Mrs. Mary Cawley, nee Chipperfield has recently passed away. The eldest daughter of Rose and Jimmy Chipperfield who owned both Plymouth and Southampton zoos as well as being responsible for opening most of the safari parks in the U.K. Mary was best known for her training and presentation of animals in circus, including horses, elephants, lions and tigers, she leaves husband Roger, one time manager at Longleat, son David and daughter Suzanne.
Wow, I am literally reading her book 'lions on the lawn' and thought I'd just nip on here for a quick catch up on zoo news to read this news...
I think Googling her name shows what she is best known for and it's not 'training' animals. Don't know about the rest of her animals but the chimp Trudy at Monkey World will never recover from her 'training' methids.
Totally shocked that someone would make an RIP thread for such a disgusting woman, maybe this should be removed?
I'm not the biggest fan of her work, however, I don't think a public forum should be the place to describe the lady in question. I think this thread should be taken down before it turns worse.
Though I agree with many posters on this subject, (and I am not defending what happened) , the fact still remains that the Chipperfields ( mainly Jimmy, but of course Mary, Richard and others too ), all played an important part in establishing so many of our zoos and safari parks, whether we like it or not, without them those collections may not have ever evolved ?? I am not sure whether we should respect them for that ?? But I do think the fact should be remembered none- the- less.
Rubbish! So when Gary Glitter finally corks it, we all still remember him fondly for the glam rock stompers and Christmas hits that he became famous for? Or do we try to forget him and write him off as an embarrassment to British society? Do we remember Savile fondly for all the hilarious scout on roller coaster japery and marathon running? Or have we condemned the criminal into the annals of shameful infamy? That unapologetic convicted animal abuser belongs in the same notorious dustbin of shame and embarrassment!
so animal abuse should only be discussed in private? A zoo forum is the ideal place to discuss it. Also, Nanook is quite right with what he posted. The Chipperfields and other circus folk are part of the zoo world, and whatever one thinks of circuses in general, hiding from it is just silly. And if one supports circuses doesn't mean one therefore supports animal abuse.
Whilst Nanook may be right about her involvement in setting up zoos, but there is no way that we should recognise that or remember her for those achievements, because it's almost giving a pass for her other deplorable legacy. Remember that she was probably passing on her techniques to many other trainers, so who knows how many animals worldwide have suffered indirectly at her hands?
Just reacquainted myself with some her crimes. How this woman never got a prison sentence beggars belief. Is Trudy still at MonkeyWorld? If so, in what group?