London's venemous snakes killed in WW2

FunkyGibbon · 18 Mar 2016

I received the book '1,227 QI FACTS To Blow Your Socks Off' for my birthday.
I quote from page 69:

At the outbreak of the Second World War, zookeepers killed all the poisonous insects and snakes in London Zoo, in case it was bombed and they escaped.

Anyone heard about this before?

Batto · 18 Mar 2016

Yes, in connection with maximal lengths in king cobras, as the longest yet officially documented specimen was among them.

Tim May · 18 Mar 2016

FunkyGibbon said: ↑

At the outbreak of the Second World War, zookeepers killed all the poisonous insects and snakes in London Zoo, in case it was bombed and they escaped.

Anyone heard about this before?
Click to expand...

Yes, destroying the venomous snakes at the outbreak of World War II, has been well documented in books about the history of London Zoo.

kiang · 18 Mar 2016

Were any of the large carnivores destroyed at that time due to safety issues?

FunkyGibbon · 18 Mar 2016

I think it's mentioned elsewhere on here that some animals were moved to Whipsnade; no doubt someone can enlighten us further

Tim May · 18 Mar 2016

kiang said: ↑

Were any of the large carnivores destroyed at that time due to safety issues?
Click to expand...

I don’t think so although, bizarrely, the manatees were destroyed.

FunkyGibbon said: ↑

I think it's mentioned elsewhere on here that some animals were moved to Whipsnade; no doubt someone can enlighten us further
Click to expand...

See the thread below for details of the giant pandas being sent to Whipsnade during the war

http://www.zoochat.com/38/what-happened-london-zoos-last-pandas-99519/

FunkyGibbon · 18 Mar 2016

Tim May said: ↑

I don’t think so although, bizarrely, the manatees were destroyed.
Click to expand...

Maybe they thought the pool was liable to drain in the event of a bomb strike and this was a humane measure to prevent the possibility of suffocation? Seems a little extreme.

FBBird · 18 Mar 2016

.....venomous snakes killed....

Most of the Aquarium was closed down, and this may have influenced the fate of the Manatees.

DavidBrown · 18 Mar 2016

FunkyGibbon said: ↑

I received the book '1,227 QI FACTS To Blow Your Socks Off' for my birthday.
I quote from page 69:

At the outbreak of the Second World War, zookeepers killed all the poisonous insects and snakes in London Zoo, in case it was bombed and they escaped.

Anyone heard about this before?
Click to expand...

What kind of "poisonous insects" would the zoo have had? Are they talking about venomous spiders and scorpions?

Chlidonias · 18 Mar 2016

DavidBrown said: ↑

What kind of "poisonous insects" would the zoo have had? Are they talking about venomous spiders and scorpions?
Click to expand...

yes, spiders and scorpions; specifically black widow spiders are repeatedly mentioned in sources, probably because they are the most notorious.

It wasn't only the zoo's animals which were killed - apparently hundreds of thousands of household pets (cats and dogs) were killed by owners distraught at the thought of what might happen to them otherwise: Panic that drove Britain to slaughter 750,000 family pets in one week | Daily Mail Online

That article mentions more London Zoo animals:

Not even London Zoo escaped the carnage. The black widow spiders and poisonous snakes were killed, as were a manatee (a large aquatic mammal also known as a sea cow), six Indian fruit bats, seven Nile crocodiles, a muntjac and two American alligators. Two lion cubs were put down, too. All were ‘destroyed owing to war conditions’.
Click to expand...

This is an original news report from the Daily Telegraph from September 1939:

All the Zoo’s venomous snakes, numbering 40, were removed from their cages this afternoon and destroyed. Immediately after this had been done the Zoo received a message that a consignment of cobras and other poisonous Asiatic snakes was on its way to the Zoo from India.

The non-venomous snakes were fed as usual, but all of them will be destroyed on the outbreak of war. The only inmates of the house that will be saved are George, the centenarian alligator, the Chinese alligators, the Komodo dragons and the two largest pythons. The pythons have already been securely packed away in stout wooden boxes.

Such dangerous inmates of the Insect House as the black widow spiders, the bird-eating spiders and scorpions have also been destroyed.

Ming, the young giant panda, has been evacuated to Whipsnade. She left yesterday afternoon accompanied by the male giant panda. Tang, four young chimpanzees, two orang-utans and the okapi. Other rare animals will be evacuated over the weekend.
Click to expand...

Chlidonias · 18 Mar 2016

I found this also: The first British casualties of war in 1939

Zoos gave mixed responses to the declaration of war. At London Zoo, poisonous snakes and spiders had to destroyed in case they escaped and the aquariums were closed down with the fish released or destroyed. Some larger animals were taken to Whipsnade Zoo. At Southend Zoo 6 full grown lions, wolves and hyenas were destroyed. While Edinburgh Zoo also destroyed their snakes.
Click to expand...

The London Zoo site has more as well (of course): https://www.zsl.org/blogs/artefact-of-the-month/zsl-london-zoo-during-world-war-two

London Zoo during World War Two

Preparations

War broke out on 3rd September 1939. At 11.00am the Zoological Gardens were closed by order of the Government, as were all other public places where people gathered in large numbers.

The Zoo had been preparing for war for some time. Zoo records show that at the beginning of September 1939, some of the Zoo’s most valuable animals were transferred to Whipsnade for safety; two giant pandas, two orang-utans, four chimpanzees, three Asian elephants and an ostrich.

