Join our zoo community

How do you think extinct animals would have done in zoos?

Discussion in 'Zoo Cafe' started by TheMightyOrca, 15 Jan 2017.

  1. TheMightyOrca

    TheMightyOrca Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    28 Jan 2014
    Posts:
    1,807
    Location:
    Corpus Christi, Texas
    Ha ha, I've wondered the same thing. At the very least, I don't think modern zoos would go for anything that can truly speak, communicate with humans without much difficulty, though I imagine we would draw the line a little earlier. While we're at it, I wonder if environmental protection laws would be different for them?

    The modern pygmy hippo seems to do well in zoos, I'm sure the Mediterranean species would have done fine.

    Speaking of hippos, I bet the European hippo would, at least, be common in European zoos.
     
  2. Komodo99

    Komodo99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17 May 2017
    Posts:
    543
    Location:
    Lancashire
    I would want to see the various species of raptorian dinosaurs in captivity the most.There could be interactions with smaller members such as Velociraptor or the hatchlings of all species and similar to how modern zoos offer big cat feeding experiences they could offer the same with raptors.

    Depending on the size of the species and how many members are being housed,the enclosure could be tailored to the species.Velociraptor would need sand dunes and forest as there is evidence that raptors may have climbed trees to either escape the heat or launch a surprise attack on their prey,Utahraptor would need open plains with bushes and over hanging rocks and Austroraptor would need an environment similar to the Argentinian badlands plus rivers or lakes because it frequently preyed on fish.

    Feeding would depend on the species as well.Velociraptor could be fed on frozen rats,chicks and maybe calf or pig carcasses as could Utahraptor and Austroraptor which would also supplement its diet with fish which could be placed live in the enclosure to encourage the animals to exhibit hunting behaviour.

    I used Velociraptor,Utahraptor and Austroraptor as examples just because of what needs come to mind at the time.Care of raptorian may slightly vary between the species.
     
    TheMightyOrca likes this.
  3. TheMightyOrca

    TheMightyOrca Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    28 Jan 2014
    Posts:
    1,807
    Location:
    Corpus Christi, Texas
    If those raptors were still around, they'd totally be popular in zoos. There's a lot of variety, they look interesting, they were probably active animals, and they're intelligent, so with proper exhibits and enrichment they'd be very interesting for guests to watch. If temperament is suitable, they could be trained for shows or used in interaction programs. (not likely for the larger species)
     
  4. Komodo99

    Komodo99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17 May 2017
    Posts:
    543
    Location:
    Lancashire
    I would love to see a raptor interaction show and if the colour of the feathers could be determined they could stand out easily to the visitors.They may even be able to change the colour of the feathers.I wonder what kind of enrichment could be provided for raptors.
     
  5. TheMightyOrca

    TheMightyOrca Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    28 Jan 2014
    Posts:
    1,807
    Location:
    Corpus Christi, Texas
    Seeing them forage would be cool. I bet they could do strategy, puzzle solving stuff like crows.

    The Utahraptors in Zoo Tycoon 2 can use the painting easel, I always loved that, ha ha.
     
    Komodo99 likes this.
  6. Komodo99

    Komodo99 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17 May 2017
    Posts:
    543
    Location:
    Lancashire
    It would be interesting to see these animals put their intelligence to the test with these various activities and visitors would love it as well.

    In terms of tyrannosaurs in captivity i think that Yutyrannus may be a suitable candidate as it did not grow that large,can be easily managed even in a large pack and the hatchlings or juveniles could be used in the interaction programs.
     
  7. Water Dragon

    Water Dragon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    10 Mar 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    England
    The Stokesosaurus could also use it; and when it did, for some bizarre reason, glasses would appear on it's face!:eek:
     
    Birdsage and TheMightyOrca like this.
  8. Pandamich

    Pandamich Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24 Feb 2022
    Posts:
    59
    Location:
    Michigan
    I can imagine Quaggas would be like zebras and be put in mixed African savannas.

