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Rarest animals seen in a zoo or aquarium

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by Arizona Docent, 21 Jun 2011.

  1. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Of course, I even had the chance to possibly see one some years ago... but plans fell through. If I really wanted to try again, then I could; I'd rather save my money for a trip to the states or Aus :)
     
  2. MRJ

    MRJ Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    That was the presumption.
     
  3. Luke da Zoo nerd

    Luke da Zoo nerd Well-Known Member

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    You have a great point! But to be honest I was just hoping that zoos would acquire them someday, So It's really not a big deal someone should fuss about.
     
  4. Luke da Zoo nerd

    Luke da Zoo nerd Well-Known Member

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    We'll were talking about gorillas, I was wondering if any chatter has been to and seen the cross river gorilla at the Limbe wildlife center in Limbe, Cameroon. I am not sure If the wildlife center is private, or if it is open to the public. I am thinking it's private, But there might be a way someone could see it. Do any of you chatters know?
     
  5. drill

    drill Well-Known Member

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    i'm pretty sure it died
     
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  6. ThylacineAlive

    ThylacineAlive Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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  7. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Never figured out any outward physical differences between the Cross River and Western Lowland Gorillas( I know there are some skeletal ones).
     
  8. Luke da Zoo nerd

    Luke da Zoo nerd Well-Known Member

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  9. amur leopard

    amur leopard Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The only possible outward difference is that Cross River gorillas have shorter hands and feet than WLGs.
     
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  10. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I believe they also have notable differences in skull sizes compared to the Western lowlands.
     
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  11. Luke da Zoo nerd

    Luke da Zoo nerd Well-Known Member

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    How long ago did you see this?
    Can you see fork marked lemurs in captivity anywhere currently?
    (Besides in the wild)
     
  12. Tim May

    Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    I saw the giant armadillo many times at London Zoo during the 1970s. It was acquired in 1976 when the President of Brazil presented it to Queen Elizabeth; this animal was housed in the old Stork & Ostrich House. It was sent to Rotterdam Zoo in 1978.

    I saw the fork-marked lemur a few times on visits to Vincennes Zoo (Paris) in the late 1980s. I don't know of any currently in zoos.
     
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  13. Stinger

    Stinger Member

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    Giant Oceanic Manta Ray Mobula birostris (Ocean Park, Hong Kong)
    Giant River Otter Pteronura brasiliensis (Los Angeles Zoo)
    California Condor Gymnogyps californianus (Los Angeles Zoo)

    These are the three that immediately come to mind, but the manta ray was really the one that blew me away - I sat for literal hours watching the massive, magnificent rays pass by and still it pained me to leave the exhibit to see the rest of the park.
     
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  14. Luke da Zoo nerd

    Luke da Zoo nerd Well-Known Member

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    Do you know of the species of fork marked lemur? (Just out of interest).
     
  15. Dassie rat

    Dassie rat Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Grove listed the species as follows:
    Eastern fork-marked lemur (Phaner furcifer)
    Pale or western fork-marked lemur (P. pallescens)
    Pariente's or Sambirano fork-marked lemur (P. parienti)
    Amber Mountain fork-marked lemur (P. electromontis)
     
  16. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Quite; the issue is that Paris imported the species prior to the split and as a result no one is certain which species was held.
     
  17. Tim May

    Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    The book "Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; From the Living Collections of the World” (Richard Weigl; 2005) refers to the Paris animals as the Masoala fork-crowned lemur (i.e. the eastern species Phaner furcifer).
    However I don't know how accurate that identification is because, as TLD has already noted, they were acquired before Phaner furcifer was split into several different species.
     
  18. cliffxdavis

    cliffxdavis Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I thought I had posted but as I can not find it.
    1. Giant Armadillo. ZSL
    2. Baikal Seal. Twycross
    3. Sea Otter. National Sealife Centre.
    4. Forest Reindeer. HWP.
     
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  19. Enzo

    Enzo Well-Known Member

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    Amazonian manatee (only one specimen, a male whose name is Tapajós) - São Paulo Aquarium;
    Colocolo (Idk if they're common in captivity, I've only seen two in my life) - Belo Horizonte zoo.
     
  20. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Sea Otter isn't rare in North American zoos.