Facts about the history of the Antwerp Zoo

I certainly have.
In total there was only 1 thylacine that lived in the Antwerp Zoo, but there was another specimen that died on transport towards Antwerp.
This thylacine was a male from the Melbourne Zoo. In 1903 he was sent to Antwerp but he died on the way.
The animal you cite arrived at Antwerp Zoo on June 2, 1912. This was a male from the Melbourne Zoo. The animal was caught near the Dip/Arthur Rivers by C. Knighton and B. Barrett.
The animal died 2 years after arrival: on February 13, 1914.
The thylacine lived in the Small Predator Building, built in 1900 and (probably) demolished in 1960.

 

Thanks.Im wondering if there are any unknown photos of this thylacine because as far as I know no photos of him exist

 

I'm happy i could help you. I've been looking for pictures of the thylacine for years, and I don't think there are any pictures of the thylacine at the Antwerp Zoo, or at least not on the internet. Maybe someone has a picture in their private collection or possibly the Antwerp Zoo archives have pictures of the thylacine, but I only can find pictures of the building where he lived in and a photo of the information sign.

 

I have seen only one photo of the building so I really want to see some more,also I have seen the sign that they had too

 

If you would like more pictures of the building, you can go to the online picture bank of the Antwerp Zoo:
Just click on 'Gebouwen, dierenverblijven en diensten' (dutch for Buildings, animal housing and services) and then click on 'Zoo Antwerpen'. Click on "Huisvesting van dieren" and then you will find "Kleine-Roofdierengebouw" (dutch fot Small Predator House), if you click on this you will get 2 options: "Het gebouw" and "Afbraak, bouw en renovatie". Both options give a total of 6 pictures of the building.
Sorry if this seems a bit too complicated, but I can't find a simpler way, because the search bar doesn't show the right photos.

 

I was reading something about nocturnal animal houses and I asked myself the question in which real nocturnal animal houses I've actually been. And I immediately had to think of Zoo Antwerpen. I'll explain the history of this relatively small but groundbreaking nocturnal animal house here, also because I haven't posted anything in this thread in a long time.
Before the invention of the Nocturnal House, most nocturnal animals were kept outside, as was the case in Antwerp Zoo, where they kept their aardvarks in the Pig Building.
This got the then famous veterinarian Agatha Gijzen thinking. Agatha Gijzen had been working at the Antwerp Zoo since 1947 and she was the first permanent veterinarian at the Antwerp Zoo. With her insights, she completely changed the Antwerp Zoo and it became an increasingly scientific zoo. Because off Agatha Gijzen the Antwerp Zoo started international breeding programs and even became one of the founders of EAZA.
In the 1950s (of the 20th century) she came up with an idea to reverse day and night, so that nocturnal animals could be actively seen by visitors. This builds on the Zoo's post-war idea of minimizing the fence between humans and animals. The first implementation of this was the 'Dark Corridor' in the Bird Building. In this 'Dark Corridor' the birds stayed in their lighted enclosure because the rest of the space is dark. The 'Dark Corridor' may have lost its usefulness in the present because the birds were escaping too much, but the idea is still used in zoos around the world.
The Antwerp Zoo could not implement this 'Ncoturnal House idea' off Agatha Gijzen because they did not have enough funds to make it. However, it went on and on and in the meantime the Bristol Zoo, Artis (1963) and the Rotterdam Zoo (1968), among others, opened a nocturnal house.
This meant that the Antwerp Zoo was not the first zoo that had a nocturnal house, although it was their idea.
In 1968 the Jubilee Complex opened in Antwerp Zoo, with birds of prey, big cats, small cats, bears and dolphins.
And finally, in this building, the first nocturnal animal house of Antwerp Zoo opened: the Nocturama. Although the Nocturama was opened in 1969, one year after the rest of the building. In the Nocturama we're many enclosures, many with a tropical theme. Between its opening in 1969 and its renovation in 2005, it housed aardvarks, wombats, raccoons, European rabbits, volcano rabbits, possums, blind cave tetras, jerboas, chinchillas, fennec foxes, night monkeys, mountain pacas and more.
Although the building had undergone some modifications, the building was completely renovated in 2005. Many enclosures were merged for fewer species in more space and more natural enclosures. After the renovations, the Nocturama undoubtedly ranked among the world's top nocturnal animal houses and remained one of the better nocturnal animal houses until its final closure in 2019.
After the 2005 renovation, the building was home to aardvarks, two-toed sloths, balabac chevrotains, common water-rats, egyptian fruit bats and more.
In 2019 the Nocturama sadly closed its doors, the exact reason was never said, but I personally think it had something to do with the large rock staircase that was going to be on the building (I think for snow leopards) and because the exit is being torn down for the enlarged tiger enclosure, because the building is currently being completely renovated. Too bad that the Antwerp Zoo is losing even its own idea so 'quickly', and if it were because of this rock staircase, this would be a very bad reason to just get rid of this piece of heritage for a relatively useless rock staircase. Anyway, let's hope that one day an Antwerps nocturnal house will be opened again, like in the Small Ape Building or undergrounds, or just back in the
Jubilee complex.

