Has anything been done with the site? It's a crying shame that Glasgow has joined the sadly long list of major British cities that don't have a zoo.
I think there's houses on one part of it now. Last time I passed some of it was still just land, but I think plans are/were to have houses on it all.
There was talk when the zoo closed of it re opening in the future on a smaller scale, as yet, this has come to nothing, I doubt now that it ever will.
Part of it was developed as housing. I'm not sure what the current situation is but this website has some pictures, last updated in 2008.
Regarding Thorney Wildlife Park, I never visited this establishment, all I know is that it was open in the seventies and was owned by the Robert Brothers. On its closure the two polar bears went to Flaming Land, N. Yorkshire, Mandy and Marcus, Mandy being the last polar bear to exhibited on public display in England, does anyone have any memories of Thorney, or indeed Southam.
Thorney had a group of Lion-tailed macaques including 'Stumpy' who was missing I think a hand , these went to Bristol I believe . There was an Asian Elephant shut in a dark house , not aware whether this animal features in other records . It was a large flat site . Southam had lots of big cats , one of which I suspect was a Jaguar x Leopard hybrid . The basic cages and enclosures were dotted around a field or two .
I have found the (undated) guidebook from my visit to Flamingo Gardens which includes a full stock-list . They had all 6 species of Flamingo , 11 species of Crane , 15 species of Stork , they claimed to have every species of Goose , 9 of Swan , Kori , Great and Little Bustard , lots of Vultures ( Lammergeyer and Lappet-faced amongst them ) . There is a colour picture of what is claimed to be an albino Cassowary , which I remember , its colour is close to golden . The mammal collection included herds of American and European Bison . Much of the stock was off-show in the 'breeding grounds'.
I can't see it ever happening. It would need someone with a lot of money to come along and buy the land and start from scratch. There's a fair bit of competition a short drive away with Blair Drummond, Five Sisters and Edinburgh so it would need to be a spectacular collection to grab visitors (especially in the next few years if Edinburgh have panda cubs and HWP, if they get a female, Polar Bear cubs) away from them. Now that there is house building on part of the site it would be a limited space site as well. I can't see it ever opening as a large scale zoo again, sadly. Which is a pity because there are photographs of a couple of generations of my family posing by the lion statues as children and I'd always imagined taking children of mine to have the same photo and day out when I was younger.
I missed Lowther Wildlife Country Park near Penrith, Cumbria, was opened in 1969, and there were a good collection of deer, old breeds of cattle, sheep and goats, a waterfowl lake, some small mammals, members of the parrot family and some cranes. The Red Deer were descanted from the herd originally enclosed in the Park when Edward I granted a licence to Sir Hugh de Louther to enclose 200 acres of land make a deer park, in 1283. Also Fallow Deer, the Formosan and Japanese races of the Sika Deer, and Chinese Water Deer. The old English domestic breeds were Longhorn and Highland Cattle, Manx Loghtan, St Kilda and Jacob Sheep, and Lord Bagot Goats. The wild British mammals were the Red Fox and Scottish Wild Cat, both of which bred in the Park, the Badger, European Otter, Polecat and Beech Marten, a species seldom exhibited in this country. There were also European Wild Boar, Mouflon and Wolves. Snowy Owls and European Eagle Owls were represented and they bred there. The decoy pond exhibited eight species of goose and 18 species included Black Swans, and Rosy and Chilean Flamingos. Common Cranes, Sarus Cranes and Demoiselle Cranes were in the Park, and tin the woodland walk there were aviaries showing parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, lories, conures and rosellas. Also there were free-flying macaws. The Park closed in 2000. About Lowther
I may be the only person on here to really miss Riber Castle - mostly for no more than a combination of nostalgia and proximity - I used to have Arctic Foxes, Grant's Zebras and Jungle Cats 20min away and now I don't! Always a well-intentioned place, and involved in lynx reintroductions in its day.
From where came Whipsnade's return of Bison to the Hill(with just a pair I think). Does Flamingo Gardens still exist, even as a private collection, nowadays?
I visited once to Stagsden Bird Gardens in Bedfordshire, was one of the first Bird Zoos and a specialist breeding centre, set eight acres of unspoilt countryside. There were over 150 bird species including cranes, flamingos, Birds of Prey, rare pheasants, waterfowl, old poultry breeds, owl complex, parrots and mynah birds. It was the first UK captive breeding of Common Cranes. Sadly, it was forced to close in 1994 because of several break ins.
I have very happy memories of Lowther in the 1970s, especially of my father having a running battle with a Japanese Sika stag at our picnic table.
I too miss Riber. Though an hour away from me, it was, at the time, the nearest "zoo" and my parents would take me there at least once a year. Back in the day I recall it being mostly European fauna and domestic stock, but over the years more exotic species were added.
The last i heard Christopher Marler [Flamingo Gardens,Olney] still had quite a few animals plus a barn full of many stuffed ones-one very notable taxon kept at that zoo[although sadly i didnt ever visit it,finding out rather too late]was Blakistons Fish Owl.
On my way to Twycross today I swung by to see what was left of the old Grangewood Zoo,and was very surprised to see that some of the old building were still standing ,including the old entrance building,in due course I will post pictures up in the gallery.
The original Birdland at Bourton-on-the-Water was charming, more attractive than the current collection on a different site. Rode Bird Gardens, Norfolk Wildlife Park, Kelling Park Aviaries and the short-lived Cromer 'Birdland' all made a deep impression on me as a kid. I have a feeling I've said all this before....
Agree- it was a 'classic' Bird Garden, along with Rode. I've only been to the newer site a couple of times and it really doesn't compare with the original.
I think Birdland was actually the first generic bird garden anywhere [Slimbridge being a specialist wildfowl establishment]
