A Guidebook Library: TLD's year-long randomised walkthrough of zoo guides

[Carl Jones]

Day 148: St Catherine's Island Zoo (c.1970) - Sketch of fortress and four animals

Page count: 16 pages
Photographs: N/A
Illustrations/diagrams: N/A
Layout: Discussion about the history of St Catherine's Island and the fortress on the island, followed by a very brief introduction to the zoo and general trivia about a wide range of animal species.
Map: N/A

This next post will, I suspect, be the briefest and most lacking in detail I have written thus far - and certainly the least-illustrated, with the front cover being the only page worth uploading to the gallery for the purposes of this thread. However, it does provide an interesting look at the most... homespun, shall we say... zoological guidebook I have ever encountered, surpassing even the Kano Zoo guidebook from Nigeria which I discussed in January!

A few weeks ago, a rather old thread on the subject of the all-but-forgotten Tenby Zoo (otherwise known as St Catherine's Island Zoo) in southwest Wales - started by @Carl Jones with the hope of gathering further information about the collection for an article he was writing at the time - was revived by a newly-registered user who posted a link to an eBay listing for a copy of the one-and-only guidebook released during the fleeting lifespan of the zoo; I had already been aware of the fact that the collection had published such an item, and even knew of one or two copies in existence within the personal collection of other zoo enthusiasts, and as such decided to bid for the guidebook. Subsequently, I promised within the thread in question that were I successful in my attempts to obtain the guidebook, I would prioritize it for review here and (if at all possible) scan it completely to ensure that any information within would be preserved for posterity. I also promised Carl that once I had been able to do the latter, I would send him a PDF of the guidebook for his own records and (hopefully) facilitate improvement and completion of his article.

Having been successful in obtaining the guidebook - and with only a slight delay caused by the ongoing postal strikes here in the United Kingdom - I sat down to the task of reading it, analysing it and scanning it. It turned out to be even *more* homespun and rudimentary than I had anticipated, comprising sixteen mechanically-typed and photocopied pages containing no illustration, and very little information pertaining to the zoo itself - although this should not be taken to mean that no material of interest whatsoever was present.

Overall, it could be divided into four distinct sections:

• Two paragraphs about the physical and geographical features of St Catherine's Island.
• A page and a half about the history of the fort constructed on the island, and which contained the zoo at the time of publication.
• Four brief paragraphs discussing the zoo, the owners and their aims in opening the collection.
• A dozen pages providing a range of facts and trivia relating to various groups of mammal, bird and reptile, with the indication that at least *some* of these were hoped to be held at the zoo at in the future.

I shall discuss the last of these sections anon, given the fact it comprises the bulk of the text, but as the first three sections are both brief and the content which would be of most interest to those reading this thread, I shall reproduce them here verbatim via screenshots of the scanned pages (which, as promised, I uploaded to my computer as a PDF and emailed to Carl Jones). This will a) allow anyone interested to read the information within and b) avoid the media gallery being clogged by images showing walls of fairly rough and visually-unappealing type!

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The section of the guidebook pertaining to animals contains a fairly wide range of information, discussing various species both native to the British Isles and originating from further afield - if inconsistent in depth, rapidly shifting focus from one topic to the next, and occasionally a little preachy! For instance, the passage discussing rodents contains a digression about the fur trade - incited by mention of the pressures on wild Chinchilla - beseeching the reader "PLEASE DO NOT BUY that Leopard Skin coat, it probably came from poached animals" whilst a later passage located within discussion of the birds of prey notes the fact that several British species were at risk of extirpation, and states that "what is needed is education, particularly of children, and a much stricter enforcement of heavier penalties".

A running theme throughout is the discussion of exotic species as object examples which can be used to highlight conservation issues facing British wildlife, such as hunting, habitat loss and the use of pesticides - however, there is also a reasonable amount of information given relating to conservation issues in the wider world. Having discussed the matter somewhat with Carl -who personally knew the owners, and was therefore able to give a little insight into their personalities and motivations - he has suggested that the style and content of this segment of the guidebook, and indeed the guidebook as a whole, is likely an indication of their strong interest in education and conservation, and the enthusiasm and optimism which they felt in the early days of their zoo. It should, of course, be noted that much of the information presented here pertains to other factors relating to the species and animal families under discussion - such as diet and behaviour, their evolution, and the wide range in shape and form within a given group - and that this is by no means solely a sermon on conservation issues!

Overall, although this is a somewhat uninformative item where the zoological collection in question is concerned, and in many ways feels like a school textbook for children wishing to gain a general picture of the animal world, this is not where its true value lies; as a resource providing the geographic and historical context within which St Catherine's Island Zoo was situated, a primary resource of zoo-history and an insight into the individuals responsible for the creation of a now all-but-forgotten UK zoological collection, it is really rather interesting!

Day 148: St Catherine's Island Zoo (c.1970) - Sketch of fortress and four animals

This guidebook is a interesting glimpse into the world of a seaside zoo that existed in the 1960s ad 1970s . This was the era before zoo licensing and anyone could if they wanted start their own zoo and exotic animals were readily available. I knew the first owners and with the help of their oldest daughter have been putting together and article on the early years of the zoo and its eccentric owners. When the guidebook was offered for sale, it came a s a surprise since I did not know it existed. Thanks to Dave I have now read it and it gives some interesting glimpses.

