What do you remember of Haigh Hall ? When roughly did you visit ?
What was your favourite childhood zoo ?
- Thread starter Nanook
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What do you remember of Haigh Hall ? When roughly did you visit ?
I always thought it was good how Southport had obtained a breeding pair of Mandrills from which they established two groups of their own as well as supplying them to various other Zoos both in the UK and abroad. They even received a 'meritorious breeding' award for all this.
However I later discovered that the decision to keep this species wasn't really deliberate, and they came by them more by chance because they were offered as surplus from an animal dealer(Ravensdon?). However despite that, they still made the best of them nonetheless.
The earliest zoo I remember was the annual winter zoo in Newcastle upon Tyne also a small zoo at Stanley in county Durham, and later sea burn zoo. The most frequently visited though was either Edinburgh or Blackpool tower zoo, later on the new Blackpool zoo took over.
The one odd thing i do recall was the traveling menageries that came to the Newcastle town moor during the summer fair or Hoppons as we called it. The trailer contained all sorts of unusual animals but the ones I recall most vividly were 2 giant toads, possibly Bufo Marinus. That started my idea of keeping toads other than the native Bufo bufo.
The one odd thing i do recall was the traveling menageries that came to the Newcastle town moor during the summer fair or Hoppons as we called it. The trailer contained all sorts of unusual animals but the ones I recall most vividly were 2 giant toads, possibly Bufo Marinus. That started my idea of keeping toads other than the native Bufo bufo.
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Yes they did receive several Mandrill breeding awards from the then "Zoo Federation", they used to have them all put up on the wall of the Mandrill house, this was at a time when very few zoos had Mandrills or were breeding them of course. They always had one main group but then brought in unrelated animals from the USA, I remember a male and possibly a female from USA arrived in 1994. Ravensden used to own Southport Zoo at one point, managed by Martin Lacey on their behalf, so you are probably right there.
Southport Mandrills
I didn't know that. That would be the source almost certainly then. It would be interesting to know where they originated from but it will never be known now I don't think.
From that first pair (and incestuous breeding from the first(?) female offspring) Southport became one of the major centres for Mandrills in the UK around that time, though London had a thriving group too and there was one exchange of breeding males between them. Later Southport imported 2.2. from the US, I believe they kept one pair and the other pair went to Belfast.
The Mandrill groups at both Chester and Colchester contain a percentage of Southport blood(coupled with London), while those at Trotters came from Southport when it closed. Paignton's current group are not connected with the Southport breeding but their previous ones were. South Lakes group, now 'somewhere in Europe', came from Tel Aviv(?) but that group may have originated from Southport also.
I didn't know that. That would be the source almost certainly then. It would be interesting to know where they originated from but it will never be known now I don't think.
From that first pair (and incestuous breeding from the first(?) female offspring) Southport became one of the major centres for Mandrills in the UK around that time, though London had a thriving group too and there was one exchange of breeding males between them. Later Southport imported 2.2. from the US, I believe they kept one pair and the other pair went to Belfast.
The Mandrill groups at both Chester and Colchester contain a percentage of Southport blood(coupled with London), while those at Trotters came from Southport when it closed. Paignton's current group are not connected with the Southport breeding but their previous ones were. South Lakes group, now 'somewhere in Europe', came from Tel Aviv(?) but that group may have originated from Southport also.
Very interesting, yes I remember the mandrills at London, they had a very large male, trying to remember his name ?? Was it "Boris" ?? I was at Southport in 94 and remember them arriving and having to be kept separate, but I can`t remember much else, though I might have some notes on them somewhere ?
Of course Frank and Helena Farrah started Southport Zoo, which was then sold to Ravensden and managed by Martin Lacey until the Petries bought it.
My memories are a bit hazy, I would have visited in the mid eighties I guess, maybe late eighties. I remember it was behind a sort of walled garden style wall and you walked down a path with walls on either side. As you entered there was a path in front of you with cages - clearly remember a solo, for once correctly named coatimundi in a smallish cage as that was my favourite animal, some tiled indoor areas attached to aviary style cages for monkeys - maybe patas monkey, guenons and capuchins but no idea of I'm remembering correctly on one side and a central run of yards on the other. There were maybe llamas, porcupines and definitely Bactrian camels here. I think there was also an area to the right with aviaries in a corner. Further to the left, opposite the run of yards was a puma cage and I think behind it a wooded paddock with tapir, capybara and next to it flamingos. That's pretty much the extent of my memories in terms of layout. I know there were lots of birds, monkeys, small cats. It could probably have been a decent little place had it evolved rather than just closing. I also remember the signs were the same style as Chester's old signs.
I have an old Mandrill studbook;
The original Southport pair were male No 117 'Packa' and female No 110 'No1 wife'. They are recorded as 'arriving' at both 'Rushden' and Southport in 1964. They were already breeding by 1966.
The exchange of males with London took place around 1980/1982. Male 'Fritz' (born at London 1965) was sent to Southport and male 'Boris'(born Southport) came from Southport to London. Actually according to the SB, it seems London got 'Boris' in 1980 and didn't send 'Fritz' away till two years later in 1982, but that could be an innacuracy.
I remember the Southport male 'Boris' was large and he had a protruding upper canine tooth. He died at ZSL in 1990.
The four (2.2) that came from the US to Southport were imported in 1989.
Yes the place was pretty-much the same when I visited in 1994, with very similar species.
That is interesting, Ravensden (Rushden) obviously imported them for Southport, that was about the time when they were running the zoo.
I saw "Boris" at London in 1990 I am sure, must have been not long before he died, he was indeed a massive animal, though also quite possibly overweight.
I didn`t realise the 2.2 were imported from the USA in 89, I will PM you on that Pertinax.
What was your favourite....?
In the early sixties I went to 'The New Aquazoo' at Great Yarmouth'. This entirely indoor collection had a big sign proclaiming 'You must see Packa, our great Mandrill'. Packa and a male Drill, both the first of their species I had ever seen, were in what would now be regarded as very small cages. Nice to know that he appears to have moved on to a breeding situation.
In the early sixties I went to 'The New Aquazoo' at Great Yarmouth'. This entirely indoor collection had a big sign proclaiming 'You must see Packa, our great Mandrill'. Packa and a male Drill, both the first of their species I had ever seen, were in what would now be regarded as very small cages. Nice to know that he appears to have moved on to a breeding situation.
Although the name is the same, I don't think that would be the same animal as at Southport. According to the SB I have, the original Southport pair arrived together as youngsters, not from different sources with the male already adult. I can't find any reference to a Mandrill at Great Yarmouth either, but its not unusual for such historical singletons to get missed out by studbook compilers.
SoCalChevy
Active Member
The Los Angeles Zoo.
It's the only one nearby.
Though I did go to the San Diego Zoo a couple of times.
It's the only one nearby.
Though I did go to the San Diego Zoo a couple of times.