Join our zoo community

Strangest zoo animal

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by Falanouc, 4 Jan 2016.

  1. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    As a great lover of strange animals, I thought people could post the strangest animals they'd ever seen in a zoo/aquarium here. You can post as many weird animals as you like.
    My weirdest ones are probably:

    . deep sea isopods at The Deep. They were not there for very long, but they were like some primordial sea monster from an ancient ocean.

    . naked mole rats at London Zoo. For some reason they were smaller than I had imagined them, though I'm not sure why I imagined them to be any bigger.

    I may post more if I think of them.
    So what's your strangest animals seen in a zoo/aquarium?
     
  2. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Sep 2013
    Posts:
    3,482
    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    Homo sapiens sapiens Subtype "zoo nerds" ;). Strangest. Zoo Animal. Ever.
     
  3. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    Ha, yes, definitely! :D
     
  4. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    13 Jun 2007
    Posts:
    23,440
    Location:
    New Zealand
  5. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    Thank you, that is of much interest to me.
    On the other hand, I suppose this pretty much renders this thread irrelevent and useless, right?
     
  6. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    3 Sep 2013
    Posts:
    3,482
    Location:
    Baltic Sea - no more
    I like this new kid.:D
     
    Falanouc likes this.
  7. Dassie rat

    Dassie rat Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Jun 2011
    Posts:
    5,572
    Location:
    London, UK
    Hello, Falanouc. There's nothing wrong with your post. 'Escape from the ABCs' is about relatively little known animals that occur in very few zoos, whereas some strange animals, such as the aardvark are found in more zoos and more people have heard of them.
     
  8. gentle lemur

    gentle lemur Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    8 Sep 2007
    Posts:
    4,981
    Location:
    South Devon
    Yes, this thread includes historic sightings, while the 'ABCs' was more about contemporary ones.
    I think the Hispaniolan solenodon I saw at Frankfurt in 1973 is at the top of my personal list. I was very much reminded of the reconstructions of the early mammals that hid from the dinosaurs and I still remember its quivering nose and waddling walk. I just wish I had taken a photo or two, they would inevitably have been blurred and underexposed, but they would have attracted some interest here :eek:

    Alan
     
  9. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    A solenodon is certainly a great creature to see!
    I've seen some rather large specimens of Atlantic mudskippers in The Deep (great place, by the way), as well as nautilus.
     
  10. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    10 Dec 2012
    Posts:
    17,732
    Location:
    fijnaart, the netherlands
  11. Dassie rat

    Dassie rat Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Jun 2011
    Posts:
    5,572
    Location:
    London, UK
    I saw a two-headed garter snake at Los Angeles.

    I liked seeing the hoatzins at Bronx Zoo, Peripatus and a solifugid at London Zoo and the platypus at Taronga Zoo.

    Perhaps the most historic sighting were the type specimens of the golden bamboo lemur at Tsimbazaza Zoo. I may have also seen the type specimen of the Rondo bushbaby at London Zoo, but as far as I know, the specimen wasn't found after it escaped.
     
  12. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    To see a platypus is one of my lifelong goals, so you have me jealous there!
     
  13. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    10 Dec 2012
    Posts:
    17,732
    Location:
    fijnaart, the netherlands
  14. aardvark250

    aardvark250 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    1,980
    Location:
    Land of the 'vark
    Platypus is only in Australia(even captivity).So you must go to these Australian zoo to see it.:)

    Queensland
    David Fleay Wildlife Park, Gold Coast, Queensland.
    Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane, Queensland.
    Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre, Brisbane, Queensland.
    New South Wales
    Taronga Zoo, Sydney, New South Wales
    Sydney Aquarium, Sydney, New South Wales
    Australian Reptile Park, Foster, New South Wales
    Victoria
    Healesville Sanctuary, near Melbourne, Victoria,
    (From wikipedia)
     
  15. aardvark250

    aardvark250 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    1,980
    Location:
    Land of the 'vark
    Also,I saw a north sulawesi babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis) in singapore zoo.
     
  16. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    Sadly, I don't think there's any chance of me going to Australia any time soon to see a platypus. Too far away and not enough money. Oh well, Britain's got some decent zoos to.
     
  17. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    10 Dec 2012
    Posts:
    17,732
    Location:
    fijnaart, the netherlands
  18. Falanouc

    Falanouc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    58
    Location:
    England
    Oh, now that's cool!