Artis Royal Zoo Historical notes from Artis
- Thread starter vogelcommando
- Start date
According to ZTL, Artis is the only European collection to hold a Sulphurhead aulonocara cichlid.
According to ZTL, Artis is the only European collection to hold a Moluccan flying fox.
Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
Question to the Dutch zoo historians and collectors of zoo guides:When did Artis' first zoo guide was published?
I recently received an old guide, "Gids voor de bezoekers van het Koninlik Zoologisch Genootschap Natura Artis Magistra", with two cassowaries on the cover, and am now trying to find out when it was published exactly. In the preface it is mentioned that it is the second issue. I dated it to a period between 1867 and 1873, since the quagga, which arrived in 1867, and the Indian rhinoceros who died in 1873 are included in the text. Since Artis was opened in 1838, I think it is unlikely that only two zoo guides should have appeared in this long period.Does anyone know more about the old Artis gids?
I recently received an old guide, "Gids voor de bezoekers van het Koninlik Zoologisch Genootschap Natura Artis Magistra", with two cassowaries on the cover, and am now trying to find out when it was published exactly. In the preface it is mentioned that it is the second issue. I dated it to a period between 1867 and 1873, since the quagga, which arrived in 1867, and the Indian rhinoceros who died in 1873 are included in the text. Since Artis was opened in 1838, I think it is unlikely that only two zoo guides should have appeared in this long period.Does anyone know more about the old Artis gids?
@Bib Fortuna : Don't know much about these guides and can't promise anything but will have a look in it and try to find out more about it. Give me please some time for the search .. 
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Bib Fortuna
Well-Known Member
@Bib Fortuna : Don't know much about these guides and can't promise anything but will have a look in it and try to find out more about it. Give me please some time for the search ..
Sound svery good, thank you very much in Advance.
Sofar very little found.. sorry. A plan published in a undated guide ( but surely before 1900 ) and 2 covers of relative old guides is sofar all I found. During the search however a nice old ( 1937 ) movie found about the Zoo
. ( will continue to search for more guide-information ) :
Pre-1900 plan of Artis.
Cover of Guide from 1947
Cover of a guide from 1957
Article about the history of Artis with at the bottom a nice movie from 1938 :
Artis - Amsterdam op de kaart
Attachments
Sofar very little found.. sorry. A plan published in a undated guide ( but surely before 1900 ) and 2 covers of relative old guides is sofar all I found. During the search however a nice old ( 1937 ) movie found about the Zoo
View attachment 462131
Pre-1900 plan of Artis.
View attachment 462132
Cover of Guide from 1947
View attachment 462134
Cover of a guide from 1957
Article about the history of Artis with at the bottom a nice movie from 1938 :
Artis - Amsterdam op de kaart
Nice movie indeed.
I'm not sure, but I believe parrots were kept at the lane between the entrance and the monkey rock untill the late 1980's or even 1990's.
Interesting to see the diversity of equids (kiang, probably onager, zebra) at the "Onevenhoevigenhuis", Grévy's zebra was the only species left in my lifetime.
I saw two species of Asian bear (Malayan and sloth), or did I missed something? This situation stayed untill the late 1980's.
I was wrong about the bears. Only Sloth and Sun!
The ones in the left enclosure were kiangs. I don't not sure about the ones in the right enclosure, could be onager or maybe African wild ass?
Thanks Tim, that’s what I thought. I’m not confident with telling Kiang from Onager (although I think Kiang are more heavily built?) but I was pretty sure the others were African
There are definite morphological differences between kiang and onager. Kiang are larger, more robust and sturdy and have a dark brown coat pattern (onager are light brownish hue skinned). They are also recognised as different species Equus kiang and Equus hemionus.
Your map dates from 1854.Sofar very little found.. sorry. A plan published in a undated guide ( but surely before 1900 ) and 2 covers of relative old guides is sofar all I found. During the search however a nice old ( 1937 ) movie found about the Zoo
View attachment 462131
Pre-1900 plan of Artis.
View attachment 462132
Cover of Guide from 1947
Thank you, that’s helpful
Hyenas at Artis :
In its long history Artis has kept all 4 Hyena-species and because the information on ZTL is again not complete / incorrect I will try to give a better overview of the history of Hyena's at Artis althrough I have to commit that also in my information there still is a lot missing / unknown to me and any help to complete th information is welcome !
- Brown hyena : During the summer of 1863 2 Brown hyena's arrived at the Zoo and a note from Artis says : "all hyena-species are now in the collection" which would mean that also Aardwolf, Striped and Spotted hyena's were kept in 1863 !
