ZooChat Challenge (Global) 2016

Well in the end I didn't get anywhere near devilfish
If I had had him with me in Beijing to help me with IDs I would have beaten Vision I think but I'll settle for a podium finish (I hope).

Thanks to Thylo for organising this challenge. i would like to echo a general grumble that I think the taxonomic intricacy of this contest has detracted from it rather than added to it. I'm encouraged that next years may offer something a little different, although I suspect I won't be able to compete at nearly the same level due to more modest travel plans.

Happy New Year everyone! 新年快樂!


At Saigon Zoo, 27th January 2016

1) Blue Wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus
2) Sambar Deer, Rusa unicolor
3) Vietnamese Sika Deer, Cervus nippon
4) Indian Muntjac, Muntiactus muntjac
5) Gemsbok, Oryx gazella
6) Przewalski's Wild Horse, Equus przewalskii
7) White Rhino, Ceratotherium simum
8) Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsicerus
9) Plains Zebra, Equus quagga burchelli
10) Common Hippo, Hippopotamus amphibius
11) Pygmy Hippo, Choeropsis liberiensis
12) South African Giraffe, Giraffa giraffa

At Vinpearl Safari, 1st February 2016:

13) Common Eland, Taurotragus oryx
14) Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus
15) Nyala, Tragelaphus angasii
16) Arabian Oryx, Oryx leucoryx
17) Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus
18) Wild Boar, Sus scrofa

At Dusit Zoo, 8th February 2016:

19) Axis Deer, Axis axis
20) Sumatran Serow, Capricornis sumatraensis
21) Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus
22) Fea's Muntjac, Muntiacus faea
23) Eastern Eld's Deer, Panolia siamensis
24) Lesser Mouse-deer, Tragalus kanchil

25 ) Masai Giraffe, Giraffa tippelskirchi

At Singapore Zoo, 13th February 2016:

26) Black Wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou
27) Desert Warthog, Phacochoerus aethiopicus
28) Nubian Ibex, Capra nubiana
29) Rothschild's Giraffe, Giraffa rothschildi
30) Angola Giraffe, Giraffa angolensis
31) Red River Hog, Potamochoerus porcus
32) North Sulawesi Babirusa, Babyrousa celebensis
33) Greater Mouse-Deer, Tragelus napu

At SEA Aquarium, 15th February 2016:

34) Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus

At Singapore River Safari, 17th February 2016:

35) Collared Peccary, Peccari tejacu
36) Guanaco, Lama guanicoe
37) Brazilian Tapir, Tapirus terrestris

At Singapore Night Safari, 15th February 2016:

38) Bharal, Pseudois nayeur
39) Markhor, Capra falconeri
40) Mouflon, Ovis orientalis orientalis
41) Barasingha, Rucervus duvaucelli
42) Cape Buffalo, Syncerus caffer
43) Bearded Pig, Sus barbatus
44) Indian Rhino, Rhinoceros unicornis
45) Hog Deer, Hyelaphus porcinus
46) Javan Banteng, Bos javanicus
47) Gaur, Bos gaurus
48) Thamin, Panolia thamin

At Shanghai Zoo, 23rd April 2016

49) Sichuan Takin, Budorcas tibetanus
50) Addax, Addax nasomaculatus
51) Blesbok, Damaliscus pygargus
52) Fallow Deer, Dama dama
53) Scimitar-horned Oryx, Oryx dammah
54) Red Goral, Naemorhedus baileyi
55) Black Muntjac, Muntiacus crinifrons
56) Chinese Muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi
57) Mongolian Wild Ass, Equus hemionus pallas
58) Vicuna, Vicugna vicugna
59) Northeast Red Deer (Manchurian Wapiti), Cervus xanthopygus



At Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, 1st July 2016

60) Rusa, Cervus timorensis

At Jakarta Zoo, 14th July 2016

61) Bawean Deer, Axis kuhlii
62) Sitatunga, Tragelaphus spekii
63) Nilgai, Bosephalus tragolcamelus
64) Lowland Anoa, Bubalus depressions
65) Javan Mousedeer, Tragslus javanicus



At ZSL London, 18th August 2016

66) Okapi, Okapia johnstoni
67) Natal Red Duiker, Cephalophus natalensis
68) Common Warthog, Phacochoerus africanus

