Lagomorphs in North American Zoos

I believe I saw 2. Unfortunately I don't know anything more than that.

Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) is also listed on globalspecies.org for Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (in addition to Oregon zoo which was mentioned above)- anyone have an update on this information?

 

The photos I've seen off GVZ's rabbits look like wild European Rabbits. This species actually does have an introduced population in BC, so it makes sense.

 

@Giant Eland Thank you for the information about Sacramento Zoo's Riparian brush rabbits! If you don't mind my asking another question about them, which part of the zoo were they held?

Wow! Despite having read through globalspecies.org multiple times, I cannot say I remember Northwest Trek as a holder of Brachylagus idahoensis. That is awesome that they had them!

Didn't you also say a few years ago that Audubon Zoo had Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) off exhibit? I vaguely remember you telling me this...

 

Minor correction, the correct name of the holder of Marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) is Peace River Wildlife Center, not Peace Springs Wildlife Center.

 

I believe these were always just found in the wild on the zoo grounds.

 

*UPDATE*
Buffalo Zoo does not exhibit desert cottontail anymore. They have been replaced by sand cats.
We're not 'kitten' right 'meow,' Buffalo Zoo welcomes sand cats

 

I think one of the most zoologically and conservation significant lagomorphs kept in North American zoos are the volcano rabbit colonies held by the three zoos owned by the federal government of Mexico city : Chapultepec , Los coyotes and San Juan de Aragon zoo.

These institutions have acheived a lot of success in breeding the species but it is still an animal that is very difficult to maintain in captivity. This due to its propensity for developing fatal gastrointestinal illnesses and its need for specific climatic conditions and nutritional requirements.

Even with these steep difficulties of maintaining them in captivity the difficulties of the In-situ conservation situation mean that until these are improved their future is largely dependent on ex-situ conservation within zoos.

 

How many Volcano Rabbits are currently in captivity?

~Thylo

 

I have absolutely no idea about their current number. I know that it fluctuates widely every year with lots of births but a lot of deaths too both are constants and occur in the colonies kept by all three of these institutions.

I don't know whether any breeding has ever occured in Nagoya zoo but I would be inclined to think that there hasn't been given how difficult it is to even maintain them alive for long ex-situ and outside of Mexico .

 

Rabbits and hares aren't so common in zoos it seems. Why is that? No interest? It's not like most have a problem breeding.

 

Animal Search lists the following species kept in zoos:
Mountain, European brown and snowshoe hares
European rabbit
Desert and eastern cottontails

Various species can breed in captivity:
Snowshoe hare (https://www.fws.gov/news/Historic/NewsReleases/1940/19400826a.pdf)
Amami rabbit (https://herebunny.com/care/amami)
European rabbit (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4128116)

 

There are photographs here: The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Colugos, Treeshrews and Lagomorphs

 

If sanctuaries are counted, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is Jupiter, FL has both Marsh Rabbits and Eastern Cottontails.
Are the Pikas at Bronx still there and on exhibit? Never seen them.
Its strange that so few zoos have any wild lagomorph species. I'd love to one day see a Sumatran Striped Rabbit or Natal Red Hare.

 

The pikas are gone.

 

Most species are relatively short-lived and to keep the population going you have to manage to keep birth numbers ahead of deaths. A lot of wild rabbits tend to be rather fractious from what I hear, often making them prone to stressing out and/or hurting themselves in a panic. They aren't exactly worth the effort to most places.

 

Living Desert no longer has Black-tailed Jackrabbit, unfortunately.

 

Remind me when your last visit was?

 

That and the fact that most rabbits and hares are usually considered "boring" animals and also often hide in burrows probably has something to do with it as well

 

Though I understand the reasoning, I find it quite unfortunate. As Onychorhynchus coronatus mentioned in the thread earlier, there are a number of endangered lagomorph taxa that could and even do benefit from captive/ex-situ breeding programs such as the Volcano rabbit. Wild lagomorphs also have great educational value in that they present the bigger picture and give broader context regarding the taxonomic group they belong to. Exhibiting only Domestic rabbits in my opinion has little educational value, especially without presenting the bigger picture. Even if they are generally unpopular, I am glad at least some institutions are exhibiting them (ie Cleveland Museum of Natural History with their Snowshoe hares etc.). This has been an enjoyable thread so far, thank you for the posts.

 

El Paso Zoo did initially have plans to exhibit Black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) in their newly built Chihuahuan Desert exhibit complex, and I believe they wanted to exhibit them in the same paddock as their Peninsular pronghorns (Antilocapra americana peninsularis), which would have made for a great display, but none were able to be sourced at the time. About their Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), none were on exhibit during my last visits, but they have been kept there before. A friend of mine saw them many years ago and I plan to ask him further details about those animals.