I recall this now, you entered the house from the opposite end for several years, the first animals you met where the Tapirs, then the elephants (you could get much closer and a clearer view in those days too), then after the elephants where the hippos... However I thought that they where pygmy Hippos?............
The first couple of times I went after the Common Hippos died out there was a sign up saying they intended to get Pygmy Hippos. Still waiting!
This is still the Chester collection gap I feel the most strongly. Hopefully one of the two species (preferably the big boys) will return at some point.
I see. Maybe it was the sign saying that they intended to get pygmy's that threw me !!
I googled, Pygmy Hippos and Chester and saw a rather funny looking pic of Prince Philip near to one (black and white photo), then some from the
1970's posted on here.
This is still the Chester collection gap I feel the most strongly. Hopefully one of the two species (preferably the big boys) will return at some point.
I recall this now, you entered the house from the opposite end for several years, the first animals you met where the Tapirs, then the elephants (you could get much closer and a clearer view in those days too), then after the elephants where the hippos.
Correct- there were both Malayan and Brazilian Tapirs. And the elephants had no modern/barred fencing, just a dry ditch if I remember rightly. Most indoor elephant houses were similar in those days.
During the era of the Pachyderm House being discussed, elephants just had a dry moat outside but inside there was a waist high iron fence behind which visitors stood, then a strong steel fence behind which the elephants were contained. In the 1970s there were areas inside with just a fence for visitors and a dry moat.
