Clinton Keeling

Pertinax said:
Is there a list given in either version for the species held at Maidstone Zoo? I believe some animals from there went to the newly founded Howletts Zoo owned by a certain gambler, but have never been able to ascertain exactly which species they were.
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Clin's "Where the Lion Trod" lists many of the species held at Maidstone Zoo but doesn't provide an exhaustive list of the complete collection.

I think it's been discussed elsewhere on ZooChat; the book “The Story of Maidstone Zoo” (Vickie Harris; 1994) states that John Aspinall acquired Maidstone Zoo's nilgai, axis deer and hog deer when the zoo closed.
 
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I was lucky enough to go to zoologica and work on a stand there in my early teens and we also attended various napac meetings with my parents.
Clinton used to scare and almost hypnotist me in equal measure. He was a fascinating man but I am not sure I liked him, he was certainly sure he was correct and everybody else wrong about a number of subjects although his napac talks were often beyond my understanding .
I remember him insisting blue and gold macaws are actually blue and yellow as gold is not a colour so these birds should be referred to as blue and yellow. This is the best example of his insistence everybody else was wrong . He did put up a good argument if a very long one on this subject, I must admit I zoned out with bum ache from the chair, I don’t think I was the only one.
He was a brilliant fascinating man and due to My parents envoy emend with people like Clinton and Napac my childhood was enriched in a unique way.
Honoured to have met him on many occasions.
 
Nicola said:
I was lucky enough to go to zoologica and work on a stand there in my early teens and we also attended various napac meetings with my parents.
Clinton used to scare and almost hypnotist me in equal measure. He was a fascinating man but I am not sure I liked him, he was certainly sure he was correct and everybody else wrong about a number of subjects although his napac talks were often beyond my understanding .
I remember him insisting blue and gold macaws are actually blue and yellow as gold is not a colour so these birds should be referred to as blue and yellow. This is the best example of his insistence everybody else was wrong . He did put up a good argument if a very long one on this subject, I must admit I zoned out with bum ache from the chair, I don’t think I was the only one.
He was a brilliant fascinating man and due to My parents envoy emend with people like Clinton and Napac my childhood was enriched in a unique way.
Honoured to have met him on many occasions.
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I would agree with him on the macaw nomenclature. Great man in so many ways, sorry I never met him. Had his flaws, but most of us do:)
 
Carl Jones said:
Clinton Keeling is often talked about by Zoochatterers with some affection and reverence far beyond what would seem to be deserved. He was a very colourful person and perhaps typified the small zoo owner of the 1960's and 1970's. It is however clear that he ran a chotic zoo and his family was disfunctional. His son describes him as having delusions of grandeur.

It would be good to learn more about this eccentric character and why he is held in such esteem.
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Apologies for being somewhat late to the party... I think you will have gathered a fairly accurate idea of the man. As far as I know, the only video footage of him is in Molly Dineen's fly on the wall documentary about the threatened closure of London Zoo ( I think it is just called 'The Ark'), when at a Fellows meeting he makes a major point about the use of the name 'panda' when it should have been 'giant panda'; presentation and pedantry will give you an idea of what he was like but that doesn't mean he did not make a valuable contribution bith in terms of zoo history and education. None of us is perfect.
 
Pacu said:
As far as I know, the only video footage of him is in Molly Dineen's fly on the wall documentary about the threatened closure of London Zoo...
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As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Clin Keeling used to organise an annual animal show "Zoologica" which was held at Ardingly Showground in Sussex.

"Zoologica" 1987 featured in an episode of the BBC Television programme "Animals Roadshow" presented by Desmond Morris and Sarah Kennedy. Presumably there are videos of this.
 
Tim May said:
As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Clin Keeling used to organise an annual animal show "Zoologica" which was held at Ardingly Showground in Sussex.

"Zoologica" 1987 featured in an episode of the BBC Television programme "Animals Roadshow" presented by Desmond Morris and Sarah Kennedy. Presumably there are videos of this.
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It would be great to see footage of Zoologica but I cannot find any trace of availability of, or access to view, this programme. However I have found that it was first broadcast (on BBC One) on the 19th April 1987, so it must have featured the 1986 Zoological and not the 1987 one. If anyone can track this programme down I am sure quite a few people would like the opportunity to see it.
 
Tim May said:
As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Clin Keeling used to organise an annual animal show "Zoologica" which was held at Ardingly Showground in Sussex.

"Zoologica" 1987 featured in an episode of the BBC Television programme "Animals Roadshow" presented by Desmond Morris and Sarah Kennedy. Presumably there are videos of this.
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I was at Zoologica when 'Animals Roadshow' when a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig relieved itself on Desmond Morris. I don't know if Desmond Morris was a fan of pot-bellied pigs.
 
