Jersey Zoo 25 Years - Timeline

Historical highlights


1958 November 7, Les Augres lease signed.


1959 March 14, Jersey Zoological Park Ltd. formed.
March 26, Jersey Zoo opens (adult admission 10p).
Gorilla female N'Pongo arrives.
Tapir Claudius arrives.
Common marmosets arrive and breed.

1960 Second female gorilla, Nandi, arrives.
Second female tapir, Claudette, arrives.

1962 Female cheetah Paula arrives to join Peter.
Servals arrive.

1963 July 6, Inauguration of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
Bornean orangutans Oscar and Bali arrive.

1964 Construction of great ape cages complete.
Ring-tailed lemurs arrive.

1965 First South American tapir and chimpanzee bred.
Ursine colobus and two leopards arrive.
Baboon and monkey cages rebuilt

1956 Leopard cage complete.
Two pairs of white—eared pheasants arrive.
First serval kittens bred.

1967 Scientific Advisory Committee formed.
First two ursine colobus born.
First cereopsis geese bred.

1968 First pair of Parma wallabies arrives.
First colobus cage completed.

1969 Lemur range completed.
First 13 white-eared pheasants reared.
Second colobus cage completed.
Zoo garden committee formed.
White-eared pheasant aviaries completed.

1970 First Parma wallabies bred.
Tapir and cheetah complex completed.
Spectacled bear enclosure completed.

1971 Les Augres Manor purchased.
Owl aviaries complete.
Congo peacock house complete.
Eight Rothschild’s mynahs arrive.
First Bornean orang-utan bred.
Swinford aviaries complete. ~

1972 August 21, Princess Anne accepts patronage.
Brian Park gorilla complex opened by David Niven.
First Jamaican hutias arrive.
Jambo, male lowland gorilla arrives.
Gir lions arrive. ,
Petrona, female spectacled bear arrives to join Pedro.
Mayotte brown lemurs arrive. '
First Sumatran orang-utan bred.
First conference on breeding endangered species in Jersey.

1973 Howard aviaries completed.
First two gorillas, Assumbo and Mamfe bred.
SAFE International launched, later renamed
Wildlife Preservation Trust International.

1974 Marmoset House opened.
Third gorilla, Zaire bred.
First Mayotte brown lemur bred.
Nutritional research laboratory opened.
Nocturnal Hutia house opened by James Stewart.
Waldrapp ibis cage completed.
Fourth and fifth gorillas bred.
St Lucia and St Vincent parrots arrive.
Three pairs of Goeldi’s monkey arrive and breed.
First two spectacled bear cubs bred.
First seven Waldrapp ibis hatched.

1976 October 27, Gaherty Reptile Breeding Centre opened by HRH Princess Anne.
Cafe Dodo opened.
‘ Keller Aviaries complete.
Eric Young marmoset building opened.
Rodrigues fruit bats arrive and breed.
Jamaican boas arrive.
Radiated tortoises arrive.
Round Island reptiles arrive—first 11 skinks bred.

1977 Five pink pigeons arrive.
Two pairs of Meller’s ducks arrive.
First 58 Jamaican boas bred.
Appeal for new gorilla accommodation launched.
Education officer appointed.

1978 June 4, Veterinary centre opened by US Ambassador to London.
Pink pigeon aviaries completed.
Rodrigues fruit bat accommodation completed.
First training scholarship awarded to a Mauritian.
First four pink pigeons bred.
First 12 Meller’s ducks bred.
Four golden lion tamarins arrive.
Rodrigues fodies arrive.

1979 Student training scheme launched.
SAFE (Save Animals From Extinction) relaunched as a fund-raising campaign.
Les Noyers purchased as training centre.
Volcano rabbits arrive.
Research assistant appointed.

1980 First two golden lion tamarins bred.
Gorilla complex completed.
Rodrigues fody range opened.
First summer school run.

1981 First annual vote for field studies.
Opening of gorilla centre.
Launch of the Dodo Club.

1982 First captive breeding of St Lucia parrot.
Volunteer guides introduced.
Corporate membership launched.

1983 Zoo visitors top 250,000.