Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo in the 1980s

bongorob

bongorob

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I have a vague memory of seeing tarisers and pacarana at Bristol, either in 1986 or 1987. Does anyone have any information regarding these species? Or is it just a figement of my imagination?
 
i don't think they are i saw a picture of the tarsier in one of the old guide books and the pacarana was mentioned in an article on mixed exhibits at Bristol zoo in izn.
 
I saw the tarsiers and chatted briefly with their keeper. They were kept in the nocturnal display on top of the restaurant on the college side of the zoo, where the insects are now. I think they were 2 females; they had imported a trio but lost the male soon after arrival. They weren't very active when I was watching them.
I don't remember seeing a pacarana - and I'm sure I wouldn't forget seeing a pacarana ;)

Alan
 
Don't tarsiers just explode when kept in captivity? I've heard they can be very skittish, and liable to hurt themselves etc... I didn't realise we had had them in Britain.
 
There are several clips on youtube and google video of some tarsiers in captivity in some kind of open tropical house, maybe Singapore zoo (I'm not sure), being prodded and crowded by visitors. They are just clinging to the branches of this bush and are awake but don't seem to react much, it looks quite a recent video.
 
can anyone answer my bristol zoo question, i know many years ago Bristol had one of the largest captive groups of okapi in the world, the majority of these at the time were kept at the Hollywood tower estate, the proposed site of the new zoo, i also know wolves were kept there too, were there any other animals kept there too?
 
I think some of the Black Rhino were also kept there. I don't know whether the calves were born here or at the zoo.
 
kiang said:
i know many years ago Bristol had one of the largest captive groups of okapi in the world, the majority of these at the time were kept at the Hollywood tower estate, i also know wolves were kept there too, were there any other animals kept there too?
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Many of the Okapi produced by Bristol were bred at Hollywood Towers. There was only ever two on exhibit in the zoo at any time. Incidentally, Chester's young male 'Mbuti' is a 7th generation (unbroken line) bred from that line.(see Okapi thread for more info.)

White tigers were also kept there. Also, as well as a black rhino, some Llamas and other odds and ends. It was really a repository for anything that couldn't be housed in the zoo.
 
Hadley said:
I think some of the Black Rhino were also kept there. I don't know whether the calves were born here or at the zoo.
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One Black rhino was certainly kept there for a while, in a domestic bull's pen. He was 'Rupert' born in Hanover and obtained by Bristol to possibly make up a 2nd pair with a home grown female. A female later(1973) obtained from Southampton Zoo- Thelma- may have been there for a while too.

All five Bristol calves were born in the Zoo enclosure.(parents; Willie x Stephanie) Only the first two males survived to maturity*. The later three (females) all died young. (* Paignton's new calf is descended from this line)

'Rupert' was an excessively nervous male. He was later(1978) transferred to London, then six months later to Whipsnade, where he sired a single male calf, 'Parky' which was later sent to Chester.
 
Hadley said:
tarsiers in captivity in some kind of open tropical house, being prodded and crowded by visitors. They are just clinging to the branches of this bush but don't seem to react much,
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Maybe they're in shock.....;)
 
sebbe67 said:
Anyone know which species/subspecies they keept at Bristol? aim trying to track down the history of all Tarsiers being brought into captivity in North America and Europe.
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Sorry I can't remember. I would if have written it down if I had taken a photo, but there was no chance of doing that. But I have just found the original photo of a Mindanao tarsier I took at Frankfurt in 1973 - are you interested?

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
Sorry I can't remember. I would if have written it down if I had taken a photo, but there was no chance of doing that. But I have just found the original photo of a Mindanao tarsier I took at Frankfurt in 1973 - are you interested?

Alan
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Hello Alan,

No problem, yes thanks I would be very intrested to see that photo of the Tarsier in Frankfurt, sound very intresting.
 
Tarsier at Frankfurt 1973

Mindanao tarsier (Tarsius syrichta carbonarius) in the Monkey House, Frankfurt, August 1973.

Tarsier.jpg


Not the best photo I've ever taken, but the light was very dim and I used Ektachrome X uprated to 500 ASA/ISO. At least it's recognisably a tarsier.

Alan
 
Beutiful photo Alan! Thanks for that.

I think its very easy to see that its a Tarsier;) a pity that these dont do very well in captivity, I dont think any are kept outside Asia anylonger.
 
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