Oddest zoo rumours

Meaghan Edwards

Meaghan Edwards

Well-Known Member
What have been the oddest rumours you've heard about a zoo?

For Zooz/Safari Niagara here in Ontario, that they cut the vocal cords of the animals. :rolleyes: I heard the lions roaring, wolves howling, etc. It certainly seems to be one of those "friend of a friend" rumours:
Welcome to Facebook | Facebook (the photos they have on that page are old, the jag exhibit has since had improvements done to it)
 
Someone told me that they saw ten cape fur seals last year at Toronto Zoo

The thing is, we only had two cape fur seals last year (Three at the beginning of the year)
 
I think they were counting the same fur seals ten times :P There's some odd rumours at Toronto that I'm trying to remember. I thought I heard a rumour about a tiger fatality in the 80s but I can't remember where I heard it, and a woman who's hand was bitten/bitten off by a cougar.
 
Newspaper written that the zoo buys cats to feed rare carnivorous mice just imported from Africa.

So, on the Fools Day, the late director of Frankfurt zoo was greeted by dozens of people who wanted to sell him cats.
 
The car park at Bristol Zoo is on land owned by the city council. You have to pay a fee to a parking attendant when you leave your car. There is an urban myth in Bristol that one day, after 20 years of sterling work, the parking attendant failed to turn up. When he failed to turn up the second day the Zoo management phoned the council to ask what had happened to the parking attendant; the reply was “He’s nothing to do with us. We thought you employed him.”
 
Ned said:
The car park at Bristol Zoo is on land owned by the city council. You have to pay a fee to a parking attendant when you leave your car. There is an urban myth in Bristol that one day, after 20 years of sterling work, the parking attendant failed to turn up. When he failed to turn up the second day the Zoo management phoned the council to ask what had happened to the parking attendant; the reply was “He’s nothing to do with us. We thought you employed him.”
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I thought this was a recent news item and true!
 
Is it True that Tropic World was designed by an Australian. It faces in a Northerly direction to get the best Australian sun.
 
I got the story from a Bristol newspaper which had an item about Bristol's urban myths. It was about a year ago that it was printed, it would be great if it was true but I'm quite sure it wasn't.
 
As posted on this Forum- that the original bachelor Gorilla enclosure at John Aspinall's Port Lympne animal park was designed with a very high 'loft' so that the 'Gorillas could look across the English channel and see France'. I think it would be very hard for them to do this,:rolleyes: but being it was John Aspinall I somehow believe it.
 
Pertinax said:
As posted on this Forum- that the original bachelor Gorilla enclosure at John Aspinall's Port Lympne animal park was designed with a very high 'loft' so that the 'Gorillas could look across the English channel and see France'. I think it would be very hard for them to do this,:rolleyes: but being it was John Aspinall I somehow believe it.
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I don't understand why it would be hard for them to see France on a clear day - unless they are short-sighted. I think the views at Port Lympne are almost as wonderful as the hordes of migrant insects you sometimes see in the summer (too many Ss, sorry! :rolleyes:)

Alan
 
Has anyone heard the rumour of the stolen penguin? The zoo of origin is sketchy, I've heard London or Marwell most often, but apparentley a young child climbed over the fence, and hid a penguin under his jumper, which was discovered by the parents either due to noises in the car or swimming in the bathtub...
 
I heard it was Bristol zoo and they found it with him on the bus. Obviously and urban legend.
 
Marwell Dalek said:
Has anyone heard the rumour of the stolen penguin? The zoo of origin is sketchy, I've heard London or Marwell most often, but apparentley a young child climbed over the fence, and hid a penguin under his jumper, which was discovered by the parents either due to noises in the car or swimming in the bathtub...
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I've heard that told as Bristol too, and rather than 'climbing over the fence' it was taken during a 'penguin parade' type event like they still have at Edinburgh.
 
My version: School kid nick penguin, puts it in bag, gets discovered on bus with penguin, penguin gets taken back.
Heard it from just about every local school in the area = Rumor ;)
 
I am not 100% sure - but I know we studied the penguin kidnapping in lecture last year (lecture on flaws in exhibit design) - saw the newspaper reports and everything - so i think it is actually true! :)
 
Here is a new one.. rumor and member!

Hi folks.

I have browsed this site for a long time but only just signed up, I have always worked in and around animal collections although I am currently a college lecturer.

Seem like some really knowledgeable people on here, look forward to chatting.

Now this is of course just a rumor but my brother who is also in education told me a story today that sounded a little odd. A pupil had been telling staff that his dad had a pet monkey, this was ignored until he was found in tears a week later, this was because dad had to kill the monkey because he was worried he was going to get caught... The boy explained it had been stolen from Trentham Monkey Forrest! Seems like an odd thing for a child with even the most active imagination to make up?

Anyone know if they have lost any macaques?
 
QUARANTINE said:
Hi folks.

I have browsed this site for a long time but only just signed up, I have always worked in and around animal collections although I am currently a college lecturer.

Seem like some really knowledgeable people on here, look forward to chatting.
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Hello and welcome to the forum :D
 
ashley-h said:
My version: School kid nick penguin, puts it in bag, gets discovered on bus with penguin, penguin gets taken back.
Heard it from just about every local school in the area = Rumor ;)
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There was an actual similar event in San Fransisco a few years back when one or two koala were stolen from the zoo, by 2 schoolboys who wanted to give the koala to their girlfriends as presents:eek: FACT!
 
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