Japanese Akita puppies
stuff from the park: Japanese Deer Park Buena Park 1968
Photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park | Orange County Memories
Anyone remember this place? (Japanese Deer Park)
The California Alligator Farm was relocated from it's original location, to Buena Park adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm on La Palma Ave. (See map above)
Hokkiado Bears(a species coveted by the late, great Albert Rix)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
For Toby Styles--Japanese Deer Park
Ghost Zoo--Monkey Island
From LAistory:
Monkey Island
I have never heard of "Monkey Island" in California. Does anyone have anymore information about the facility?
Vintage Florida Alligator Farm--Ross Allen
Ross Allen confronts Big George, the largest alligator in captivity, at Silver Springs, Florida. Silver Springs was the home of the Ross Allen Reptile Institute.
Ross Allen's Reptile Institute
Ross Allen (herpetologist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ross Allen (I) - Biography
Marco Kristen, note the Seminole Indian Village in the clip below. I am ready to concede to you that the "human zoos" were not an exclusive German endeavor of Hagenbeck and others. It seem's to have been a trend, even in relatively "modern" times here in the Colonies. You were right, I was wrong(which is as common as the passing of Halley's Comet!!!)
Ross Allen, Bill Haast, Jungle Larry Tetzlaff, etc. etc. What an exiting world it was that those gentlemen lived in!!!!! How could it be gone forever, and we are left with Jack Hanna?
Vintage Diving Alligators
In regards to the "diving horses" what do you suppose these gator's were anticipating most. The chicken waiting in the water below, or the pick ax handle in the ass above? But I am sure, they "really actually enjoyed" it. A slide has always been one of my "least" favorite tricks/behaviors in a dog or goat act. A travesty in a bear act. Alligators are supposedly morons and they were enticed to do it in the early 1900's. Surly with newly developed animal training skill's, trainers could come up with something else?
Vintage California Alligator Farm
LAistory:
Unfortunately, you were born too late. You missed the alligator farm. At the turn of the century, the Lincoln Heights neighborhood popular as a weekend get away for Angelenos. In 1907, Francis Earnest and his partner, Joe "Alligator" Campbell opened an alligator farm (It was right next door to their ostrich farm. I'm not kidding.)
With 2000 alligators and a smattering of turtles, iguanas and snakes, the farm offered such attractions as watching the alligators being fed with live chickens, perform tricks and wrestle with humans. The (tasteful) gift shop featured a wide selection of products made with alligator skin, including shoes, luggage and wallets.
Perhaps most surreal of all, at the "The Most Stupendous Aggregation of Alligators Ever Exhibited," you could ride a saddled alligator around the park. No, really!
Apparently, it was a popular site for fraternity pranks, as pledges would be forced to try to steal an alligator off the property. There were other ways for the alligators could make field trips. Sometimes, when rain flooded the nearby reservoir, it would overflow into the farm, giving the alligators an opportunity to swim into the lake, or even getting into canals or backyard pools. Even when they weren't roaming free, they made their whereabouts known by hollering at each other in the middle of the night.
Alligators were famous too. They starred in some Tarzan films. They wrestled people in stunts. The most famous though was Billy, said to be the oldest alligator in captivity. He could be relied upon to open his jaws when a chicken was dangled above them, so he made appearances in numerous films between the 1910s and the 1940s.
In 1953, the Farm was moved to Buena Vista, close to Knott's Berry Farm (and now home to a Radisson Hotel.) However, flagging attendance closed the park the seventies, long before people took animal rights seriously. The 'gators were moved to a private reserve in Florida.
Alligator Farm Los Angeles
Vintage Florida Alligator Farm
It's hard to imagine that there was actually a time when you promoted your facility by illustrating how many creatures you could cram into the least amount of space. :)
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