Have come across an article from the Observer, dated 1932. It states Mok and Moina were housed in the old Lemur House where they were fed "white meat, eggs and fish to add stamina."
Mok must have already been several years old on his arrival in 1932, as I have a postcard where he is already well developed/almost adult, though he was only there six years. Some males do show signs of maturing much earlier than others though.
Mok must have already been several years old on his arrival in 1932, as I have a postcard where he is already well developed/almost adult, though he was only there six years.
Agreed; I have two different images of “Mok” reproduced in postcard format and he looks well developed in these photos.
This has been discussed elsewhere but, whilst on the subject of this particular gorilla, it is worth noting that “Mok” can still be seen mounted in the Leeds Museum. Does anybody know if “Moina” is on display in a museum anywhere?
I found the husbandry for this pair quite shocking, reading also that they were bathed daily in a mixture of water and paraffin to alleviate fleas!
Obviously you have to put the article in the context of the period it was written. Does anyone know of Guy's dietary requirements? (I'm assuming no fish!)
Obviously you have to put the article in the context of the period it was written. Does anyone know of Guy's dietary requirements? (I'm assuming no fish!)
I don't think any fish.... I can't speak for his early years, but in adulthood Guy received the normal diet given to the London Zoo Apes and Monkeys of the time- fresh fruit and vegetables, bread( a London zoo staple) and Monkey chow. The apes got a daily fortified milk drink and vitamin supplements also. In the 1960's the monotony was alleviated occassionally by visits from a couple by the name I think of Wenlock, who used all their holidays to visit the Zoo & Guy. They brought many expensive treats for him including strawberries and other exotic fruits not included in his normal diet. They weren't allowed to actually feed him but they oversaw its preparation and all the food they brought was distributed among the Apes, principally for him.
In the 60's, browse/branches was not a part of the Zoo diet but may have been by the time Guy died.
I think that ‘Meng;’ did arrive in 1938 as indicated on the poster. Certainly the ZSL Annual Report for 1938 records a young mountain gorilla being donated by the Belgian Government that year; although, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, ‘Meng’ was really an eastern lowland gorilla.
Sadly both ‘Mok’ and ‘Moina’ died at London Zoo; the on-line gorilla studbook gives their dates of death as 14th January 1938 and 7th July 1939 respectively.
I think that ‘Meng;’ did arrive in 1938 as indicated on the poster. Certainly the ZSL Annual Report for 1938 records a young mountain gorilla being donated by the Belgian Government that year; although, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, ‘Meng’ was really an eastern lowland gorilla.
According to the gorilla studbook, ‘Meng’ arrived on 10th August 1937 and died 6th September 1941 which tallies with the dates supplied by ‘Pertinax’.
However, the following comes from the ZSL Annual Report for 1938:-
“The unfortunate death of ‘Mok’, the male gorilla, has in some degree been offset by the presentation by the Belgian Government of a baby gorilla, also a male, but of the larger mountain subspecies. He is thriving in company with ‘Jacqueline’, a young female chimpanzee born in the gardens.....”
Incidentally there is film of ‘Meng’ and ‘Jacqueline’ here-