At ZSL Whipsnade, 19th August 2016

69) Wisent, Bos bonasus
70) American Bison, Bos bison
71) European Elk, Alces alces
72) Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa reticulati
73) Roan Antelope, Hippotragus equines
74) Ellipsen Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus
75) Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi
76) Impala, Acpyceros melampus
77) Nile Lechwe, Kobus megaceros
78) Chinese Water Deer, Hydropotes intermission
79) Pere David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus

At Cotswold Wildlife Park, 24th August 2016

80) Visayan Warty Pig, Sus cebifrons

At Plzen Zoo, 5th September 2016

81) Phillipine Mousedeer, Tragalus nigricans
82) Kafue Lechwe, Kobus kafuensis
83) Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra
84) Muskox, Ovibos moschatus
85) Goitered Gazelle, Gazella subgutturosa
86) Dall’s Sheep, Ovis Dalli
87) Bighorn Sheep, Ovis Canadensis
88) Tule Elk, Cervus Canadensis
89) Long-tailed Goral, Nemorhaedus caudatus / Himalayan Goral, Naemorhedus goral

At Prague Zoo, 7th September 2016

90) Himalayan Tahr, Hemitragus jemlahicus
91) West Caucasian Tur, Capra caucasica
92) Aoudad, Ammotragus lervia
93) Forest Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus
94) Mishmi Takin, Budorcas taxicolor
95) Chacoan Peccary, Catagonus wagneri
96) Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger
97) White-lipped Deer, Cervus albirostris
98) Kiang, Equus kiang

At Dvur Kralove, 9th September 2016

99) Black Rhino, Diceros bicornis
100) Somali Wild Ass, Equus africanus
101) Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
102) Thompson’s Gazelle, Eudorcas thomsoni
103) Forest Buffalo, Syncerus nanus
104) Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest, Connochaetes albojubatus
105) Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis
106) Dama Gazelle, Antidorcas marsupialis
107) Defassa Waterbuck, Kobus defassa

At Usti Zoo, 10th September 2016

108) Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Equus hartmannae

At Chomutov Zoopark, 11th September 2016

109) Bactrian Deer, Cervus bactrianus
110) Transcaspian Urial, Ovis vignei
111) Alpine Ibex, Capra ibex
112) Golden Takin, Budorcas bedfordi

At Frankfurt Zoo, 12th September 2016

113) Yellow-backed Duiker, Cephalophus silvicultor

At Beijing Zoo, 5th October 2016

114) Baird's Tapir, Tapirella bairdii
115) Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
116) Argali, Ovis ammon

 

I, too, would like to thank Thylo for hosting this challenge! I definitely enjoyed playing and as this was my first time entering in any such challenges I definitely enjoyed looking at species I normally don't pay that much attention to. I'll definitely be joining in next year. More modest travel plans will also be the case for me in 2017, though I definitely hope to be a serious competitor

 

And one final zoo on the final day of the year with three additions from Brno:

72) White-lipped Peccary
73) Siberian Wapiti
74) Blesbok

And tomorrow and the next day will also be zoo days with planned visits to Zlin and Jihlava so hopefully they might give me something to start the next challenge with.

So this year wasn't quite as successful as the ridiculous number of rodents that I saw for last year's challenge, but that's the price you have to pay for having your main trip of the year be to Australia

 

Had you seen any North American Wapiti?

 

No, the only other Cervus that I have seen this year is genuine elaphus (sensu stricto).

 

So fellow Zoochatters, I directly spoke with the main/lead/whatever hoofstock keeper for San Diego Zoo, and he confirmed that their Klipspringers are in fact Cape Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus). That brings my total up to 75, in addition in should help many others.

 

I can add Nile lechwe from Whipsnade in August, and white-tailed gnu from Lake District wildlife Park on 28th December.

thank you Thylo for having the most interesting group of animals ever for your challenge

 

Unless they imported them directly from African, the whole NA population is a hybrid swarm.

 

Forgive me if I got anyone's totals wrong as this thread's taxonomy controversy and trend of not everyone posting their newest species in list form made it a bit difficult to tally the winners. That said, here are the top 5 winners of the challenge:

1. Devilfish (152)
2. Vision (121)
3. FunkyGibbon (116)
4. ThylacineAlive (99)
5. Jayjds2 (77)

Some very impressive totals here guys and congratulations to Devilfish for sweeping in for the victory! I also want to thank everyone who participated throughout the year!

The 2017 ZooChat Challenge has already been created and I look forward to seeing some of you there as well!

~Thylo

 

It was quite fun, and I look forward to an eventful 2017! Thanks for hosting the challenge.

 

I directly asked... they said Cape for sure, imported from South Africa