Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
One hundred years ago the Jardin Zoologique de la Riviera opened in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Southern France (Quartier des Vespins, remember this name).
He was founded by Georges Basilewsky, a Russian nobleman who escaped the Bolshevik revolution (and emigrated to the Côte d'Azur like many other compatriots).
First this zoo was focused on import/exports and acclimatization of exotic animals in a 5-ha property, including Elephants, Black Rhinos, Gorillas, Giraffes... One time it claimed to have 1.000 Crocodiles, once there was also a shipping of 40 Orang-Utans waiting for a transfer in major European zoos.
There was also a breeding centre for fancy forms of domesticated animals and pets, including 2.000 pairs of Budgies !
There was even a "human zoo" with the import (that was a standard at this time in Europe) of African men and women belonging to the "Sara-Kaba" tribe (a tribe native to the Chad).
At this time the zoo was visited by many French and international celebrities including Matisse, Jacques Prévert, Saint-Exupéry, Jean Cocteau, Charlie Chaplin, the Prince Rainier of Monaco (who created his own zoo later)...
After WW2 the zoo turned into a poultry and guinea pig farm (the first for food purposes, the latter to supply the labs), then it became a breeding centre for Malagasy Lemurs under the name "Basizoo" that kept and bred up to 70 Lemurs from 8 different species. Currently their offspring is very probably widespread in many zoos across the world.
Mr Basilewsky became an expert of the lemurs, recognized by international conservation institutions in the 1960/70's.
Maybe you'll have a thought to him the next time you'll see any lemurs in a zoo trip...
The zoo has maybe persisted until the early 1980's when Mr Basilewsky passed away (it happened in 1983). Then his property was sold and has been converted in real estate building, a sad destiny that seems to be common for the zoos in French Riviera.
I may be part of the final chapter of the strange odyssey of Mr Basilewsky because in the very first years of my life, in Southern France (Quartier des Vespins), there was a street that was curiously named "Rue du zoo" (Zoo street) in my neigborhood.
I asked my parents why this street has this name, and if it would be possible to visit the zoo, but they couldn't answer me, they weren't even aware of the existence of any zoo in this place.
The years passed and this "zoo" remained a true mystery for me.
This "mythical" zoo surely influenced me for my passion on zoos and wildlife.
But it took nearly 30 years for me to know that there was an actual zoo in this place, and, more surprisingly, that I spent the beginning of my life at a few hundred meters of distance from Mr Basilewsky who was still alive (but probably very old) and who may still ran his facility at this time...
There are many articles about him and his zoo in French language (and a bit in Italian) :
Jardin Zoologique de la Riviera Cagnes sur mer
Un jardin zoologique à Cagnes-sur-Mer ? - Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer
PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions
Les Zoos dans le Monde - Jardin Zoologique de la Riviera †
https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1965.tb01607.x
He was founded by Georges Basilewsky, a Russian nobleman who escaped the Bolshevik revolution (and emigrated to the Côte d'Azur like many other compatriots).
First this zoo was focused on import/exports and acclimatization of exotic animals in a 5-ha property, including Elephants, Black Rhinos, Gorillas, Giraffes... One time it claimed to have 1.000 Crocodiles, once there was also a shipping of 40 Orang-Utans waiting for a transfer in major European zoos.
There was also a breeding centre for fancy forms of domesticated animals and pets, including 2.000 pairs of Budgies !
There was even a "human zoo" with the import (that was a standard at this time in Europe) of African men and women belonging to the "Sara-Kaba" tribe (a tribe native to the Chad).
At this time the zoo was visited by many French and international celebrities including Matisse, Jacques Prévert, Saint-Exupéry, Jean Cocteau, Charlie Chaplin, the Prince Rainier of Monaco (who created his own zoo later)...
After WW2 the zoo turned into a poultry and guinea pig farm (the first for food purposes, the latter to supply the labs), then it became a breeding centre for Malagasy Lemurs under the name "Basizoo" that kept and bred up to 70 Lemurs from 8 different species. Currently their offspring is very probably widespread in many zoos across the world.
Mr Basilewsky became an expert of the lemurs, recognized by international conservation institutions in the 1960/70's.
Maybe you'll have a thought to him the next time you'll see any lemurs in a zoo trip...
The zoo has maybe persisted until the early 1980's when Mr Basilewsky passed away (it happened in 1983). Then his property was sold and has been converted in real estate building, a sad destiny that seems to be common for the zoos in French Riviera.
I may be part of the final chapter of the strange odyssey of Mr Basilewsky because in the very first years of my life, in Southern France (Quartier des Vespins), there was a street that was curiously named "Rue du zoo" (Zoo street) in my neigborhood.
I asked my parents why this street has this name, and if it would be possible to visit the zoo, but they couldn't answer me, they weren't even aware of the existence of any zoo in this place.
The years passed and this "zoo" remained a true mystery for me.
This "mythical" zoo surely influenced me for my passion on zoos and wildlife.
But it took nearly 30 years for me to know that there was an actual zoo in this place, and, more surprisingly, that I spent the beginning of my life at a few hundred meters of distance from Mr Basilewsky who was still alive (but probably very old) and who may still ran his facility at this time...
There are many articles about him and his zoo in French language (and a bit in Italian) :
Jardin Zoologique de la Riviera Cagnes sur mer
Un jardin zoologique à Cagnes-sur-Mer ? - Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer
PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions
Les Zoos dans le Monde - Jardin Zoologique de la Riviera †
https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1965.tb01607.x
