Bronx Zoo Bronx Zoo history podcast

Does anybody know who the Diretcor of the Bronx-Zoo was between 1940, as Willima reid ha sretired, and 1966,as Conway staretd doing teh Job ? I couln't find any name ?

And how the Astor Court got its name ? I suspect, it could have to do with the famous New York Astor family-maybe some people know JJ Astor, who died during the Titanic's sinking, and I know, his son Vincent has supported the Aquarium-so maybe JJ Aastor or other family member has supported the Zoo and spend money for some of the Animal Houses, so the Zoo nemed in Honor of the astors that Court after them ?
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Does anybody know who the Diretcor of the Bronx-Zoo was between 1940, as Willima reid ha sretired, and 1966,as Conway staretd doing teh Job ? I couln't find any name ?

And how the Astor Court got its name ? I suspect, it could have to do with the famous New York Astor family-maybe some people know JJ Astor, who died during the Titanic's sinking, and I know, his son Vincent has supported the Aquarium-so maybe JJ Aastor or other family member has supported the Zoo and spend money for some of the Animal Houses, so the Zoo nemed in Honor of the astors that Court after them ?
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Dr. Blair was followed by Allyn R. Jennings who had been "general superintendent of the park." (William Bridge's Gathering of Animals) for about 18 months before the Board had him resign. John Tee Van came next but was not really in charge, Apparently Board President Fairfield Osborn really ran things for some years after, until Conway was promoted from the Bird Dept.
 
Zooplantman said:
Dr. Blair was followed by Allyn R. Jennings who had been "general superintendent of the park." (William Bridge's Gathering of Animals) for about 18 months before the Board had him resign. John Tee Van came next but was not really in charge, Apparently Board President Fairfield Osborn really ran things for some years after, until Conway was promoted from the Bird Dept.
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James Oliver, a herpetologist who was associated with the American Museum of Natural History, served briefly as Director of the Bronx Zoo for a short time between Tee-Van and Conway.
 
Thank you both for this infomartion-unfortuantely, i don't have yet teh book2gathering for Animals", but i think about to buy it-can you recomemnd it ?I hope not only for information about teh history of the Bronx-Zoo also for hopefully phanatstic pictures...

Another question to teh Bronx-zoo-experts, especially the some older ones-I'm interetse dto get mor einformation about teh old"Small deerhouse"; it was later used for kangaroos and Wild swines, and ;I guess since the 60ties or seventies, for pygmy hippos and babirusa, until it was demolished in 1995 or maybe earlier ?, for the construction of Congo.I would like to know what other species were kept in it ? I was a large building, so I can't imagine there were only two species in it...Any pictures of that building in the gallery ? Inside and Outside ? I know only one picture in an old guidebook and a postcard..

thank you, guys!
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Thank you both for this infomartion-unfortuantely, i don't have yet teh book2gathering for Animals", but i think about to buy it-can you recomemnd it ?I hope not only for information about teh history of the Bronx-Zoo also for hopefully phanatstic pictures...

Another question to teh Bronx-zoo-experts, especially the some older ones-I'm interetse dto get mor einformation about teh old"Small deerhouse"; it was later used for kangaroos and Wild swines, and ;I guess since the 60ties or seventies, for pygmy hippos and babirusa, until it was demolished in 1995 or maybe earlier ?, for the construction of Congo.I would like to know what other species were kept in it ? I was a large building, so I can't imagine there were only two species in it...Any pictures of that building in the gallery ? Inside and Outside ? I know only one picture in an old guidebook and a postcard..

thank you, guys!
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In the early 70s, a South American exhibit was built on one side of the building, and exterior yards expanded for guanaco, rhea, waterfowl and Patagonian cavies, peccaries, giant anteaters and brocket deer. Tapirs, pygmy hippos and babirusa were displayed on the other side
 
Thank you, Reduakari, for the information.

Now I'm searching for the info, in which Year the Zoo got its first gerenuks, and if the Bronx-Zoo was the first in den usa who has kept them ? I know, they have bred gerenuks for the first time in 1963, they named it the world first breeding, altough it isn't true-Frankfurt has bred them for the first time in the world in 1957.