The zoo was founded in 1968 by Christopher and Marion Batt, from Bristol. Chris had worked at the University as an animal technician, and they had a small collection of animals. They wanted to have their own zoo of small and unusual animals, and chose Pembrokeshire as a possible location. With its mild climate and large numbers of tourist it was ideal. They met with the county council who recommended they approach a local business man who owned St Catherine’s Island with its long abandoned fort.

Chris and Marion thought the fort a good site to develop their zoo. The ethos of the zoo was to be educational and they wrote the guidebook, although crudely produced and typewritten it nevertheless captures their feelings. They were on a mission to educate the public and in the guidebook censure raptor persecution, claiming the police were apathetic in their response. Otter hunting and badger digging are described as “particularly obnoxious” and they denounce gin traps that they call barbaric, and deplore the wearing of fur coats. The protection of primates is called for, with their use in laboratory research moderated. People are urged not to kill snakes, and they solicit for the protection of amphibians and to stop the harvesting of frogs for laboratory studies. Like many of their generation they felt they could make a difference and zoos offered great hope for the conservation of many species.

It was with this missionary like zeal that in early 1968, Chris, Marion and their two daughters Ginny, four years old, and Alison 18 months, moved in together with their animals. A third child, a boy, Michael was born in 1972. Running the collection, and juggling the needs of their three young children, proved very stressful. A great deal of energy had gone into looking after the zoo and it was clear that due to their family commitments they could not maintain the effort to provide the ideal conditions for the animals. In 1973 Chris and Marion reluctantly put the zoo up for sale. The zoo subsequently had two other owners. As time progressed the zoo became run down and it was clear that the logistic problems in maintaining a collection on a small island without reliable basic facilities were overwhelming. It was not possible to provide the conditions to keep all the species happy and healthy. The zoo was closed in 1978.

 

[birdsandbats]

I did a double take when I saw the title; there's also a St. Catherines Island (without the apostrophe) in the United States, off the coast of Georgia... known for being home to a semi-wild research group of ring-tailed lemurs descended from Bronx Zoo animals! You can understand why I was fascinated to learn they made guidebooks of the place

I had not heard of this. How wild are those lemurs? Are they essentially an introduced population or are they basically just free-roaming captives?

 

[Coelacanth18]

I had not heard of this. How wild are those lemurs? Are they essentially an introduced population or are they basically just free-roaming captives?

Not exactly sure. They were brought there in the 1980's as part of rewilding experiments, and since then have been freely roaming the island. It seems likely they breed freely too, though I'm not 100% sure on that. They are habituated to humans and several research papers have been written using them as subjects, but I don't think the public can go to the part of the island they inhabit.

 

[Chlidonias]

I had not heard of this. How wild are those lemurs? Are they essentially an introduced population or are they basically just free-roaming captives?

Not exactly sure. They were brought there in the 1980's as part of rewilding experiments, and since then have been freely roaming the island. It seems likely they breed freely too, though I'm not 100% sure on that. They are habituated to humans and several research papers have been written using them as subjects, but I don't think the public can go to the part of the island they inhabit.

This article is from 2009 but has a pretty good explanation (as well as mentioning other animals kept at the location) - the lemurs are free-roaming but fed and monitored. So not a "wild introduced population". Other animals such as birds and antelope are contained.

Saving endangereds: St. Catherines Wildlife Center doing its part


"The adults have colored collars and radio collars that have certain frequencies," she explained. "That way if they leave the group we can track them. Normally there is one dominate male that will mate with the majority of the females. The cool thing about lemurs is that they are a matriarchal society."
Belgio said they are gathered once a year for physicals and given flea and tick preventatives, other than that they are free to roam.
The lemurs are sensitive to colder temperatures so the staff monitors the weather during the winter. If needed the three groups of lemurs on the island heated shelters.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Day 149: Jersey Zoo (1989) - Snow Leopards

Page count: 32 pages
Photographs: 74 colour photographs
Illustrations/diagrams: N/A
Layout: Introduction, followed by a range of discussions relating to the ex-situ and in-situ activities of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust , botanical and animal highlights of Jersey Zoo, and various aspects of the day-to-day operation of the zoo.
Map: Located within central pages

Despite having been writing about my personal collection of zoological guidebooks for nearly a year, covering a wide range of zoos, wildlife parks and other such collections both significant and unknown, I had been unable to discuss any of the material published by Jersey Zoo - one of the most noteworthy European zoological collections which I had yet to cover. As such - although I do not intend to entirely stop posting new entries within this thread once the titular "year-long walkthrough of zoo guides" reaches its conclusion in the coming days - it is rather gratifying that this particular guidebook came up through the random selection process, and even more gratifying that (as I shall discuss anon) it is an interesting and informative example of the medium, rather than a mere promotional piece as was the case for some discussed previously.

The guidebook opens with an introductory passage written by Gerald Durrell, providing a general introduction to the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (renamed to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust a decade after the publication of this guidebook), the conservation work undertaken by the Trust through projects across the world, the important role which the zoo itself plays within these projects - both in terms of research, captive breeding and education - and the establishment of the International Training Centre.

All of these subjects, naturally, are discussed at significantly greater length within the main body of the guidebook - with information relating to the zoo and the animal collection therein interspersed with segments relating to a variety of wider topics. However, for the purposes of this discussion I shall discuss the guidebook in rough subject order - grouping related segments together - rather than the strict chronology of the guidebook as-printed. Moreover - given the fact that I feel the content of this guidebook is particularly interesting, with a large amount of information being conveyed within a relatively short space, accompanied by copious use of colour photographs - I have elected to select a larger number of example pages for the purposes of illustration. This also helps to compensate for the fact that the large format of the guidebook meant that it was impossible for me to scan double-page spreads, with the result that I have combined high-quality single-page scans with lower-quality photographs of double-page spreads.

