Audio interview (photo is still image) from 2007 with the late great
Dr Rosemary Markham in South Perth and her role at
Perth Zoo where she began between
1980 and retired between
2009 and
2010. A leading published
orangutan academic and expert from Perth Zoo working experience too for 30 years or more (one of her papers published below); she held many positions at the zoo including curator, curator of mammals, records keeper, organised transfers and procuring new individual animals. Earned a PHD on her knowledge of orangutans.
6:00 - early like of animals but didnt know career would be in zoos someday
7:00 - Study and engineering work in London and marriage and daughter
11:44 - Visited zoos in the UK
12:19 - first experiences with Perth Zoo
15:02 - Edinburgh Zoo, Jane Goodall helped zoo curator/director with chimpanzees being grouped
21:04 - mentioned of Tom Spence again and the collection at Perth Zoo under his tenure
21:40 - work at Perth Zoo
22:23 - thoughts on London Zoo
27:36 - Perth Zoo again
30:47 - Honours work at Perth Zoo and Bornean orangutans, Sumatran orangutans and hybrids orangutans born there
32:10 - 26 orangutan births at the zoo in 2007 since 1970
33:40 - Perth Zoo's orangutan husbandry stategies
33:47 - The exhibits complex built for the zoo's orangutans completed in 1981
37:50 - How the orangutans days and nights are/were routined at the zoo, including how they are/were housed in the exhibits, breeding organising routines too
39:30 - The sometimes horrible natures of younger male orangs'
40:06 - The founder orangutans of the zoo's colony, and some of those many born at the zoo including mention of Puteri, and more keeping/husbandry strategies based on their natures, and more general knowledge on orangutans
48:00 - Alistair the zoo's long-term lion (1986-2007) born at the zoo and lived there his whole life, and bringing in his companions Mafuta & Manzi from Melbourne in 1994
Of course the zoo's orangutans are the main discussion, with Dr Markham's longterm work with them, there a few other animals like noisy chimp pair Jaimie & Lollipop, 8-9 gibbon species at zoo during Dr Tom Spence's '67-'84 directorship years and at the end Alistair the noble but unwell and inbred lion who exceeded all personal longevity expectations, also a mention of Dr Markham being impressed by the Tahr exhibit when she first saw the zoo in 1978.
Interesting mention about 10-20 minutes into interview about Jane Goodall's suggestion to Edinburgh Zoo to merge their chimpanzees into a troop and the backlash they got from the local council until Jane sent the zoo's director a reel of their natural behaviour to show the conservative councilmen; Dr Markham's personal opinions on London Zoo being a bit slow to change and do anything that new or exciting, though she stately to be fair heritage protection blocks the amount of change, and how the 1.1 cheetahs Duma & Puss Puss, who arrived at Perth Zoo in 1967 were personal pets of new director Dr Tom Spence the Scottish (like Dr Rosemary by birth) veterninarian of Edinburgh Zoo who walked those two cheetahs down the high streets of Edinburgh when they still lived there.
- will unscramble this ramble tomorrow, just wanted to sumamrise as much content from the interview as possible as soon as posted, but it is a scramble so will make more cohesive tomorrow.
***
just a warning: in the last quarter of the interview she discusses the sometimes forceful breeding nature of the male orangutans (especially young unflanged males - less desirable mating partners biologically apparently, unfortuately but as a result they can be very..forceful sometime, dont need to say more) sometimes use on females as part of how orangutan conceptions occure both in captivity at times, and in the wild moreso. Theres also a mention of noticing different Christian denominations when she worked in southern England to how she was raised in Glasgow (Church of Scotland). I only trimmed 4 minutes out of 57 minutes, from the original interview with John Bannister: that is more elaboration on her technical work as an engineer in her early career (interesting but), a(n understandeable) tangent on noticing rifts between Christian denominations when she lived in southern England for work, and her very cool sounding daughter
(a '(big and small wild) cat whisperer' as one of her talents she shared her knowledge of with her Mum) who sadly had a torrid time from male-peers bullying in teritiary studies due to sexism back then, and a (non-racist from her point of view: she was a good soul in regards to that awfulness like way all are today thank god - couldnt understand it, but talks about how she was naturally upset by racist prejuice against in that era) mention of African-British and African-Carribean-British workers she got to know and befiend working in engineering near the Thames docks in London. The extra 4 minutes of interview I trimmed can be heard on the full interview source I posted in description of video. Personally was interested in all those parts of her story but thought maybe try to trim it a bit to keep it heading for the massive chapters of her lifes work at Perth Zoo a tad faster.
Dr Rosemary Markham sadly passed away a few years ago, back in the UK. She was a remarkable person and everything I have ever heard about her (besides appreciating hearing her in her own words) is how liked, appreciated and respected she was by those who knew her (Perth Zoo's animals included). I hope by sharing this am being respectful to her memory. Felt very strongly her story should be shared and heard by more people if possible. Rest in peace Dr Markham.
full 57 minute audio interview here:
Result | City of South Perth Libraries[/USER]
