Put simply..... no. The only public collection outside Africa with Brown Hyena is Prague, as far as I am aware.
Zoológico Nacional de Cuba recieved 2 pairs of brown hyenas from Namibia In 2012. The brown hyenas bred quite well in Havana. About 3 years ago various mexican zoos sent surplus hoofstock such as fallow and Sika deer , auodad and blackbuck antílope to the Havana zoos. At least 2 mexican zoos recieved Brown hyenas. Both Chapultepec and Leon zoos have a pair of brown hyenas. I have seen them at both collections and have photos of the Leon zoo Hyenas.
I have a recollection there was a recent post about Brown Hyaenas in China, imported from Africa. Edit: This post from November last year: New Gallery Request Thread 2019 [Open] Taihu Longemont Animal World.
Zoo de Leon actually advertises having the highest number of hyena species around! They were recently featured in one of their FB vlogs on-line.
Zoo Leon has spotted hyenas, striped hyenas and brown hyenas. Actually Zoológico Nacional de Cuba in Havana also has the same species. ChaPultepec zoo has spotted hyenas and brown hyenas.
Wow ! I wasn't aware of this, haven't been to Mexico in many years , but very nice to hear and comes as quite a suprise ! From the video of the pair they have on their facebook page it seems they are being kept in the old enclosure in the "zona árida" where a lone spotted hyena was kept for many years. Chapultepec have / had spotted hyenas so all they are missing now is the striped hyena.
Yes OC the brown hyenas at Chapultepec zoo are in the enclousure you mention. Chapultepec has a pair of spotted hyenas Which recently had cubs. The y are in the enclosure next to the lions.
Yes correct , I was working for Chapultepec around the time when the younger spotted hyenas arrived a while after the elderly individual had passed away. I remember that they were initially very highly strung animals so I'm very glad to hear that they eventually settled in and sired cubs
Interesting that! I will get back to you over this and outstanding things by PM. For brown hyaena: How does the ex situ situation globally look like for the species? Mexico having 3 zoos holding the species must be something of a record!??
Ok Look forward to hearing from you Kifaru ! Honestly I have no idea about the situation with the brown hyena but I do hope that it is not as dire as it is for many species. I think that the fact that Mexico has comparatively more institutions than most countries that hold the species (I could have never predicted this would be the case , very surreal ) is curious and presents some interesting possibilities / opportunities. Perhaps Mexican institutions could even eventually take an important or even a leading role in captive breeding of the species , right ? It could happen and anything is possible.
Certainly is possible, but is the question is whether more bloodlines will be imported in. Perhaps I missed something, but it seems the Latin American population is entirely descended from only four animals, which will not bode well long-term. Hopefully inbreeding isn't already taking place. ~Thylo
Yes , long term this is not viable but as you have said bloodlines could conceivably be imported into the country IF there is the will to do so that is (and whether there is a will is another question entirely). I really don't think there is any risk of inbreeding or that this will be permitted. The staff at the institutions that hold these hyenas are all very highly trained and qualified when it comes to animal husbandry and conservation.
TA has a Good point. The brown hyenas at the mexican zoos all are derived from the 2 pairs of brown hyenas that went to the Zoológico Nacional de Cuba from the famous Namibia import of 2012. Also last year a white rhino was born At zoológico nacional de Cuba also from anímals impórted from Namibia. The import of animales from Namibia to Cuba was criticized back then, but the results have been Good.
That feedback was a targeted affair and in my opinion misguided in the first place. In effect, the track record of ZNC in La Habana was pretty good prior to import. Another issue that due to ongoing boycott by some governments it got more publicity than might otherwise have been expected. BTW: There is also a positive to this as many imports now almost deemed impossible - again for all the wrong reasons (with wildlife in Africa on the decrease and increasingly also becoming threatened) - like with rhinos or elephants, Cuba and Mexico for all intense purposes seem to go somewhat unscathed in that angle. The genetic base is probably even or better with 4 founders in the Cuban import than the current founder population in European zoos (well the few individuals we still have ...).
Thats very interesting to find out. Thanks for sharing @Enzo ! How do you know this ? did you see it at the time ? Maybe this is one for @David Matos Mendes to look into and find out more
Hmmm that's nice! Some time ago I've watched videos showing SP zoo in the beggining of the 90's, and I definitely saw some rare species that were kept at the time, but don't remember if brown hyenas appeared. I'm gonna search for this material and share the results here if I find. I'm imagining this hyena was housed in one of those exhibits that now keep servals and caracals, once I remember seeing pictures of wolfs being held there, so I'm consider they were exhibited near to each other for being canids... Do you know more about it, Enzo?
