ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2025
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Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Do you remember how the house was laid out and how the enclosures were designed? Or how big it was? Are there any photos out there? Looking at old zoo maps and hearing about the thylacine, this building has always intrigued me.
Although called the North Mammal House, it was actually two separate but adjacent buildings; North Mammal Houses would have been a more accurate name.
The animal accommodation was just a row of fairly small conventional cages. Visitors could only view the animals outside; the general public were not allowed inside the building.
Since you're interested in the old North Mammal House, it's worth looking out for the book Animals as Friends: A Head Keeper Remembers London Zoo (1973) which contains a number of anecdotes about the inhabitants of this building. (Secondhand copies are not difficult to find for sale online.)
The author, Jim Alldis, was Head Keeper of the North Mammal House for many years and he was alone in the building when London Zoo's last thylacine died there. (He, incorrectly, claims to be the last person ever to see a living thylacine.)
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[QUOTE="Tim May, post: 1653329, ]
Yes, the last person indisputedly to do so was probably whoever was looking after the last Thylacine at Hobart Zoo on the 7th September 1936. It's now written into folklore that it died from exposure after being locked out of its shelter at night. But the very brief council records that record the exact date say 'it died on the evening of' which indicates someone knew the approximate time of death. The 'locked out' story has no actual foundation anyway.
Yes, the last person indisputedly to do so was probably whoever was looking after the last Thylacine at Hobart Zoo on the 7th September 1936. It's now written into folklore that it died from exposure after being locked out of its shelter at night. But the very brief council records that record the exact date say 'it died on the evening of' which indicates someone knew the approximate time of death. The 'locked out' story has no actual foundation anyway.
DCzootripper
Well-Known Member
I have just found this website with a fair amount of concept art for an unrealised exhibit at London zoo, which would be a very modern koala house on the north bank. It appears to be a very modern design, with a roof structure not unlike the zoo Zurich elephant house (of course smaller), but the house looks like it would take up a fair chunk of the north bank, very sad this didn't come into fruition. Anyway here is the link Presidents Medals: Mammal Enclosure at London Zoo Edit: I have just read some more and it turns out it appears they were planning on holding both southern and queensland koalas, very interesting indeed!
Unfortunate to say the least they did nothing of the sorts... One wonders why and what the reason for not continuering with it ... had been???
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Looks like it was a student project if I'm reading it correctly? So nothing official from the zoo, much like the old plans that I remember being shared here that intended to put manatees in The Clore. Regardless, I suspect money and the want to maintain the aviaries that were then there would probably have been the main contributing factors. Certainly money is the main reason it's empty now
The current leadership is doing as far as I'm concerned an exemplary job of managing ZSL and maintaining financial stability, but hopefully once the major infrastructure projects are done the North Bank will finally see some love again. Personally, the dream would be a dedicated pangolin house.
I am aware of the financial situation / predicament the zoo is in and ZSL in general ... (allthough, I do believe some of their big spend projects of late have contributed to that ... apart from the often cited building cost increases et cetera). The North Bank aviaries have been decrepit for years (much like the Mappin Terraces ... - well why not tear them down bc they are unsafe and a building safety hazard ... whereas I am all for protection and re-use of monumental listed properties ... the way Cultural Heritage and ZSL are dealing with Mappins and North Bank is just anywhere but ... beyond the pale).Looks like it was a student project if I'm reading it correctly? So nothing official from the zoo, much like the old plans that I remember being shared here that intended to put manatees in The Clore. Regardless, I suspect money and the want to maintain the aviaries that were then there would probably have been the main contributing factors. Certainly money is the main reason it's empty now
Personally, the dream would be a dedicated pangolin house.
I myself live in an environment/location and volunteer at my local zoo where Listed Building Status is almost a given for any older buildings and yet they have achieved to modernise the zoo (from postage stamp collection - 7,000+ species in the 1970's to some 600-650 right now) and are in a financial stable position to begin with ... and sometimes even 2 or 3 building projects in any year plus .... some very large investment rejuvenation Listed Buildings in the range of 35-50 million euros...). So it can be done...., in my view (London being the financial center global...).
Actually I think ZSL are financially stable as over the past few years they have reported annual surplesses of at least £3-5m pa, a couple of years ago they achieved almost £9m, quite the turn around from the ‘70’s thru’ to the 90’s!
Yes I wish they would be more adventurous and renovate faster, but they’ve come an awful long way and they do have 2 sites, not like Chester and there isn’t an awful lot of philanthropy around in this country, a few more Michael Sobells etc would be very welcome!! The Weston Aquarium, Branson-Mappin Terraces or Grosvenor North Bank would be most welcome!
Unlike many Continental Zoos, ZSL haven’t received municipal funding for decades!!
Plus, if you look back at the time they held many more species, the over whelming bulk of those were wild-caught and didn’t last long and certainly never bred!
Yes I wish they would be more adventurous and renovate faster, but they’ve come an awful long way and they do have 2 sites, not like Chester and there isn’t an awful lot of philanthropy around in this country, a few more Michael Sobells etc would be very welcome!! The Weston Aquarium, Branson-Mappin Terraces or Grosvenor North Bank would be most welcome!
Unlike many Continental Zoos, ZSL haven’t received municipal funding for decades!!
Plus, if you look back at the time they held many more species, the over whelming bulk of those were wild-caught and didn’t last long and certainly never bred!
