never visit the tarsier place on Bohol. Photos I have seen of the treatment of the tarsiers by and for tourists there make me cringe. Jurek7 is quite right: if you're in the Philippines do it properly and just go find some wild ones. [but anoa, babirusa and crested macaques are of course from Sulawesi not the Philippines]

@Writhedhornbill, make sure you take a good torch (I would suggest one with a red filter to not disturb the animals too much, but that's just me). If you do what the other tourists don't, and go out at night, you'll find some really nice critters out doing their thing.

17-06-2008

Shame on me It was late here and I mixed Philippines and Sulawesi.

It is Sulawesi tarsier which is viewable in the wild for ecotourists.

28-06-2008

I've visted Cleveland in 2005 only to see the last tariser left in a western zoo. The animal was very old at this time, it came from Washington to Cleveland some years before. Fortunately, I could go into the exhbit and could make some good pictures. Unfortuantely, the animal died in 2006.

Frankfurt Zoos imported 9 Mindanao Tarisres in 1964. The group live din the Monkey hous ein a littel nocturanal exhibit. This was a testing for the big nocturnal house which was in the planning phase at this time. The group has bred two times, but the babies died shortly after the birth. After the opening of the Grizmekhouse, the Tariers were kept there. In the formely tariser exhibit are now living slender loris.

The Max-Plank-Institue in Frankfurt has kept Tarsiers ,too.The Skansen Akvariet in Stockholm has kept and bred Tariers also.