United Kingdom George Soper Cansdale (1909-1993)

George Soper Cansdale (1909-1993) ... Mr Cansdale was born in Essex in 1909 ... he went on to gain a Degree in Forestry at Oxford .. he joined the Colonial Service and in 1934 was appointed as a Forestry Officer in the Gold Coast ( now Ghana) during his time in Africa he began to collect Animals initially for Paignton Zoo ... after a while he was collecting Animals for other Zoos too including London .. He got married in 1940 to Margaret Williamson..and they had 2 sons both born in Bournemouth

In 1947 he was recruited as The Superintendent for London Zoo a post he held until 1953 .. he also Broadcast for the BBC both on the Radio and TV During the 1960's he regularly appeared on the Childrens TV show "Blue Peter" and in fact well into the 1980's I remember him appearing on the show...

Mr Cansdale was also an author writing at least 9 books (definitley more as he wrote a whole series for Ladybird books) ..... In 1964 in a collaboration with Robert Jackson from the Welsh Mountain Zoo he became Director of Marineland Ltd opening up Marineland in Morecambe ... however after a year that establishment was taken over by the Local council due to financial problems .... In 1965 Mr Cansdale was a Company Director of the Skegness Natureland Marine Zoo along with JKB Yeadon ... (Yeadon family still run the Seal Sanctuary in Skegness) ... It is also reported that Mr Cansdale was a Director of Chessington Zoo.

He sadly passed away in August 1993 in Essex

 

Did he also own/operate Ferndown Zoo near Bournemouth?

 

Is he the man who feuded with Gerald Durrell?

 

This is an interesting series - but if it is going to include every zoo person and every closed zoo in the UK it will swamp the UK page. Could it not have its own section under say 'Resources & Media'

 

Or put them at in a single topic called "British Zoo History". I too am really enjoying the series

 

That was Dorothy Sadler.. Not sure if he was also involved

 

Yes. Certainly Cholmondely the escaping Chimpanzee was shot on his watch, and Durrell never forgave Cansdale.

 

Whatver the section, I really enjoy this stuff, and keep learning -- I didn't know there had ever been a Ferndown Zoo, and I live in Dorset.

 

It has the potential to become an importance resource. I thought it might become fragmented, and be of more future use if more easily found, and grouped together somehow. It is sometimes hard to find particular subjects, lost in the volume on this site.

 

I have a bit of information about the Ferndown Zoo so can do a Thread about it at some point or message me and I can pass info onto you

 

So I assume George Cansdale must have lived for a time in Bournemouth; do you know when and what his job was then? It is intriguing to speculate if this was during the same period that the Durrell family were resident in Bournemouth.

 

I will check later once I get back home.. Thinking possibly not at the same time as Durrells in Bournemouth mid to late 50's and Cansdale sons born in Early 1940's. George Cansdale was employed at London Zoo 1947 to 1953... I may be able to check Electoral rolls later