The passages within the guidebook directly pertaining to the Trust and its activities, which follow the introductory segment directly, can be divided into three segments as follows:

• Discussion relating to the world-wide activities of the Wildlife Preservation Trust, highlighting the key areas where the Trust has been involved with in-situ conservation projects, and captive breeding/reintroduction programmes, and providing specific examples of prior successes in this regard; for instance Pink Pigeons in Mauritus, Golden Lion Tamarins in Brazil, Thick-billed Parrot in southern USA and Jamaican Hutia in the Caribbean.
• Discussion relating to the International Training Centre, located adjacent to the zoo and founded with the intention of providing a variety of residential courses aiming to provide conservation training to "three categories of trainee....firstly special trainees, people responsible for the care and maintenance of their own country's endangered wildlife, where the need for conservation is greatest....secondly, professional trainees, those who are already employed by zoos and are already employed by zoos and are seeking to improve their level of ability, and finally career trainees who, through their own efforts and commitment, have demonstrated their determination to advance the course of wildlife conservation". This section also discusses a Summer School on the breeding and conservation of endangered species which was open to twenty students a year - our very own @Hix attended in 1982, if I recall correctly, and perhaps can provide more information on the matter?
• A short discussion of the educational activities taking place within the zoo itself, through special classes and events held for school groups; this short segment also highlights some of the other duties of the Education Officer employed by the Trust at the time of publication.

The passages within the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo open with a variety of segments discussing the wide variety of mammalian species held at the collection - and in many cases, bred as part of ongoing captive-breeding and reintroduction efforts - at the time of publication; these are roughly divided into a number of taxonomically-themed segments, barring the very first such passage, and (as is the case for the guidebook as a whole) are lavishly illustrated by colour photographs depicting various of the taxa discussed:

• A single-page discussion relating to the captive breeding programmes for Sulawesi Babirusa and Spectacled Bear; the first of these is noted to have started only 5 years previously, subsequent to an import of stock from Antwerp and Rotterdam, but the Spectacled Bear programme is specifically cited to have been ongoing at Jersey for many years at the time of publication, with the breeding pair of the time producing numerous cubs which were subsequently dispersed to captive collections across the world, and themselves originating from zoological collections in the USA and communist East Germany.
• A single-page discussion relating to the various callitrichid species held by Jersey Zoo at the time of publication, with information provided relating to prior breeding successes and reintroductions of captive-bred stock into the wild; this is followed by a single-page discussion relating to the work with which the Trust was involved pertaining to the wild and captive conservation of red-ruffed lemur, pied-ruffed lemur and ring tailed lemur.
• A double-page spread discussing the Western Lowland Gorilla, Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Orangutan groups at Jersey Zoo - with the majority of the focus on the first of these taxa - and the massive improvement in Great Ape captive husbandry and longevity over the course of the immediately-preceding decades. Particular attention is paid to the status of Jersey as the studbook-holders for Western Lowland Gorilla at the time of publication, and the presence of the world-famous Jambo - the first male gorilla to be successfully born in captivity - within the breeding group of Western Lowland Gorilla at Jersey Zoo.
• A single page discussion relating to three of the most notable small mammal species kept and bred at Jersey Zoo at the time of publication - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Jamaican Hutia and Volcano Rabbit - and the ongoing conservation work undertaken by the Trust within their native ranges with the hope of successful reintroduction programmes being established; this is followed by a single-page discussion relating to the recent captive-breeding successes which Jersey Zoo had experienced with Snow Leopard, and plans to hopefully establish a breeding group of Cheetah at the collection.

Beyond here, one encounters a series of discussions relating to the day-to-day operation of the zoo, and the botanical exhibits and displays found throughout the grounds - we shall look at these anon. For now, we will skip forwards slightly and deal with the material pertaining to the bird collection at Jersey Zoo, as of the time of publication. As was the case for the mammalian species accounts, this provides a wide range of information about the habitat, diet and behaviour of the species in question, but naturally the majority of focus pertains to their conservation status and the work undertaken by Jersey Zoo and the Wildlife Preservation Trust both in-situ and ex-situ.

• The first single-page segment provides information relating to the parrot captive-breeding and reintroduction projects undertaken by the Trust, using St Lucia Amazon and Thick-billed Parrot as specific case studies; this is accompanied by another single-page discussion relating to the various waterfowl species present within the zoo at the time of publication, providing a large amount of information about captive-breeding and reintroduction programmes which the Trust was involved with - both in isolation, and alongside the efforts of the Wetland and Wildfowl Trust based at Slimbridge.
• The second pair of single-page discussions covers the various crane and pheasant species kept by Jersey Zoo; along with information relating to involvement with captive-breeding programmes managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (Congo Peafowl) and the World Pheasant Association (Edward's Pheasant), the latter section includes information about programmes for White-eared Pheasant and Palawan Peacock-pheasant which (at the time of publication) were managed by the Wildlife Preservation Trust itself.
• The final double-page spread within the section of the guidebook pertaining to the bird collection at Jersey Zoo covers a wide range of assorted bird species, including Waldrapp, Rodrigues Fody, Pink Pigeon and Bali Starling; once again, this section contains a large amount of detailed information about the conservation status of the taxa under discussion, along with the captive-breeding efforts and objectives undertaken by the Trust up to the time of publication. It is interesting to note the fact that the pigeon is mentioned almost in passing, with hopes voiced for prolonged captive breeding and an increase in population allowing reintroductions to occur, but no further detail provided relating to the progress of these objectives; conversely, the passage relating to Rodrigues Fody notes that the species had bred numerous times over the course of the past decade and was now being dispersed to other zoological collections to allow further expansion of the captive population. Today, the captive population of Pink Pigeon has expanded significantly and the species is currently found in over a dozen European collections - whilst the Fody disappeared from European collections within a decade of the publication of this guidebook, with no further breeding occurring beyond the late 1980s.

