Does Izhevsk make it 3 European zoos with walruses? Moscow and Hamburg both have the species, but anyone else?
Yes it does, my colleague was there last week and returned saying that walrus are her new favourite animal.
Moscow walruses are all in Hamburg now. Their exhibit is to rebuild, but probably not for walruses. Walruses are kept in dolphinariums - in Russia, in Ukraine, and Turkey. Dolphinarium Harderwejk has also a group of walruses, you can find a lot of video on Youtube. Dr. Bohumil Král (he works in Zoo Brno now) is visiting our zoo now. He said that they want to build exhibit for northern animals suitable for walruses, so maybe Zoo Brno will keep walruses some years later. I've heard that this year some walruses will be captured again, after about a five years break. I'm afraid that only dolphinariums have demand now, not zoos.
Zoo Brno has indeed walruss exhibit in their future masterplan, but realistically seen, I don´t believe they will build it in next 20 years. Prague has walrosses in their masterplan too, for around 2020-2025, but with the recent flood damage, priorities changed and it has been pushed into far future. Chomutov´s (former) zoo director talked about adding walrusses, but this plan died when he has been sacked.
Hamburg, Oceanografic Valencia and Harderwijk all have walrus (all Pacific except for one female at Hamburg, who is Atlantic) - they are the only ones in western/central Europe currently. They're more numerous in Russia, but spread over a huge area! I wasn't aware of any in Turkey or Ukraine and Zootierliste doesn't have them listed - whereabouts are they?
I cannot say all names of course. I mainly mean small facilities designed for shows only, with no real exhibits, science work etc. Ask Google "walrus Turkey", and you will get mentions about two females in the Istanbul (maybe not at the same time) on the first page. Looks like there is the only walrus in Ukraine - male named Saltan in the "Yalta marine animals theatre". In Russia (data of Jul 2012) - Sochi aquarium (1.0), Dolphinarium of Gelendzhik (1.1). Remind me next week, and I will try to find more information on walruses in Russia.
