List of Zoochat Members Wanting to Found a Zoo

Africa

African lion
Serval
Common Chimpanzee
Chacma Baboon
Hybrid giraffe (can specialize later)
Zebra
Meerkat

 

thanks but I ended up finding it earlier

 

I did a lot of thinking about what Batto and what Chili said. And before I start I just want to say that I didn't mean to refer to the Midwest as a place that is easier to keep animals. I only ment that laws in the Midwest are more flexible when it comes to zoo building. But none of that matters because of what I'm about to say next.


I love animals. I have always had an interest since I was a toddler. Everyone else did, but I stuck to animals while everyone grew out of that phase and did whatever their parents told them to be.
I relies now that building a zoo is not only
Extremely hard, but also highly unrealistic to ask other people for advice. These other people don't even own zoos! That's why I have decided to do the following

1.) Make threads asking for advice on building a zoo.

2.) Going to Fantasy threads and recommending animals for zoo builders that actually want to build a zoo.

3.) Not build a zoo (or at least work/voulenteer at zoos or try to get into jobs that involve wild animals)

Experience is key. Not knowing how to properly care for a gelada or not understanding the needs for a polar bear can be detrimental to the animal. Thus risking the animal's health and life.

If any of you guys need me, I'll be happy to answer questions non-building a zoo related. This is my final decision. Thank you moderators Batto and Chili, and once again sorry for getting overexcited over a thing I don't know how to do. Until then...

TheEthiopianWolf03

 

Just want to note that I will be starting my own breeding centre/ wildlife park within the next 15 years. Haven't quite sorted out financies yet, but i have some land and some people willing to help me in the early days. My mentality is if you have a dream to help make a difference with conservation then study it, research it and go for it! Thats why I have just completed a Biology/ Conservation degree, have gained over 7 years experience working in a range of zoological facilites across the globe and plan to do alot more research and gain more experience before I start my venture. Next stage has just begun and I will be working with a conservation breeding centre in the breeding and releasing of threathened birds.

Zoochat provides us dreamers with a platform to express and discuss our ambitions, with the more experienced members helping to guide us younger individuals, and for that i'm grateful. I wish everyone luck in their ventures

 

Sounds exciting @cuckooduck! Are you mostly interested in birds or wanting to expand to mammals etc? I take it by breeding centre, you plan to import exotic species when you start up?
I see you're only 22 so I'm impressed how much experience you have already (globally as well). It will obviously be a great foundation for starting your own venture and no doubt how many start up zoos and wildlife parks have originated.

 

Thank you @Zoofan15. Birds are definetly my main area of interest, specifically, wildfowl, wadingbirds and gamebirds. The breeding centre will be an off display facility designed around the rearing of threathened species, whilst the attached wildlife park will provide the main income through visitation as well as providing the perfect environment to educate the public and exhibit the animals.

The more threathened species will probably have to be imported, but the U.K and Europe as a whole has some astounding bird collections, not to mention the amazing private breeders, producing pygmy geese, grebes, king eiders, cotignas, black necked cranes etc. However, If birds are destined for release back into the wild, the sourcing of wild specimens from which to breed is ideal and is a strategy emulated around the globe, for example the Ara project in Costa Rica or the WWT kick starter project with Black tailed godwits.

I do plan to branch out into some smaller threathened mammal species, such as prosimins, lemurs, lorids etc. as well as some smaller felines and ungulant species, and i luckily have a few mammal obsessed zoo friends that will hopefully be able to help me out

I may only be 22 but I'm well and truly obsessed with my plan and I am extremely determined. Decided I was going to own a zoo age 5 and i've stuck with it ha. Started volunteering in zoos from the age of 15 and through my own determination have managed to work in a number of zoos across the UK( both paid and volunteery work), as well as insitutions in USA and Africa. Currently 3 months into my new job, which I started whilst completing my degree, and I'm thoroughly enjoying, I'm learning alot and it's reminding me I have a long way to go before I'm ready or confident enough to do it myself. Anyway ramble over . Feel free to ask me any more questions could talk about my plans and ideas on zoos for an eternity haha

 

I really like your idea of an off display breeding facility, combined with a wildlife park to provide income through visitation. One of my favourite animals is Temminck's Golden Cat (one of the largest of the small cats) and it's largely believed that the most successful method of breeding this shy and reclusive cat is to have an off dsiplay breeding area to ensure maximum privacy. Once successful breeding has occured, the mother is given time to bond with her kitten/kittens before they move to a public display enclosure 3-4 months after the birth. This allows the kittens to become socialised to humans (or at least to the extent of not getting to the hyperventilation state upon seeing one) and takes advantage of the fact visitors enjoy seeing baby animals (additional visitation/income).

