16 Extremely Rare Animals, and the US Zoos Where You Can See Them

Just a idea here , but you know what might be cool than looking forinsanely rarified cartoon " animals"on your cellphone ? Walking through your local zoo or fish tank and seeing some real , living animals that are among the rarest in the humankind . Though you might not vex reading the o.k. print on those signs in front of the salientian terrarium , there are some animals in US zoological garden that turn fewer than 1,000 worldwide . And which are the only members of their species in North America . With numbers like that , you literally can catch ‘em all .

We inquire our admirer at several zoos around the country for their input signal . Then worked with theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums(AZA ) , a nonprofit governance that accredits zoos and aquariums , who geolocated some of world ’s rarest animals in US enslavement . And while some of them can be seen in multiple zoos throughout North America , these are the unspoilt places to see blue lobsters , four - eyed polo-neck , and more .

White alligator

Audubon Nature InstituteNew Orleans , LouisianaIt ’s think that only about 15 out of 5 million alligators have this rare genetic circumstance that reduces the color pigmentation in their hide .

Blue lobster

Shedd AquariumChicago , IllinoisNo point in looking for these critters at the $ 29.95 breakers - and - sod counter : only one in a million lobsters has this rare hereditary mutation that grow high tier of protein and turn over them risque .

Okapi

Memphis ZooMemphis , TennesseeThis jeopardise species is native to the dense woods of the Congo , but because hoi polloi poach them and destroy their habitat , they ’ve become rarified in the wild . Though peel like a zebra , it ’s actually a small full cousin to the Giraffa camelopardalis .

Red panda

St. Louis ZooSt . Louis , Missouri"Panda " is a bit of a misnomer here , since the animal was once relegate as part of the racoon category until desoxyribonucleic acid tests later discover it had more in uncouth with bears . Regardless of what you call it , there are fewer than 10,000 of these guys in the world , most of which know in the Himalayas and Southwest China .

Addax

The Living DesertPalm Desert , CaliforniaArecent studyfound that as few asthreeof these migrant animal , also known as white antelope , may still survive in the state of nature in their native Saharan desert . The Living Desert in Palm Desert has partner with the Sahara Conservation Fund to re-introduce some into the natural state . Addaxes put up at the menagerie are currently in a pre - release pen in Africa .

Amur tiger

Alaska ZooAnchorage , AlaskaThough only about 600 of this majestic big cat exist today , it ’s a considerable improvement over the 1940s , when only about 40 existed . This tiger native to Eastern Russia is also known as the Siberian Panthera tigris , and the larger male can be 10 ft long and matter upwards of 750lbs .

Blue-crowned laughingthrush

Riverbanks Zoo and GardenColumbia , South CarolinaThis Formosan razzing species , once think to be nonextant , has made a riposte since being rediscovered . Still , only about 300 exist in the natural state .

Borneo elephant

Oregon ZooPortland , OregonWhat ’s cunning than a full - sized elephant ? A well smaller elephant with full - sized elephant features ! This mintage , also recognize as the " pygmy elephant , " is thought to be gain from a ruck of domesticated elephant invest to a 17th - century Sultan ; they ’re about 70 - 90 % as large as other Asian elephants , yet still sway the XXL ears , trunk , and tail . Portland ’s pygmy , Chendra , is the only one in the United States .

Somali wild ass

Henry Vilas ZooMadison , WisconsinThough one might hope that give-up the ghost to see something called the Somali wild screw in Madison would ask partying with a badass East African dude in Pike , it ’s really visit a rarified ( 600 in the wild ) member of the horse home . Which is still not a bad 24-hour interval in Wisconsin .

Pacific walrus

Indianapolis ZooIndianapolis , IndianaThough these 12ft - long , 2 - long ton behemoths could come up to half a million worldwide , actually seeing one blubbering on a shoreline necessitate a trip to Western Alaska or Eastern Russia , aka well far off than Indianapolis . Only 11 exist in North American zoos .

Four-eyed turtle

Tennessee AquariumChattanooga , TennesseeThese poindexters of the polo-neck family were bullied for wearing methamphetamine hydrochloride in halfway school and could be found stuffed in cabinet . Or they just have two pigmentations on the back of their neck that from afar attend like a second set of eyes . Either way , these southeastern Asian turtleneck are arduous to discern ; only 45 exist in zoo across North America .

Cuvier’s gazelle

The Living DesertPalm Desert , CaliforniaAlmost flat - weenie - sized at 2 ft marvelous and 35lbs , this species of gazelle native to North Africa has been hunted to the edge of extinction . Only an estimated 2,900 or so still exist , scattered throughout Morocco , Tunisia , and Algeria . Five remain in North American zoo .

Panamanian golden frog

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta , GeorgiaThese toxic frogs are critically endangered due mostly to habitat destruction and the proliferation of the chytrid fungus . Their female are generally twice the size of it of the males .

Giant garter snake

Sacramento ZooSacramento , CaliforniaThough not nearly as baleful as those python you see in Florida that take back entire Fiats , the largest metal money of supporter snake is aboriginal to the San Joaquin Valley , and can get to 64 in long . Habitat destruction and drought have made this mostly aquatic animal become a rare flock .

Laysan albatross

Monterey Bay AquariumMonterey , CaliforniaYou recognize how masses distinguish you to rip up your plastic six - pack rings to " lay aside the bird " ? These are some of the birds they ’re talking about . One study observe 97.5 % of Laysan mollymawk chicks in the natural state had plastic in their stomachs . This one , bring up Makana , is the only one of her kind in any zoo or fish tank in America .

Hicatee

Jacksonville Zoo and GardensJacksonville , FloridaAlso known as the Central American river turtle , this critically endangered animal has been hunted and harvested nigh to the full stop of extinguishing . The ones in Jacksonville are the only unity at AZA - accredited zoos , and the oldest ones on the satellite .

White Alligator