ID needed please :o) 1977

Some help neded to identify this Orang utan please from this 1977 brochure just acquired )

Did they ever have gorilla I keep seeing them mentioned in the 70's brochures? (although never pictured)

I also love the way 2 of my 70s brochures include a picture of Windsor great park on the back cover??

Wow- interesting photo/bit of zoo history.

That is the Sumatran male 'Adam'- probably the most well travelled Orangutan in the UK. I knew him well at both Belle Vue, Manchester and later Bristol Zoo, but never went to Colchester when he was there.

He was imported to Belle Vue, Manchester about 1963 as a young animal, with 1.1. Bornean orangs. probably they came from an animal dealer like Ravensden.
Later exchanged for a female from Flamingo Park(Yorkshire).
From Flamingo Park he went to Colchester for several years (where he became fat due to poor housing!).
Then sent to (purchased by) Bristol when their original male 'Henry' died.
Lived for many years at Bristol with females'Anne' and 'Julitta'- bred several offspring but they nearly all DNS.(except male 'Kertawa- raised at Twycross- later sent to Japan)
Adam was finally sent with 'Anne' to Santillana, Northern Spain when Bristol stopped keeping Orangutans. Adam died at Santillana a few years ago, but they have a surviving daughter(Maria) in Santillana- she has bred too so 'Adam' has some descendants.

To my knowledge, Colchester have never had Gorillas.

Photos can be deceptive- I have seen several postards that show the same picture of an animal- at two different zoos! And sometimes in zoo guidebooks/brochures the animal depicted hasn't been photographed in the zoo concerned. Most of London's publicity shots/posters for 'Gorilla Kingdom' were taken at Blackpool as they needed them well in advance of the exhibit opening.

Thats brilliant thank you so much!! He certainly is a 'big' lad I assume that lovely metal jungle gym pictured elsewhere in the gallery was all the enclosure had in terms of of facilitys!

On the map it is now named as orangutan and spider monkeys on the site of the old orang enclosure (Rajangs) with Gibbons Apes, quarantine enclosure behind it.

I have noticed a mix of Colchester photos and animals in the wild in the brochure also some very interesting and sometimes strange descriptions of the zoo! I suppose it is of its time!

karenZOO said:

t He certainly is a 'big' lad I assume that lovely metal jungle gym pictured elsewhere in the gallery was all the enclosure had in terms of of facilitys!

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I don't know where he was kept at Colchester as I never saw him there. I think he was kept alone though. What I do know is that when he arrived at Bristol he was obese and had virtually lost the use of his legs- so he shuffled along using his arms like crutches. Adult Sumatran males are usually slim and active, even in zoo situations-unlike Bornean males which can get very fat. For Adam(a Sumatran) to have been in such poor condition/obese means he certainly had no proper facilities for climbing/exercise at Colchester.

Bristol's enclosure wasn't ideal either but with more room/companions he did slowly lose all the weight and regained the proper use of his legs. Before he left he was a very different animal ,a typical 'slim' male Sumatran. Sometime I will try and post a picture or two of him just before they left for Spain, so you can compare the difference.

Pertinax, could the attached picture be of Adam? It was taken on 26th June 1994 at Bristol Zoo.

mhale said:

Pertinax, could the attached picture be of Adam? It was taken on 26th June 1994 at Bristol Zoo.

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That's him- with either Anne or her daughter Julitta (I think it is Anne) He is fit again here, walking normally and slim again. This would have been not long before A & A were sent to Santillana in Spain, while Julitta (not his daughter) went to Jersey..

I don't think the orangutan in my brochure photograph is of Adam as he isn't as large as this 1.

The Orangutan cage sounds very poor I'm saddened to hear Adam went through such a bad time at Colchester. Maybe even the worst Orangutan cage in Britain then???

Karern were there Girafes at Colchester Zoo then?

Thanks for posting that Mhale he certainly looks slimmer and has a lovely beard!

Goretex I cant find any on the map or in the brochure from 1977, nor 1979 brochure, earliest I have is 1966 none then! BUT I do have a undated (Bartlett just says 70's) from the early 70's given the stylethat have a picture of giraffes on the front but no mention of them inside or on the map!! lol so who knows

Strange!! All the more confusing!! Thanks for investigating though.

My undated brochure from around that time shows that they defineately had them at somewhere around this time. I've already posted a gallery photograph of 1 of them.

Was there maybe something else on the site of the old girafe house? (Now "Dragons of Komodo").

I think 'Adam' was the fifth Orangutan at Colchester.

First were a trio of Bornean orangs; Guy, Chrisse & Lola during the 1960's. (I don't have the exact dates to hand) G & C died before becoming adult, Lola was sent to Chester.

Chester sent Colchester a spare male in exchange- Dennis or David(Bornean)

I don't know when he died or whether Adam was there at the same time or after him.

After Adam (from Flamingo Park), came Rajang (from Chester), then Rajang & Annie (from USA) then Rajang & Djambe (from Twycross), then Rajang & Toba (from Twycross).