You have some great experience! Have you worked with many mammals? What feline species would yuo be interested in importing?

 

See all I want to do is rescue confiscated and unwanted exotic pets. I don't have any plans on wanting a world class zoo. So I don't have plans I'll just take whatever needs a home

 

Sounds like you want a wildlife sanctuary. I was looking at some good ones this morning. There's one that specializes in elephants even!

 

Advice to USA members wanting to start a zoo (though some of this will apply to other parts of the world).

1) Ask yourself what is the reason for starting your own facility instead of working at an existing one. There are legitimate reasons, such as wanting to focus on species neglected by mainstream zoos, or wanting to have a stronger conservation connection than mainstream zoos, or wanting to do a completely original type of zoo that has not been done. Just make sure you have a valid reason (and saying you don't want to answer to anyone is not a valid reason IMO).

2) Start small, as in literally a few animals. Several birds and reptiles are readily available in pet trade or from private breeders and some really interesting small mammals are available (serval, kinkajou, fennec fox, etc) as well as larger deer and antelope. Once you have a little experience, you may also be able to get unreleasable orphans from your state Game and Fish.

3) Know your state regulations. I do believe the suggestion about starting in a state with easier regulations is a good idea. I am personal friends with the founder a very respectable conservation oriented facility in California and he told me if he had to start today he would not do it in California due to the regulations and difficult bureaucracy. If you join a captive animal support organization, they can help you with state regulations. The one example I know for sure that does this is Feline Conservation Federation (if you want to work with cats). As a bare minimum, please know that all facilities that are open to the public must be USDA licensed (and you have to prove you have experience, which means either starting out closed to the public or volunteering somewhere else).

4) Get a good enough job (outside the zoo) to make a living for yourself and your animals. It will take several years before the zoo can pay for itself (if that ever happens).

 

1. An hour North of Los Angeles
2. Species: Most Species from the Tropics of Africa, Asia, South and Central America, African Savannah, African Desert, Ethiopian Highlands, Asian Savannah, Gobi Desert, Northern Hemisphere, California Desert, Australia, and islands
3. 15 to 20 years
4. Yes I would like collaboration
5. Finances and staff

 

Thanks

 

First of all, welcome to ZooChat. We hope you are able to follow your dreams of owning a zoo. Having grown up in Los Angeles myself I know the area desperately needs another zoo. However, your species list is way too broad and is essentially a fantasy zoo list, which is what we are trying to stay away from on this thread (there is a fantasy zoo forum for that). I would encourage you to pick either one or two habitats from your list or pick a certain category of animals (birds of prey, etc).

 

Thank you so much the community is very friendly. I would pick Primates, and Small Birds

 

Ok, I know I said I wasn't going back into this kind of stuff but after doing research ( A lot of research), I have decided to build a zoo BUT only after 10 years or so of practice. This does not include the time I'm studying zoology in an university. So here is the new and non fantastical zoo.

Location: Still in the Midwest, most likely Kansas.

Animals: Small primates, small carnivores, a few ungulates (That can be easily found), other smaller mammals birds, and reptiles/ambhibians.


Time: After university (aiming for masters or doctrine) and zoo animal experience.

Challenges- Finance


If this is a bit too much, I can take out a few animals to even it out. I'm trying to find a balance between no fantasy and animals that people will actually come to visit. The reason I say this is because when people come to a zoo, they expect to see monkeys, lions, and large megafauna. It's just the really of building a zoo.

But I'm still starting small. From this, I'll work my way up to be NOT a world class zoo, but a small but popular zoo state or even nation wide (most likely state wide)

I have an idea what animals will start at my zoo so I don't need any animal suggestions but I still need to hear what people think. I don't mean to be a hypocrite but after reading what Chili and
Arizona said, I decided that I should not give up on my dream, just get an education and practice beforehand. So we will see what happens!

Thanks.

TheEthiopianWolf03