Flamingo Zoological Park, Olney

[Hadley]

Does anybody know what happened to this collection? I read about it several years ago, the only Gayal in the UK were held here, and 6 or 7 pelican species. I believe it was the headquarters for the Pelican Trust, but I can find nothing about what happened to this trust, or where any of the animals went. It may have been a private collection open only on selected days of the year, but I'm almost certain it is no more.

 

[bongorob]

It was owned and run by Christopher Marler. It closed in 2001 but I think it still exsists as a private collection.

 

[Writhedhornbill]

Do they still have all those pelicans?

 

[Pertinax]

It was owned and run by Christopher Marler. It closed in 2001 but I think it still exsists as a private collection.

He had a very extensive Bird collection. Also a huge collection of domestic waterfowl as he was also a BWA waterfowl judge. There were also some larger mammals such as Guanacos. He also had American Bison and the existing ones at Whipsnade are from a pair donated by him.

 

[Hadley]

So what became of the Gayal herd? They were almost certainly impure (domestic) Gayal. I read that they were the only ones in the UK.

 

[^Chris^]

I thought Gayal could only be domestic? Isn't it just a name for domesticated Gaur or am I mistaken?

 

[Hadley]

You're completely right, I didn't know that. I thought they existed as a separate wild subspecies.

 

[robmv]

I visited Christopher Marler a couple of years ago. He still maintains a private collection although this is not on the site of the collection that was open to the public (it's only down the road). He still has the Gayal plus Yak, Lechwe and some lovely red dwarf zebu.

His bird collection is much reduced but he has kept a few representative species - Ruddy-headed Goose, Giant Canada Goose, Bewick's Swan, etc. He still keeps Eastern White Pelicans but the others have gone. He has several species of vulture: Ruppell's Griffon, White-headed, Palmnut, Hooded and most interestingly, two pairs of (Lesser?) Yellow-headed Vultures.

 

[Writhedhornbill]

The palm nut, yellow headed and white headed are the most interesting. Hardly any of them are kept in UK zoos.

 

[Mike.R.]

I get this is a massive long shot but does anyone know what happened to the birds that was being kept on at the other site in particular interested in what happened to the two pairs of lesser yellow headed vultures?

 

[FBBird]

I get this is a massive long shot but does anyone know what happened to the birds that was being kept on at the other site in particular interested in what happened to the two pairs of lesser yellow headed vultures?

I suspect they are on the Continent somewhere. Christopher had a lot of international connections. He died two years ago.