Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
In the latest edition of Zoo Grapevine, International Zoo News, there's a feature on Drayton Manor zoo. I was keen to see if it mentioned John Foden (zoo curator and old friend of mine)and it does. It says how he set up the impressive reptile collection, for which it and he had a very good national reputation . To be honest, John Foden reputation was such, the whole magazine could have been filled with stories about him. It also reminded me that John sadly died 25 years ago from cancer at the age of 52.At his funeral, it was a full house and keepers from many zoos attended wearing their uniform as a sign of respect to him.
The feature also mentioned two male chimps Toto and Topsy,who I remember very well. They lived together for nearly 40 years. Unfortunately, they were housed in a very poor cage with concrete flooring (which understandably came in for harsh criticism) . A brand new enclosure was built for the chimps with an outdoor which had turf . The chimps were so institutionalised to a concrete floor they wouldn’t walk on the grass, decking was placed so they could walk to their climbing frames. Topsy died in 2005 Toto is still alive and approaching his 60th birthday and he has been living at the Welsh Ape and Monkey Sanctuary since 2016.
The feature also mentioned two male chimps Toto and Topsy,who I remember very well. They lived together for nearly 40 years. Unfortunately, they were housed in a very poor cage with concrete flooring (which understandably came in for harsh criticism) . A brand new enclosure was built for the chimps with an outdoor which had turf . The chimps were so institutionalised to a concrete floor they wouldn’t walk on the grass, decking was placed so they could walk to their climbing frames. Topsy died in 2005 Toto is still alive and approaching his 60th birthday and he has been living at the Welsh Ape and Monkey Sanctuary since 2016.