The final segment of the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo covers the reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates kept and bred within the collection at the time of publication, along with a number of other related subjects.

• The first of these comprises a single-page segment relating to the Gaherty Reptile Breeding Centre located within the zoo, discussing the general layout of the building and the way in which it was divided into a small number of on-show exhibits showcasing a number of the reptiles and amphibians kept within the collection at the time of publication, and a significantly larger complex dedicated to captive breeding and research which was not open to the public.
• This segment is accompanied by another single-page segment - perhaps one of the most interesting within the guidebook as a whole, in my opinion - specifically focusing on the work undertaken by the Trust on Round Island over the course of the 1970s and 1980s (and which is still ongoing now) to regenerate the native habitat on the island, removing invasive rabbits and goats, and breeding three of the most threatened reptile species endemic to the island - the Round Island Gecko, Round Island Skink and Round Island Boa. In another notable illustration of how rapidly the captive situation of a species can change, the guidebook states that "from the original importation of sixteen [gecko] in 1976, well over 200 have been bred successfully in Jersey, and many have been exported to other zoos"; this species is now no longer kept in captivity to the best of my knowledge, with ZTL indicating that Jersey itself ceased to keep the gecko in 1999. Conversely, the skink and boa are both still present within the captive collection at Jersey Zoo more than 30 years after the publication of this guidebook.
• The following segment provides a relatively large amount of information relating to the captive group of Radiated Tortoise held at Jersey Zoo at the time of publication, noting the recent development of a new exhibit complex for the species designed to maximise the chances of captive-breeding success, and the in-situ work undertaken by the Trust to combat the illegal trade in the species; shorter passages cover a breeding group of Red-footed Tortoise at the zoo, and the ongoing plans to establish an in-situ captive breeding programme in northwest Madagascar for Ploughshare Tortoise.
• The final segment of the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo covers a number of fairly disparate subjects; the three species of Caribbean endemic boa which were held and bred at the collection and the various conservation threats facing the species; the captive-breeding programme for the recently-rediscovered Mallorcan Midwife Toad; and the extirpation of Partula taxa from the wild and resulting captive-breeding and reintroduction efforts.

As previously noted, the guidebook contains a variety of discussions pertaining to wider subjects interspersed with the species accounts:

• The longest of these comprises several pages devoted to the subject of the botanical highlights found throughout the zoo and surrounding environs, all of which had been part of the gardens for Les Augres Manor prior to the establishment of Jersey Zoo. This segment provides a general walkthrough of the collection, making note of the noteworthy species of tree, shrub and flowers visible around particular animal exhibits and houses, their wild origin and - where appropriate - the reason for the presence of specific taxa. For instance, it is noted that numerous species of bamboo were grown in and around the grounds of the zoo, both due to their suitability for exhibit screening and providing shade and cover to the inhabitants of a given enclosure, and the fact that it could be used as forage for several of the species kept at the zoo. The walkthrough account notes that a longer, stand-alone guide to the botanical exhibits at the zoo was available from the visitor centre; I have never come across a copy of this item on the secondary market, nor any mention of it online, and as such I suspect it may have seen a very limited print run.
• The second "supplementary" segment of the guidebook comprises a double-page spread discussing the day-to-day operation of the zoo where animal feed and nutrition was concerned; it is noted that the food budget for the zoo was a major financial pressure, both due to the quantity of feed required and the high-quality produce sought, and that although the majority was imported from outside the zoo, certain specialist fruit, vegetables and crops - along with invertebrates and rodents for live-feeding purposes - were produced on-site within dedicated facilities. The guidebook also makes specific mention of the fact that - at the time of publication - the zoo had no official feeding times for the entertainment of the visiting public.
• The final segment of this nature comprises a single-page discussion at the very end of the guidebook, providing a general overview of the veterinary facilities on-site at the zoo; this is accompanied by an advertisement on the rear interior cover promoting membership of the Wildlife Preservation Trust, adoption schemes, donations and volunteering opportunities, and giving information on how further details could be obtained.

The guidebook also contains a large and rather aesthetically-pleasing map of the collection within the central pages; this is clearly marked with the layout, size and orientation of each of the major enclosures and exhibits within the zoo, along with visitor amenities, areas of the collection off-limits to the public, and key features such as Les Augres Manor, the Visitor Centre and the Reptile Breeding Centre. As has been made clear throughout this thread, I particularly appreciate zoological maps which accurately portray the dimensions and scale of exhibits in relation to one another, and which also show geographic features such as ornamental lakes, botanical displays and so forth; this is an area in which this map particularly excels. Moreover, the map is accompanied by a comprehensive numbered key which seems to cover every enclosure, house and/or feature within the zoo.

Overall, this is (as I hope to have demonstrated) a very interesting and informative guidebook, which is attractively-illustrated and provides a wide range of information in a relatively short space; although it is now over three decades old, it nonetheless stands as one of the best English-language guidebooks produced within the relatively recent past, establishing a standard which I feel more zoological collections could (and should) aim for.

