If paradise exists in Mexico, for a zoofan it can only be zoomat. It is The regional zoo that sets the grade in this country. Unrivaled in the exhibition, breeding, conservation, reintroduction, and research of the species of the southern state of Chiapas. Zoomat is located in the capital city of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez. The official name is Zoologico regional Miguel Alvarez del Toro. Don Miguel arrived in Chiapas in 1942 as a young biologist to direct a small zoo and natural history museum. But MAT saw the potential to build a regional zoological collection and worked hard at building a unique collection. He published widely on the wildlife of Chiapas. In 1981 the zoo was moved to a large hillside forest known as the Zapotal of about 100 hectacres, only half of which is used as the zoo. Don Miguel passed away on the 2 of august of 1996, still a zoo director, till his last day. Zoomat was named in his honor and his amazing heritage continues. Your bus or taxi takes up the Zapotal hill to the zoo entrance. Near a waterfall there are some nice pools with slider turtles. Then you enter the forest- Agoutis scury around, and when the zoo opens at nine the place is alive with spectacular vegation and the calls of chachalacas and black howler monkeys that are free ranging occupants. The first stop is the crocodile house. Inside are models, skeltons and juveniles of the 3 crocodilians of Chiapas, which are morlett´s and american crocs and the unique chiapas spectacled caiman. Only zoomat exhibits and breeds the later. Outside are nice large pools for all 3 species. In front is a nice exhibit for water birds which held white ibis, brown pelicans, muscovy ducks and tree ducks. The bird aviaries are traditional with heavy netting to keep people from feeding the birds. This unfortunate for photography. The first avaries are for yellow headed parrots, mealy parrots, white fronted parrots and orange fronted parrots. All breed at zoomat.next is a nice medium sized free flight aviary with various species. Then there is the only nocturnal house in Mexico. Here are pacas, nine banded armadillos, tree porcupines, 2 species of opussums, 3 species of skunks, very active cacomixtles, kinkajous and native bats. After is a nice vivarium with many spiders and beetles. Then this building section ends with the zoological museum. Various mounted specimens and skeletons explain the importance of wildlife and enviroment in Chiapas. But also here is the indoor aviary of the quetzals, which were the breeding pair is. Zoomat has bred 10 quetzals since 2004. Sadly,Don Miguel never lived to witness the greatest achiviement of Zoomat. I read in the guidebook that some of the zoomat born quetzals went to a U.S. institution. Which one ? Onward outside to very nice open exhibits for raccoons, grey foxes and coatis. A large island holds a group of spider monkeys, which have been at zoomat since the beginning. Also zoomat reestablished spider monkeys at the Cañon del Sumidero national park, where the primates had been eliminated by the illegal pet trade. A very large pen for coyotes follows. Then there is a long row of very tall aviaries for birds of prey of chiapas, of interest are the collared forest falcons and king vultures. There is now a reptile house for temperate forest reptiles and amphibians. Tree frogs, fer de lance, skinks and king snakes are here. Outside are large pools for the native chiapas turtle species which are definitely not sliders. After a very large pen for white tail deer, there are some nice open exhibits for iguanas and yet another reptile house. ( Don Miguel liked herps, no doubt). Here are boa contrictor, cantil, tropical rattlesnakes and yet more fer de lance. Another zoomat special, the black beaded lizard. a subspecies named for Don Miguel himself. And of course, zoomat breeds them. Outside there is next a very large open exhibit for tamandua mexicana, which are really active here. And yes, zoomat also breeds them. Then there is avery large aviary for scarlet macaws. Zoomat is the only mexican zoo that exhibits all six feline species found in this country. There, exhibits are large for all of them. Jaguarundis, margays, ocelots, bobcats, puma and jaguar are all here. Then you arrive at the large outdoor quetzal exhibit. here is another pair of trogons born at zoomat. Then there is a nice exhibit for neotropical otters with underwater viewing. By now, you are at highest point of the zoo and lovely open pens follow. Collared peccaries and white lipped peccaries are here and again both species breed at zoomat. There is a lovely exhibit for the breeding pair of baird´s tapirs. Zoomat has always held this species and even exported them to bejing zoo in the eighties in exchange for the chapultepec pandas ( y saludos a los colegas chinos de zoochat). Now are more aviaries with toucans, toucanets, more parrots and many cracids including the horned guan which are the symbol of zoomat and of course are bred here. Going downhill are large open exhibits for tayras and grisons which are active here and also have bred here. A bachelor group of 2 baird´s tapirs lives in a large pen. At the end there are military macaws, sadly exterminated by the illegal pet trade in Chiapas and a island for the confined black howler monkeys which like their free roaming neighbors are usually heard but not seen. I know this sounds very corny, but zoomat is a place that makes me proud of my country.
Thanks for the great review, carlos. I have been enjoying the pictures of this zoo that you have been posting. It sounds like a very special zoo. I would like to visit it someday. The San Diego Wild Animal Park used to have quetzals in their Hidden Jungle aviary. I wonder if these were the ones from Zoomat that you reference? That aviary is now an African aviary, so I'm not sure where the quetzals are, if they are still around.
