Zoobat Collections (N. America)

Thanks for the updates. I found a Youtube video suggesting that African Lion Safari's flying foxes are Indian. I can't positively ID the species shown, but it looks like it could be Indian and that species is/was held by Calgary and I think another Canadian zoo at some point, so that would make the most sense.

Speaking of which, does Calgary still hold Indian flying foxes?

Additionally, can anyone confirm if Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita or Virginia Zoo in Norfolk still have vampire bats? They both had them at some point in recent years.

 

Sorry @Jurek7, just realized that nobody answered this. I know that vampire bats and three-banded armadillos once shared an enclosure at Cincinnati, but that's the only example I have.

 

Couldn't they have gotten them from a US zoos?

~Thylo

 

In theory yes, however bats are INCREDIBLY difficult to import into Canada, and I simply don't see any reason why a sanctuary that is largely not open to the public and non-breeding would bother to go through all the hassle to import such an obscure species for a (more than likely) non breeding, off display colony. Simply doesn't make a lick of sense to me. If they really wanted bats just for the sake of having them, it would have been are easier to acquire surplus Jamaican or Egyptian Fruit Bats, which both have sizable and regularly breeding colonies at a number of different Canadian facilities.

Their website states they were "rescued" and if I had to guess, they were either surplussed by a less well known facility, or taken from a private holder (although the question still remains where the original colony originated from).

 

Turns out Miller Park does still have Jamaican and Seba's bats, so I'll add that in when I update the list.

 

As of my visit today, signed but definable not in exhibit. No idea if it is still bts or gone altogether.

 

Did you ask a keeper to confirm their absence? They can be quite difficult to locate.

 

The Detroit Zoo does have a bat in the odd exhibition space behind the lion house, I forget the species. It's in the enclosure with the sloth.

They've been saying that they're going to turn the old Penguinarium into a bat conservation center. I've been unable to find any details and in any case owing to a construction problem they're closing the penguin house for nine months and moving the residents back to the old penguin exhibit, although off public display, so if they are actually going to do the bat thing, it'll be a while longer.

 

No, I did not.

 

as of this summer, I can confirm following in Texas zoos:

Capital--unsigned (assumedly still Egyptian rousette)
Houston--Pallas's longtongue; Seba's leafnose
Waco--Jamaican fruit

 

Detroit keeps Straw-colored.

 

Thanks, I remember that happening but forgot to record it here. Seba's and Jamaican fruit bats are also being held behind the scenes. A few of them are on exhibit with their sloth. I think the zoo is planning to build a bat complex that will hopefully feature all of the animals they're holding now.

 

That's great!

 

just spoke with Ansonia Natue Center and confirmed they have 2 Big Brown bats.

Virginia Living Museum had them a few years back and their website seems to suggest they still do.

Beardsley had one, not sure if they still do: @ThylacineAlive ?

@drill had also mentioned Center for Wildlife, Cape Neddick ME Earthplace, Westport, CT for big brown bats

 

zoos really should develop keeping and breeding microbats. What would really be cool would be to keep them in semi wild conditions were people could view them while they roost/hibernate
but breeding them may be vital for some species survival

 

Living Museum does not. I saw no signage at Beardsley. I did see their exhibit at Earthplace, but no bats.

 

I think Beardsley keeps their bats bts. The plans for the new farmyard list bats inside the barn, though, so it's possible they will go on-exhibit then.

I've never even heard of Earthplace, what's there?

~Thylo

 

Not much. Inside are a number of animal exhibits, including the bats. Nothing notable inside. I remember some birds, a Saharan uromastyx, Spotted salamander, and some domestic animals, though there is more. Outside are raptor cages, Peregrine falcon being the least common among them. Their website is out of date (no longer has mockingbirds, for one thing). It's near Bridgeport.

 

How are the bats exhibited?

~Thylo

 

in a small basically tank with the top off