 

[birdsandbats]

Day 149: Jersey Zoo (1989) - Snow Leopards

Page count: 32 pages
Photographs: 74 colour photographs
Illustrations/diagrams: N/A
Layout: Introduction, followed by a range of discussions relating to the ex-situ and in-situ activities of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust , botanical and animal highlights of Jersey Zoo, and various aspects of the day-to-day operation of the zoo.
Map: Located within central pages

Despite having been writing about my personal collection of zoological guidebooks for nearly a year, covering a wide range of zoos, wildlife parks and other such collections both significant and unknown, I had been unable to discuss any of the material published by Jersey Zoo - one of the most noteworthy European zoological collections which I had yet to cover. As such - although I do not intend to entirely stop posting new entries within this thread once the titular "year-long walkthrough of zoo guides" reaches its conclusion in the coming days - it is rather gratifying that this particular guidebook came up through the random selection process, and even more gratifying that (as I shall discuss anon) it is an interesting and informative example of the medium, rather than a mere promotional piece as was the case for some discussed previously.

The guidebook opens with an introductory passage written by Gerald Durrell, providing a general introduction to the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (renamed to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust a decade after the publication of this guidebook), the conservation work undertaken by the Trust through projects across the world, the important role which the zoo itself plays within these projects - both in terms of research, captive breeding and education - and the establishment of the International Training Centre.

All of these subjects, naturally, are discussed at significantly greater length within the main body of the guidebook - with information relating to the zoo and the animal collection therein interspersed with segments relating to a variety of wider topics. However, for the purposes of this discussion I shall discuss the guidebook in rough subject order - grouping related segments together - rather than the strict chronology of the guidebook as-printed. Moreover - given the fact that I feel the content of this guidebook is particularly interesting, with a large amount of information being conveyed within a relatively short space, accompanied by copious use of colour photographs - I have elected to select a larger number of example pages for the purposes of illustration. This also helps to compensate for the fact that the large format of the guidebook meant that it was impossible for me to scan double-page spreads, with the result that I have combined high-quality single-page scans with lower-quality photographs of double-page spreads.

The passages within the guidebook directly pertaining to the Trust and its activities, which follow the introductory segment directly, can be divided into three segments as follows:

• Discussion relating to the world-wide activities of the Wildlife Preservation Trust, highlighting the key areas where the Trust has been involved with in-situ conservation projects, and captive breeding/reintroduction programmes, and providing specific examples of prior successes in this regard; for instance Pink Pigeons in Mauritus, Golden Lion Tamarins in Brazil, Thick-billed Parrot in southern USA and Jamaican Hutia in the Caribbean.
• Discussion relating to the International Training Centre, located adjacent to the zoo and founded with the intention of providing a variety of residential courses aiming to provide conservation training to "three categories of trainee....firstly special trainees, people responsible for the care and maintenance of their own country's endangered wildlife, where the need for conservation is greatest....secondly, professional trainees, those who are already employed by zoos and are already employed by zoos and are seeking to improve their level of ability, and finally career trainees who, through their own efforts and commitment, have demonstrated their determination to advance the course of wildlife conservation". This section also discusses a Summer School on the breeding and conservation of endangered species which was open to twenty students a year - our very own @Hix attended in 1982, if I recall correctly, and perhaps can provide more information on the matter?
• A short discussion of the educational activities taking place within the zoo itself, through special classes and events held for school groups; this short segment also highlights some of the other duties of the Education Officer employed by the Trust at the time of publication.

The passages within the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo open with a variety of segments discussing the wide variety of mammalian species held at the collection - and in many cases, bred as part of ongoing captive-breeding and reintroduction efforts - at the time of publication; these are roughly divided into a number of taxonomically-themed segments, barring the very first such passage, and (as is the case for the guidebook as a whole) are lavishly illustrated by colour photographs depicting various of the taxa discussed:

• A single-page discussion relating to the captive breeding programmes for Sulawesi Babirusa and Spectacled Bear; the first of these is noted to have started only 5 years previously, subsequent to an import of stock from Antwerp and Rotterdam, but the Spectacled Bear programme is specifically cited to have been ongoing at Jersey for many years at the time of publication, with the breeding pair of the time producing numerous cubs which were subsequently dispersed to captive collections across the world, and themselves originating from zoological collections in the USA and communist East Germany.
• A single-page discussion relating to the various callitrichid species held by Jersey Zoo at the time of publication, with information provided relating to prior breeding successes and reintroductions of captive-bred stock into the wild; this is followed by a single-page discussion relating to the work with which the Trust was involved pertaining to the wild and captive conservation of red-ruffed lemur, pied-ruffed lemur and ring tailed lemur.
• A double-page spread discussing the Western Lowland Gorilla, Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Orangutan groups at Jersey Zoo - with the majority of the focus on the first of these taxa - and the massive improvement in Great Ape captive husbandry and longevity over the course of the immediately-preceding decades. Particular attention is paid to the status of Jersey as the studbook-holders for Western Lowland Gorilla at the time of publication, and the presence of the world-famous Jambo - the first male gorilla to be successfully born in captivity - within the breeding group of Western Lowland Gorilla at Jersey Zoo.
• A single page discussion relating to three of the most notable small mammal species kept and bred at Jersey Zoo at the time of publication - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Jamaican Hutia and Volcano Rabbit - and the ongoing conservation work undertaken by the Trust within their native ranges with the hope of successful reintroduction programmes being established; this is followed by a single-page discussion relating to the recent captive-breeding successes which Jersey Zoo had experienced with Snow Leopard, and plans to hopefully establish a breeding group of Cheetah at the collection.