@Carlos55: Thanks for the review and the pictures too. I guess, when talking about zoos, you are absolutely right to be proud of ZOOMAT. Here in German speaking countries, many zoo fans know about ZOOMAT because of an episode in "Abenteuer Zoo" from MDR, a German TV-Station that belongs to the German TV-Broadcast Group ARD. Still, I guess only a few have seen the zoo at Chiapas in person, because it was (or still is?) a region with high terroristical and/or criminal activities. @DavidBrown: I presume that the Quetzals at San Diego Zoo are not REAL Quetzals (= Pharomachrus mocinno), I think they belong to another kind of the trogon family.
Thank you very much for this great review of this great collection carlos55 ! I already had some correspondence with this zoo during the 1980-ties and they were realy cooperative in responding on my questions. During my Mexico-visit I was to far away from it but on a next Mexico-trip - which I will make for sure ! - I"ll surtainly plan to visit it ! Esp. the Quetzalts are high on my list to see because this is in my eyes the most beautifull bird on the world and I was lucky enough to take care for 1 male and 2 females during my time at Walsrode. They even bred them but the single chick died after 14 days in the hand-raising station . Their last female died in 1996 and this was the last specimen in Europe. Intresting to hear there should be some in the USA but I realy don't know which zoo should have them ( Dallas World Aquarium ??? ). Altogether a very intresting review and also your pictures are very intresting. Again, thank you carlos55 !
Gracias for all the comments. There was a peasant - indian revolt in Chiapas in the 90s which recieved a lot of media coverage. Most but not all of the demands were met by the government. Roads were built, new schools formed and agricultural assistance was implented. Now Chiapas is actually quite safe and recieves many tourists. A new airport has just been inaugurated in Palenque. I once saw golden headed quetzals at houston zoo, so those trogons are also present in zoos. Zoomat had 4 resplendent quetzals on exhibit. The breeding pair was indoors at the Museum. Outside there was another pair in the outdoor aviary, which were zooborn. I suppose that there are more quetzal off exhibit. Since 2004 ten chicks have been raised, including 3 just last year. I suppose that there may be zoomat born quetzals at more than one U.S. institution. San Diego zoo has a long history of cooperation with conservation projects in this country and with established mexican zoos, so it is possible that they would recieve the trogons. I admit Dallas world aquarium is an interesting possiblity. Also, as vogelcommando knows the sheer size of the tail feathers of the male resplendent quetzal is amazing.
Thanks for the review Carlos! I've been aware of the place and its successes for a long time but had no idea that it was of such a high standard. I believe the Dallas World Aquarium have 1.2 resplendent quetzals. I had also thought that zoomat had the first hatching - so vogelcommando's report is news to me, thanks.
A privat aviculturist in Mexico - mr. Lopez - was even more succesfull and was the first person to breed the Resplendent quetzalts as a world-first !
So it seems that Dallas World Aquarium recieved the zoomat born quetzals. A recent review of DWA on zoochat did not mention the quetzals on exhibit. Can someone check this ? It seems then that zoomat is still currently the only zoo to exhibit and breed the resplendent quetzal. It seemed likely that certain private collections would keep quetzals as vogelcommando mentions.
That was a fantastic review of a zoo that I'm not very familiar with. I love the fact that its focus is native species and it has some true rarities (from this side of the Atlantic at least! ) that would make any zoo-enthusiast salivate over.
True rarities for this side of the Atlantic (and Pacific) too! Neotropical otters, resplendent quetzals, etc. A must see zoo.
I have been asked the species lineup at the nocturnal house at zoomat. Here it is : mexican pacas, nine banded armadillos, cacomixtles or ringtails, kinkajous, philander opossum, wooly opossum, mexican tree porcupine, spotted skunk, striped skunk, and hog nosed skunk, also a colony mexican fruit bats that were not identifided by species. All in all a very nice collection in fine spacious exhibits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lucjx5qgvEc here is a nice new video about 2 new horned guam chicks raised at zoomat. For vogelcommando and all bird fans on zoochat,enjoy it.
Quetzal macho muere en el zoológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas - Televisa News 25 year old male resplendent quetzal has died at zoomat. Most of the resplendent quetzal in capitivity have descended from this bird, including those at Dallas world aquarium and Xcaret. This bird was originally confiscated from the illegal pet trade and turned over to zoomat by mexican enviromental authorities.
According to different reports, zoomat still has a possible breeding pair and 3 other indivuals. It is interesting that the male quetzal lived for 25 years at zoomat establishing the longevity record for the species.
Crece fauna silvestre en el Zoológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez Zoomat has a surplus of free ranging native species , It has 120 mantled howler monkeys, 120 white tailed deer, 500 mexican agutis,1000 mexican chachalacas. Some May be relocated to protected areas in México. It is a Pity that export of native fauna to zoos outside of Mexico is so difficult due to current legislation
That is a huge Number of wild animals on the grounds of the facility. It is effectively a protected area of sorts. I Would hope they get relocated to protected habitats with a need for adding onto populations of wild animals. Can you explain about the legislation (my experience has been that this type of legislation is often preventing conservation efforts, while the local laswenforcement effort and capacity are inept at best). Now, PROFEPA has a good reputation, just the government does not have good conservation or environment credentials (I am not even willing to go into the vaquita debate ....).