 

A fascinating thread so far! Do you have any history about the zoo’s eastern lowland gorilla population or their dolphins?

 

I'm glad you like this thread
As @Randomname0183 asked, I gathered information about the dolphins and Eastern lowland gorillas at Zoo Antwerpen. I made a list and a text with more details.
Starting with the dolphins:
Upon arrival in 1969, there were 6 (2.4) Atlantic bottlenose dolphins:
- Bert (1.0)
- Gibi (0.1)
- Sonny (0.1)
- Scooter (1.0)
- Monique (0.1)
- Julie (0.1)
There was also a 7th dolphin, but this one was a Guiana tucuxi dolphin.
However, there were normally 7 bottlenose dolphins, but 1 of the bottlenose dolphins died underway from Florida to Brussels from a lung infection, probably contracted during the trip.
The dolphins came from Florida and were flown to Brussels (Zaventem) in stretchers. During the journey the dolphins were sprayed with water, the 7 dolphins were also given an anesthetic to keep them calm during the flight.
Once they arrived in Brussels, the 6 dolphins continued their journey to Antwerp by truck. When they were let into their basin, they were given a drug to reawaken them and the caretakers held them until they were fully awake.
Their basin was located in the Jubilee complex, which opened in 1968 and is currently being renovated. There were a total of 4 pools for the bottlenose dolphins: 1 show pool, 2 pools behind the scenes (1 training pool and 1 medical pool) and 1 pool one level below where they could be viewed underwater (the building consists of 3 levels).
The show pool was/is 28 meters (92 feet) long, 7 meters (23 feet) wide and 3 meters (10 feet) deep. The show basin contained 600,000 liters of salt water.
In 1977, the Guiana tucuxi dolphin left for Tiergarten Nürnberg (Germany).
When exactly the dolphins died is hard to say but according to Zootierliste there were only 1.6 dolphins left in 1973, so 1 male had already died and 1 female had joined, in 1978 there were still 1.4 dolphins.
In 1999 the last 2 dolphins Iris and Ivo (mother and son) left for Zoo Duisburg. Ivo is still alive and can be admired in Duisburg Zoo. If I find more information I will post it. I will try to post information about the Eastern lowland gorillas tomorrow.
Here is a link to an interesting video about dolphins:

Here is part of a video from Zoo Antwerpen in 1988 that features the dolphin show:

 

I forgot to mention the following things:
The enclosure was modified (especially the show pool) and renamed to "Aquaforum" in 2000 and housed California sea lions from then on. However, in 2019, the enclosure was closed and the sea lions moved to the seal pool until their enclosure is ready in 2023. This year, however, Zoo Antwerpen announced that the sea lions will not return to the Aquaforum and will leave the collection. Manatees may come to live in the basin.
There also lived a single sea turtle with the dolphins at Zoo Antwerp for a period. There is more information about this but I can't find it.

 