Pacu said:
Apologies for being somewhat late to the party... I think you will have gathered a fairly accurate idea of the man. As far as I know, the only video footage of him is in Molly Dineen's fly on the wall documentary about the threatened closure of London Zoo ( I think it is just called 'The Ark'), when at a Fellows meeting he makes a major point about the use of the name 'panda' when it should have been 'giant panda'; presentation and pedantry will give you an idea of what he was like but that doesn't mean he did not make a valuable contribution bith in terms of zoo history and education. None of us is perfect.
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I have a nearly hour long video about the demise of Belle Vue Manchester and quite a lot of it is Clinton taking about that Zoo
 
I also got to know Clinton over the years and I agree that if it wasn't his way, it was no way.Reading all of these posts reminded me of a man very similar to Clinton his name is Dr Jack Cohen who I got to know very well whilst working with him at the University of Birmingham (zoology department )in the 1970s and 80s.Jack was involved with both Dudley zoo and Drayton Manor. Jack never liked Clinton and was involved with the removal of animals from Pans Garden,although Clinton had left by then.As I said ,I found them both similar in as much if they found that you had an interest in wildlife they would both be very helpful and encouraging. Jack found out that I collected zoo guides and one day, out of the blue put his entire collection of guides on my desk, saying you better have these ,then turning round ,walked out of my office. He never mentioned them again. Jack, like Clinton ,was also in the program the Ark,he was also a fellow of ZSL.He was the guy who actually asked the management if they actually liked animals! and he disagreed with them on their plans for a large mixed exhibit as he had one at home and the bloody things kept eating each other (this actually got a big laugh from other fellows).Jack left Birmingham University and became Professor of mathematics at Warwick University. He also wrote science fiction books two in collaboration with Terry Pratchett.Jack looked and sounded like the _mad professor, which I think he liked. Unfortunately both he and Clinton are no longer with us, I am honoured to have known them both!
 
Strathmorezoo said:
He also wrote science fiction books two in collaboration with Terry Pratchett.
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There were four Science of Discworld books written by Pratchett, Cohen and Ian Stewart (also of Warwick University) as a matter of fact! As soon as I got to the second sentence of your post, I started wondering if you were talking about that Jack Cohen :P
 
TeaLovingDave said:
There were four Science of Discworld books written by Pratchett, Cohen and Ian Stewart (also of Warwick University) as a matter of fact! As soon as I got to the second sentence of your post, I started wondering if you were talking about that Jack Cohen :p
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You are quite correct (I was getting a bit weary),it's the same Jack Cohen
 
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I met Clinton aged 9 as a founder member of the Surrey Junior Zoological Society, which he set up in 1976. Meetings were held close to his home in Shalford, either in the village hall or the scout hut. He shaped a lot of my interest in animals with his talks, society outings, visits to zoological gardens in the UK and Europe and of course his annual shows at which I used to help out daily. Both he and his wife were amateur artists and illustrators which also kindled an interest in me to draw. I was honoured that he asked me to submit some pencil drawings of my own into the art section of his annual exhibition, and I was over the moon that one actually sold ! I was about 12. Recently I have reconnected with this love of drawing and painting he encouraged me with.

I have only just found these threads and although I can't really comment on the accuracy of his zoological knowledge or his zoo-keeping abilities I look back on him fondly as being a mentor and a dear acquaintance. He was so pleased when I began a career in conservation by volunteering aged 14 and then going on to train at Merriest Wood Agricultural College (1985-88). It's no false claim to think that he was instrumental in setting me on this career path which to date has spanned over 40 years. We exchanged Xmas cards and short updates over the years and my mother and I attended his packed funeral in 2007.
If I was to sum Clinton up in 3 words they would be inspiring, opinionated and colourful.
 
Steve Webster said:
I met Clinton aged 9 as a founder member of the Surrey Junior Zoological Society, which he set up in 1976. Meetings were held close to his home in Shalford, either in the village hall or the scout hut. He shaped a lot of my interest in animals with his talks, society outings, visits to zoological gardens in the UK and Europe and of course his annual shows at which I used to help out daily. Both he and his wife were amateur artists and illustrators which also kindled an interest in me to draw. I was honoured that he asked me to submit some pencil drawings of my own into the art section of his annual exhibition, and I was over the moon that one actually sold ! I was about 12. Recently I have reconnected with this love of drawing and painting he encouraged me with.

I have only just found these threads and although I can't really comment on the accuracy of his zoological knowledge or his zoo-keeping abilities I look back on him fondly as being a mentor and a dear acquaintance. He was so pleased when I began a career in conservation by volunteering aged 14 and then going on to train at Merriest Wood Agricultural College (1985-88). It's no false claim to think that he was instrumental in setting me on this career path which to date has spanned over 40 years. We exchanged Xmas cards and short updates over the years and my mother and I attended his packed funeral in 2007.
If I was to sum Clinton up in 3 words they would be inspiring, opinionated and colourful.
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Clinton sent me some of his hand painted pictures ,he sent them as Christmas cards, novel,I have obviously kept them
 
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