Most of the owls, pheasants, cranes and geese on the North Bank bred well, and even some of the Snowdon/Northern Aviary inhabitants, most of which would have been wild caught. Sacred Ibis, Speckled Pigeons and the two gull species (Grey-headed and Silver) come to mind.
I have an idea that breeding results in the Clore were pretty good, and certainly the Caprids on the Mappins persisted for many generations.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Oh certainly - they have done a fantastic job in ensuring the finances are stable, mainly from incredibly careful managing. But the finances are still not fantastic, and there have been staff cuts recently (optional, from what I have heard - nobody has been made redundant without choice). If the somewhat shrewd spending (relative perhaps, given the amount of money spent on important developments) is the key to ensuring they can commit to projects far bigger in scope in the future then I am personally all for it. ZSL as a charity has suffered from Brexit cuts but thank goodness they have competent leadership and as you say, things are far better now than in the past. ZSL deserve a lot of praise for what they've managed with such little support, and as you say a generous donation would not go amiss. It is infuriating how stingy companies are in such a rich city, but I suppose that's the consequence of most of it being from banking
I was also at London today. These are the things I noticed:
Although I didn't see them, the Brahminy starlings are signed in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough.
- For whatever reason, Kiburi the silverback gorilla was not allowed in with the rest of the gorilla troop. While the rest of the troop were in the main on-show indoor area, Kiburi only had access to the off-show dens and the overhead walkway above the visitor path.
- In Tiny Giants:
- The new bullshead cockroach tank has been fixed up, but although there was food present I did not see any cockroaches.
- The old weaver ant enclosure now has the model of HMS Victory from the neighbouring deathwatch beetle display in there.
- The former apple snail tank (now being turned into a marine aquarium) is still signed as being empty. That being said, it does have some Aiptasia anemones growing on the rocks - although I doubt they are the intended inhabitants.
- New species: The kreisel jellyfish tank that has formerly housed Japanese sea nettles and moon jellyfish is now home to white-spotted jellyfish, Phyllorhiza punctata.
- New species: The former love beetle tank has been converted into a freshwater aquarium that is home to a large group of cherry shrimp, Neocaridina davidi.
- The Mitchell's lorikeets that were in the leftmost aviary outside the Blackburn Pavilion are no longer signed, with another Fischer's turaco now signed in that aviary instead.
- Not sure if it has been mentioned, but there is a Malagasy giant rat in the potto and Mohol galago mixed enclosure in Night Life again - it is not signed, but was running laps around the enclosure the whole time I was watching.
Although I didn't see them, the Brahminy starlings are signed in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Did the rats ever leave? On a few recent visits, they weren't signed, but I could still see one. I suspect the sign was just removed but I could be wrong.
Nice to have that confirmed, and always a pleasure to welcome new arrivals to that walkthrough in particular. Will have to look out for them; never seen one before and they look to be quite striking.
I suppose there could well have been one present the whole time, that I just happened to miss every time.
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
I think that the cost of the demolition of the Mappin Terrace would be not only incredibly expensive (beyond what the zoo could afford) but would also cause massive disruption to the zoo aswell.
It is the essentially negative way of looking at the state of affairs of a major part of ZSL/Regent's Park's limited surface area. One needs to look at it in a constructive realist approach where anything is possible to create change or dynamism.
All well and good that the last few years ZSL is living more within its financial means ... it is a sad reflection that PR/communication has not been able to generate sufficient outside financial means to work on areas like Mappins and Aquarium ... leaving a beautiful greenfields within Central London with a biodiversity conservation objectives going much wider than its physical area go to waste. It is a sorry state of affairs if the combined financial clout of the City of London is governed more by financial greed and wealth accumulation of the Happy Few than any altruïsm for the City's cultural and societal health. Doest that say something ...., mmmm (dunno, but yet it is not for me to comment here for the moment).
Having observed the above, the Mappins and with it the erstwhile Aquarium, are imploding architectural structures within the physical constraints and remit of London Zoo and are (and have been for many years) and are even structurally unsafe and its foundations continue to crumble. It has been decades since the Mappins were the glory of mountain ungulates and before them the bears (indicative how modern general zoo exhibitry and husbandry management has moved away from this). Safe to say since the 1990's nothing of importance has been on it. Please do not mention the Outback and kangaroos and wallaby's
All we can seem to utter and bring forth is the defaitism passivism of that the cost of repurposing is way too expensive and beyond ZSL's financial means! Exactly, that attitude prevailing will allow and is the enabling mechanism whereby these cultural heritage buildings with no investment/disvestments and renovation or even demolotion and rebuild anew remains the real and picture perfect scandal of an eyesore!
The above primarily applies to the Mappins ... of course (is not about the North Bank area... at all ... that was previously being discussed), but as yet very true! I really does make me sad as I have known ZSL/London Zoo pretty much from the glory years of Mappins and was with Paris probably the first transnational zoo experience this individual Zoochatter had of the global zoo community.
Looks like there’s money out there…
National Gallery gets £375m donations for new wing National Gallery to build a new wing on Trafalgar Square site
Whilst one of London’s biggest supporters recently passed way:
Business magnate Lord Swraj Paul dies aged 94
There certainly is, the renovation of Notre Dame being another prime example. It seems ZSL and individual philanthropy are a thing of the past.