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Zoos of Ecuador

Discussion in 'Ecuador' started by AWP, 31 Aug 2017.

  1. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    In May, I visited Ecuador. As it was an organized tour with a group, free time was limited, but I was able to visit two zoos in the country (actually three, but one doesn’t deserve to be named a zoo). Below I will give a brief description. A list of mammals and birds of prey in both zoos will follow later en I will try to upload some photos.

    Ecozoo San Martín
    This zoo is located in the San Martín Canyon two kilometers west of Baños de Agua Santa in the province of Tungurahua. All species kept in this zoo are native.

    After the entrance, there are two walking routes through the zoo, with mainly mammals along the first and aviaries along the other one. The monkey enclosures and aviaries for parrots are average, but most of the other mammals are housed in quite spacious exhibits, as well as the birds of prey. Most notable are those of the spectacled bears and Andean condors.

    Across the street a second “zoo” is located in the San Martín Canyon, the Acuario Serpentario. It a combination of an building with aquaria and terraria (many boa constrictors, some other snake species), a square with aviaries (mainly the average cage birds) and some farm animals, and on top of a hill an enclosure for lions. Compared to Ecozoo San Martín, it’s complete rubbish.

    Bioparque Amaru
    Before my journey, I read some good reports about Bioparque Amaru with claims like “the most beautiful zoo in South America”. I can’t tell if that claim is true, but is definitely a great zoo.

    Bioparque Amaru is located outside the city of Cuenca. This zoo is located in a forest on quite hilly terrain and its divided in five ecozones: Los Andes, Mágico Bosque Seco, Amazonía, Islas Encantadas and África Salvaje. The first one is the largest with spacious enclosures for deer, spectacled bear and Andean condor among others. The second zone is dedicated to the dry forests en the smallest, with an enclosure for collared peccaries. Squirrel monkeys and macaws roam freely in Amazonía, that includes enclosures for other monkeys, felines and tapirs, a large aviary with parrots, whistling ducks and currasows, and buildings for crocodiles, snakes, turtles and frogs (including the Centro de Conservación de Anfibios that plays a crucial part in breeding programms for critically endangered frogs, like stubfoot toads). Giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies inhabit the Islas Encantadas, the area fort he Galápagos. África Salvaje is completely out-of-place in a zoo with otherwise only native animals. I guess the lions, ostriches and peacocks (not even African!) are mainly there to attract visitors.
     
  2. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Species list for Ecozoo San Martín

    Mammals
    Jaguar – Panthera onca
    Puma – Puma concolor
    Ocelot – Leopardus pardalis
    Tayra – Eira barbata
    Spectacled Bear – Tremarctos ornatus
    White-nosed Coati – Nasua narica
    South American Coati – Nasua nasua
    Kinkajou – Potos flavus
    Crab-eating Raccoon – Procyon cancrivorus
    Brazilian Tapir – Tapirus terrestris
    Collared Peccary – Tayassu tajuca
    Peruvian Deer – Odocoileus v. peruvianus
    Little Red Brocket Deer – Mazama rufina
    Black Agouti – Dasyprocta fuliginosa
    Central American Agouti – Dasyprocta punctata
    White-tailed Titi – Callicebus discolor
    White-fronted Capuchin – Cebus albifrons
    White-headed Capuchin – Cebus capucinus
    Common Squirrel Monkey – Saimiri sciureus
    White-fronted Spider Monkey – Ateles belzebuth
    Black-headed Spider Monkey – Ateles fuscipes
    Brown Woolly Monkey – Lagothrix lagotricha

    Birds of prey
    King Vulture – Sarcoramphus papa
    Andean Condor – Vultur gryphus
    Savanna Hawk – Buteogallus meridionalis
    Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle – Geranoaetus melanoleucus
    Variable Hawk – Geranoaetus polyosoma
    Carunculated Caracara – Phalcoboenus carunculatus
    Great Horned Owl – Bubo virginianus
    Spectacled Owl – Pulsatrix perspicillata
    Short-eared Owl – Asio flammeus
    Crested Owl - Lophostrix cristatus
    Roraima Screech-Owl - Megascops roraimae
     
    Last edited: 1 Sep 2017
  3. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Species list for Bioparque Amaru

    Mammals

    Puma – Puma concolor
    Ocelot – Leopardus pardalis
    Oncilla – Leopardus tigrinus
    Margay – Leopardus wiedii
    Lion – Panthera leo
    Andean Fox – Lycalopex culpaeus
    Spectacled Bear – Tremarctos ornatus
    South American Coati – Nasua nasua
    Kinkajou – Potos flavus
    Brazilian Tapir – Tapirus terrestris
    Collared Peccary – Tayassu tajuca
    Lama – Lama glama
    Alpaca – Vicugna pacos
    Peruvian Deer – Odocoileus v. peruvianus
    Black Agouti – Dasyprocta fuliginosa
    Río Napo Tamarin – Saguinus graellsi
    Brown Capuchin - Cebus apella
    Common Squirrel Monkey – Saimiri sciureus
    White-fronted Spider Monkey – Ateles belzebuth
    Brown Woolly Monkey – Lagothrix lagotricha

    Birds of prey
    Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus
    King Vulture – Sarcoramphus papa
    Andean Condor – Vultur gryphus
    Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle – Geranoaetus melanoleucus
    Variable Hawk – Geranoaetus polyosoma
    Carunculated Caracara – Phalcoboenus carunculatus
    American Kestrel – Falco sparverius
    Spectacled Owl – Pulsatrix perspicillata
    Stygian Owl – Asio stygius
     
  4. carlos55

    carlos55 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Una olinguita rescatada se exhibe en el zoológico de Guayllabamba
    The first olinguita to be exhibited in a zoo is at the zoo in Quito.No surprise, it was rescued from the illegal pet trade, as are so many animals in Latin American collections. The olinguita is a recently discovered species and already affected by the illegal animal trade.
     
  5. Brum

    Brum Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Surely it's the first known olinguita in a zoo? There was one in the USA in the sixties that spent time at (at least) Smithsonian and Reid Park but was believed to be a typical olingo, the details are on here somewhere and I think that that particular animal was the type specimen. @TeaLovingDave knows more details, well I think he does anyway! :p
     
  6. carlos55

    carlos55 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Any way it is the only olinguita on exhibit in any zoo currently. Maybe devilfish will go to see it now.
     
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  7. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I passed by Guayllabamba (actually quite a bit out of Quito) last year, but only for a short stop at the local supermarket. Unfortunately, I had no time for a zoo visit.
     
  8. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I was going to make a joke along the lines of "What's that noise? Oh, it's @devilfish and @Giant Eland running to buy plane tickets!" :D
     
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  9. carlos55

    carlos55 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Alpza Zoos
    A very recent photo from ALPZA and Quito zoo of the olinguito.
     
  10. wally war eagle

    wally war eagle Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    several years ago on our way to Galapagos Islands, my wife and I visited 3 facilities in Guyaquil; iguana park, historical park with native species in natural habitats and zoo pantanal outside the city with both native and exotic species.
     
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  11. FBBird

    FBBird Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Reviews would be welcome here!
     
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  12. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I guess you mean Parque Seminario with "Iguana Park". This is a public park in front of the Cathedral with wild green iguanas. My hotel in Guayaquil last year was just beside Parque Seminario. This park is also a good location for birding, saw scrub blackbird, pale-legged hornero and groove-billed ani (next to rock pigeons).
     
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  13. carlos55

    carlos55 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Kifaru Bwana likes this.