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University of Ibadan Zoological Garden Bob Golding - University of Ibadan Zoo

Discussion in 'Nigeria' started by Simon Hampel, 28 Nov 2011.

  1. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Administrator Staff Member 20+ year member

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    I got an email from Bob Golding, who was curator of the University of Ibadan Zoo in Nigeria from 1963 until 1979. I thought others might find the historical information interesting.

    Bob Golding - Zoological Garden, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

    Bob has many photos of the zoo on his website, including a gallery dedicated to the gorillas Aruna and Imade.
     
  2. sooty mangabey

    sooty mangabey Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for this link to a wonderful website. There is some fascinating stuff here, for anyone interested in zoo history, Africa, Gerald Durrell, unusual species, gorillas...

    I'm not sure what sort of state Ibadan Zoo is in now. This article suggests that things aren't great - University of Ibadan Zoo: Relic of a Glorious Past - but its populist tone does not engender real confidence in the veracity of its conclusions. I found this on Youtube - - a rather annoying photo montage set to awful music, which nonetheless shows some areas looking pretty shabby, some not too bad. Drills and crowned guenons probably the most interesting species to be seen.
     
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  3. IanRRobinson

    IanRRobinson Well-Known Member

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    J, I know that you have spent time in Africa and that you know more about zoos in Africa than most. What is the most useful thing, in your opinion, that developed world countries' zoos can do to help their African colleagues?
     
  4. Jurek7

    Jurek7 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Fascinating pictures, and remarkable man! Pity that the zoo later fared not as well.
     
  5. sooty mangabey

    sooty mangabey Well-Known Member

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    A very interesting question. My experience of African zoos is as a visitor, sometimes in the company of (local) school students - I ahve never worked in one. I've only been to around a dozen or so zoos in Africa, mainly in Tanzania. The following comments are based on that experience...

    I think it is a fallacy that Africans are not interested in natural history. Some are, some aren't - just as is the case elsewhere. I have certainly seen startling cruelty towards animals, captive and wild, in Africa, but I would put that down to the perpetrators’ lack of education rather than any lack of empathy. And it was certainly my experience that students were very keen to discover more about the animals found locally – and which they mostly never saw. The pets that I kept – tortoises, chameleons and a galago – were the source of much fascination amongst my students. So I think there is a role for zoos in Africa, educating, showing, engendering respect.

    What can European zoos do to help? Not take over, that’s for sure. The last thing Africa needs, in any area, is the European imposition of European solutions. Funding, in of itself, is not the answer either. Expertise is required, but it needs to be offered in partnership, rather than in a patronizing fashion. It would be wonderful for some of the bigger European zoos to be able to twin up with African counterparts, to share expertise and experience (both ways), maybe to ‘loan’ staff. I believe this has happened at the zoo in Accra, or possibly Kumasi, in Ghana, with staff from the consortium of German zoos who are focusing on a selection of primates. I think that political problems have been an issue there, though.

    As always when dealing with Africa, an enormous amount of sensitivity is required. There’s a lot of history there, and centuries of perceptions – on both sides – that need to be overcome.
     
  6. Bele

    Bele Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The photos of the pair of Gorillas with their carers as they grow up are fascinating . They certainly enjoyed the quite deep water moat in their enclosure , some of the pictures almost look as if they are swimming .
     
  7. ghzoo

    ghzoo New Member

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    The above posts have been an interesting read. I grew up in Ghana and had the opportunity to visit the Accra and Kumasi zoos in the 90s. the private sector will be able to develop this further and create other opportunities
     
  8. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Very intrsting stuff and how nice it would be if some of the African zoos can become real conservation centers ! Lets hope this will happen soon.