Ken Smith

Z

zooman64

Well-Known Member
I am currently researching the life and career of the zoologist Ken (Kenneth) Smith, a man who accompanied Gerald Durrell on a couple of live animal-collecting expeditions to the Cameroons and Guiana. Does anybody remember him, or can tell me anything at all (no matter how apparently trivial) about him? Any information is most welcome.

In a similar vein, has anybody any personal recollections of visiting any of the zoos he owned in the south of England: Exmouth Zoo in the Sixties or Seventies, Poole Park Zoo or Teignmouth Children's Zoo in the Sixties or early Seventies, or the now almost completely forgotten Newquay Children's Zoo?
 
Hello my name is Simon Smith, my grandfather was Frank Smith Ken’s brother and they setup Poole Park Zoo together. My father Paul Smith also worked there until it was sold. Have you had much luck gathering information on Ken?
 
I visited both Exmouth and Poole zoos in the early 70s
Are you in touch with Trudi Smith, Kens wife. Mrs Smith is alive and well still living in Exmouth having celebrated he 80th birthday this year.
 
I was also thinking that two people that may be helpful are Jeremy Mallinson the retired Director of Jersey and John Hartley Gerry,s personal assistant. Jeremy still lives on Jersey and John retired to France. Both of them worked with Ken in the early days. I am still in touch with them if thats useful.
 
Thank you to Simon Smith and Pinkback. I'm still gathering material on Ken Smith and the zoos he ran in the South of England, and I greatly welcome any new information you may have. I have been in touch with Trudy Smith, Jeremy Mallinson and John Hartley, and all three have proved very helpful. But I still require more information. Simon, did you ever meet Ken and can you remember him, or can tell me anything about the zoos he ran in the South of England? Pinkback, I would love to hear any memories you may have of Exmouth or Poole Zoos. I look forward to hearing from both of you again soon. If you don't feel like leaving a message here, please call me on 01223 832201. Russell Tofts (zooman64).
 
And another thing worth trying is researching the Paignton Zoo and Whitley Trust achieve. As you know Ken was working there before going to Jersey to help Durrell set up the zoo. The archieve is very extensive and well catalouged.
 
I did try Paignton Zoo some while ago, though I must admit my thoughts revolved around what the annual reports at the time might be able to tell me, rather than what else might lie in the Archives there. The annual reports revealed hardly anything, just a couple of very brief of mentions in the minutes of the AGM.
I don't know if there might be anything else in the Archive, and whether it might be worth my while contacting Paignton Zoo again. I must admit I wasn't aware the zoo even had an Archive.
 
Yes the archieve contains press cuttings in bound volumes going back to the dawn of time. As there is one volume per year it should be fairly easy to go through the years Ken worked there. The best person to contact is Claire Malkin, secretary to the Whitley Trust trustees, part of her role is overseeing the trust library.
 
I phoned Claire Malkin at Paignton Zoo yesterday. Although she seemed very interested in the project, she told me that in the library the press cuttings go back only to 1983. She thinks there may be some older ones preserved in the board-room, but she said she'll have to get back to me after she's checked it out. I left her my email address, but only later did I realise I should have spelled my name phonetically. If I don't hear back from her in, say, a week, I'll probably ring again.
 
My book on the life of Ken Smith, "Animals in the Blood: The Ken Smith Story", is due to be published by the Bartlett Society in April 2012. The book launch is scheduled to be held at Shaldon Zoo, Devon, on Sunday 29 April.
 
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