Beyond here, one encounters a series of discussions relating to the day-to-day operation of the zoo, and the botanical exhibits and displays found throughout the grounds - we shall look at these anon. For now, we will skip forwards slightly and deal with the material pertaining to the bird collection at Jersey Zoo, as of the time of publication. As was the case for the mammalian species accounts, this provides a wide range of information about the habitat, diet and behaviour of the species in question, but naturally the majority of focus pertains to their conservation status and the work undertaken by Jersey Zoo and the Wildlife Preservation Trust both in-situ and ex-situ.

• The first single-page segment provides information relating to the parrot captive-breeding and reintroduction projects undertaken by the Trust, using St Lucia Amazon and Thick-billed Parrot as specific case studies; this is accompanied by another single-page discussion relating to the various waterfowl species present within the zoo at the time of publication, providing a large amount of information about captive-breeding and reintroduction programmes which the Trust was involved with - both in isolation, and alongside the efforts of the Wetland and Wildfowl Trust based at Slimbridge.
• The second pair of single-page discussions covers the various crane and pheasant species kept by Jersey Zoo; along with information relating to involvement with captive-breeding programmes managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (Congo Peafowl) and the World Pheasant Association (Edward's Pheasant), the latter section includes information about programmes for White-eared Pheasant and Palawan Peacock-pheasant which (at the time of publication) were managed by the Wildlife Preservation Trust itself.
• The final double-page spread within the section of the guidebook pertaining to the bird collection at Jersey Zoo covers a wide range of assorted bird species, including Waldrapp, Rodrigues Fody, Pink Pigeon and Bali Starling; once again, this section contains a large amount of detailed information about the conservation status of the taxa under discussion, along with the captive-breeding efforts and objectives undertaken by the Trust up to the time of publication. It is interesting to note the fact that the pigeon is mentioned almost in passing, with hopes voiced for prolonged captive breeding and an increase in population allowing reintroductions to occur, but no further detail provided relating to the progress of these objectives; conversely, the passage relating to Rodrigues Fody notes that the species had bred numerous times over the course of the past decade and was now being dispersed to other zoological collections to allow further expansion of the captive population. Today, the captive population of Pink Pigeon has expanded significantly and the species is currently found in over a dozen European collections - whilst the Fody disappeared from European collections within a decade of the publication of this guidebook, with no further breeding occurring beyond the late 1980s.

The final segment of the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo covers the reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates kept and bred within the collection at the time of publication, along with a number of other related subjects.

• The first of these comprises a single-page segment relating to the Gaherty Reptile Breeding Centre located within the zoo, discussing the general layout of the building and the way in which it was divided into a small number of on-show exhibits showcasing a number of the reptiles and amphibians kept within the collection at the time of publication, and a significantly larger complex dedicated to captive breeding and research which was not open to the public.
• This segment is accompanied by another single-page segment - perhaps one of the most interesting within the guidebook as a whole, in my opinion - specifically focusing on the work undertaken by the Trust on Round Island over the course of the 1970s and 1980s (and which is still ongoing now) to regenerate the native habitat on the island, removing invasive rabbits and goats, and breeding three of the most threatened reptile species endemic to the island - the Round Island Gecko, Round Island Skink and Round Island Boa. In another notable illustration of how rapidly the captive situation of a species can change, the guidebook states that "from the original importation of sixteen [gecko] in 1976, well over 200 have been bred successfully in Jersey, and many have been exported to other zoos"; this species is now no longer kept in captivity to the best of my knowledge, with ZTL indicating that Jersey itself ceased to keep the gecko in 1999. Conversely, the skink and boa are both still present within the captive collection at Jersey Zoo more than 30 years after the publication of this guidebook.
• The following segment provides a relatively large amount of information relating to the captive group of Radiated Tortoise held at Jersey Zoo at the time of publication, noting the recent development of a new exhibit complex for the species designed to maximise the chances of captive-breeding success, and the in-situ work undertaken by the Trust to combat the illegal trade in the species; shorter passages cover a breeding group of Red-footed Tortoise at the zoo, and the ongoing plans to establish an in-situ captive breeding programme in northwest Madagascar for Ploughshare Tortoise.
• The final segment of the guidebook pertaining to the animal collection at Jersey Zoo covers a number of fairly disparate subjects; the three species of Caribbean endemic boa which were held and bred at the collection and the various conservation threats facing the species; the captive-breeding programme for the recently-rediscovered Mallorcan Midwife Toad; and the extirpation of Partula taxa from the wild and resulting captive-breeding and reintroduction efforts.

