Likewise, I assume the Bronx Zoo will only hold on to 2-3 individuals and re-distribute the rest among other zoos participating in the Indian gharial SSP. I had a distinct feeling that the Bronx Zoo already had some gharial on exhibit. Is this true and if so, does anyone know their current status (sex, age et cetera)
There zoo hasn't displayed Ganges Gharial in years, though has a pair of False Gharial on-exhibit in World of Reptiles. I doubt the zoo will keep any animals. There isn't really anywhere to display them and more to the point they've imported juveniles in the past but always traded them to other zoos (for example, they sent off several young animals to LA in return for their Komodo Dragons). ~Thylo
@Thylo, thanx for your comments. I checked on the internet and lo and behold found an older Bronx Zoo thread on Zoo Chat regarding Tomistomas and Indian gharials. LINK: Bronx Zoo - Working with Marsh Crocodiles at the Bronx Zoo They currently see to have a pair of 40 something Tomistomas on exhibit. The last original Indian gharial seems to have been shipped out to San Diego Zoo in 2003. The talk then went on over a more recent import of 10 Indian gharial via LA Zoo (and apparently later sent on to Bronx .., but this was already in 2013!! ..)! I am not sure if this is the same group or that they have now once more imported a set of juveniles from the Madras Croc Bank?
Unless I'm mistaken the import in 2013 was for LA, but the animals came in through Bronx and then were sent to LA in exchange for Komodo Dragons as I stated above. This is separate from the impending import, which has not occurred yet. ~Thylo
Thylo: Where did you hear about gharials being shipped to LA? As far as I know, there have never been Indian gharials at Los Angeles (although like Bronx, they have tomistoma). I remember a record of an LA zoo meeting that African Grey posted sometime in the last year saying that Indian gharials were coming soon and they have an exhibit ready for them to be placed in, but the last time I saw the exhibit was a couple months ago and it only held a large Asian turtle. Perhaps they actually went to San Diego? I'm pretty sure that zoo received 10 juvenile gharials from somebody, so it seems likely that it was from Bronx.
This was a while back. I recall LA and Bronx doing a trade of Ganges Gharials for Komodo Dragons. LA's animals could still be off-show while they mature a bit, or they could have been moved to San Diego. ~Thylo
The 10 gharial arrived at the San Diego Zoo May 16, 2012. They went straight from the Los Angeles airport to the zoo. http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2012/06/27/welcome-young-gharials/
Just in time for the Old Year: the gharial import from Madras Croc Bank is to reinforce the captive population already in the US. So, these will be redistributed among the various participating zoos. Perhaps it is useful to continue the conversation on its own merits (crocs in US zoos .. or something). I agree it is time for a new thread for 2017 onwards!
The Bronx Zoo map shows construction at both parking lots, the entrance and the road to Asia Parking, but not that the parking lot is entirely closed. Maybe they are doing some repaving and obviously construction for the zip line and Adventure playground.