All the venomous animals were killed to remove the possibility of having dangerous animals escape if the Zoo were bombed. However, some reptiles were saved, among them the Komodo dragon and Chinese alligators. Two large wooden boxes 8ft long by 4ft wide and 2ft deep were built to accommodate two huge pythons, one 28ft long and the other 25ft long.

On the 15th September, the Zoological Gardens reopened, but the aquarium remained closed. This was partly on account of the danger should it be bombed and partly due to the high costs of running it. The tanks were emptied and many of the fish had to be destroyed. However, some of the carp were released into the Three Island Pond where the flamingos lived. The most valuable fish were kept and housed in tubs and tanks in the Tortoise House where the glass was criss-crossed with sticky tape to prevent it shattering. The aquarium did not reopen until May 1943 when the Freshwater Hall had been reconstructed and restocked with fish. Many of the freshwater fish such as trout, perch, dace and eels were actually caught by the Overseer himself who went out on fishing trips using a drag net.

The war brought shortages of many things, chiefly fuel and food. To save on petrol, the camels and llamas were used to carry fodder across the Zoo to the animal houses and the Shetland ponies were used for short journeys outside the Zoo.

Certain types of food became difficult to get. The Zoo had to breed its own mealworms for the insectivorous birds and mammals instead of importing them from Germany. Fish was very expensive and some animals like pelicans had to be persuaded to eat meat coated in fish liver oil.

However, positive steps were also made to ensure that there was enough food for the animals. An appeal was broadcast on the radio asking people to gather acorns to supplement the diet of some animals. Acorns poured in at a rate of one ton a week and were fed to the agoutis, squirrels, monkeys and deer. The Zoological Society’s wildlife park at Whipsnade was closed from October 1939 to March 1940, partly due to lack of staff (many men having been called up), but also because of a scheme to cultivate 200 acres of undeveloped land. Wheat and other crops were grown on this land to provide food for the herbivorous animals.

Another success was the ‘Adopt an Animal’ scheme. Members of the public and organizations were invited to pay for the keep of an animal of their choice. In 1940 a dormouse, for example, cost a shilling a week to feed, while an okapi or sealion cost £1.10.0d. The adoptions were very popular despite the fact that many people had been evacuated, and there were fewer visitors to the Gardens. Although animal adoptions were set up as a temporary measure to get the Zoo through a lean period, the scheme still exists today.

When the Bombing Began

For almost a year after the outbreak of war, things were very quiet. But in August 1940 the air raid warning sounded and this was to happen almost every day for the rest of the year.

The Zoo was bombed several times during the war, sometimes suffering no more than shattered panes of glass, while on other occasions whole buildings were blown up. One such day was 27th September 1940. Several high explosive bombs fell, damaging the Rodent House, the Civet House, the gardener’s office and all the propagating sheds, the North Gate and the Zebra House. Surprisingly there were no injuries to any animal, although a zebra and a wild ass with her foal managed to escape. The zebra was later found heading for Camden Town, but was rounded up. On the same night 35 incendiary bombs fell, setting fire to the main restaurant and destroying the Tunnel Bar. Upon the discovery of an unexploded bomb the Zoo was closed for over a week. Later in January 1941 the Camel House was hit, but when the keepers arrived to investigate, the camels were sitting placidly chewing the cud.

For almost a year after the outbreak of war, things were very quiet. But in August 1940 the air raid warning sounded and this was to happen almost every day for the rest of the year.

Despite the bombs, the Zoo tried to carry on as normally as possible like everyone else in the country. Sometimes it was difficult. There were staff shortages, as many men had been called up, and there were glass shortages too. In January 1940 it was decided to admit members of H.M. Forces at half price on weekdays and free on Sundays. Wounded men were always admitted free. In August of the same year it was decided to open the Gardens to the public on a Sunday for the first time to try to attract more visitors. The cost of entry to the Gardens at this time was 1\- for adults and 6d for children.

By June 1942, however, the Zoological Society was very worried about its financial losses and wondered if they would have enough money to see them through the year. A taxi driver told a member of the Zoo’s Council that most people thought that the Gardens were shut and so were not coming to visit. This was overcome by advertising.

Throughout the war the Animal and Zoo Magazine published a series of articles on how to look after pets in wartime, camouflage in animals and articles on how to raise domestic animals for food. The Zoo’s first female keeper, appointed in 1941, also wrote articles on pet care for a Sunday newspaper.

The Zoological Society and its animals survived the war and it continues to be one of the world’s best zoos today.
Click to expand...

wayne4swfc · 18 Mar 2016

It seems strange to have destroyed fruit bats and a muntjac (which I believe was already wild in the uk) and yet keep Komodo dragons and pythons.

Tim May · 18 Mar 2016

Batto said: ↑

Yes, in connection with maximal lengths in king cobras, as the longest yet officially documented specimen was among them.
Click to expand...

It is interesting that you specifically mention king cobra.

At Edinburgh Zoo, too, the Council ruled that all the venomous snakes should be destroyed at the start of the war.

However, the Director of Edinburgh Zoo, T. H. Gillespie, was particularly fond of a king cobra named “Rebekah” so, ignoring the Council’s instructions to destroy all the poisonous snakes, he refused to have this individual killed.

Log in or Sign up

London's venemous snakes killed in WW2

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

FBBird Well-Known Member 10+ year member

DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

wayne4swfc Well-Known Member 5+ year member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

Log in or Sign up

London's venemous snakes killed in WW2

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

FBBird Well-Known Member 10+ year member

DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

wayne4swfc Well-Known Member 5+ year member

Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

Useful Searches