ZTL only mention 'at least till 1950' and that during 1950 a male was send to Basel Zoo.
- Aardwolf. Next to the note that all Hyena-species were kept in 1863 I have no real proof that this species was kept at Artis that year and in a note from 1921 its said that in the summer of 1921 the first Aardwolf in the history of Artis arrived and published a photo of the species :
Aardwolf at Artis - 1921
On ZTL this species isn't mentioned at all for Artis.
- Striped hyena : ZTL only mention : " at least around 1911 and 1970".
Wasn't able to find information about the 1911-claim but I know 2 were kept at the zoo in 1938.
The species was also bred succesfully at Artis :
1966 : 4 young hand-raised :
4 hand-raised Striped hyena's at Artis
1967 2 young
1968 3 young hand-raised
- Spotted hyena : here ZTL says : "at least beginning of the 1970s till 199?" .
As said Artis claimed to have had all Hyena-species already 1863 but the first 'real' proof I found for the year 1929 by a photo of this species :
Spotted hyena at Artis - 1929
In the 1950s the species was bred succesfull at Artis :
1954 : 3 cubs from which 1 was raised by the mother and 2 by a foster-dog
1959 : 1 cub
1960 : 2 young hand-raised
1961 ; 2 young hand-raised
For the moment I don't have further information about the Hyena's and anybody who can help with extra information, please add it to this thread !
In its long history Artis has kept all 4 Hyena-species and because the information on ZTL is again not complete / incorrect I will try to give a better overview of the history of Hyena's at Artis althrough I have to commit that also in my information there still is a lot missing / unknown to me and any help to complete th information is welcome !
- Brown hyena : During the summer of 1863 2 Brown hyena's arrived at the Zoo and a note from Artis says : "all hyena-species are now in the collection" which would mean that also Aardwolf, Striped and Spotted hyena's were kept in 1863 !
ZTL only mention 'at least till 1950' and that during 1950 a male was send to Basel Zoo.
- Aardwolf. Next to the note that all Hyena-species were kept in 1863 I have no real proof that this species was kept at Artis that year and in a note from 1921 its said that in the summer of 1921 the first Aardwolf in the history of Artis arrived and published a photo of the species :
Aardwolf at Artis - 1921On ZTL this species isn't mentioned at all for Artis.
- Striped hyena : ZTL only mention : " at least around 1911 and 1970".
Wasn't able to find information about the 1911-claim but I know 2 were kept at the zoo in 1938.
The species was also bred succesfully at Artis :
1966 : 4 young hand-raised :
4 hand-raised Striped hyena's at Artis1967 2 young
1968 3 young hand-raised
- Spotted hyena : here ZTL says : "at least beginning of the 1970s till 199?" .
As said Artis claimed to have had all Hyena-species already 1863 but the first 'real' proof I found for the year 1929 by a photo of this species :
Spotted hyena at Artis - 1929In the 1950s the species was bred succesfull at Artis :
1954 : 3 cubs from which 1 was raised by the mother and 2 by a foster-dog
1959 : 1 cub
1960 : 2 young hand-raised
1961 ; 2 young hand-raised
For the moment I don't have further information about the Hyena's and anybody who can help with extra information, please add it to this thread !
Attachments
Yes, the hyaenids were kept in the chain link exclosures of the Wolvenhuis / Herberg Eik en Linde. Presently, the entire western part is given over to the African wild or painted dogs. On the south side there is a exhibit for raccoon and skunk.
Incidentally, whereas raccoon are now on the invasive list (and for a fact banned from exhibition or breeding in zoos), in all honesty so is the skunk (now found in Friesland/Groningen and Limburg).
Incidentally, whereas raccoon are now on the invasive list (and for a fact banned from exhibition or breeding in zoos), in all honesty so is the skunk (now found in Friesland/Groningen and Limburg).
JurassicMax
Well-Known Member
A search for more information about hyena's in Artis gave me the following two photo's both taken in 1911, according to the website. Not sure whether the dates are correct...
Spotted Hyena in Artis (according to the source) Copyright: Spaarnestad Photo.
Dieren. Dierentuinen. De gevlekte hyena van Zuid-Afrika in gevangenschap, Artis, Amsterdam, Nederland, 1911. "De tijgerhond van de Transvaalse Boeren." - Het Geheugen
Striped Hyena in Artis (according to the source) Copyright: Spaarnestad Photo.
Dieren. Dierentuinen. De gestreepte hyena van N.O.-Afrika in gevangenschap, Artis, Amsterdam, Nederland, 1911. - Het Geheugen