As previously noted, the guidebook contains a variety of discussions pertaining to wider subjects interspersed with the species accounts:

• The longest of these comprises several pages devoted to the subject of the botanical highlights found throughout the zoo and surrounding environs, all of which had been part of the gardens for Les Augres Manor prior to the establishment of Jersey Zoo. This segment provides a general walkthrough of the collection, making note of the noteworthy species of tree, shrub and flowers visible around particular animal exhibits and houses, their wild origin and - where appropriate - the reason for the presence of specific taxa. For instance, it is noted that numerous species of bamboo were grown in and around the grounds of the zoo, both due to their suitability for exhibit screening and providing shade and cover to the inhabitants of a given enclosure, and the fact that it could be used as forage for several of the species kept at the zoo. The walkthrough account notes that a longer, stand-alone guide to the botanical exhibits at the zoo was available from the visitor centre; I have never come across a copy of this item on the secondary market, nor any mention of it online, and as such I suspect it may have seen a very limited print run.
• The second "supplementary" segment of the guidebook comprises a double-page spread discussing the day-to-day operation of the zoo where animal feed and nutrition was concerned; it is noted that the food budget for the zoo was a major financial pressure, both due to the quantity of feed required and the high-quality produce sought, and that although the majority was imported from outside the zoo, certain specialist fruit, vegetables and crops - along with invertebrates and rodents for live-feeding purposes - were produced on-site within dedicated facilities. The guidebook also makes specific mention of the fact that - at the time of publication - the zoo had no official feeding times for the entertainment of the visiting public.
• The final segment of this nature comprises a single-page discussion at the very end of the guidebook, providing a general overview of the veterinary facilities on-site at the zoo; this is accompanied by an advertisement on the rear interior cover promoting membership of the Wildlife Preservation Trust, adoption schemes, donations and volunteering opportunities, and giving information on how further details could be obtained.

The guidebook also contains a large and rather aesthetically-pleasing map of the collection within the central pages; this is clearly marked with the layout, size and orientation of each of the major enclosures and exhibits within the zoo, along with visitor amenities, areas of the collection off-limits to the public, and key features such as Les Augres Manor, the Visitor Centre and the Reptile Breeding Centre. As has been made clear throughout this thread, I particularly appreciate zoological maps which accurately portray the dimensions and scale of exhibits in relation to one another, and which also show geographic features such as ornamental lakes, botanical displays and so forth; this is an area in which this map particularly excels. Moreover, the map is accompanied by a comprehensive numbered key which seems to cover every enclosure, house and/or feature within the zoo.

Overall, this is (as I hope to have demonstrated) a very interesting and informative guidebook, which is attractively-illustrated and provides a wide range of information in a relatively short space; although it is now over three decades old, it nonetheless stands as one of the best English-language guidebooks produced within the relatively recent past, establishing a standard which I feel more zoological collections could (and should) aim for.

While I was aware of the attempted reintroduction of Thick-billed Parrot to the US in the 1980s, I had no idea Jersey was involved in this. Sadly, the reintroduction was a failure - Thick-billed Parrots remain extirpated in the country, thanks to clever goshawks that learned where the reintroduction sites were and ate all of the parrots before they could nest. A reintroduction of this species to the US has not been attempted since leaving no native parrot species in the country, between it and the Carolina Parakeet.

 

[birdsandbats]

This article is from 2009 but has a pretty good explanation (as well as mentioning other animals kept at the location) - the lemurs are free-roaming but fed and monitored. So not a "wild introduced population". Other animals such as birds and antelope are contained.

Saving endangereds: St. Catherines Wildlife Center doing its part


"The adults have colored collars and radio collars that have certain frequencies," she explained. "That way if they leave the group we can track them. Normally there is one dominate male that will mate with the majority of the females. The cool thing about lemurs is that they are a matriarchal society."
Belgio said they are gathered once a year for physicals and given flea and tick preventatives, other than that they are free to roam.
The lemurs are sensitive to colder temperatures so the staff monitors the weather during the winter. If needed the three groups of lemurs on the island heated shelters.

I've looked into this some more. Bronx Zoo no longer manages the island at all. All animals were removed except the lemurs, which are still present today in low numbers as a feral population which is no longer being managed.

 

[Chlidonias]

I've looked into this some more. Bronx Zoo no longer manages the island at all. All animals were removed except the lemurs, which are still present today in low numbers as a feral population which is no longer being managed.

Source?

 

[birdsandbats]

Source?

An iNaturalist user from the area.

 

[Chlidonias]

An iNaturalist user from the area.

Well, quite the solid source!

Here's a scientific paper from 2022, on a study done in 2021 (the lemurs are still the regular subject of studies) where it is stated that the lemurs are still fed every morning and all the males have been neutered to prevent breeding.
Characterizing group and individual engagement in intergroup encounters between small groups of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) on St. Catherines Island, USA

 

[birdsandbats]

Well, quite the solid source!

Here's a scientific paper from 2022, on a study done in 2021 (the lemurs are still the regular subject of studies) where it is stated that the lemurs are still fed every morning and all the males have been neutered to prevent breeding.
Characterizing group and individual engagement in intergroup encounters between small groups of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) on St. Catherines Island, USA

Thanks for this. I've been looking around for more reliable sources but I've been having trouble finding anything.

 

[gentle lemur]

That Jersey guidebook brought back memories for me because I visited the zoo in 1982 and 1983, so I have an earlier edition in my collection, which is similar in style but has only 16 pages. It is worth noting that not all the species mentioned above were on show in those days: I did not see the volcano rabbits or the Round Island boas on those visits, and I only saw one of the Round Island geckos in 1983, in an unlabelled exhibit in the Reptile Breeding Centre (I got a photo, which is in our Gallery with half a dozen others from those trips).
It is interesting to reflect on the species that were very unusual in zoos in those days, but are now relatively common zoo animals, including Goeldi's monkeys, golden lion tamarins, spectacled bears, Rodrigues fruit bats, Palawan peacock pheasants and pink pigeons: Jersey was not the first zoo to keep all of these species, but at was an important centre for breeding all of them. Of course not all these programmes were continued, some like the St Vincent Amazons failed to breed, the volcano rabbit colony eventually died out and I believe that the Jamaican hutias were repatriated eventually.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I did not see the volcano rabbits or the Round Island boas on those visits, and I only saw one of the Round Island geckos in 1983, in an unlabelled exhibit in the Reptile Breeding Centre (I got a photo, which is in our Gallery with half a dozen others from those trips).

