Friday, December 5, 2008
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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11 comments:
Wade, the fourth picture is of the yard at the old Big Cat House which was constructed in 1951. The building still stands as the centerpiece of Big Cat Falls, and is where the cats go at night. Big Cat Falls is gorgeous and lush and was the 2007 AZA exhibit award winner. Another distinction of the Philadelphia Zoo, not shared by too many others, is that they have all seven species of big cat: lion, tiger, snow leopard, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, and cougar. All but the cheetah are housed at Big Cat Falls, where they have very nice exhibits.
Mary Ann
Wade. You're sure that's 1959? Went to the Philly zoo last year and it looked exactly the same. ;-)
Marco,
That is the beauty of the Philadelphia zoo. In their restoration efforts, they have retained many of the older structures instead of, as is often done, tearing them down. Of course, because it is one of America's oldest zoo's they couldn't keep everything.
Wade
The Philadelphia Zoo does claim to be America's oldest. There's some debate with Cincinnati, I think Cincy might have organized first but Philly opened first. I first visited the Philadelphia Zoo around 1950 -- probably about 10 years old. They still had the old primate house that was horrible BUT had the first breeding orangs and the oldest gorilla. The small mammal house was small with old cages that also contained animals with record longevities and first breedings. I wish they would have converted that little building into America's Zoo Museum. Only one can be the first zoo, they have more history an any other zoo in the U.S. Probably just an idea that a few zoo guys wuld find interesting.
Jim,
Great information. I think opening first, organizing first, etc. is splitting hairs. A "zoo museum" would be a great idea, for a lot of old buildings. I think it is just a shame when then tear them down, instead of being able to try to convert them.
Wade
The monkey island looks like Como Park in Minneapolis, way back in my childhood?
Gary,
Early on in the blog I posted a number of Monkey Island pictures, as I had collected them for a number of years. There were some of the most "creative" animal exhibits ever built. LOL
Wade
My Mom is from Minneasota and we spent alot of summers there and of course the zoo was the place to be for me. The monkeys were on the island, seals and gators in the moat around it. Always wondered if the gaters ever went after the seals? Monkeys didn't get too close to the water I remember.
Gary,
Growing up in North Dakota, I too went to Como Zoo quite often. At the time it seemed like the grandest place in the world, as there was not much else to compare to. The Apple Valley Zoo wasn't yet in existence, and North Dakota is/was not know for it's "world class" zoo. Unfortunately, it didn't change much, and soon became rather outdated, as other places changed and made massive improvements.
Wade
There is argument as to which was America’s first zoo. Philadelphia claims to be, and zoo historian Vernon Kisling supports that view. Its Society was founded in 1859 but owing to the unpleasantness of the 1860s, it did not open until 1874.
Meanwhile, in the 1860s the Central Park zoo or menagerie had opened.
Philadelphia supporters claim that Central park cannot be listed ahead of their zoo because it was little more than an unorganized menagerie whereas Philadelphia opened with proper zoo staff and organization. Yet, Central Park showed many great rarities (e.g. Indian rhino) while Philadelphia was still on the drawing boards.
If, as Kisling argues, one must have a rather sophisticated zoo organization to be a true zoo then many of our other zoos would have to revise their starting dates. Many of their claimed beginning dates are pinned to the likes of a gift of swans to be put in a lake.
The “new” Philadelphia lion house of 1951 is where, in 1962, I saw the only melanistic or black serval I’ve ever seen.
RJR,
WOW!!!! Great information, I trust it wasn't because I had to "shame" you into it, by throwing Jim on your doorstep. LOL Vernon who is surly at your lofty captive animal/zoo plateau makes a very valid point. So valid I believe it will be my new way of looking at it. How many zoo's were a gift of a bear, or a deer as well as a swan could have a lot of them claiming for the number one seed. Organization with skilled staff would be a good standard in which to compare against. I should only hope the animal training business would have a similar "standard" someday. It would eliminate a lot of "popcorn" politicking for the uninformed vote. LOL
Was the Melanistic Serval ever bred and I wonder if any ancestors survive today, and are there records of where it was captured?
You got me wound up Richard.
Wade
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