Jersey Zoo » Durrell (Jersey) Zoo

Jersey Zoo
22-03-2008

I'd thought i'd start this thread up for two reasons...

1) We don't have dedicated thread for Jersey Zoo (well at least not to my knowledge)

2) After reading the zoo's wikipedia page is lists under completed programmes, animals such as: Cheetah, African Lion, Tapir, African Elephant, Chimpanzee and Snow Leopard. I've only seen evidence of cheetahs and tapirs at jersey though so are these others true? Also, where were these species' enclosures?

22-03-2008

cheetah- can't remember, possibly where the maned wolves are/were.
Chimpanzee- in the original Ape(mammal)House built into the barns close to the manor house.(had chimps/orangtuans/gorillas)
lions- in walled garden area, cage since demolished(?)
snow leopard- may have been housed in converted lion cage later on (I think).
Elephants- never!!

22-03-2008

I have an old jersey zoo guide that shows cheetah and snow leopards.

22-03-2008

I've just found an answer to some of my questions here:
Jerseyzoo.eu

It says the cheetah enclosure was demolished to make way for 'first impressions' (a babirusa enclosure was demolished as well).

I'd suspected the elephant one was false, i often see incorrect entries on wikipedia...

22-03-2008

I think Jersey had some of the old stock of impure 'asiatic' lions. I think they just died out naturally and weren't replaced.

I don't know what happened to their babirusa. They did sent Port Lympne theirs, which eventually bred.

22-03-2008

Yes, I remember now- there were two adjacent cheetah pens adjacent to the road. Their original female was called 'Paula' and was handtame. She may have been kept elsewhere in the zoo originally. I think they later got a male from (probably) Whipsnade but there was no breeding.

I remember the Babirusa too, kept in the same area.

22-03-2008

I think they had a pair of African lions first... then the impure Asians, when they left/died I think the same enclosure was then replanted and improved for Snow Leopards.

22-03-2008

I Have seen footage of Lions at Jersey. I've never heard or seen footage of Elephantsor chimps there though

22-03-2008

chimps were called lulu & Chumley. not sure what happened to them- sent away early on... Elephants definately not.

22-03-2008

that's because Wikipedia is rubbish. Anyone can go on an edit whatever they want. It always makes me laugh when people treat Wikipedia like its a reliable source for anything.

22-03-2008

Wikipedia is pretty good for zoos as most seem to be clued up to the fact that animal rights folk can make them look pretty bad, so most seem to update their own pages regularly. You just have to double check your/their sources. But yeah, no elephants in Jersey!

22-03-2008

Thats true, Jersey did send Port Lympne their first pair of Babirusa as I saw them not that long after they arrived there, I dont know if they ever got any others from Jersay later

22-03-2008

Does anyone in the UK have an update on the Jersey Zoo's long-range plan? A number of months ago the zoo announced a multi-million dollar capital drive to raise funds for a handful of spectacular new exhibits. Any progress yet?

22-03-2008

I think they just had a pair from Jersey, both bred there, and they went on to produce 2 male offspring. One went to howletts, the other I don't know, but the parents and the howletts male died I think, I'm not 100% though.

01-04-2008

Paul Masterton, previously the head of PR Donnelley, a leading printing and communications company in Europe, has prelaced Mark Stanley-Price as director of Durrell Wildlife Trust