ZooChat Challenge Global 2020

Welcome back everybody to the eighth installment of the ZooChat Global Challenge! We're heading into the uncharted territory of a new decade and with that I decided to really think outside of the box this year and by that I mean I decided to give you all the one thing you never thought I'd do: Marsupials.

Now this year is going to play out a tad bit different since it's pretty obvious the Australians have this one in the bag. In order to keep this game entertaining for all parities, I've decided to introduce sub-competitions. For this year, the sub-competition winners will be simply split between Australasia and the rest of the world. So how this will work is that, as always, the person who sees the most marsupials by the end of the year will be crowned the global winner, regardless of region or areas of travel. However, I will also be crowning secondary winners: the person who sees the most marsupials within Australasia without exiting the region, and the person who sees the most marsupials outside of Australasia without entering the region.

Now I realize the person who sees with most within Australasia will likely be the same person who wins the entire challenge, and if that's how it goes so be it, but there is always a chance that one of you may do an Australia tour while also visiting zoos withing your own area of the world so I figured I'd keep an opening for that just in case. For the purposes of this challenge, the Weber Line will be used to separate Australasia from Southeast Asia. New Zealand, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands are all included in Australasia along with Australia and New Guinea even though there won't be many, if any additions from those countries.

So to be clear, in order to win either of the sub-competitions you cannot cross the Weber Line into Australasia or vice versa and count species seen in both regions. Only people whose entire species lists come from within their relevant region will be considered for either of the sub-competitions. If you do cross the line, though, will are definitely still within the running for the overall global challenge.

Rules are as follows:
1. You have to actually see the animal, even if just for a second. You don't score if you visit a collection but don't see the animal (harsh, but fair);
2. Proof via photographs is not required, your word is your bond;
3. All entries must be presented in numbered list form, with scientific names included (simply to make it easier to keep track of and to avoid uncountable species being slipped in due to vagueness);
4. You have to see the animal via normal public access (zookeeper for the day or photography days behind the scenes do not count) during normal public opening hours (i.e. no scoring because you know the keeper and can get access before/after hours). Basically the species has to be seen as Joe Public would;
5. Any severely limited opening or private collections don't count for this challenge. Controversial yes, but see previous point and it isn't fair to include a handful of days these collections might be open to the public as this might logistically disadvantage a large number of people;
6. Only public zoological collections, museums, public park displays, etc. count, animals seen at farms or pet stores do not count;
7. Report/update your progress on this thread as you go along;
8. Only one subspecies per species can be counted;
9. Controversial entries due to splits will be discussed on a case-by-case basis;
10. Domestics do not count, the animals must be in a wild form. You can count a species that's been domesticated just as long as the animal you're looking at isn't;
11. Hybrid animals do not count;
12. Wild animals do not count, all species must be seen in captivity under all the conditions listed above;
13. Anyone caught severely violating any of the above rules and/or participating in extremely unsportsmanlike conduct on or even off the forum is subject to disqualification (these are made for fun, by all means take them seriously but please do not ruin the fun for anyone else. I do not expect to have any problems, but I've added this in just in case);
14. Any issues with any of the above rules is open to discussion but the rules are set and any decisions made are final;
15. Apart from the unlikely event that someone gets to see all the species potentially viewable by 12/31/20, the winner will be deemed to be the person who's seen the most at that date.

As always, thanks to @Shorts for the original challenge idea and the general rules format.

I'm looking forward to another great year and another great game so happy spotting!

~Thylo

 

Sounds like a neat idea on how to run the challenge. Can't wait to see how many are actually exhibited outside of Australia (as well as within too).

 

Fantastic - those of us in the UK will be wanting to take a visit to Hamerton... I hope to get there at some point in the summer. In the mean time, zoos in the Southwest of the UK should keep me busy!

 

I’m devastated as I visited a wildlife park with tons of marsupials. yesterday.

 

Surely you can maintain sub-lists? ie I could visit both Europe and Australia, the latter briefly and the former extensively. Let's say by September I have basically got the Rest of the World cup sown up, and I plan a trip to Melbourne to challenge for the global title. However, I fall short of that. Have I now thrown away my claim to the Rest of the World, or am I just reading the rules wrong?

 

Once again, a topic I cannot compete in, in spite of meager zoo visits.

 

Well this will definitely be a challenge! Hopefully this year some of my big zoo trips pan out because I actually want to stand a chance. At least I'll be able to get one or two species tomorrow.

 

It’s actually happening! This year I should get more than my previous total of two!

 

And you might not have to count a capybara as a member of Carnivora to get a final count higher than ten.

 

I know . What I was trying to say was that this year you won’t have to consider a species from a completely different order a marsupial to get a half substantial list.

 

Chester Zoo- 01/01/2020

1) Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi)
2) Dusky Pademelon (Thylogale brunii)

 

Oof. I might get 10 if I'm lucky...

 

So excited to be in the US and be able to do this one (even if I don’t cross into double-digits) now! I feel for @Junklekitteb - India is definitely not even slightly competitive in the RotW category.

But hey! Quick dash through National Zoo gives me two and lets me start tied for first

1. Woylie (Bettongia penicillata)
2. Bennett’s wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)