Join our zoo community

Worst Zoo Misses, Regrets and Gut Punches

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by FunkyGibbon, 31 Mar 2018.

  1. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    11 Jan 2015
    Posts:
    2,937
    Location:
    Birmingham, UK
    He's not exactly a spring chicken though is he...
     
  2. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    5 Mar 2017
    Posts:
    2,303
    Location:
    Wales
    Yes but the terms of care he gets compared to others before him is better and I feel he will still live for a few years at least.
     
  3. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    16 May 2010
    Posts:
    14,735
    Location:
    Wilds of Northumberland
    In point of fact he gets the same level of husbandry as the previous lifespan holder, who shared his exhibit in the Rio Negra, and who was a few years younger than Baby is now when he passed away. So I wouldn't delay visiting on the grounds that he is in relatively good health for his age - you may regret it.
     
  4. pachyderm pro

    pachyderm pro Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Aug 2016
    Posts:
    3,365
    Location:
    Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
    Reading this post gave me anxiety.
     
    Crowthorne and TZDugong like this.
  5. aardvark250

    aardvark250 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    1,972
    Location:
    Land of the 'vark
    I think i will be the guy who never saw him.
     
    TheEthiopianWolf03 likes this.
  6. Fallax

    Fallax Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    5 Mar 2017
    Posts:
    2,303
    Location:
    Wales
    True, it is my top priority for overseas travel currently but I probably won't be able to get there for a while yet.
     
  7. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    I did a spur-of-the-moment trip to Oregon last year, my first trip west, and I got there the day after Nora the polar bear went off exhibit before moving to Utah. That was disappointing!

    Not taking better care of and saving all of my old zoo photos and negatives.
     
  8. aardvark250

    aardvark250 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2016
    Posts:
    1,972
    Location:
    Land of the 'vark
    Worst miss..........I was like 8 years old in 2012 and I visit Chimelong. I don't realize how rare all those primates are and I am like "well,lets skip it". And then all of those Hainan gibbon and Douc langur and white-headed langur and phayre's langur..........
     
  9. TheEthiopianWolf03

    TheEthiopianWolf03 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    3 May 2017
    Posts:
    723
    Location:
    United States of America
    Welcome to the club...
     
  10. Buldeo

    Buldeo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    8 Aug 2012
    Posts:
    515
    Location:
    The Yay Area
    I now have one to add: missing the entire ZSL - London due to a train strike in France. My Eurostar back to the continent was canceled, so I ended up losing half a day flitting about St. Pancras waiting for a new train.
     
  11. Crowthorne

    Crowthorne Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    13 Jan 2014
    Posts:
    1,570
    Location:
    UK
    Nosing through ZTL for my upcoming trip, I was reminded of another miss - the African Wildcat at Howletts. I had my first (and so far only) visit there last summer, with my big aims being lots of gorillas, African elephants and the Ratels. I knew about the wildcat, but I was so captivated by the Ratels he kinda slipped my mind, and I somehow missed his enclosure, and didn't remember till I got home, but thought maybe I could see him on another visit. Now his ZTL Howletts listing is gone, along with my chance of seeing his species :(
     
    TeaLovingDave likes this.
  12. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    16 May 2010
    Posts:
    14,735
    Location:
    Wilds of Northumberland
    The subspecies, yes - the species can still be picked up, as Gordon's Wildcat is dotted here and there and also belongs in Felis lybica. :)
     
    Crowthorne likes this.
  13. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    29 Dec 2017
    Posts:
    1,201
    I ticked this one off my list at Jihlava on Sunday.
     
  14. Sarus Crane

    Sarus Crane Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Apr 2017
    Posts:
    1,081
    Location:
    USA
    1. Not having a video camera when I used to go to the Philadelphia Zoo. I only took pics with a disposable.

    2. Taking the time to see the Amazon exhibit at Zoo Miami. I always spent my time at either Wings of Asia, with Dalip & Nellie the Asian Elephants, Indian Rhinos, Gaur or African hoofstock.

    3. I missed going behind the scenes with Spike the elephant at Busch Gardens before he left for DC's National Zoo. They weren't offering tours but still...... :(
     
  15. Najade

    Najade Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    29 May 2017
    Posts:
    1,095
    Location:
    Germany
    As far as recent ones go:
    Missing Western Barred Bandicoot four times at Barna Mia.
    Finding out about the Banded Hare-wallabies at Wadderin Sanctuary a day after leaving the area.
     
  16. Giant Eland

    Giant Eland Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Feb 2010
    Posts:
    639
    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    Did Barna Mia not have banded hare-wallabies? I wasn't aware Barna Mia had Western Barred Bandicoots.
     
  17. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Aug 2008
    Posts:
    4,867
    Location:
    California, USA
    I should have jumped in the car and driven the six hours to see the vampire squid at Monterey Aquarium the minute that it went on exhibit, but no, I had to wait a week and it was too late.
     
  18. Najade

    Najade Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    29 May 2017
    Posts:
    1,095
    Location:
    Germany
    No Banded Hare-wallabies anymore, although I was told they're hoping to get them back when the expansion is done, but that even then it might take years.
     
  19. TheEthiopianWolf03

    TheEthiopianWolf03 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    3 May 2017
    Posts:
    723
    Location:
    United States of America
    It’s wores when you’re an hour away and you didn’t even know about the vampire squid...
     
  20. Giant Eland

    Giant Eland Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Feb 2010
    Posts:
    639
    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    Ah turns out I didn't miss them there then. But they had Western Barred that didn't show?