I've read several times, both on the forum and elsewhere, that AZA zoos are not permitted to keep certain species if a closely related species has an SSP. The example I've most seen used is tapirs. AZA zoos are not allowed to keep Mountain or Brazilian Tapir, unless they also devote exhibit space to either Malayan and Baird's. I've read that failure to do so brings the threat of losing one's accreditation, though perhaps these rules have been exaggerated? ~Thylo
I'm also a bit skeptical that AZA zoos actually risk losing their accreditation for not complying with species management policies. While not conclisive, in the past year, Brookfield switched from holding Baird's to Brazilian tapirs (there was a couple of week overlap), which I can't imagine they would have done if such a move risked their accreditation. Additionally, while this is a separate issue but is related, SSP breeding and transfer plan recommendations are voluntary for members to comply with except for green SSPs (those which have greater than 50 individuals in AZA collections and are projected to retain at least 90% of their current generic diversity after 100 years-this is a very small fraction of SSPs). Admittedly, one could argue that mandatory compliance with green SSP plans (with the punishment for non compliance, at least repeatedly presumably being loss of accreditation) is the problem that is being discussed on this thread, but to me it is far more justifiable to require compliance with a population management plan after an institution has agreed to house a species than to require that an institution house or not house a species.
Cheyenne Mountain has only held Mountain tapirs and their accreditation has never been challenged for that reason. I think they incentivize facilities to house animals that have SSPs and they have master plans for each one but accredited zoos can acquire and exhibit any species they want. Most places do comply with the Red and Yellow SSP recommendations and TAGs because they align with most zoo’s missions regarding conservation and population health but I do not believe it is a requirement to keep one species over another. Just highly advised . But if they participate in Green SSPs, recommendation compliance is mandatory with accreditation. That’s partly why only AZA facilities can participate in Green SSPs. There is a process for disputing recommendations if a facility wishes to not comply. They are not required however to house a species that they do not want including Green SSPs.
Thanks a lot to everybody for your tips and recommendations! @Sarus Crane, your non-zoological recommendations are very complete, but I guess my mother will know/search them actively, maybe she visit these kinds of places (she loves art museums) while leave me in a zoo or something For my side, I find boring everything in life that is not biodiversity-related so I only will visit those places where my mother ask me to stay (she don't speak english and have some motion problems). As for AZA or non AZA zoos for me is absolutely the same and I will never care to know if a zoo that I visit is AZA or ZAA or WAZA or whatever. I don't care also about what subspecies of leopard are kept by a zoo, since the important thing is the species, so it's a common leopard. I saw vicunas in a number of occasions.I also have bearded pigs in my photo archive, as well as all those monkeys mentioned. I don't know if I will dislike the New England Aquarium like you, but very probably not, as they have flower hat jellyfishes, goosefish and other fantastic rarely seen things (nothern fur seals also will be lifers for me). For sure I will NOT skip the Harvard Museum, I took a look on this website and they looks like having a lot of specimens of species that I don't have photographed nor seen before. Of course I always prefair photographing a live-looking specimen in a diorama over a 19th century style taxidermy mount badly stuffed (and also a live specimen over one in a diorama, as far as the resulting photo is of enough quality), but this is a minor point. I guess that the Harvard Museum will be much better for me than all the zoos of Masachussets together. I don't care if a species is charismatic like a Kronosaurus or is a tiny bird or a beetle, as far as it's a species that I lack, rarely seen, distinctive and preferably known for me (but a thing that I care is if the dinosaur and other ancient life pieces are real fossil or casts, I only photograph the former). Now @ThylacineAlive talks my language!! Northern tamandua is quite a thing to be considere, instead the Southern that are in every other zoo. However, if it's behind the scenes it's the same for me as if they don't have it Knowing that non-AZA zoos can keep species that are phased out by AZA, I would say that I would tend to prefair a lot non-AZA zoos over AZA zoos!!! (actually I just don't mind about the membership of a zoo, but I strongly dislike the fact of any species being phased out).
Huh, I was always under the impression that Cheyenne Mountain kept another species along with Mountain. Fair enough then, I stand corrected and thanks for the clarification. I still stand by the idea that the AZA is too constrictive when it comes species programs, especially mammals, but that's just me. @Kakapo the tamandua is an education animal and as such is not truly on exhibit. However, there is a spot where one can view it's off-show enclosure over a fence but you kind of need to be tall in order to see it. ~Thylo
Definitely recommend the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science. When I visited the MoS I didn't see most of their animals but they've got a decent tamarin exhibit and butterfly garden. The New England Aquarium has some fantastic exhibits and some cool species like little blue penguins and northern fur seals. You might also want to look into the whale-watching opportunities available through the New England Aquarium as well. I know someone who volunteered at the Harvard Museum and it's worth visiting if you're interested in natural science or paleontology, the museum itself is very small though and like people have said before it has more of the European "cabinet of curiosities" displays rather than the more dynamic American style displays. That being said they have some of the best taxidermy pieces in the world (their sable antelope, for example). I can't personally attest to any of the Boston area zoos but from what I've heard Roger Williams might be the one you want to go to. It's about an hour/hour and a half outside of Boston in Rhode Island, and it's got some decent exhibits and species.
A lot of the major natural history museums (London, Paris, AMNH, Field, etc...) back in the 20's to the 40's were rushing to Angola to get specimens of the Giant Sable and Harvard was one of them. They also have a Mountain Gorilla collected by Harold J. Coolidge as well as a Great Indian Bustard (misidentified as a Kori Bustard) in the African Hall. I also heard they renovated the space above the Great Mammal Hall as a new bird exhibit so if you visit please take some pics @Kakapo.
Thanks to both! The tamarin and butterfly garden have an extra fee appart of the price of the museum, so I will not enter, the butterflies here are the same species commonly used in worldwide butterfly houses by the photos that I've seen, so nothing new for me. I noticed the whale-watching tour, but it cost more than 50$ so I will not do (I already did whale-watching in San Diego with many boring hours of empty sea and finally we didn't saw any whale, tough Risso's dolphins were a good compensation). I don't think that the separation between cabinet of curiosities and dynamic dispay is an European-American difference, but more a 19th-21th century difference in both continents. Thanks for the recommendation of Roger Williams, tough in the Zoochat gallery I didn't found any very special species for me. Ohhh Great Indian Bustard, THAT's a species!!!! I will take pics for sure
They've been popping up in the US pet trade along with Ruppell's so I wouldn't be shocked, but I'd love to see some evidence. If they do I may be the first to go and see it Isn't there supposed to be a zoo in New Jersey with Ruppell's? ~Thylo
