ZSL London Zoo Unicorns

D

Devi

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Not real ones obviously! I found this earlier -
In 1906 two unicorn rams [male sheep] were on display at the zoo in London
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I've done a little more research and it seems that they were rams with horn buds moved to the centre of the head which then fused. The same was later done with goats and cows.
Would it be too ambitious to think there might be some pictures of any of the false unicorns at London? Or is there more information anywhere?
Are these the only 'fictional' animals to be exhibited at a zoo?
 
There was the infamous "Lirpa Loof" that was in the old Panda cages around this time of year-some programme on the BBC had a feature on it...........
 
This was popular in the '60s and '70 in the US. I remember a misty shot of a goat with the horn on its forehead, shot in a flowery meadow, probably a virgin in there somewhere. I think it was a calendar aimed at, well... flower children.
 
I thought by the 60's and 70's they'd have been a bit more scientific! How bizarre.
 
Circuses have been (and still are) featuring them for years
 

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Wow, thanks for the picture, that goat looks less than impressed though, poor thing. Mutilating animals for entertainment somehow doesn't sit right with me in this day and age where we really should know better.
 
are we even sure that horn belongs to that goat! since when do horns grow from the middle of the head
 
Steve Robinson said:
Still are??????????????
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Well, perhaps I spoke too soon because I don't pay much attention to circuses. I do remember Ringling Bros. here in the US promoting this thing just a few years ago.

Anyway, as long as we're looking at the topic, this site is interesting...or depressing...or something

Man Made Unicorns in Unicorn Dreams at Lair 2000

or this

http://everything2.com/title/Living+Unicorn+Project

Of course, since it is just an internet page without reference I have no idea how much it resembles real events
 
Yes - about 20 years ago Ringlings went through quite an involved process with a team of veterinarians to "create" a couple of unicorns.

I believe that there were also a couple of copycat attempts as well.

I could never see the point in the whole exercise and was pleased to see the fad drift off into oblivion.

As far as I am aware, unicorns have not been used by circuses since then.
 
ZYBen said:
What does an impressed goat look like?
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Like this -

happy_goat.jpg
 
I wasnt quite sure what to expect when I opened this thread but I am quite surprised!

This is unethical but very very interesting! When you say that Ringlings went through quite an involved process with a team of veterinarians to "create" a couple of unicorns, have you any more information on this? was this done on horses or exclusively with goats?

I had never even thought about the movement of the "floating" horn buds to the center of the head before they fused to the skull! I wonder have they ever tried to transplant a horn bud into a foal? Im not suggesting that they should but I wonder would it be possible? Hypothetically speaking of course!

I have actually seen a unicorn! It was a Jacob's ram that was born with just one horn. Ill make enquiries if he is still alive!
 
after some reading it seemed to be tried with a bull as well, which suposedly became the fear of his heard, due to the advantage of having a forward horn.
No clue if it has been tried with horses.
 
Anybody watch Autumn watch last year? there was a stag with one horn! He killed quite a few stags with his dagger like horn!
 
On the site posted earlier it described the sheep that I heard about at London, goats at ringlings and one bull. I can't imagine that it would be as easy as the animals who have horns naturally, but there is that chinese woman who grew a horn recently, so I guess it's possible?
 
From the 1908 guide to London Zoo:

"A set of interesting sheep formed part of the Prince of Wales' Indian Collection. They have short tails and a coarse woolly fleece. Some have normal horns, others two pairs of horns, and two present an extraordinary feature of having apparently a single horn, which, however, is probably composed of a pair fused in the middle line."
 
Ha ha, that is classic devi, made me laugh. That picture will remain as my background for a few days!

Could just imagine that goat listening to a bit of Bob Marley and Smoking the pipe of peace!
 
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