ZSL London Zoo The Mappin Terraces inhabitants, London Zoo

Panthera1981 said:
I understand times change and animal welfare evolves but, good grief, what a sorry state of affairs this exhibit has become from what it once was.

Sadly, I get the impression it’s in a terminal state of decline, what with the defunct Aquarium practically propping it up, and would cost millions to restore.

Snow leopard however would be an excellent shout should an eccentric millionaire visit the ZSL offices waving a blank cheque!

And to think, there was once a masterplan that intended to house gorilla on the Mappins!
Click to expand...
And to think, there was once a masterplan that intended to house gorilla on the Mappins! and - believe it or not - dolphins were once proposed!
 
Panthera1981 said:
To deviate slightly, have ZSL ever kept Snow leopard?
Click to expand...
Pertinax said:
Yes. In the old Lion house. Side cage at old Cattle sheds end. First one I ever saw. Was a zoological rarity in those days.
Click to expand...
London Zoo has had several snow leopards over the years, the first being acquired on 6th March 1891. (And the ZSL bred snow leopards at Whipsnade for the first time in the UK.)

I too saw snow leopard for the first time in that side cage in London Zoo's old Lion House.
 
Last edited:
zooboy said:
Whilst many different species have occupied the lower terrace, it was initially used for deer (and flamingos) with Japanese, Formosan, Axis, Fallow deer and Chital listed in the 1914 guidebook.
Click to expand...
Apologies: I should have been more careful with my response and more explicit with my comments about deer.
 
Tim May said:
London Zoo has had several snow leopards over the years, the first being acquired on 6th March 1891. (And the ZSL bred snow leopards at Whipsnade for the first time in the UK.)

I too saw snow leopard for the first time in that side cage in London Zoo's old Lion House.
Click to expand...
It was in this London cage that a cub was born dead in 1961; the year after Whipsnade's successful birth. Both the London parents and the Whipsnade pair had been received in exchange from Moscow Zoo.
 
zooboy said:
And to think, there was once a masterplan that intended to house gorilla on the Mappins! and - believe it or not - dolphins were once proposed!
Click to expand...
How recently were the masterplans for gorillas and dolphins? I vaguely recall hearing about gorillas planned for the Mappins before, but the return of dolphins being considered is news to me!
 
I have vague recollections of seeing the sloth bears there when I was younger, only wish they had stayed. Also the Outback exhibit when it opened looked quite different to when it does now - lots more red sand which really sold the Australian desert feel. What happened to the red kangaroos that were briefly there with the emus and wallabies?
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
Kalaw said:
How recently were the masterplans for gorillas and dolphins? I vaguely recall hearing about gorillas planned for the Mappins before, but the return of dolphins being considered is news to me!
Click to expand...

Regarding gorillas, roughly early 1990s. This master plan also included expanding the Casson area to house a breeding Bull elephant.

I believe there was also talk of housing Giant panda at one point
 
My first visit to London was in 1963 (I was 6 so don't remember much). My second visit was in 1985 and I remember seeing Chamois, Markhor and Bighorn Sheep on the goat hills. The latter two were life ticks. I think there was also pelicans and Collared Peccaries in the lower terraces, but I'm not sure about those. I can't remember seeing any bears
 
Is it possible to house caprines on the higher levels of the terraces with modifications? Was the aquarium closed due to damage/cost or advancements in husbandry?
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
Rohin said:
Is it possible to house caprines on the higher levels of the terraces with modifications? Was the aquarium closed due to damage/cost or advancements in husbandry?
Click to expand...
Cost of repairing the poor infrastructure of the old building was the main cause. All of the tanks still satisfied the modern requirements far better than newer aquaria - very impressive considering their age.
 
Panthera1981 said:
I believe there was also talk of housing Giant panda at one point
Click to expand...

There was. A mega 'Chinese' exhibit with GP's as centre-piece. I can't remember if this plan came before the 'Gorilla breeding centre' idea- at that time ZSL had a pretty bad record with them- but neither came to fruition obviously.
 
Pertinax said:
There was. A mega 'Chinese' exhibit with GP's as centre-piece. I can't remember if this plan came before the 'Gorilla breeding centre' idea- at that time ZSL had a pretty bad record with them- but neither came to fruition obviously.
Click to expand...

The panda exhibit plan (does anyone know which other species were planned?) did indeed come before the 'gorilla breeding centre' idea - I think the latter was adopted after the zoo avoided closure in the 1990s.

It would be interesting to hear more details about these and any other previous plans for the Mappins, if anyone has them? I know there was also a plan to restore the terraces for an Arctic exhibit featuring polar bears at one stage too.
 
Tim May said:
London Zoo has had several snow leopards over the years, the first being acquired on 6th March 1891. (And the ZSL bred snow leopards at Whipsnade for the first time in the UK.)

I too saw snow leopard for the first time in that side cage in London Zoo's old Lion House.
Click to expand...
I saw snow leopards in that cage in 1966 and yet, in the guidebook there is no mention of them in the list of inhabitants of the Lion House
 
I’m not sure if ZSL still do their Architecture/History tours (I was lucky enough to do one at Whipsnade) but I believe the Mappins is/was part of the London experience.

If anyone did do a tour, how substantial was the tour of the Mappins? Or was it too structurally unsafe to do anything significant?
 
Gavialis said:
The panda exhibit plan (does anyone know which other species were planned?) did indeed come before the 'gorilla breeding centre' idea - I think the latter was adopted after the zoo avoided closure in the 1990s..
Click to expand...
I remember that red pandas and various pheasants were planned for the giant panda exhibit plan
 
bongorob said:
My first visit to London was in 1963 (I was 6 so don't remember much). My second visit was in 1985 and I remember seeing Chamois, Markhor and Bighorn Sheep on the goat hills. The latter two were life ticks. I think there was also pelicans and Collared Peccaries in the lower terraces, but I'm not sure about those. I can't remember seeing any bears
Click to expand...
Are you sure about the Chamois? I don’t remember any at London Zoo in the sixty years I’ve been visiting
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top