Founder species

Gary

Well-Known Member
Thought this might be an interesting idea-what collections can you think of that have retained species that they originally had when they first opened?

By which, I mean, there has not been a gap in their keeping, even if the generations/individuals have changed over the years.

Obviously, this really applies to collections of over say, 15-20 years old, as more recent than that, it would be too easy!

The lions of Longleat are a good start!

I'm sure Marwell has had Tigers from the very start, but I can't be so sure on Giraffe or Zebra, for example.
 
Last edited:
I'm sure Marwell has had Tigers from the very start, but I can't be so sure on Giraffe or Zebra, for example.

Marwell; Giraffe.
All 3 Zebra species
Prezwalski's Horse
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Waterbuck
Bennetts/red necked Wallaby (?)
Brazilian Tapir(?)
Rhea
Ostrich
Cheetah

Howletts/Port Lympne (allows transfers between the two)
Gorilla
Tiger
Clouded Leopard
European & American Bison.
Prezwalski's Horse
Nilgai
Axis Deer
Blackbuck
Hog Deer
Sambar
Ratel
Wolf
 
Last edited:
Brazillian Tapirs are semi-founder species really; they stopped keeping them in 1997, only to bring them back last year. Another founder species I think from Marwell are Greater Flamingoes.
 
Twycross;

Gorilla
Bornean Orangutan
Chimpanzee
Pileated & White handed Gibbon
Siamang
Malayan Tapir(?)
Asian Elephant(?)
Giraffe
b/w Colobus
Spectacled Langur
Spider Monkey
Diana/Roloway Guenon
Howler Monkey
Macaw sp.
Cockatoo sp.

? = uncertain if unbroken line.
 
Last edited:
Edinburgh zoo, in the first year of opening in 1913, animals still seen today include.

Diana monkey
reindeer

Species held until recently include
Broad fronted crocodile
ring tailed lemur
brown bear
polar bear
lion
bharal
north American beaver
prairie marmot

Tasmanian devil pair, were also there in the opening year.
 
Dudley Zoo opened 1937 included and still have without a break the following

Red Necked Wallaby
Asiatic Black Bear
Barbary Sheep
Muscovy Duck

The ape house was not open on the opening day so haven't included

Borneau Orangutan
Chimpanzee

they have some species in the zoo Today that were there on the opening day but they have gaps in time so haven't included these either
 
Dudley Zoo opened 1937 included and still have without a break the following

Red Necked Wallaby
Asiatic Black Bear
Barbary Sheep
Muscovy Duck

I'm fairly sure they've had a period without Asiatic Black Bear. They went out of the species and sent them to Glasgow Zoo (which apparently had a very good enclosure) but had them back when that zoo closed.
 
I'm fairly sure they've had a period without Asiatic Black Bear. They went out of the species and sent them to Glasgow Zoo (which apparently had a very good enclosure) but had them back when that zoo closed.

Will have to check on this as I did say the records I have collected show a continued stay at the zoo, but will check with the zoo.
Many thanks for bringing this to my attention.
 
The ape house was not open on the opening day so haven't included

Borneau Orangutan
Chimpanzee

The Ape House wasn't built until the 1960's. They probably had Chimpanees previously, but the first Orangutans(Bornean male, Sumatran female) in the current house were their first and they've had them continuously since.
 
correct me if i'm wrong but did they keep 3 bears and send 2 to Glasgow as i think one or maybe both had been born at Dudley. I may be completely wrong though so apologies in advance :D
 
I've checked on the Asiatic Black Bears and they have had a continued stay at the Zoo since 1934, Agree with Pertimax but what I mean't to say was since the inclusion of the Ape House there have been a continued line of stay for the Chimpanzees and Orangutans unsure what species of both they had at the time the Ape House was opened as there has been alot of speculation from one species to another so unsure about them being the same as the day the Ape House opened.
As one reference claims they are Red Apes, another Borneau and another Sumatran I've tried checking every where but nothing concrete even a keeper who worked at the zoo at the time as said she heard all different species for the Orangutans
 
When it opened, or soon afterward, the Dudley Ape House contained the following;

1.1 Lowland Gorilla. male 'Bukhama'(Bonzo) female 'Ruki'.

1.1. Orangutan. male Borno/Joe(Bornean) female Flora/Suma(Sumatran)

1.3 Chimpanzee. Male 'Pepe' Females; Bella, Cindy, Cherry.

The Orangutans and Chimpanzees have been kept continuously since then. Female Orangutan 'Jaz' is the daughter of Joe and the incoming female 'Azimat'.

The Chimpanzees did breed but none of the current females are related to them, having come from London Zoo.. Dudley's male Pepe lived with them until he died.
 
When it opened, or soon afterward, the Dudley Ape House contained the following;

1.1 Lowland Gorilla. male 'Bukhama'(Bonzo) female 'Ruki'.

1.1. Orangutan. male Borno/Joe(Bornean) female Flora/Suma(Sumatran)

1.3 Chimpanzee. Male 'Pepe' Females; Bella, Cindy, Cherry.

The Orangutans and Chimpanzees have been kept continuously since then. Female Orangutan 'Jaz' is the daughter of Joe and the incoming female 'Azimat'.

The Chimpanzees did breed but none of the current females are related to them, having come from London Zoo.. Dudley's male Pepe lived with them until he died.

Many thanks for your help I can now fill in one or two gaps I have in the History and Species of Dudley Zoo
Many thanks again
 
I've checked on the Asiatic Black Bears and they have had a continued stay at the Zoo since 1934

Please forgive my error, I'm apologetic and embarassed:o:o

Let's hope they continue to keep this (great) species as no one else in the UK seems that interested at present.
 
Last edited:
Edinburgh zoo, in the first year of opening in 1913, animals still seen today include.

Diana monkey
reindeer

Species held until recently include
Broad fronted crocodile
ring tailed lemur
brown bear
polar bear
lion
bharal
north American beaver
prairie marmot

Tasmanian devil pair, were also there in the opening year.

Have they not kept at least one of the penguin species since opening?
 
I visited the Cotswold Wildlife Park shortly after it opened, probably in 1971, when the only enclosures were in the walled garden and the section between the garden and the house. Working from memory, the species which I think may have been kept continuously include:-
Humboldt's penguin
great hornbill (possibly the same bird)
black stork
spider monkey, probably long-haired (I think one of the founder animals died last year)
several vultures (griffon?) and owls
possibly emu
red panda

Alan
 
Didn't they stop keeping hornbills briefly this year? I thought one had left to be paired with a lone bird at Dublin zoo and new, younger hornbills of the same species were arriving from another zoo. I had assumed this meant one of the old breeding pair had died and that there must have been a recommendation for Cotswold to take on a new young pair as they are one of the few collections with experience of successfully breeding this species, as well as having a new flight aviary built recently for them.
 
Back
Top