Closed Zoos

Dear All,
Apparently during all this debate you forgot about the zoos which still exist !!! Yes, I know we are talking about "closed zoos" - so why am I writing about zoos which stll exist? The answer is very simple! The are many zoos which during their history had different locations, usually two, but in some cases even more. Below are few examples:
1. Mulhouse, France – very complicated history and not clear. First zoo opened in 1868 but soon 1871 because of French-Prussian war closed. Another zoo, at another site probably opened in 1878 or even 1893?
2. Riga, Latvia – first zoo existed since 1912 but in 1917 during the I World War was destroyed. New zoo, at another site opened in 1933;
3. Tallinn Zoo, Estonia – old zoo started 1939, moved to present site in 1983;
4. Lisbon, Portugal – the zoo had three different locations: 1884-1895, moved to another site 1894-1905 and at present site since 1905;
5. Frankfurt am Main, Germany – first zoo existed 1858 to 1874. In 1874 moved to present location;
6. Nuremberg, Germany – first zoo existed 1912-1939 in 1939 moved to present location;
7. Muenster, Germany – first zoo existed since 1875 until 1974 then in 1974 moved to new, present site;
8. Rotterdam, Netherlands – old zoo existed 1856-1940, moved to new, present site in 1940;
9. Miami, Florida, USA – Crandon Park Zoo existed since 1949 until 1980. Miami MetroZoo opened in 1981;
10. Novosibirsk, Russia – first zoo opened in 1947, the new zoo, on the new site opened in 2000 (very likely for a couple of years existed two zoos – but I am not sure);
11. Ostrava, Czech Republic – first zoo existed 1951-1960, in 1960 moved to present site;
12. Zamosc, Poland – old zoo, as small school zoo existed since 1919 until 1982, then moved to newly built, real zoo in 1982;

I am using there a word "moved" - but actually I am not sure if the zoo as such could be simply "moved". The animals yes - they can be moved from one place to another. But the entire zoo - NOT !!! So this is a good subject for all zoo-historians, are such zoos as Rotterdam or Frankfurt really more then 150 years old ????
 
The Pearl Coast Zoo in Broome on Western Australia's north coast closed down in the early 1990s I believe.
it had quite an extensive range of exotic antelope amongst other things
 
I´ve read in polish newspaper that the small Akcent Zoo in Białystok (Poland) should be closed this year, due to its poor state and missing recources for a modernisation of this council-owned facility with a free admission.

Another still existing zoo that moved during its existence:
Plzen / Pilsen Zoo, Czech republic - opened 1926 in Doudlevce, closed 1962 after an anthrax infection, the zoo moved to Lochotín in 1963.
 
On the topic of the "moved zoos" here are other US zoos that have changed locations:

Disney's Animal Kingdom from Discovery Island
Central Florida Zoo
Zoo Atlanta
North Carolina Zoo had a temporary zoo built on property while current zoo was built
Indianapolis Zoo from Washington Park Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo from Washington Park Zoo
Nashville Zoo
Montgomery Zoo
Oklahoma City Zoo from Lincoln Park Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo from Griffith Park Zoo
Six Flags Marine World
Jungle Island from Parrot Jungle
 
"El Parc de les Aus" was a bird park located in a small city near Barcelona. This park had a good collection of birds and maybe the most interesting was the collection of toucans and hornbills. The park was closed on 2005 for problems with the terrains (the owner of the terrain where the park was built reclaimed it).

I scanned the few photos I have from this park:

http://www.zoochat.com/715/sulawesi-hornbill-parc-de-les-aus-71596/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/sulawesi-hornbill-parc-de-les-aus-71597/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/ostrich-parc-de-les-aus-71601/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/griffon-vulture-parc-de-les-aus-71600/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/crowned-crane-parc-de-les-aus-71599/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/white-throated-toucan-parc-de-les-71598/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/dromedary-camel-parc-de-les-aus-71595/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/turaco-parc-de-les-aus-71594/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/emu-parc-de-les-aus-71593/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/emu-parc-de-les-aus-71592/
http://www.zoochat.com/715/toco-toucan-parc-de-les-aus-71591/
 
I grew up in the Los Angeles area and there were five animal parks that I visited as a child in the 1970's that no longer exist. (Three are on Okapikpr's list).

Marineland (Palos Verdes)
Busch Gardens (Van Nuys)
Lion Country Safari (Irvine)
Japanese Deer Garden (Buena Park)
California Alligator Farm (Buena Park)

Marineland was bought out by Sea World (San Diego) with the promise they would keep it open - they closed it immediately after purchase, presumably to eliminate competition with their own park.
 
Jana said:
I´ve read in polish newspaper that the small Akcent Zoo in Białystok (Poland) should be closed this year, due to its poor state and missing recources for a modernisation of this council-owned facility with a free admission.
Click to expand...

Re. Białystok Akcent Zoo - it is not that sure yet ! Will see.
 
I did some research, compared photos, drawings, etc. And made this map of The Hague Zoo, the situation of 1935, 7 years before the zoo closed his gates.

2yphilv.jpg


Some of the numbers:
1 = Main entrance
2 = Entrance to the theatre
4 = parrot lane
10 = elephants
13 = birds and reptiles
15 = lions and tigers
17, 18 = greenhouse
20 = monkeyhouse
21 = owls
23 = greenhouse
25 = birds of prey
28 = brown bears
31 - main building with theatre
32 = staff building
 
The first zoo I remeber was lambton lion park, a chipperfield stately home safari park combination similar to that at longleat. The weather in the northe ast UK meant short seasons and coupled with reduced repeat visitors and a less populus part of the country meant it closed after just a few years. However there are some pictures and maps reproduced from the guide books here.