In fact, I believe that the Round Island Boas, despite having been held at the collection for around 45 years from the late 1970s up to the present day, have never been on-display

 

[TeaLovingDave]

For this reason, several weeks ago I decided to produce a complete translation of the 1866 Zoo Berlin guidebook which opened this thread, and the historical introduction from the 1899 guidebook which was discussed a few days later, with the hope that (given my increased proficiency in interpreting the aforementioned typeface) I would have both completed by Christmas; in the event, although my translation of the 1866 guidebook is more-or-less complete, I realised last night that I had somehow missed out two pages from the centre so that will have to wait for a few more days! Although my ability to read the ornate typeface is better than it was, it is still extremely slow, hesitant and requires a fair bit of proof-reading before it even reaches the translation stage...

This has now been completed, and has been uploaded to a specifically-created thread for the purpose:

Der Fuhrer im Zoologischen Garten zu Berlin 1866 - English Translation

 

[Lucas Lang]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Given the fact that I still haven't gotten the final post I was writing for 2022 completed, due to a spike in my lethargy and lack of mental energy and taking a break after translating the entirety of the 1866 Zoo Berlin guidebook, I should probably say a little about my plans for this thread going forward.

As previously noted, I intend to continue posting guidebook reviews within this thread when the mood takes me, but will be largely prioritising a few other projects - both new, and returning to the various photographic guide threads which are either in-progress, planned or undergoing updates. One of the new projects should be coming to light within the next day or two, incidentally

In the meantime, the content which I post within this thread in the coming months will take a few forms:

• I will be continuing to provide a chronological look at the guidebooks produced by Zoo Berlin; these posts will maintain the depth and length of prior discussions wherever possible.
• I will continue to take requests for any specific guidebooks or zoological collections which people would like to hear about; these posts may be more free-form, with less regimented planning and formatting, than prior discussions.
• I intend to highlight new additions to my personal collection whenever something unusual or significant falls into my possession; again, these will be shorter and less detailed, and will effectively comprise stream-of-consciousness "first reactions" to the material in question.
• I may also occasionally provide information about unusual or significant material which is *not* present within my personal collection, where I have sufficient information to provide worthwhile commentary.

None of these (barring the next post, which as noted was intended to round the year out and is half-written) will be numbered with the day. So yeah, fire away with any requests, feedback and commentary as always... this thread has been pretty successful and I have no desire to let it die on the vine.

 

[TNT]

I would love to see a review of any older Banham or Africa Alive (Suffolk Wildlife Park) guides, if you have any

 

[AthleticBinturong]

Given the fact that I still haven't gotten the final post I was writing for 2022 completed, due to a spike in my lethargy and lack of mental energy and taking a break after translating the entirety of the 1866 Zoo Berlin guidebook, I should probably say a little about my plans for this thread going forward.

As previously noted, I intend to continue posting guidebook reviews within this thread when the mood takes me, but will be largely prioritising a few other projects - both new, and returning to the various photographic guide threads which are either in-progress, planned or undergoing updates. One of the new projects should be coming to light within the next day or two, incidentally

In the meantime, the content which I post within this thread in the coming months will take a few forms:

• I will be continuing to provide a chronological look at the guidebooks produced by Zoo Berlin; these posts will maintain the depth and length of prior discussions wherever possible.
• I will continue to take requests for any specific guidebooks or zoological collections which people would like to hear about; these posts may be more free-form, with less regimented planning and formatting, than prior discussions.
• I intend to highlight new additions to my personal collection whenever something unusual or significant falls into my possession; again, these will be shorter and less detailed, and will effectively comprise stream-of-consciousness "first reactions" to the material in question.
• I may also occasionally provide information about unusual or significant material which is *not* present within my personal collection, where I have sufficient information to provide worthwhile commentary.

None of these (barring the next post, which as noted was intended to round the year out and is half-written) will be numbered with the day. So yeah, fire away with any requests, feedback and commentary as always... this thread has been pretty successful and I have no desire to let it die on the vine.

If you have any from any Irish collections I would love to see them!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I would love to see a review of any older Banham or Africa Alive (Suffolk Wildlife Park) guides, if you have any

Can definitely do that - I've done an old Suffolk previously, so I shall root out my oldest Banham (which isn't all that old unfortunately).

If you have any from any Irish collections I would love to see them!

Got a fair few from Northern Ireland - reviewed the first Belfast guidebook within this thread - but only a tiny number from the Republic I'll do one of my 1960's Dublin guides for you!

Pity that you are based in Cork IIRC, otherwise I'd ask you to pick up a copy of the recent Dublin guidebook on my behalf and send it to me (with my paying you, obviously).

 

[AthleticBinturong]

Can definitely do that - I've done an old Suffolk previously, so I shall root out my oldest Banham (which isn't all that old unfortunately).



Got a fair few from Northern Ireland - reviewed the first Belfast guidebook within this thread - but only a tiny number from the Republic I'll do one of my 1960's Dublin guides for you!

Pity that you are based in Cork IIRC, otherwise I'd ask you to pick up a copy of the recent Dublin guidebook on my behalf and send it to me (with my paying you, obviously).

I can certainly try, I should be up in Dublin soon enough I’ll send you a PM when I for definite!