Many zoos feature common zoo animals like giraffes, elephants, or hippos, while some might feature unusual animals such as okapis, armadillos, and tapirs. Still, there are many animals, both common and unusual, that are well-known but are extremely rare in US zoos, and it can be appealing to see many of them. Here are some extremely rare animals in US zoos, and note that I’m only covering zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). This is the second installment of my first article. Read the first one here.
Mountain Tapir: The mountain tapir is the smallest of the four species of tapirs. It lives in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains. They are semi-aquatic like the other tapirs, often seen swimming in rivers. Their fur is more woolly, longer, and thicker than that of other tapirs to help them stay warm in their high-altitude habitat. Fewer than 2,500 mountain tapirs remain in the wild, which makes them endangered. Facilities that house them are the Los Angeles Zoo in California and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.
Shoebill: The shoebill is a species of bird that lives in the swamps of Africa. They get their name from their beak, which is shaped like a shoe. In fact, it’s the shape of their beak that also gives them their other name, the whale-headed stork. Although the birds are often referred to as “shoebill storks,” shoebills aren’t related to storks. They are more closely related to pelicans, ibises, and herons, and scientists have found that the hamerkop is the closest living relative to the shoebill. These birds also have a clattering call that sounds like a machine gun. Here in the US, you can find them at the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas and at ZooTampa in Florida, which has had some breeding successes with them in the past. (Note: I once thought that the San Diego Zoo Safari Park had shoebills, but it turns out, they don’t.)
Gelada: The gelada is a species of baboon that lives in the Ethiopian mountains. It has a red, hourglass-shaped patch of skin on its chest and is one of the only primates that graze. They live in one-male units consisting of one male and 3 to 5 females along with their offspring. Males are larger and hairier than the females. These primates are housed at the San Diego Zoo in California and at the Bronx Zoo in New York, with the latter being the breeding facility while San Diego is a bachelor facility.
Long-Tailed Macaque: The long-tailed macaque is a species of macaque. It is one of the few species of non-human primates that can swim and it lives in groups called troops. These monkeys mainly eat fruit, but they may also dive into rivers to hunt crabs, hence their other name, the “crab-eating macaque.” They mainly live in the forests and rivers of Southeast Asia, but they also live alongside people in Thailand, Malaysia, and other parts of this region. This can often lead to human-wildlife conflict because people might consider them as pests. The only AZA facility that houses these animals is the Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana.
Asiatic Black Bear: The Asiatic black bear, known to many as the Asian black bear, is a species of bear that’s smaller than its cousin, the American black bear. It’s also called the moon bear because of the crescent-shaped marking on its chest. Just like the brown bear, which has many subspecies, the Asian black bear also has them, like the Formosan black bear. This species of bear is endangered due to habitat loss and the growing demand for bear parts. Here in the US, you can find these animals at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island and Virginia Zoo in Virginia. (Note: The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Asian black bear, Beezler, passed away on June 30, 2025.)
Sources
- https://lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/mammals/mountain-tapir/
- https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/gelada
- https://virginiazoo.org/animal/asiatic-black-bear/
- https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/cheyenne-mountain-zoo-shares-a-heartfelt-goodbye-to-beezler/
- RAREST American Zoo Animals I've seen & Where I Found Them [PART ONE] by Zoo Tours
- RAREST American Zoo Animals I've seen & Where I Found Them [PART TWO] by Zoo Tours