All Things Bournmoor Burnmoor - Lambton Lion Park

If anyone else has any information or stories of this zoo I'd love to hear from you
 
Sanford or central florida zoo

okapikpr said:
On the topic of the "moved zoos" here are other US zoos that have changed locations:

Disney's Animal Kingdom from Discovery Island
Central Florida Zoo
Zoo Atlanta
North Carolina Zoo had a temporary zoo built on property while current zoo was built
Indianapolis Zoo from Washington Park Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo from Washington Park Zoo
Nashville Zoo
Montgomery Zoo
Oklahoma City Zoo from Lincoln Park Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo from Griffith Park Zoo
Six Flags Marine World
Jungle Island from Parrot Jungle
Click to expand...


I have a postcard of an exhibit in Sanford Zoo before it moved. Very happy to upload it. Sanford Zoo is a great place to spend a few hours whilst waiting for your flight home. Most charter flights to and from Orlando use Sanford Airport.
 

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Closed and Moved Zoos

To add to the moved list in the US:
Waco, Texas (Currently Cameron Park Zoo) - I was at the old one, and it was terrible - predator and prey in cyclone fence enclosures right next to each other, concrete floors, very small. Wasn't crazy about the spiders at eye level in the restroom, either. The new one is nice.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Out of Africa (from Fountain Hills, Arizona to Camp Verde, Arizona)

Nashville, Tennessee (this one has an interesting history, at one point there was a Nashville Zoo and an independent place called Grassmere. Then, at the time I visited Nashville Zoo, they were using Grassmere as a holding area for some of their animals. Then, they moved them all to Grassmere which is now called Nashville Zoo at Grassmere!)

Closed:
Walk in the Wild Zoo, Spokane Washington, in 1995. (It was once named one of the 10 worst, but I don't remember it being that bad)

Tropic Gardens Zoo, Phoenix, Arizona. I think it closed in the 80's. I remember being at a birthday party there when I was a kid and there were monkeys in what were essentially bird cages and a monkey took a bandage off one of the boys. Not a good place.

I didn't realize Catskill Game Farm had closed. A couple of others already mentioned that I managed to get to (as a child) that are now closed include Marineland of the Pacific, Lion Country Safari in Calif. and Sea-Arama in Galveston.


I don't know if I would agree that Discovery Island moved to Animal Kingdom, but I can see why someone said so. They're just so different. I really miss Discovery Island.
 
Natureland, a zoo in Coolangatta on Australia's Gold Coast, closed in either the late 70's or early 80's.

In Sydney's western suburbs: Wonderland Zoo (more of a Fauna Park than a Zoo) closed a few years ago. Bullen's African Lion Safari closed in the 80's, and the private zoo at Notre Dame closed to the public many years ago (although I believe they still have many of their wild animals). The Pennant Hills Koala Park (another fauna park) closed within the last few years and yet another Sydney fauna park, Waratah Park, closed a few years back, then re-opened a few years later. Not sure if it's still operating.

There was a Zoo in Tamworth that closed a few years after it opened, in the early 80's. Big fuss when it closed as there was nowhere to place the big dangerous mammals.

Paradise Park, Manoa Valley, Oahu, Hawaii. Closed in the early 90's. Site is now used as the film set for the TV series "Lost".

:p

Hix
 
Three really bad roadside zoos in Arizona that thankfully all closed in the last few years: Douglas Wildlife Zoo, Payson Zoo, Navajo Nation Zoo. Also one in Yuma, Arizona that I don't know if it was bad or not - Saihati Camel Farm.
 
I've discovered another closed zoo, Max Allen's Reptile Gardens, later renamed Max Allen's Zoological Gardens, in Missouri, USA.

Flickr: Neato Coolville's stuff tagged with maxallenszoologicalgardens

A little more about this place:

Neato Coolville: MAX ALLEN'S ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

I believe the infamous Lickety Splits roadside zoo in London, Ontario was (finally) shut down since these articles were printed:
http://www.londontopic.ca/article.php?artid=4248
http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=18605#continue
http://www.westmountexaminer.com/article-330080-Ecomuseum-reveals-missing-lynx-from-Ontario.html

Dogland in Florida displayed several breeds of dogs.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/292
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/29/photos-from-the-real.html
http://bobshetterly.blogspot.com/2009/02/dog-land.html

Rhodes Zoo in Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mallix/sets/72157605768873134/
 
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hey, thanks meaghan,
I've been meaning to find the name of him just never got round to it.
 
There was a fantastic Zoo in St Asaph, North Wales (Stuardian time) . They had 7 asian elephants, 6 African elephants, 4 prides of lions (one female had the white gene), 24 giraffes (not sure of specie) two white rhino, six indian rhino, and one massive lot of birds, reptiles, anphibians and small mammals. The Zoo struggled withy money and the british army shot all of the animals un-sellable, including all of the elephants exept one and 2 prides of lions. Not sure on the rest. The zoo site is now a Shopping outlet.
 
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elephant400 said:
There was a fantastic Zoo in St Asaph, North Wales. They had 7 asian elephants, 6 African elephants, 4 prides of lions (one female had the white gene), 24 giraffes (not sure of specie) two white rhino, six indian rhino, and one massive lot of birds, reptiles, anphibians and small mammals. The Zoo struggled withy money and the british army shot all of the animals un-sellable, including all of the elephants exept one and 2 prides of lions. Not sure on the rest. The zoo site is now a Shopping outlet.
Click to expand...

Do you have any evidence?
 
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