Bristol Zoo (Closed) Past Animals at Clifton zoological gardens

Maguari said:
More amazing still was information given at the IZES meeting by former head keeper Don Packham that the zoo kept Emperor Penguins for a short time (he collected them himself from the airport).
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was it Bristol that had both emperor and little blue penguins at the same time? (I know it was one UK zoo, but I can't remember which!)
 
Chlidonias said:
was it Bristol that had both emperor and little blue penguins at the same time? (I know it was one UK zoo, but I can't remember which!)
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Hmmm.. they certainly have had both, but the only Little Blues I'm specifically aware of were 2003(?) to 2009 - much later than the Emperors. They have had a lot of penguins (and a lot of penguin species) over the years though.
 
A few more unusual species over the years:
Moose (1844)
Marbled cat (1899)
Hoary marmot (1899)
Banteng (1899)
Vicuna (1899)
Oman gazelles (Gazella g. muscatensis) (1899)
Clouded leopards (1935)
Bohor reedbuck (bred 1954)
Tarsiers (1987). Already mentioned by Tim May
Pacaranas (1987). Already mentioned by Tim May
Pichi (1987)
Carolina parakeet (1882)
Kagus (1925)
Giant salamander (1928) and a further 16 were imported in 1987
Tuatara (1913)
Gharial (1882)
They also had 19 crocodilians of seven species in 1980!
 
Designaka said:
Bohor reedbuck (bred 1954)
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There was what appeared to be a young reedbuck in the '1948' colour film shown at the IZES meeting - do we think this is further evidence that not all of the footage is 1948 or had they bred on another occasion?

Obviously with Alfred the gorilla being included at least some of the film could be no later than 1948, but I got the feeling that there was some doubt over some of the rest.
 
I seem to remember a clouded leopard in the 1960's or 1970's in the Cat House .
 
The Reedbuck I remember had broken/twisted horn stumps- I suspect he was the original male.

In the historic film footage on Bristol's website there's a photo described as 1960's Bornean Orangutans 'Abang & Dayang' -which is in fact the much earlier pair 'Henry & Anne' so mistakes do occur.
 
Maguari said:
Hmmm.. they certainly have had both, but the only Little Blues I'm specifically aware of were 2003(?) to 2009 - much later than the Emperors. They have had a lot of penguins (and a lot of penguin species) over the years though.
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it may not have been Bristol. I read it some years ago in a UK bird magazine in a zoo-round-up type article, probably by someone like Bill Naylor or Frank Woolham, where it was mentioned that at one point this particular UK zoo had displayed both the largest and smallest penguins at the same time (for a very brief period as the emperors died soon after import). I just can't remember the name of the zoo!
 
Designaka said:
They also had 19 crocodilians of seven species in 1980!
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I didn't think the Reptile House at Bristol was large enough to accommodate that number!
Does anyone know which species they were? I seem to remember reading that the Zoo had an American Crocodile around that time.
 
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