Yes, I well remember seeing the Black-handed Tamarins at Kilverstone. The only other zoo where I've seen this species is Lisbon (several years ago). Checked on Zootierliste, and they fail to show Lisbon as a former holder of this species.
There were plenty of Postcards featuring all this too. I never visited here so can't comment much. I do remember seeing a photo from there used in another zoo-orientated publication(can't remember where) as an example of aethsetically unnattractive layout/design, as there was a wealth of heavy fencing in evidence in the photo.
It was a collection that never, IMHO, realised its potential, The paddocks held American Bison (which I suppose might just have been Neotropical at the extreme northern limit once upon a time) and a rag tag and bobtail of very Old World deer. There was a longish stretch of the river Thet running through at the back of these that could have made a lovely otter exhibit for any of the three South American freshwater species, and woodland that would have made a nice area for owls. And an aquarium/reptile house would have been a draw as so much of the dramatic appeal of Neotropical fauna lies there. Unfortunately, it was too close to Banham, too far away from anywhere else, and too much the indulgence of Lady Fisher. Sad; if the animals at Banham, Kilverstone and Kessingland had been pulled togther onto the Kilverstone site under Banham's management, a fine collection might exist there today.
Everybody starts or runs a Zoo for different reasons, but this one did seem very much to me to have been a 'richman's(or lady's?) plaything'. I suspect as a result it never reached the full potential it might have done under other management.
Clinton Keeling I believe was the first successful breeding of the Ringtail (or Cacomistle, which I think is a lovely name) in the UK at his Ashover Zoological Gardens. Interestingly Mark Challis (now director of Belfast zoo) started his career as a keeper in Kilverstone!
I have had to do some checking up before I contributed to this thread. I only visited Kilverstone once, in April 1977. I don't think I was particularly impressed but I remember very little, except that I took a nice photo of an American otter. When I found that photo I also found one of a tayra that I had completely forgotten I have a vague impression of small monkey cages with lots of grey wiremesh, but I don't recall any primates; the little guidebook mentions woolly monkeys, brown capuchins and black spiders. I think the marmosets and tamarins arrived later. Purely by coincidence I am currently reading about the late Lord Fisher's grandfather, the first baron, Admiral Jacky Fisher who revolutionised the Royal Navy at the start of the 20th century. He was a truly remarkable man who built the dreadnoughts, irritated all his naval contemporaries and inspired his subordinates (and he did both to Winston Churchill). He was a workaholic who loved dancing and made Queen Victoria laugh Alan
here's a link to kliverstone's zootierliste pagehttp://www.zootierliste.de/en/zoosmap.php?showzoo=10001940
Dartmoor Wildlife Park had a Grey Fox in 1998. First and only time I have seen the species, very cute.
Grahame Dangerfield [whatever happened to him?] used to advertise Grey Foxes back in the 1970s; could there still be any in private hands in the UK? I seem to remember a fuss about whether they should have Dangerous Wild Animal status or not.
Having had an hour to spare today, I noticed that the afore mentioned collection is now on ZTL but doesn't list ringtails so I probably haven't seen one!
About the Geoffroy's cat, 2 Czech zoos bred them during 2011 : Jihlava Zoo 1.1 bred Ostrava Zoo 0.2 bred for 2012 I only found Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany being succesful, in June 2 were born
Hi all, I work near the zoo grounds, their is still a pavilion that stands viewable from the road, I will bring my camera up and take some photos of anything thats left for you all to see - if your interested, not sure if theirs much else.
Of course we ( at least I ) are intrested to see any 'left-overs' of Kilverstone. Never been there but if I look in the old guide-book I have ( and what I heared about it ) it must have been a very intresting collection !
