Talking of 70s/80s, I was looking for talking plant pots on youtube. Found the one I was looking for on the adventure game. The next clip lined up was 'Adrian hedley is noseybonk'. Childhood nightmares! Anyway some good if a little creepy footage of late 70s early 80s Bristol Zoo.
Bristol Zoo (Closed) Bristol Zoo news 2013
- Thread starter Pertinax
- Start date
Bristol Okapi.
They were indeed. For many years after they imported the initial ones they had the only Okapi in the UK- they kept more of them at Hollywood(soon to be 'Wild Place'
) than in the Zoo itself, which usually only housed one pair. In fact they stockpiled them and did not release them to other Zoos. I think when London got them, they didn't do so from Bristol. The white tigers were bred and 'stockpiled' in a similar fashion at Hollywood Towers too.
They were indeed. For many years after they imported the initial ones they had the only Okapi in the UK- they kept more of them at Hollywood(soon to be 'Wild Place'
) than in the Zoo itself, which usually only housed one pair. In fact they stockpiled them and did not release them to other Zoos. I think when London got them, they didn't do so from Bristol. The white tigers were bred and 'stockpiled' in a similar fashion at Hollywood Towers too.Groups of Dorcas Gazelle and Warty Pigs would tick their checklist pretty well, IMO.
I'm surprised they've never gone into RR hogs or Warty Pigs- as you said spacewise they are suitable and don't require a grassy enclosure, just a relatively small mulched area with(relatively) inexpensive shelter and fencing.
Better take the low slow road than only talk ....
I for one am glad it is finally on a roll ...
I for one am glad it is finally on a roll ...
frubeinatube
Member
I doubt very much that it is intended to stay as 'wild place', it is just a tool they're using to create extra income towards the conservation park.
Plus the grounds will be getting a spruce up, which it needs. It has old cages/housing etc there from years back with plants growing over, which makes it look a bit creepy! But it is such a massive area, which they could do great things with
Also, it is a shame that the Okapi will be leaving, they are beautiful animals and the zoo does have a great history with keeping them. But, at least they should be getting a much larger enclosure, which I think they need.
Plus the grounds will be getting a spruce up, which it needs. It has old cages/housing etc there from years back with plants growing over, which makes it look a bit creepy! But it is such a massive area, which they could do great things with
Also, it is a shame that the Okapi will be leaving, they are beautiful animals and the zoo does have a great history with keeping them. But, at least they should be getting a much larger enclosure, which I think they need.
I doubt very much that it is intended to stay as 'wild place',
It has old cages/housing etc there from years back with plants growing over, which makes it look a bit creepy! But it is such a massive area, which they could do great things with
I think 'wild place' will be a temporary name until it can develop into something bigger.
Those are presumably the enclosures that held the Okapi and White Tigers back in the 1960's. I can't remember what else was housed there- some Llamas, but I forget what else.
Okapi- on the recent plan it showed Bongo antelope marked to live in what was the outside Okapi enclosure(adjacent to the Gorilla House.) so the Okapi may be replaced by another large mammal- the Zoo is certainly lacking in them.
The same plan also depicted Mandrills in an enclosure near the old Guthrie Road entrance, but I guess that part has been superceded by the two male Drills now living in the concrete cage near the main entrance.
frubeinatube
Member
Oh wow Bongo would be great!
There were old monkey cages at the Hollywood site, aswell as some hoofstock buildings and I can't remember if it was a Elephant or Giraffe house (did they have Giraffe??) aswell as a old petting zoo building. (Which is now used to house surplus bird stock)
I've only been there 3 times, so it's hard to remember what exactly they had there!
Talking about tortoise-breeding, does Bristol still have and breed Egyptian tortoises because, if I remember right, they bred them several times in the 1990-ties.
There was housing for small primates - Bristol imported some of the first Goeldi's monkeys I seem to remember . There were also some black rhino there at one time . The okapi were very simply housed as were the white tigers .
I don't know if that's still in the plan, but the ex Okapi paddock and the wooden outside stables would seem appropriate housing for a very small group.
I forgot Rhino. There was a bull 'Rupert' (not one of the Bristol-bred calves) who was housed in an old (domestic) Bull Pen. He was a very highly strung male and was later sent to Whipsnade. I don't know if any others were housed there- the later Bristol-bred calves possibly but the last three all died at an early age. 'Thelma' from Southampton could have been there as well as(later) in the Zoo.
As they weren't on show, the Okapi also had simple runs and stables and the White tigers 'prefab' cages.
They were still on display on my most recent visit. But the latest Annual Reports say that they did not breed any in 2010 or 2011.
Alan
Thank you Gentle Lemur for the information about the Egyptian tortoises. Realy a pitty they have not bred lately 
Forgot about that too! The then-Curator had a sudden craze for cranes and amassed a comprehensive collection of Cranes at Hollywood, including rarities like White-naped(?) Cranes. No doubt like other things in that era they became forgotten about and were dispersed over time.
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Bristol Zoo...
Any more info on this Pertinax? I find it hard to believe they had Black-necked, given that Delacour only ever had one & London zoo never had them. Christopher Marler didn't have them and he had most of the other cranes. Are you sure the Hollywood ones weren't Black-necked [ie Dark] Crowned Cranes?
Any more info on this Pertinax? I find it hard to believe they had Black-necked, given that Delacour only ever had one & London zoo never had them. Christopher Marler didn't have them and he had most of the other cranes. Are you sure the Hollywood ones weren't Black-necked [ie Dark] Crowned Cranes?
No, I am not 100% sure. I know they had at least one of the rarer ones- is it White-naped I am thinking of perhaps?
Bristol Zoo
Pertinax -- possibly Manchurian? they definitely had Manchurian @ Bristoil. Both these & White-naped were pretty scarce in the UK at the time, although there were still some of the pre-war breeding stock of White-naped about. I remember seeing my first White-naped at London Zoo in the 70s -- presented by Alfred Ezra.
Pertinax -- possibly Manchurian? they definitely had Manchurian @ Bristoil. Both these & White-naped were pretty scarce in the UK at the time, although there were still some of the pre-war breeding stock of White-naped about. I remember seeing my first White-naped at London Zoo in the 70s -- presented by Alfred Ezra.
I remember the Manchurian Cranes in the Zoo- in the enclosure which has also had Llamas, Prairie Dogs and all sorts else between the old Penguin enclosure and the Restaurant building on the West side.
Pretty sure they had White-naped at Hollywood too, I got confused between 'black-necked' and 'white-naped' I think.
frubeinatube
Member
Visited yesterday and the Okapi has a calf. Not sure when it was born/sex as BZ hasn't mentioned it on their website/facebook etc. Great news though.