Hello everyone, first I must apologise because my knowledge of species in brittish zoological gardens is outdated by ten years or more. My question is about the volcano rabbit or as we name it hear in Mexico "el teporingo conejo de los volcanos". Here In Mexico this species is highly endangered and there are breeding programes at 2 zoos in the capital,but I heard that the renowned natrualist gerald Durrell tried to capture some in my country to innitiate a breeding programes at jersey zoo. Was Durrell successful?also have they been kept at any other zoos in the united kingdom? Are there any other species from my country kept at uk zoo 's? Gracias por todo amigos
He did indeed catch some in the 1980`s they even bred them for a while in Jersey but by the time of my visit in 1991 they were down to just a pair i believe they died out a couple of years later,don`t know of any been kept in the U.K at the present.
Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) also kept several pairs of the volcano rabbit. They received them around 1977 and had several breeding successes. I believe the last ones died somewhere in the late 1980's. I am pretty sure the species is no longer kept in Europe, bur I believe some zoo in Japan still has them, or had them until recently.
Jersey have attempted to keep Volcano Rabbits twice. The first import was in 1968. Gerald Durrell imported wild caught Volcano Rabbits and Thick-billed Parrots to Jersey. He also collected several Horned Guans but was told they could not leave the country, as the Mexican government had plans for a captive breeding project of their own. The first captive birth took place in 1969 when a female was born, but the colony soon died out. A second importation occurred in 1979 whith the arrival of 7.8, 2.0 died leaving 5.8 at the end of the year. These were re-sexed in 1980 as 6.7 and they all died, being replaced by 2.3. In 1981 1.2 died and the trust were left with 1.1. This remaining pair had 0.2 young in 1982 and 1.2 young in 1983. 0.1 died in 1983 leaving the trust with 2.4. 1.0 died in 1984 and 2.0 were born, 1.0 did not survive, so the total on 31st December 1984 was still 2.4. 1985 was a good year with the birth of 4.0.1. Also in 1985 2.0 died leaving 5.3.1 at the zoo. 0.1.1 were born in 1986 with the unsexed baby dying. 1.3.1 adults died and the year's end total was 4.1 2.2 were imported in 1987 but 1.1 died and there were no births. 5.2 were held on 31st December 1987. 1.1 died during 1988 leaving 4.1 In April 1989 I visited Jersey Zoo and saw the Volcano Rabbits in the nocturnal house. I think they were down to 1.1 by then. I can't find my annual reports from 1989 onwards so I can't say when the remainder died at the moment. However there was no more breeding.
Hi Jose Can you tell us how many there are in Mexican zoos, and what is the status of them in the wild. Do they have any special requirements? Do you know if any zoos outside Mexico are interested in getting them? Thanks
Presently there are only 2 zoological gardens in Mexico which have the teporingo and both are in Mexico city, zoologico de Chapultepec and zoologico de los coyotes. In both of the zoos I have mentioned the animals are part of a breeding programe with hopes of eventually reintroducing them in to their former habitats. The teporingo is endangered and it is specialist in that it feeds alot on the zacato grass which grows around the po -po and popocatlpetl volcanos and in the ajusco mountains.I do not know the exact number of teporingos in the zoos but in Chapultepec they are kept in a big enclosure with wlot of undergrowth and artificial warrens ,which I estimate must contain something like of 30 or more animals. In the smaller zoo,los coyotes, there are 15-20 animals also kept in a darkened large enclosure with some finch like birds, similar to the one at Chapultepec. Whenever I visit the either one of the 2 zoos mentioned above the animals are always active. Hope this Info is of use
