Yes , that is interesting because I thought "Bess" had died and was buried in the zoo grounds, the male "Porgy" was left on his own afterwards before another female was brought in from Russia I believe. Is it not possible that this animal was infact "Porgy" ? As "Jack" was before "Porgys" time ?? Bonnie & Clyde arrived after "Porgy , "Bess" and another female?
(It might be good to PM me as we both know each other mate!)
Just looking at that photo again I would say that is a MALE Polar bear , when you have worked with Polar Bears you can tell by their physical frame, even from behind!!
Yes, I was probably mixing up my polar bears. I believe the photo shows a male polar bear so it must have been Porgy. I was not aware Bess was buried in the grounds. Just to confuse the issue, I was aware their 2 elephants were buried in the grounds after eating bad ham sandwiches offered by a visitor. They died within days of each other.
Yes, I was probably mixing up my polar bears. I believe the photo shows a male polar bear so it must have been Porgy. I was not aware Bess was buried in the grounds. Just to confuse the issue, I was aware their 2 elephants were buried in the grounds after eating bad ham sandwiches offered by a visitor. They died within days of each other.
Just to confuse the issue, I was aware their 2 elephants were buried in the grounds after eating bad ham sandwiches offered by a visitor. They died within days of each other.
The database shows Marjory and Bella died within 4 months of each other, in 1990. I think at least one other elephant passed through Chessington while they were there, but it moved on to another zoo.
So, if 'Jack' was at the zoo with 'Bess' until the early 1980s, and both were gone before Bonnie and Clyde arrived, it would not make any sense to me that either one was in this photograph, as I believe the only reason polar bears were in here was because a young Bonnie and Clyde had arrived and were in the actual polar bear enclosure. Even at the time this was taken, the enclosure photographed was clearly designed for other bear species.
I would therefore expect this animal to be 'Porgy'. It sounds like Bess died pre 1982, a female was brought in from Russia (according to Nanook) to replace her with Jack, then Jack died and Porgy arrived to replace him. If this animal was 'Porgy' I would expect his recently-arrived mate (replacement from Bess) to have either not lasted long or be destined, along with Porgy, for another zoo.
What I'm not sure on was how many individuals passed through the main polar bear pool pre- bonnie and clyde, and whether the individual pictured here was alone or with a mate while held in this enclosure. Also, I don't know if the last animal(s) before Bonnie and Clyde died here or was/were moved on.
This shouldn't be confused with the refurbishment of the main polar bear enclosure, which took place around 1985. At this point, the other bear pits in the zoo as others have stated had become a barbary sheep/macaque exhibit, and Bonnie and Clyde were sent briefly to the the recently-emptied Mappin Terraces at ZSL for a short stay while their enclosure was refurbished.
So, if 'Jack' was at the zoo with 'Bess' until the early 1980s, and both were gone before Bonnie and Clyde arrived, it would not make any sense to me that either one was in this photograph, as I believe the only reason polar bears were in here was because a young Bonnie and Clyde had arrived and were in the actual polar bear enclosure. Even at the time this was taken, the enclosure photographed was clearly designed for other bear species.
I would therefore expect this animal to be 'Porgy'. It sounds like Bess died pre 1982, a female was brought in from Russia (according to Nanook) to replace her with Jack, then Jack died and Porgy arrived to replace him. If this animal was 'Porgy' I would expect his recently-arrived mate (replacement from Bess) to have either not lasted long or be destined, along with Porgy, for another zoo.
What I'm not sure on was how many individuals passed through the main polar bear pool pre- bonnie and clyde, and whether the individual pictured here was alone or with a mate while held in this enclosure. Also, I don't know if the last animal(s) before Bonnie and Clyde died here or was/were moved on.
This shouldn't be confused with the refurbishment of the main polar bear enclosure, which took place around 1985. At this point, the other bear pits in the zoo as others have stated had become a barbary sheep/macaque exhibit, and Bonnie and Clyde were sent briefly to the the recently-emptied Mappin Terraces at ZSL for a short stay while their enclosure was refurbished.
Jack was paired to Jill this was Chessingtons first pair of Polar Bears. They never lived in the exhibit that Porgy and Bess, then Bonnie and Clyde lived in. The photgraph shows the row of bear enclosures that held most of the other bears at chessington but Polars were never kept there permanently.
I believe there was in fact TWO "Besses" , the first died and was buried in the zoo grounds with a headstone, a replacement "Bess" then arrived as far as I know. There were no other Polar Bears kept at Chessington Zoo.
After writing the earlier post, I did wonder if there might have been two 'Besses', as someone commented on another old photo in this gallery that a female named Bess arrived in 1960 and then left for Basel zoo in 1982. If a bear by that name did leave in 1982, and one with the same name was buried at Chessington, it would suggest the replacement female that came from Russia as a mate for Porgy was the second 'Bess', and left the zoo via the other bear pits in 1982 once Bonnie and Clyde had arrived.
Why did Chessington replace their Polar bears before they'd passed away? Were they that hard to come by that they leapt on the opportunity to acquire Bonnie and Clyde even though that meant they had to rehome their existing pair? Do you know if Porgy ever left the zoo or did he die in the pit in this photograph?