    North America sections would skyrocket in popularity with the inclusion of ice age creatures like mammoths, smilodon, dire wolves, short-faced bears and a lot more.

    Thylacines and moas would most likely only be given out as diplomatic gifts like tassie devils and kiwis.

    Dodos would be perfect for walk-though aviaries, I imagine it'd be like keeping crowned pigeons today.

    I'll think of more later, but I have no idea why I didn't find this thread until now!
     
  9. Dassie rat

    Dassie rat Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Jun 2011
    Posts:
    5,497
    Location:
    London, UK
    Passenger pigeons bred in captivity. If they had been kept in big aviaries, they should have bred well enough to have not become extinct
     
    birdsandbats likes this.
  10. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Sep 2013
    Posts:
    3,459
    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    @Pandamich Quaggas ARE /WERE zebras - a subspecies of the Plains Zebra, to be precise. Several authors described their behavior as more "docile" than that of other subspecies.
    The majority of extant Australian and NZ species has not automatically achieved a "diplomatic gift" status.

    Given the robust beaks of dodos, I doubt that they would be all too "perfect" for walkthrough aviaries, especially in regard to intrusive visitors' hands...
     
    Last edited: 28 Jul 2023
  11. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    16 May 2010
    Posts:
    14,735
    Location:
    Wilds of Northumberland
    Thing is, if they were still around we'd doubtless take many of these for granted - given the fact that New World endemic canids (barring two notable exceptions) tend to be restricted to collections IN the New World, I suspect the Dire Wolf for instance wouldn't be seen as particularly noteworthy.
     
    birdsandbats and Batto like this.
  12. Pandamich

    Pandamich Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24 Feb 2022
    Posts:
    59
    Location:
    Michigan
    That's what I was going for, yes.
     
  13. Pandamich

    Pandamich Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    24 Feb 2022
    Posts:
    59
    Location:
    Michigan
    Thinking about it, I can understand Moas. They could easily be like ostriches, but Thylacines I assume would have a similar program to the Tasmanian Devil.
     
  14. WalkingAgnatha

    WalkingAgnatha Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 May 2020
    Posts:
    750
    Location:
    New Zealand
    Fat chance with NZ's exports laws of that happening, also I don't really like this scenario because how are we saying these species even come back? Like, are we proposing a hold-over population? or cloning?
     
  15. evilmonkey239

    evilmonkey239 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Mar 2018
    Posts:
    483
    Location:
    Michigan
    Somewhat disagree. As they were (recently found to be) not such close relatives of the gray wolf but instead more closely related to South American canids, I think that would surely cause them to be seen as more noteworthy, especially seeing as they’d be the world’s largest canid and a social pack-living species.
     
  16. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    16 May 2010
    Posts:
    14,735
    Location:
    Wilds of Northumberland
    Firstly, although they have been found to be nowhere near as closely related to Canis lupus as previously believed, they are still classified within the Canina sub-tribe rather than the South American Cerdocyonina sub-tribe, being basal to extant genera; as such they were still closer kin to Grey Wolf than they were the South American canids.

    Secondly, if they were still around we would have caught on a lot sooner that they weren't congeneric with Grey Wolf, and they would have been viewed as just another New World canid - and as I already noted, barring the two exceptions zoological collections outside the New World have little to no interest in keeping them.

    Thirdly, the Dire Wolf was actually about the same size as the largest and most northerly populations of Canis lupus occidentalis - so it wouldn't have been deemed highly noteworthy on those grounds either.
     
    WalkingAgnatha likes this.
  17. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Sep 2013
    Posts:
    3,459
    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    I wonder whether the Great Auk would have been a popular alternative to penguins (after all, being the original "Penguin") or whether its husbandry would have faced similar difficulties (like the affinity to certain diseases) as the current keeping of alcids in captivity.