Yes I did get the Westbury info from the Cramp interview, recollections of a seven year old, eighty five or so years later, pretty solid wouldn't you say.
Some of his information wasn't correct- about them breeding in (several) Zoos abroad. However the female at Washington arrived with pouch young and there was almost certainly one full captive breeding record from Melbourne in 1899, so he was close to being correct.
His description of the Thylacine's 'undulating cry' tallies very closely with similar reports from London Zoo about the vocalisation of one of their (single) Thylacines- so I take this to have been either a territorial, or contact call, or perhaps some of both.
I would be inclined to believe at least something of his memories of 'Westbury' though I don't know whereabouts in Tasmania 'Westbury' is located- do you?
Yeas, he made a few mistakes about them breeding overseas, and his claim that 'Benjamin' was put down was also a bit strange.
Westbury is a small place in the north about ten miles west of Launceston. There is a zoo there it's called 'Tasmania Zoo' before that it was known as 'Devil's Heaven'. I'm not sure if it's the same place that's mentioned in the title of this paper;
And I'm not sure that last one is the same institution Cramp was on about either. I suspect not. I've contacted 'Tasmania Zoo' who told me they opened in only 2008 or so.
I've also got in touch with Westbury's historical society but have had no response; next step e-mail the local libraries.
A possibility that stuck me is that Cramp may have been talking about 'City Park Zoo' in Launceston, but this seems unlikely.
and his claim that 'Benjamin' was put down was also a bit strange.
Westbury is a small place in the north about ten miles west of Launceston. There is a zoo there it's called 'Tasmania Zoo' before that it was known as 'Devil's Heaven'. I'm not sure if it's the same place that's mentioned in the title of this paper;
I've also got in touch with Westbury's historical society but have had no response; next step e-mail the local libraries.
A possibility that stuck me is that Cramp may have been talking about 'City Park Zoo' in Launceston, but this seems unlikely.
Its possible he was referring to one of the earlier Thylacines before Benjamin. Either the previous female, the 1930 capture, whose rather mysterious death isn't recorded, or the one before that which was described as having died from Kidney disease/failure, though of course its always possible they put it down due to an advanced state of illness.
'Westbury'. There are(or used to be) several small Wildlife Parks in Tasmania which promote Devils, Westbury is one I didn't know. Sometimes these places are on the site of a previous park, and they re-open with new management after a period of closure- that could have been the case here, maybe more than once, if its latest reincarnation is 'Tasmania Zoo'.
I too rather doubt he was referring to Launceston-why refer to it as Westbury, and not the City Park or Launceston Zoo?
Agreed, one thing that's struck me is could he possibly have mistaken Westbury for Wynard an zoo for James Harrison's collection? He did have one for sale surprisingly late as I remember. Although I'm not aware of a source for this animal there probably is one.
Again though I doubt it and worse I'm indulging in speculation of the worst kind.
Yes, too much speculation doesn't always help, I'll agree. But I think as he specifically said 'Westbury' and there is such a place in Tassie, it was probably not a mistake?
