It has been interesting for me to read about the complete absence of gerenuk in European zoos, as in the past 2 years I've seen that species of antelope at Disney's Animal Kingdom, San Diego, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Denver, Miami, Oregon, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, White Oak, Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis. After visiting those 12 zoos I thought that gerenuk were fairly common, and ISIS shows that there are 17 zoos in the U.S. that hold this wonderfully bizarre-looking mammal. In fact, White Oak Conservation Centre has around 20 and Miami Metrozoo is listed as having 11, and with Lowry Park Zoo the State of Florida has around 35 in total. Where are all the gerenuk in Europe?
Strange is in it? You think being one of the most interesting antelope there would be plenty around. Unfortunatly I can't help either. Someone help us out. The gerenuk is my favorite of the gazelle. In second place is its closest relative the dibtag and third is the springbok.
The gerenuk in europe are all gone. Main problem was to keep them alive.... Only a few zoos has kept them in europe, after the second world war, so Manchester,Antwerpen,Rome,Neapel,Berlin,Frankfurt,Hannover and Dvur Kralove. Manchester got two males in 1954 and 1955.Both died til 1957 and the zoo never got gerenuks again. Antwerp has kept them between 1957 and 1965, and I think, they had several birth, but unfortunately,I have no details to that animals. All gerenuks died at Antwerp. Rome and Neapel kept gerenuks in the mid fifties til the mid sixties, both had several birth, but both groups has died in the mid sixties. Berlin got 1.2 gerenuks in 1965.The first female died in 1966,the male in 1967 and the last female in 1969.No breeding. Hannover imported 1.2 in 1955 for Frankfurt, one of the females was imported pregant and gave birth to a young in 1956.The same year, the whole group was send to Frankfurt. Frankfurt has bred them several times, after the lost of the breeding male, they bred with a son, they bred him with his sisters, the moster and later his daughters, so the mortality of the young was extremly high, no gerenuk has left the zoo ever...After the death of the last breeding male, the zoo tried it serveral years to import a new male from africa. They got one in 1973, but it was to late. The last females were to old to breed and died, the male male left and has lived a few years alone, until he died in 1979. The USA has imported 5.8 in 1977 and 2.12 in 1978. Most of them died without breeding, the current population was funded by 7.13 animals. The longlivety of gerenuks is very short, up to 5 years. The mortality of youngsters is high also, and a few zoos in the states are handraising all of the youngsters. At the End of 2001, 39.47 gerenuks were kept in 20 institutions. In January 2009, 32.57 gerenuks are kept in 17 instutions, only three more animals than 7 years ago.....I would say, its not a Success Story....
For all antelope and hoofstock lovers intersted in histotical pictures of diffrent antelopes at the antwerp zoo, so gerenuks,diffrent duikers, bongos, or other hoofstock, so okapis, giraffe and much more, visit the homepage Zoo Antwerpen. Go on BEELDBANK at the top of the page and you will find the selection of a great collection of historical photographs ! Go on Antelopes, and you will find your paradise, sitatunga !
Gerenuk seem to be less tolerant of cold temperatures than other African hoofstock. They are also pretty flighty during transport.
WOW!! Thanks zebraduiker! What a great resource! (A few errors in identification, but I love looking at old photos).
Can anybody tell me, what Institutions in teh U.S. keep gerenuk at this time ? I tried to find it out by myself, but I have no idea, if this list is complete. I also would like to knwo, which zoos keep them together with other species ? Disney Animal Kingdom White Oak Conservation center Miami Zoo San Diego Zoo-Speke's gazelle, lesser Kudu ? San Diego Wild Animalpark Los Angeles Zoo Saint Louis Zoo Denver Zoo Brookfield-Zoo-Dik-Dik ? Oregon Zoo-still in the collection ? Fort worth zoo-still in the collection ? Dallas Zoo Peoira Zoo North Carolina Zoo-still in the collection ? Memphis Zoo ? Thank you for your help.
There are 56 gerenuk in 11 institutions in the United States, those institutions being: Brookfield Cameron Park Dallas Denver Los Angeles Memphis Phoenix San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo Safari Park St. Louis White Oak I cannot help you with which institutions are currently mixing gerenuk with which species; however, I can direct you to the 2017 AZA Ungulates Mixed-Species Manual, which lists current and historic mixed-species ungulate exhibits: Mixed Species Resources — AZA Ungulates
Thank you Kudu 21, for the link, but I already found this Manual during my research on gerenuks in mixed species exhibits. Indeed, very interesting and helpful. Seems, the population is faster going down than I have expected. They will never reach the goal of 150 gerenuks in the USA, and there is no chance for new imports from the wild-I totally agree with that-or from the Emirates. What about Disney and Miami-they really don't have gerenuks anymore ?
I can confirm that ZooMiami did not have gerenuk on exhibit earlier this year, so if they have them they are behind the scenes.
They do not. The above institutions are the only holders of the species in the United States currently. While the populations is quite a way from its target size, it is stable. That said, genetic diversity is low, and the species is already short-lived and fragile, so new founders are needed and desired by the SSP. Only time will tell if the population will ever be sustainable-- there are some definite barriers.
When going to Dallas, make sure the weather is decent! I was there last July and it was too hot to run the monorail, which is the only way to see most of their ungulates, including their gerenuk. I was so disappointed.
@kudu21 The population is not stable. Since years, the mortality rate is higher than the birth rate, so the population is declining since years. In 2009 ,there were 90 gerenuks in 17 institutions, in 2017 72 animals, and if you are right with currently 56 gerenuks in 11 collections ( do you have a source for that, but it seems a realistic number), the population of gerenuk in the USA is declining very fast and is far away from to be stable. The situation in europe is not much better, 1.2 at the Tierpark Berlin, and one male at the Zoo. Recently, they switched both males to not breed the father with his two in 2017 and 2018 born daughthers. And both males are old, born in 2007 and 2011 I have no idea, who of them is the breeding male) so times runs to breed again...and according to the breeding situation in the USA, I don't think they will send again gerenuks to europe-what was a bad idea from the beginnung on. This is highly recommended......but I think, you still have a few years left to see them again-but don't wait too long...
I'm just glad I've visited San Diego earlier this year. Without that visit, I wouldn't have become TheGerenuk and would've still been TheWalrus.
Brookfield Zoo used to house the Gerenuk with the Kirk’s Dik Dik. However, the Gerenuk, male named Gumby, has been moved into a separate exhibit that once housed klipspringer.
As of the past two weeks or so, the older, retired klipsringer pair that formerly inhabited that yard have been reintroduced to share it with Gumby.
@TheGerenuk. Thanks for the info. Mixed Species exhibits are changed in Us-Zoos much more often than in europe... @Okapilover. Gerenuks are mostly doing fine with small antelopes. Frankfurt had in the past some trouble with an adult male gerenuk-he was fighting against the giraffes and okapis from time to time. Gerenuk together with Klippspringer is a really nice combination-both species share the same habitat in the nature-and is very attractive to european zoofans-only four gerenuks and only one Klipspringer left here..but we'll see, if Douè La Fontaine really will get Klippspringers....By the way-is the former"Kopje"exhibit at San Diego Zoo still existing, or was is completly destroyed for" Africa Rocks"?
