Memorials to individual animals in zoos

[Jurek7]

Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville still keeps (or kept recently) signs of their Jentink's duiker - the last one in any zoo which passed away in 2013.

It is a rare example of a memorial to an animal which was not visitors' favorite, but, of course, extremely interesting from the zoology / conservation point of view.

 

[Justanotherzoovisitor]

Copenhagen zoo's sumatran rhino "Subur" is taxidermied in their zoological museum.

 

[kermodei]

The famous Lincoln Park gorilla, mounted in the Field Museum, was called "Bushman".

I was lucky enough to meet "Bushman" this past October, as well as "Su Lin" the giant panda, who lived at the Brookfield Zoo until his death in 1938.

"Bushman" as he appears today, he can be found on the ground level of the museum. Incidentally, he shares the hall with the "Man-eater of Mfuwe", who's taxidermied remains are found tucked beneath a stairwell.

"Su Lin" can be found on the main level of the museum, and shares his display case with a mounted red panda.

Now I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned this one yet, but I'd argue the entrance to the old Hobart/Beaumaris Zoo, which features the likeness of a thylacine, counts as a memorial to the species. And more specifically, the last known captive individual, which died there in 1936.

 

[Pertinax]

I was lucky enough to meet "Bushman" this past October, as well as "Su Lin" the giant panda, who lived at the Brookfield Zoo until his death in 1938.

"Bushman" as he appears today, he can be found on the ground level of the museum. Incidentally, he shares the hall with the "Man-eater of Mfuwe", who's taxidermied remains are found tucked beneath a stairwell.

"Su Lin" can be found on the main level of the museum, and shares his display case with a mounted red panda.

Now I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned this one yet, but I'd argue the entrance to the old Hobart/Beaumaris Zoo, which features the likeness of a thylacine, counts as a memorial to the species. And more specifically, the last known captive individual, which died there in 1936.

 

[Pertinax]

Interesting to see how 'Bushman' is exhibited currently in context with his surroundings. I have postcards of him both alive and taxidermied, but the taxidermy ones only show him in close-up. I expect like many famous museum exhibits, that over time he has been moved around to different locations in the museum.

 

[Pertinax]

Now I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned this one yet, but I'd argue the entrance to the old Hobart/Beaumaris Zoo, which features the likeness of a thylacine, counts as a memorial to the species. And more specifically, the last known captive individual, which died there in 1936.

I don't know what year this memorial gate was put in but I visited the site of the old Beaumaris Zoo in 1981 and this gate wasn't in place at that time, just an indent in the fenceline where the old entrance was, from memory. Its certainly a good addition.

 

[GreatApe]

I am not absolutely sure of this, never having visited the zoo in person, but I believe that Durrell/ Jersey Zoo commissioned a life size model of their much loved and missed silverback, "Jambo", near the gorilla enclosure. I seem to remember hearing that it had to be moved, (removed?), because the incumbent silverback, (Ya Kwanza?), seemed stressed by it.

 

[zooboy]

I only found this thread today. By strange co-incidence, while i was sorting through some old guidebooks yesterday, a piece of paper fell to the floor. It was a press clipping, dated 17th June 1978, from the Record Mirror (a UK music paper) saying that David Dundas was recording a record as a tribute to Guy the gorilla who had died at London Zoo the previous week. I had no recollection of seeing the press cutting before, nor the story, but a quick search on the internet found the recording and also the lyrics. David Dundas was a musician and actor, perhaps most famous for writing "Jeans On" that was later used for the Brutus Jeans advert, and the score for the film Withnail & I. This is the only song I am aware of that was written in memory of a famous zoo animal; are there any others?

 

[Tim May]

This is the only song I am aware of that was written in memory of a famous zoo animal; are there any others?

See the link below;

Jumbo, the Elephant

 

[Aardwolf]

There was also the Hippopotamus Polka, written in honor of Obaysch, the first hippo at the London Zoo

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

I don't have a good quality photo of it, but either the former Caribbean Reef tank or the rotunda of the Shedd Aquarium had a little plaque dedicated to Deadeye the tarpon

 

[zooboy]

See the link below;

Jumbo, the Elephant

I had not thought back to Victorian times (that obviously includes Obaysch too); I should have been more specific as I was thinking of original recordings.

 

[Rizz Carlton]

Memorials are sadly uncommon in Indonesian zoos, even for former mascots (To Ming Tse the Nile hippo at Samudra Ancol) and the more special animals (There's barely any public mentions of the bay cat that was at Taman Safari Bogor).

A lof of these memorials are either in the form of museums or a simple stuffed animal display, which aren't exactly a memorial but that's the closest thing we ever get here. Some of these are no longer open anymore (Like in Ragunan Zoo and Gembira Loka Zoo). Surabaya Zoo still have the museum, which only had been renovated a few years ago (Though still using outdated taxidermies from years ago). Their notable collection is a skeloton of a dugong, formerly a female individual that lived in the zoo from the 1970's to 2003.

Cr: @snowleopard







Additionaly, Taman Safari Bogor have a closed off museum for tigers and an elephant skeleton display that was located in, of all places, the park's fried chicken shop. Their notable taxidermy is a pair of polar bear, a former inhabitant of the park that lived from the early 90's until the male died in 2004, followed by the female bear in 2005. They're the only two polar bear to ever live in Indonesia, yet there's nothing to tell that story, aside from general informations on polar bears.

Cr: @snowleopard

 

[Breckenridge]

Life-size statues of the North Carolina Zoo's first animals, two galapagos tortoises named Tort and Retort were unveiled in the entrance plaza for the zoo's 50th anniversary last year.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

The Dickerson Park Zoo has a memorial to their former Nile Hippo "Henry", who lived at the zoo from 1982 until 2016, when he moved to Cincinnati, where he died a year later (though in that short time in Cincinnati he did sire the world-famous Fiona).