Eastern lowland gorillas Zoo Antwerp.
Sorry for the late response but here is a list and more details about the Eastern lowland gorillas in Zoo Antwerpen:
First, the list of all Eastern lowland gorillas that Zoo Antwerpen ever had. For an unknown date of departure or death I wrote down from which year the last information came and thus when the animal definitely did not die. There were/are a total of 14 (6.8) Eastern lowland gorillas in Antwerp Zoo:
- Kaisi (1.0), 1957-1993
- Kisubi (1.0), 1957-1984
- Quivu (0.1), 1963-1978
- Pega (0.1), 1962-1990
- Pilipili (1.0), 1962 to 1963
- Mukisi (1.0), 1985-2000
- Igor (1.0), 1983-1995
- Flup (1.0), 1980
- Visoke (0.1), 1968-1969
- Amahoro (0.1), 1994-now
Births in Zoo Antwerp:
- Victoria (0.1), born in Antwerp Zoo and daughter of Quivu and Kisubi, 1968-2016
- Isabelle (0.1), born in Antwerp Zoo and daughter of Victoria and Kisubi, 1981-1995-
*timely born* (0.1), born in Antwerp Zoo and daughter of Pega and Kisubi, 1967
- unknown name * (0.1), born in Antwerp Zoo and daughter of Quivu and Kisubi
Kaisi, Kisubi and, according to Zootierliste, another male (which I can't find any information about and is therefore not included in the list, so I doubt if it has ever really been there) arrived on 25/9/1957 (day/month/year format, like all dates in this post). Upon arrival, the 2 males were portrayed as mountain gorillas, but this was later reversed as they were born in Walekali (Uganda).
Kaisi was born around September 1955 in Walekali of Congo.
Kisubi was born around November 1955 in Walekali.
According to Zootierliste, another 2 wild-caught females would arrive in 1958, but again no further information and thus no listing.
In 1962, 2 (1.1) Eastern lowland gorillas arrived from the wild, the female was named Pega. The male was named Pilipili and went to the Bronx Zoo on 15/5/1963.
On 24/4/1963, Quivu arrived from Zoo Hanover. Quivu was born in 1959 or 1960 in Walekali.
On 27/2/1968, female Visoke arrived.
On 7/9/1967 Pega gave birth, however, this one was born too early and died. Furthermore, Pega had another miscarriage (unknown year).
On 9/6/1968 (day/month/year) Victoria was born in Antwerp Zoo, however depicted as a mountain gorilla. She is the first captive born Eastern lowland gorilla ever to be born alive (unless she was a mountain gorilla since until her death many thought she was a mountain gorilla).
On 3/3/1969 Visoke died.
On 19/8/1970, Quivu gave birth to a daughter, but lived only a few hours.
Quivu, the mother of Victoria dies.
In 1980, Flup arrived, but died the same year.
On 23/1/1981 there was another successful birth. This time the parents were Victoria and Kisubi, born in Antwerp Zoo. The baby was named Isabelle.
In 1983 Igor arrived from Burundi. In 1995 Igor again became leader of the Antwerp gorilla group.
On 9/8/1984 Kisubi dies.
In 1985 Mukisi arrives from Chester Zoo and joins the three-member Eastern lowland gorilla group of Antwerp Zoo. In 1989, he even becomes the leader of the group. Mukisi became the last male gorilla of Antwerp Zoo ever.
On 15/1/1990 Pega dies.
On August 18, 1994 Amahoro arrives, the only remaining Eastern lowland gorilla. She was born in 1989, so is now 32 years old.
On 14/10/1993 (day/month/year) Kaisi dies. A statue of him was made and is still standing at the gorilla enclosure today (at the entrance to the Great Ape Valley).
In 1995 Igor and Isabelle die (Isabelle on 8/12/1995), some say they died from a disease brought by Amahoro.
On December 17, 2000, the leader of the group, Mukisi or also called Mac dies of a lung complication at the age of 43. In 2002, Western lowland gorilla Kumba arrives at Zoo Antwerpen to join the last 2 female Eastern lowland gorillas.
In 2016 Victoria finally dies at the age of 47, with this Amahoro lost her best friend. Now Amahoro lives with 5 Western lowland gorillas and she is always the first to be introduced to new gorillas because of her gentle nature.
If I find more information I will update this.

 

I thought it might be a good idea to make a series of all the now extinct species that Zoo Antwerpen ever had. I've already covered the thylacine, but there are plenty of others.
Starting with the one about which there is probably the least information: the quagga.
From 1861 to 1867 Zoo Antwerpen had a total of 4 quaggas, 2 of which would have been born in a zoo, but the only quagga born in a zoo was a crossbreed, born in Artis, so this one might have been exchanged with Antwerp Zoo at some point.
The Antwerp Zoo also traded its quaggas with other zoos, namely Artis.
The last quagga ever, a female who arrived at Artis on May 9, 1867 and died there as well on August 12, 1883, came from Zoo Antwerpen.
The Antwerp Zoo possibly already had a quagga in 1850 and possibly in 1878 there was still a quagga in the collection, which made not Zoo Berlin but Zoo Antwerp(en) the penultimate holder of the species and thus also the penultimate quagga.
The quaggas of Zoo Antwerp probably lived in the Egyptian Temple, because all the zoo's zebras at the time were kept in the Egyptian Temple.

