Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo history

[Dianajedi]

Greetings!

I am currently writing the authorised history of Colchester Zoo, to coincide with its 50th anniversary in 2013.

I am looking for people with memories of the Zoo from days gone by.

If you worked at the Zoo, have any particular stories that you'd like to share with me or - even better - a good photograph that I might include in the publication then please add to this thread or private-message me!

Thanks in advance for your help.

I remember going to Colchester zoo in 1971 ish I was only 11 years old a man called Nick Nyoka? Had a black leopard a lady in the audience wanted to go in the cage with him and she had a fur coat. The cat tore the coat but she wasn't harmed.

 

[sasha242]

Apologies for reawakening such an old chat, but I was watching an old video of Colchester on YouTube and I saw they had these Tapir’s. Would anyone have any information about them at all, mainly where their enclosure was situated and when they left the collection

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Apologies for reawakening such an old chat, but I was watching an old video of Colchester on YouTube and I saw they had these Tapir’s. Would anyone have any information about them at all, mainly where their enclosure was situated and when they left the collection

I'm not sure if this is helpful at all but I know the tapirs were where the sea lions are now on one visit and on another they were next to the babirusa roughly where the Komodo dragons are now.

Again not sure if that's what you're after!

 

[sasha242]

I'm not sure if this is helpful at all but I know the tapirs were where the sea lions are now on one visit and on another they were next to the babirusa roughly where the Komodo dragons are now.

Again not sure if that's what you're after!

Thanks, it seems to have spurred my memory, I believe I remember them being next to the babirusa, thanks again

 

[Zorro]

Apologies for reawakening such an old chat, but I was watching an old video of Colchester on YouTube and I saw they had these Tapir’s. Would anyone have any information about them at all, mainly where their enclosure was situated and when they left the collection

They had Malay tapirs back in the very early 1970s

 

[Animallover1998]

They had Malay tapirs back in the very early 1970s

Yes, and according to the information based on their former holding (Zootierliste) it says they were kept until about 1975. It doesn't say anything about when they first arrived but I'd imagine it probably must have been around the late 60's at least.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Hey there, this is a really random request but does anyone have any photos of the old grey seal enclosure? I think im going to use it for inspiration for my planet zoo seal enclosure lol

 

[Zia]

Hey there, this is a really random request but does anyone have any photos of the old grey seal enclosure? I think im going to use it for inspiration for my planet zoo seal enclosure lol

Was it not just the pool where the otters are now - plus a round pool to the left of that which is now drained?

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Was it not just the pool where the otters are now - plus a round pool to the left of that which is now drained?

Ah ok so it's still pretty similar? I can't remember the seals as it was that well.

 

[DesertRhino150]

I think the old enclosure (which was for harbour seals I believe, not grey) had just a single large pool that is now used by the otters. The only other thing I vividly remember about the enclosure was that there was some kind of island suspended in the middle of the pool with a hole in the bottom, presumably for the seals to pop out of. I never saw the seals using this island though.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

I think the old enclosure (which was for harbour seals I believe, not grey) had just a single large pool that is now used by the otters. The only other thing I vividly remember about the enclosure was that there was some kind of island suspended in the middle of the pool with a hole in the bottom, presumably for the seals to pop out of. I never saw the seals using this island though.

Thanks, I really wish I had taken a photo when it was still for seals

 

[DesertRhino150]

I was just looking at this news article on the Colchester Zoo website and saw mention that there were anoa kept there at least in 1994 (in the second paragraph down).
We're All Ears | Colchester Zoo

Zootierliste mentions them on the former holdings but has no information about them. I was just wondering how long they remained at the zoo (I seem to remember an old, now discarded, guidebook I had from Colchester with a picture of an anoa in it) and whereabouts they lived in the zoo?

 

[Goretex]

Hello everyone. One thing which I was thinking is that it would be great to see more old photos of Colchester Zoo in the light of it being their 60th anniversery next year.

I'm well aware I uploaded some old photos some years ago and other people have theirs. What I've struggled to ever particularly find myself but would still like to see would be:
- Any old photos of the orangutans especially photos from earlier on during Rajang's time at the zoo.
- Any old photos of any other Apes and Monkeys.
- Any old photos of the bears especially before they improved their cages.
- Any photos of the orignal Giraffes and the origanlal Giraffe house.

I just thought I'd bring back this old thread if anyone has any pictures that they think may be of intrest please upload them onto the gallery. I believe shortly after Rajang died Pertinax uploaded a photo of him as a baby at Chester. The funny thing is despite Rajang being such a familar animal finding old photos of him from Chester or early on at Colcehster is extreamely hard to find. Any contributions people wish to make would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pertinax]

The funny thing is despite Rajang being such a familar animal finding old photos of him from Chester or early on at Colcehster is extreamely hard to find. Any contributions people wish to make would be greatly appreciated.

Every so often on here I make a request for any old photos of Orangutans at Colchester, particularly the adult Sumatran male Adam who came from Flamingo Park in Yorkshire and was later sent to Bristol Zoo. He features on the cover of one Colchester guidebook but I've seen no other photos of him there.

Apart from Adam and Rajang, Colchester previously had five other Orangutans in the past, Borneans Guy Chrissie and Lola( the first two died, Lola went to Chester) then later hybrid female Annie( from the USA, kept with Rajang) and after her, Sumatran female Djambi( from Twycross, also kept with Rajang.) Rajang outlived both these partners.

 

[Goretex]

Every so often on here I make a request for any old photos of Orangutans at Colchester, particularly the adult Sumatran male Adam who came from Flamingo Park in Yorkshire and was later sent to Bristol Zoo. He features on the cover of one Colchester guidebook but I've seen no other photos of him there.

I've had a look in the gallery and I found the photo of Adam from that old guidebook cover. There's also the photo I uploaded from an old brochure which is still not known who it was but we ruled out it was Adam and most likely was either Guy or David. I believe Adam is an orangutan who has decendants and was familar as the big male at Bristol Zoo.

It does seem to be a hard task finding old orangutan photos at Colchester incldeing of Adam. Could maybe the zoo themselves have any photos? Could there be any in any local archives? Again if anyone has any information on where I could find old photos of Colchester Orangutans or even has any themselves then please let me know!

Do have a couple of photos from the Rajang and Dajambe days which I'm planning to soon upload.

 

[Pertinax]

I've had a look in the gallery and I found the photo of Adam from that old guidebook cover. There's also the photo I uploaded from an old brochure which is still not known who it was but we ruled out it was Adam and most likely was either Guy or David. I believe Adam is an orangutan who has decendants and was familar as the big male at Bristol Zoo.

It does seem to be a hard task finding old orangutan photos at Colchester incldeing of Adam. Could maybe the zoo themselves have any photos? Could there be any in any local archives? Again if anyone has any information on where I could find old photos of Colchester Orangutans or even has any themselves then please let me know!

Do have a couple of photos from the Rajang and Dajambe days which I'm planning to soon upload.

In my summary of Colchester's previous Orangutans, I omitted David, who came from Chester. Adam was sent to Bristol to replace their first male Henry. He bred at Bristol but his only surviving offspring was born after he & partner Anne were much later sent to Santillana in Spain, when Bristol stopped keeping Orangutans. That baby later became the mother of several babies herself, including Silvestre who was at Monkey World until very recently.

There are a number of images of Rajang on the internet if you just type in 'Orangutan Colchester Images' etc but virtually nothing of any of the previous ones.