I hope my Canadian friends can help me out on this one. While going through my AAZK (American Association of Zookeepers) Forum the other day, I can across can article from 2000 about a mixed species lemur/flying fox exhibit at the Crystal Garden Conservation Center in Victoria, BC. Through some internet research I realized that the conservation center had closed in 2004? and could find very little information about its existance. I would be very interested in its animal collection, when did it open, and other basic stats of the conservation center.
The Crystal Garden was built in 1925 as a swimming pool, and eventually closed in 1971 after various problems. It then became a garden for plants and a refuge for small mammals, and was renamed as a conservation garden. This operated between 1980 and 2004 before closing a second time. In late 2004 it began a third life, as the "BC Experience", which completely bombed with the public, lost millions of dollars, and the building closed for a third occasion. In the past year and a half I'm guessing that the building has been sitting empty, as I was in Victoria last August and didn't notice any brochures advertising the Crystal Garden. Even as of right now on the website tourismvictoria.com there is no mention of the failed attraction. I actually think that the building might have been turned into the Victoria Convention Centre. Scroll down to pages 4-5 on this link for all the information, as well as several photos. http://www.bcrpa.bc.ca/recreation_parks/parks/documents/06JULYCiBNEWSLETTER.pdf Here is a second link, which discusses the closing of the Crystal Gardens. Common Ground - Sept 2004 - Crystal Garden threatened This next link is one that has some terrific photos of the gigantic, 4,000 square foot, interactive map that was the centerpiece of the "BC Experience". Sadly the visitor numbers were much less than anticipated. The Living Map at the BC Experience centre. The "BC Experience" went bankrupt in 2006, and here is the link: No nibbles for B.C. Experience
Thanks snowleopard. Had you every visited Crystal Gardens when they had animals and what species did they have?
@okapikpr: I never visited Crystal Gardens, but there is a photo of a ring-tailed lemur on one of those links. Also, I think that they did indeed have pgymy marmosets, flying foxes, etc. If you scroll down this link to pages 16-21 (of the document) you'll find some more information on Crystal Gardens. Bali Mynahs, Great-billed Parrots, Red Lorys, Green Tree Pythons, Blue-tongued Skinks and Solomon Island Skinks were all in a featured exhibit area called "Undiscovered Indonesia". The article definitely mentions 5 pgymy marmosets and the birth of a mongoose lemur in one of two Madagascar exhibits; pgymy slow lorises; a golden lion tamarin. I am beginning to wish that I had visited years ago! http://www.gov.bc.ca/cas/attachments/annual_rpts/2002/pcc_ar_2001-2002.pdf
Also, on page 4 of this document it mentions ruffed lemurs, spider tortoises, buffon's macaw and 4 species of madagascar fish at the Conservation Centre. The entire document is actually rather interesting. http://www.caza.ca/media/Pdf/Membership/CONSERVATION_SURVEY_MARCH_2000.pdf
