Great Hoof-Stock/Antelope Enclosures/Collection

Why is it that there are fewer ungulates exhibited in North American zoos? Is it a lack of space? Other than Disney's Animal Kingdom I can't think of the last time I've been to a zoo that has a big collection of ungulates.

 

I think that the main problem is that hoofed animals normally live in large herds, and zoos just don't have enough room to support large herds of hoofed species. Also other than giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and hippos, hoofed animals aren't very popular, so why would a zoo devote so much space for a species that average visitors won't even look at for more than 10 seconds?

 

I suppose that is a reason, but why not put some of them in or near species like giraffes or zebras that do draw big crowds? I know lots of zoos do this but it seems that they may have only one species of antelope in a mixed enclosure.

 

I think they are popular enough, but the average zoo visitor does not care about what kind they see, as long as they see an antelope or deer. (Most visitors at my zoo refer to the spekes gazelles as baby deer ).

Lack of space means only a couple species in most instances. Also, as mentioned above, they do better in large herds, which city zoos cannot accomodate. However, there are a few very nice open range parks with large herds, such as San Diego Safari Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, The Wilds.

 

There is a shortage of these kinds of zoos in the US IMHO.

 

Not a shortage of hoofstock but a shortage of variety.

 

That's sad too.

 

I wish some other zoo would try for variety and their next expansion if they have the space is do some other habitats version of the Hoofstock and Sleeping Lion exhibit. Like Tiger Nigal Blackbuck.

 

I think an exhibit dedicated to the Indian Subcontinent would be nice. That could include tiger, nilagi, and blackbuck, as well as several deer species and chinkara.

Maybe I'm just in the minority in that my idea zoo is one that is filled with hoofstock from all over the world and has that as its focus.

 

One of the more unusual hoofstock enclosures I have seen is at the Tiergarten Schonbrunn (Vienna Zoo), which mixed Nilgai, Blackbuck, Axis Deer and Indian Rhino, a clever mix showcasing the diversity of Indian ungulates.

Some photos in the gallery: http://www.zoochat.com/107/indian-rhino-jange-black-bucks-zoo-167716/, http://www.zoochat.com/107/axis-deer-blackbuck-266241/.

 

Me and you are on the same page. Find us some cheap wyoming land and lets go in business together haha.

I would suggest you coming here but Alabama has weird laws on ungulate importation (to protect our whitetail herd) you can't important anything in the Cervidae family.

 

You mentioned Alabama doesn't have allow deer importations. Does that mean the Birmingham Zoo has no deer at all?

If Wyoming wasn't so cold I'd agree with you. We've actually had a winter and had a pretty long spell of below zero weather. The area I live in is high desert so could make for a great Gobi Desert display.

Maybe some cheap land in West Texas?

 

Nothing in Cervidae not even with special licensing. Birmingham doesn't have deer. Montgomery does but they are pre-ban animals I think.

This is what the law says

(1) No person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association shall possess, sell, offer for sale, import, bring or cause to be brought or imported into the State of Alabama any of the following live fish or animals

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama: any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus Americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus), Pronghorn Antelope (Antelocapridae), any nondomestic member of the families Suidae (pigs), Tayassuidae (peccaries), or Bovidae (bison, mountain goat, mountain sheep).

But I know several animal sanctuaries that have Mountain lions so I don't get all the details. It says corporations but I don't know if Zoos are an exception. One of the keepers told me state law was something they had to navigate when importing hoofstock so who knows.

Also I import live bison all the time because I raise them. Never had any problems but those probably fall under domestic.

 

I'm not sure what Wyoming's laws are but I do know that bison are considered wildlife and livestock. We have one of the only free-ranging herds in the world and it's three hours away from me.

How many bison do you have? Do they do pretty well in the heat an humidity? I've seen them in snow so much I have a hard time picturing them in a really warm climate.

 

I have 100 bison and 100 hereford right now. We have around 300 acres of land and about a quarter of it is wooded. During the summer the bison will get under the old growth oaks for shade. They never go in a barn or shed during the winter like the cows do.

The bison and cattle are raised on pasture not a feedlot but we do feed them supplemental feed and hay/sillage. My dad isn't into what he calls the neo-hippie way of farming yet.

We keep the bulls separate because of the fencing requirements.

My female herd is mixed sometimes in the larger pastures with our herford cattle. No problems as far as them getting along. Bulls though are a lot more difficult to handle than a Hereford bull which are like big sweeties.

 

Natural Bridge Caverns has a pretty good collection of hoof stock. Back in the 80's San Antonio was famous for it's collection of Antelope species no? Bronx Zoo also did well in the African Antelopes and Asian Deer category. What about Oklahoma City, seem to remember a pretty varied collection there in 1999.

 

I forgot to add Black rhino

 

Bronx Zoo did have a great Asian deer collection, some of which included Fallow deer and Chinese water deer, Oklahoma city zoo had one of the best in north america some of which included Altai argali and Uganda kob, San Antonio has an awesome collection with antelopes like Thomsons gazelles and Topi, Bronx Zoo also has Nyala and also had Blesbok and had Arabian oryx, Denver Zoo is another great collection, i wonder if they had Marsh deer because they have stuffed Marsh deer at the city's Natural History Museum in a beautiful diorama

 

Do you know if Honolulu Zoo still has Suni, I doubt they mixed them in with Addra gazelles because that wouldnt be geographically accurate, but then again many exhibit mixes are not

 

Detroit Zoo

Asia
•Bactrian Camel
•Sichuan Takin
•Fallow Deer

South America
•Guanaco

African Savannah
•Reticulated Giraffe
•Grevy's Zebra
•Common Eland
•Warthog
•White Rhino (if you count pachyderms)

Kudu Yard
•Lesser Kudu
•Fallow Deer

North America
•American Bison
•Elk
•White-lipped Deer
•Fallow Deer
•Asian Wild Horse
•Farm Hoofstock


John Ball Zoo

•Eastern Bongo
•South American Tapir
•Dromedary Camel
•Farm Hoofstock

Old John Ball Zoo Hoofstock

•Sitatunga
•Yellow-backed Duiker
•Wildebeest
•Grant's Zebra
•Dall Sheep
•American Bison
•Fallow Deer
(Lots more that I cannot think of)


Binder Park Zoo

•Bontebok
•Waterbuck
•Greater Kudu
•Addra Gazelle
•Impala
•Grant's Zebra
•Reticlated Giraffe
•Mongolian Wild Horse
•Farm Hoofstock

Old Binder Park Zoo Hoofstock

•Roan Antelope
•Eastern Bongo
•Thomson's Gazelle
•Black Duiker
•White-lipped Deer