Walrus currently in captivity

According to Dutch newspaper De Stentor Dolfinarium Harderwijs is considering saying goodbye to their iconic walruses (they currently have four and have kept the species since 1974). The current walrus exhibit should then become the new home of Harderwijk's Steller sea lions that are currently housed in an exhibit deemed too small and shallow by a 2020 report of the Dutch government's Zoo Commission (see second article linked below). According to De Stentor there are ongoing discussions to move two walruses to Pairi Daiza in Belgium and two to Hainan Ocean Paradise in China, but no definitive decision has yet been made.

Personally I think that the exhibit at Pairi Daiza which I visited a few months ago is really not suitable for another two walruses on top of the three already present and the four already planned.

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I think moving the two breeding age animals is a good idea. Perhaps the change of setting/social grouping will help stimulate breeding, especially with the genetically valuable male.

A very unusual move regarding the two going to China, however!

 

China's marine park industry has had a massive boom throughout the last couple of decades, so it's not surprising that walruses would be wanted there. However, I agree it's a bit strange they are being shipped to China instead of other European collections.

 

Hopefully Rossita and Raisa at least will stay in Europe, though there is a suggestion Paira Daiza's enclosure could not accomodate two more females?

Is there any news on the third female Tanya who came from Valencia?- is she staying in Hamburg because she is pregnant?

 

That is an interesting choice of animals.

Right now the Dolfinarium has 4 animals:

Nikolai
Olga
Rosita
Olivia

Nikolai is essentially a founder male, so it makes sense to keep him in the population. Olivia is a young captive bred female out of the Hamburg group, so it also makes sense to keep her in Europe. Olga has bred in the past, however she is pushing close to 40 and her last pup was 19 years ago. She's a fairly safe option for export. Finally, there is Rossita. She is currently 25 and a half years old, and has had 3 pups, her last in 2011. While she is on the older side, she should by all accounts still be reproductively viable.

Although Olivia is younger at only 12.5 years old, she is as of yet an unproven breeder, and both of her parents are still alive and able to breed. Rossita, although older, is a founder, is proven, and is also of more genetic value, she only has one living daughter who has yet to breed.

It'll be interesting to see who they end up keeping and sending out, for sure.

 

If this export goes through the two Harderwijk animals will be the fourth and fifth (at minimum) long-term captive walruses imported into China since 2018, the same year six pups at TINRO's Center for the Adaption of Marine Mammals in Srednyaya Bay were collected for Chinese facilities, with their export out of Russia later prohibited

 

All I can think of were the former walruses at Seaworld San Diego that were tooken out for the dive coaster Emperor.

 

SeaWorld SD still has Walrus...

 

Oh I thought they demolished their exhibit! Silly me!

 

I thought they demolished Wild Arctic though..

EDIT: looks like they demolished the ride but left the exhibits. I’m the dumbest one here in the thread.

 

SeaWorld SD is one of the major and last holders of Walrus in North America, fact checking yourself never hurts.

 

They demolished the ride but thankfully not the exhibits!

 

A fact I still find rather strange, the exhibit was smaller than the one at Point Defiance which just sent their last two away.

 

They're about the same size, comparing them from the air. SeaWorld's is more elongated and PD's is more circular, which may make the one at PD seem bigger.

I have seen both exhibits in person, though PD's was empty and drained at the time.

 

Neither is really as large as I would like for the species tbh. I have visited both in person and I much preferred PD both in terms of the exhibits as a whole and the behavior the animals were exhibiting. Not trying to put SW on blast or anything, I just find it strange that what is effectively an amusement park with animals has been given priority over many other zoos. Although I suspect the AZA doesnt have much say in the matter considering how much of the remaining breeding stock is held by them.

 

Given SeaWorld parks have long been a primary holder I don't see the AZA having a problem with them. All but 4 of the US's remaining Walruses are between two SeaWorld Parks. We've never had a ton of Walrus anyway.

You do realize 4 of the 6 remaining holders of Walrus in North America are amusement parks right? With PD out only Indianapolis Zoo and Aquarium of Quebec remaining as full zoos holding Walrus.
Also Busch Gardens, DAK, and more are AZA accredited, so I don't see the AZA having any issues with theme parks.
Though Six Flags is not AZA accredited, so the two walruses are now back out of the AZA. Walrus are pretty much dead-end at this point anyway unless some come in from the wild by some off chance so I don't think it makes much difference anyway.

 

Fair enough, its a sad state of affairs for the species in the states in any case.

 

0.1 Izumi was transferred from Umitamago to the Toba Aquarium on breeding loan

0.1 Uurya of the Otaru Aquarium is pregnant and due this birthing season, notably making her the oldest cow to give birth in captivity and the most productive, with six known pregnancies

 

new york aquarium no longer has walruses

 

I’m happy to hear that arnaliaq isn’t an orphan