Species we have lost over the last quarter of a century

Maybe there is a need of a similar thread: last chance to see: species we are about to lose from Europe?

Besides animals avialable from rescue centres and private keepers, there is a worrying number of endangered species which are down to few collections and are unlikely to be replaced. Bawean Deer, Andean and James Flamingos are examples.

I am happy that I made a visit to Dvur Kralove especially to see Northern White Rhino. Next year she died, and it looks like this animal will never ever be seen in Europe and soon will die out.

 

Sanford's Brown Lemur at Hamerton......

Sanford's Brown Lemur, Hamerton - Oct 2003 | ZooChat

 

All 3 species of minlas we have lost in European zoos:
Bar-Throated minla- lAST SEEN IN NORTH ZEALAND BIRD PARK (DENMARK)
Blue-Winged Minla
Red-Tailed Minla (Last seen in Walsrode in 2016)

Luckily, these three species are not extinct in captivity, some European and Asian private collections has them, and the most common is the red-tailed, bred in many collections.

 

We also got the Golden babbler, Rufous-capped babbler, Chestnut-capped babbler, Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut Yuhina, Black-Chinned Yuhina and Vinous-Throated Parrotbill are common pet birds in China.

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https://tieba.baidu.com/p/5009703566

 

I agree, and there is an additional reason: such "low-profile" species are often kept in a zoo because of the interest of a single person, which could be a curator, head keeper, a department head or even just a single animal keeper with an exceptional interest. With a change of staff, other employees often feel no attachment to these species, because they do not see a commercial value to keep them. The animals are still routinely cared for, but nobody does more than a general maintenance protocol prescribes and this is usually not enough for those species to breed. Couple of years later, the said species is lost from the ZOO collection and nobody really cares, until years later another single employee regrets this and does an extensive effort to get it back. Same happens in private collections. There are very few exceptional people who are interested in keeping the same species for several decades when that species is not getting a lot of attention and they also donćt earn anything with it (often not even appreciation from colleagues!).

Also, in my experience, there are animal keepers who are also keen observers of their animals, and this is what you need to get many species to breed. The majority of animal keeper work on routine, and they are not necessarily to blame for that, because for observing animals you need time, which is often lacking (or misused with taking some extra breaks in some cases). How many directions allow keepers "observation time" on a daily basis? Keepers who keep observing those non-commercial animals regularly are the first to be overburdened with work and to leave the zoo-world

 

One of the reasons we began our Bird Park was because we felt finches were appearing very little in large public zoos and even in other bird parks. While finances, health problems and lack of time have made it nigh on impossible for us to have the privilege of visiting many zoos, this has been our experience. Finches are becoming as endangered as other more 'popular' species and need attention too. Many of these birds are difficult to come by and expensive to attain (at least for us) in groups large enough and not genetically too close to be able to make up a good breeding group.
Many have been bred in small cages and therefore haven't the resistance and fortitude for coping with more natural surroundings; something which we feel is necessary for their continuity in captivity or in the wild, should they ever be needed for reintroduction. It's no good waiting until they're nearly extinct to do this. I hope there will be many more who will try to help finches in this way

 

Where is this Bird Park please?

 

This is exactly what I mean by my post. Too many times with small species, it is an initiative from a single person in a single ZOO. In the plant cultivation world, it is much the same with very few people long-term interested in maintaining particular species. I do not have a solution, but it is clear that, when it comes to small animals, ZOO's only in some cases can maintain strains/species, mostly as a dedicated efford in a special breeding station in a ZOO. Otherwise, they just obtain a few individuals which may or may not breed, but which are not forming a sustainable population without constant new accessions. This is, I dare say, the case with most small reptiles, most fish and most of the birds which are smaller than a starling/mynah.

I had a dream, long ago, to start up a society of people who are interested in maintaining wild-type animals and plants, as much as possible in their natural form, in captivity. From small fish to tropical plants and -indeed- finches, I think that we all face the same basic problems of too few people who are really dedicated for more than a couple of years. Many people are willing to move heaven and earth to obtain something, then, if you ask a couple of years later, they no longer have the species. Mainly because something new came on their way. This is much the same in ZOO's and in private collections.

 

Just discovered we have one species back . At Amneville the Long-tailed broadbill is kept again since this year, the bird(s) being confiscated.

 

I took some good photos of this animal in 2010. I can upload them when I get home.

 

Amazing thread really. Such a great work !
Why not a “Species we won/won again in Europe in the last X years”?
It’s a lot of work I know but if someone has the knowledge and the time, I’d be really happy to read it.

 

That thread already exist.
Species We Have Gained Over The Last Quarter Of A Century

 

Are you sure? I can't remember ever seeing this species in Artis in the 1990's or 2000's.

 

Probably confusion with Callithrix geoffroyi,, which was kept...

 

According to ZTL, Europe's last swift fruit bat (Thoopterus nigrescens) was no longer at Berlin Tierpark at the end of 2017.