Unfortuantely, the us-Studbook for gerenuks doesn't contains a historcial list.
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Now I'm searching for the info, in which Year the Zoo got its first gerenuks, and if the Bronx-Zoo was the first in den usa who has kept them ? I know, they have bred gerenuks for the first time in 1963, they named it the world first breeding, altough it isn't true-Frankfurt has bred them for the first time in the world in 1957.
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According to Lee S. Crandall’s fascinating book “The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity” (1964):-

Bronx Zoo received its first gerenuk, a pair, on 1st October 1957; the female died less than two years later and replacement female was also short lived. Two further females were obtained in June 1961. A female calf was born on 30th September 1963.

Also, according to Crandall’s book, the National Zoo (Washington) received a gerenuk in 1934; the first in America.
 
Astor Court is almost definitely named after Brooke Astor, of the very wealthy New York family of that name, as she was a generous donor to a range of NY-based organisations, including the Bronx Zoo. The zoo named their first (only?) baby elephant after her. I believe her first major donation to the zoo was for Wild Asia.

As for other species held in the former small deer house, they also included Kirk's did-dik, lowland and Asian tapirs.
 
Tim May said:
According to Lee S. Crandall’s fascinating book “The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity” (1964):-

Bronx Zoo received its first gerenuk, a pair, on 1st October 1957; the female died less than two years later and replacement female was also short lived. Two further females were obtained in June 1961. A female calf was born on 30th September 1963.

Also, according to Crandall’s book, the National Zoo (Washington) received a gerenuk in 1934; the first in America.
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As uasally, great and helpful information from you. Thanks a lot, Tim. It seems, crandalls book is full of historical data, so I decided now, to buy it -I've found the fourth edition 1971 in the web for a good price. I hope, it will arrive soon.

Can you also recommend Gathering for Animals-the book to the 75 anniversary of the Zoo ?Its easy to get and I hope it contains many good, old photographs of the Bronx-Zoo.
 
hedigerfan said:
Astor Court is almost definitely named after Brooke Astor, of the very wealthy New York family of that name, as she was a generous donor to a range of NY-based organisations, including the Bronx Zoo. The zoo named their first (only?) baby elephant after her. I believe her first major donation to the zoo was for Wild Asia.

As for other species held in the former small deer house, they also included Kirk's did-dik, lowland and Asian tapirs.
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Thank you,hedigerfan.First I thought, the Astor Family has supported the Zoo much earlier-Brooke Astor was the wife of John Jacob Astors Son Vincent-he was interested in oceanography and has supported the aquarium.

So if the first big donation could be for Wild Asia-when the former Baird Court was renamed into Astor Court ?
 
Bib Fortuna said:
As uasally, great and helpful information from you. Thanks a lot, Tim. It seems, crandalls book is full of historical data, so I decided now, to buy it -I've found the fourth edition 1971 in the web for a good price. I hope, it will arrive soon.

Can you also recommend Gathering for Animals-the book to the 75 anniversary of the Zoo ?Its easy to get and I hope it contains many good, old photographs of the Bronx-Zoo.
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Crandall's book is one of my all time favourites; essential reading for anybody interested in zoos. As well as a wealth of information it contains lots of interesting anecdotes too.

Yes; I have a copy of "Gathering of Animals" too and I'd recommend that book as well.
 
Tim May said:


Crandall's book is one of my all time favourites; essential reading for anybody interested in zoos. As well as a wealth of information it contains lots of interesting anecdotes too.

Yes; I have a copy of "Gathering of Animals" too and I'd recommend that book as well.
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Thanks Tim-I've ordered both books now-I'm very curious and I look forward them.Is there a magnificent diffrence between the 1964 and the 1971 edition of "The managment of wild mammals in captivity"?I bought the 1964 edition, because it was much cheaper thahn the fourth edition.
 
Another Question to the Bronx-Zoo-Experts. When the okapis lived in the Giraffe Building, before Congo was build, were there visiable to the visitors in their stalls ? I think, they were housed in the wing of the bulding which isn't open to the public.
 
Bib Fortuna said:
Another Question to the Bronx-Zoo-Experts. When the okapis lived in the Giraffe Building, before Congo was build, were there visiable to the visitors in their stalls ? I think, they were housed in the wing of the bulding which isn't open to the public.
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Visitors could only see animals in the entry rotunda. Even then, only giraffes and meerkats as I recall. Okapi outdoors only in the mild weather.
 
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