I thought I'd compile a comprehensive list of locations at the Zoo, River Safari and Night Safari for colugo spotting. If one were to search carefully around all these locations, I'd say there is a 90% chance of seeing a colugo. The Zoo has several colugo hotspots. In general, look for straight tree trunks. Colugos seem to prefer resting vertically. Elephants of Asia exhibit is one of the most reliable spots. Both ends of the boardwalk have little pockets of forest that are frequented by colugos, especially the end near the Pavilion by the Lake. Colugos are often seen on the trees near the little viewing hut. The Reptile Garden area is another reliable spot. Look around the Tortoise Shell-ter (including the back of it which faces the reservoir), Komodo Dragon and Giant Tortoise exhibits. The walkway between the Estuarine Crocodile and Chimpanzee exhibits is also a good spot. There are a couple of tall, slender trees with straight trunks and light-coloured bark that colugos like to rest on. You might also spot a colugo at the Pygmy Hippo/Warthog exhibits. Look behind the hippo viewing gallery and the trees around the warthog exhibit. Honourable mentions: The area at Primate Kingdom between the black howler exhibit and Garden Pavilion; Rainforest Walk and Heliconia Valley. I've only seen colugo at River Safari at the entrance plaza. Before the entry gates, look out for several stands of betel nut palm. One colugo is sometimes seen resting just under the fronds (partly hidden by the clusters of betel nuts). Night Safari's entrance courtyard is a favourite resting spot for a female colugo. There are 3 trees in front of the big entrance sign that the female often rests on. If you're lucky she might be carrying a baby. At around 7.30pm she will become active and will start grooming, pooping and stretching. If you're patient enough you might see her glide off to nearby trees to feed. Happy colugo spotting!
Vital information, methinks as this is the only order of placental mammal which is entirely unrepresented in captivity.
Thanks great info. Been lucky enough twice - both times in primate kingdom. First time about 5 years back and second time a couple of weeks ago. I will check out the other locations.
Quite a bold claim for something we really can't be sure of at all... There are definitely quite a few pictures readily available of colugos in cages (here, here, here, and here for example). That's not to say that all of those individuals are still alive today, but I also wouldn't dare say the order is absent from captivity either! To add to this very helpful topic a little, my two encounters with colugos in the night safari were a female above the mouse deer enclosure (quite close to the entrance still, so perhaps the same individual Zooish mentioned), and a male next to the path between the clouded leopards and flying squirrels. Both individuals were very close to lamps shining down onto the tree trunks they were hanging on; lights near vertical tree trunks are probably worth paying attention to as well!
I read an estimate once, from 2010, that said there were about 2750 "zoos" in the Philippines (all your photos are of Philippine Colugos). Dodgy little menageries of wild-caught animals are everywhere, in malls, backyards, petrol stations. At any given moment I would say there would certainly be numerous colugos, tarsiers, pangolins and other such short-lived inhabitants on-show in cages in the country.
Indeed, I've seen colugo along Leopard Trail as well (and other parts of Night Safari), but I decided not to include those locations as I've not seen colugos in each of those areas more than once. The areas I listed above are where I've seen colugos at least 3 times or more.