 

I believe Antwerp also kept both Javan and Caspian tigers in the late 19th and early 20th century, but I don't know any details in terms of numbers of individuals or periods.

Admittedly the taxonomy of tigers is somewhat convoluted and some sources consider Javan and Caspian tigers to be populations rather than different subspecies.

 

ZTL notes Caspian tigers from 1905-9 and 1914 and Javan tigers from ?1901 to 1904 and 1914

 

As @KevinB mentioned, Zoo Antwerpen had indeed have Caspian, Javan and possibly Bali tigers in its collection (among other living tiger species) in the past.
I was planning to cover these anyway, but here is information about the Caspian tiger, later in the day I will also post about the Javan tiger.
Zoo Antwerp had Caspian tigers from 1905-1909, although they may have arrived as early as 1899.
In 1914 there was 1 pair (1.1) present in the collection, but they were probably shot as a result of the 1st World War.
The Antwerp Zoo shot all of its most dangerous predators, including tigers, lions, poisonous snakes and wolves, at the start of the 1st World War. This was to prevent them from escaping, falling into the hands of the enemy or dying from bombings, fires or starvation.
Caspian tigers, like most predators, lived in the Predator Building (also called the Lion Palace), in 1 of the large round outdoor cages at the corners of the building, probably the one on the right corner. These were very new for their time with a high rock wall for the animals to sit on and tree stumps, all in all probably 1 of the best enclosures for carnivores of the time.
On the Image bank of the KMDA you can find several pictures of Caspian tigers. Search in the search bar for 'Kaspische tijger' (Dutch for Caspian tiger) and you will find 11 pictures of Caspian tigers. If you search on 'Roofdierengebouw' (Dutch for Predator Building) you will find pictures of the building in which the tigers lived.
Here is the link: Historische Beeldbank
Here also a picture of a Caspian tiger in Zoo Antwerpen: Caspian tiger - ZooChat

 

Interesting side note: of this old predator house, which was demolished in 1966 for the construction of the jubilee complex (now itself closed for renovation), only four lion statues by Alphonse Van Beurden were preserved. Those stood at the entrance for many years until being moved to their present location near the lion exhibit.

 

While on the topic of extinct predators, would you have any information about the zoo’s Barbary lion population (I would like to see the info on the Javanese tigers first though)

 

As several people asked, I have gathered information about the presumably now extinct Javan tigers that Zoo Antwerpen had in the past. Tomorrow I will cover the Barbary lion.
The Antwerp Zoo kept a pair (1.1) of Javan tigers from 1904 until probably 1914, although there is a possibility that they arrived as early as 1901, but according to the official Historical Image Bank of the KMDA (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael) they arrived in 1904.
Although it is not entirely certain whether they were in the collection until after 1914, this is highly likely, since in 1914 all predators were shot as a result of the 1st World War, including the tigers.
According to the Beeldbank this was the 3rd tiger species that Zoo Antwerpen had , with the Siberian tiger being the first in 1846. However, in 1901 a 2nd subspecies would have arrived, the 'Felis tigris mongolica'. However, I can't find a not-scientific name for this and doubt that this species is not simply the Siberian tiger (since they occurred in roughly the same region). Unless someone here on Zoochat knows what is meant by 'Felis tigris mongolica', the Javan tiger was the 2nd tiger species that Zoo Antwerpen ever had.
In 1936 a tiger arrived from the Sunda Islands. This specimen was a Sumatran, Balinese or Javanese tiger.
However, in May 1938 there was at least 1 Javanese tiger in the collection, so there is a possibility that the tiger from the Sunda Islands that arrived in 1936 was this Javanese tiger. It is possible that this specimen was shot as a result of the 2nd World War, in which, as in the 1st World War, the most dangerous predators such as lions, tigers and jaguars were shot to prevent them from dying of starvation, being bombed or falling into the hands of the enemy. However, in the 2nd World War, 40% of the animal collection still remained alive, while in the 1st World War it was only 19%.
Like all tiger species, these tigers (1,1,1 in total) were also kept in the Predator Building, where the Caspian tigers and Barbary lions also lived, probably in the right-hand outer cage, although in the same years Caspian tigers also definitely lived in this cage, so possibly they were rotated or the Javan tigers were kept in another outer cage.

 

From the 14 Eastern lowland gorillas at Antwerp I've seen no less then 10 .

 

Thank you very much.