Jersey Zoo 25th Anniversary – Senior Staff Part 1

Jersey Zoo 25th Anniversary – Senior Staff Part 1

Jersey Zoo is fortunate to have a dedicated staff. without whom its results would not be nearly so impressive as they have been.

Some of them have been with the zoo for many years and here some of the longest serving and senior staff members are featured.

Nick Lindsay — Curator of Mammals

Nick Lindsay joined the Trust as a Science graduate in 1975 and became Curator of Mammals with overall responsibility for the mammal collection with a staff of eight in 1979.

Since then, Nick has seen an increase in the breeding successes with a number of mammal groups, including the marmosets and tamarins, the hutias, the bats, the lemurs and the apes.

Such has been the success with the Jamaican hutia there is a strong possibility that some of them may be released into the wild, since the Zoo’s captive population now stands high enough.

Nick has also had the opportunity to see some mammals in the wild. For three months in 1979 he took part in ”Operation Drake” visiting Panama to study the Geoffroy’s tamarin.

In an effort to forge closer links with the Primate Research Centre in Brazil Nick accompanied Zoological Director, Jeremy Mallinson on a visit. There he saw several of the rarest members of the primate family, including the golden lion and golden headed tamarins.

For the future Nick would like to see a continuation of the Trust’s policy of phasing out the commoner animals and concentrating on those threatened with extinction.

Consequently, there would be fewer species but an increased number of individuals. The experience gained with the commoner types could be put to good use with related but rarer species.

Brian Cummins — Quartermaster

Jerseyman Brian Cummins first visited the Zoo on the day it opened and applied for a iob as an animal keeper, but without success. Three years later he applied again and the then manager turned him down because of his mature age. Not to be deterred, Brian tried again and in 1965 was employed as an odd-job and maintenance handyman.

A year later he became van driver and collector of provisions, tasks that he does today. This involve purchasing fruit, buying provisions in town, taking and collecting animals to and from the airport and visiting the local farms.

The van that Brian drives is decorated with gorilla motifs leading to jibes such as ”I see you’ve got your mother-in-law with you” or "I wonder where he works”. The van acts as an advertisement as Brian drives around the island and people often ask him to direct them to the Zoo.

The acquisition of Les Noyers four years ago gave Brian much better facilities. There is a proper kitchen with a meat preparation area, a store room and a cool-room for fruit. The latter has enabled Brian to adopt a more rational and economical policy of buying fruit and concentrates in bulk, leading to better quality and greater variety.