If you had a zoo, what 5 species would yo definitely have?

Also, why is everyone hating on meerkats? Is it because they are so common?

 

Using only species which can be displayed in New Zealand, but with no other limits...

Tuatara.
Duvaucel's gecko.
Otago skink.
Robust skink.
Galapagos giant tortoise.

 

Meerkats are now in so many zooas ABC animals.There is much more option than meerkat.You can have different mongoose species.

 

Zootierliste lists 97 German zoos and 325 non-German zoos holding meerkats. Some zoos have more than one meerkat exhibit and some cities have more than one zoo showing meerkats. I realise that meerkats are popular, but they are not endangered and occupy space that could be occupied by active animals that are at risk of extinction. I also wonder how many visitors want to see more than one meerkat enclosure in the same zoo. I suspect that many will say, "We saw meerkats earlier."

 

Tiger (Any)
Tapir (Any)
Red Panda
Penguin (Any)
Elephants (Any)

My top five animals ever.

This is how i usually gauge how good a zoo is based on if they have my top five...my local zoo (Edinburgh zoo) has 4. If they dont have Elephants i usually let them off though because not many zoos have the space to keep them.

 

Sudan Cheetah(Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii)
Nubian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis)
White-eared Kobs (Kobus kob leucotis)
Tiang (Damaliscus lunatus tiang)
Nile lechwe (Kobus megaceros)

 

Difficult to choose, but here's my list:
-Pygmy hippos
-Sumatran Orangutans
Amur Leopard or Sumatran Tiger - either would be fab.
-Yellow Breasted Capuchins
-Hartmanns Mountain Zebra

 

Not to mention that zoos sometimes phase-out endangered species and replace them with Meerkats...

~Thylo

 

Which zoo?

 

In both cases I believe TLD means Edinburgh Zoo, which takes it to a ridiculous degree. I recall at least sea lion, Marbled Polecat, and European Ground-Squirrel all being replaced by Meerkat enclosures.

~Thylo

 

London & Paradise Wildlife Park both currently have 3 Meerkat exhibits. I think Marwell had 4 a couple of years ago when some members on here dubbed it Meerwell!!

 

-Southern tamandua
-Polar bear
-Binturong
-Malayan tapir
-Aardvark

 

Easy to see why though meerkats have sky rocketed in recent years with people with the well known meerkat add and meerkat manor that was very popular a few years ago. Also theyre quite a good animal to have as they are always pretty active year round and you can get quite close without too much danger. (Great for kids especially) Perhaps 6/3 is quite a bit too many but have seen the same kind of thing with lemurs too with at least two exhibits.

 

Hippo
Sumatran tiger
Northern white rhino
Mountain gorilla
Jaguar

 

From realistic Point of view, my Zoo should definetely show:

- Okapi
- Indian Rhino
- Mountain Zebra
- Sri-Lanka Leopard
- Gerenuk

 

The animals and humans involved in the 2006 Minnesota zoo Meerkat incident might tend to disagree - especially the now dead meerkats...Parents refusal to get vaccine forced the Minnesota zoo to put down their meerkats

 

I meant like through glass...not actual touching of the animals. This however is appalling. At Edinburgh zoo one of the meerkat enclosures has a short glass perimeter and the meerkats stand behind that most days so kids who are much smaller can stand almost face to face with them. I dont think i have been to a zoo that lets you touch them (at least not wihout keepers present).

 

OG87: ZOO Zamość - "Ogród Zoologiczny im. Stefana Milera"

 

Decided to have a go at this as well, just because it's fun to think about what species actually are my favorites. Will only be going for species in European collections currently, as otherwise I'd never be able to pick 5!

- Red-shanked douc
- Malayan tiger
- Black-and-rufous elephant shrew
- Long-wattled umbrellabird
- Wilson's bird-of-paradise