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Birmingham Zoos

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zoospud

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< https://zoohistory.co.uk >(Link broken)​

We have started to populate a 'Closed Collections' section.

We believe Birmingham to have had 3 zoos. 1) opened 1873, 2) opened 1880's and 3) opened 1910 closed 1930's. It is this last zoo whose entrance is still visible within your Nature Centre.

However, that is were our knowledge ends. Does anyone know of any further information or references ?

Regards, Paul Murphy, webmaster The Bartlett Society.
 
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Dont really know a lot about Zoos? But I wondered if you had taken into account the Managerie at Aston Lower Grounds. Aston was not incorporated into the city of Birmingham till 1911.
 
I do recall going to Birmingham Zoo as a child and remember that they had two giraffe models at the entrance that could be seen at a distance. I remember that the park had a once famous Tulip Festival, I'm sure Mom has some photos somewhere. It closed later than 1930's since it was about 1965 when I must have been there.
 
Zoos

I remember the roof top at Lewis's Mike, they closed it down because the parrots had a disease, can't remember what it was called, but i think someone caught it from them.

I went to Dudley zoo and the giraffes tried to eat my little hat frightened me so much i could not recall anymore animals that where there, i just wanted to go home. boohoo
 
Dear All

Many Thanks for your feedback - appreciated.

I have since found one printed record: -

Birmingham Zoo, Cannon Hill Park, Pershore Road, Birmingham 29.

The extracts are from 'The Penguin Guide to British Zoos' by 'Geoffrey Schomberg' 1970: -

"This little zoo was opened on May 1st 1964, by the Dudley Zoological Society Ltd. It has been designed to exhibit mainly young animals, but it also houses Dudley Zoo's collection of monkeys. "

"All the buildings are made of cedar wood and the gardens are attractively laid out. This is a little gem of a zoo."

We also now know the opening dates of some other, sadly unspecified, zoos in the Birmingham area 1) 1873, 2) 1880's and 3) 1910 - closed 1930.

Regards, Paul Murphy, The Bartlett Society.
 
I found this in the Birmingham City archives , under Botanical Gardens, the ref for the collection is
MS 1520, it migh be worth having a look

Photographs and Postcards

Various Photographs, including Animals from the Zoological Collection [c1910-60]
 
Birmingham Zoo had two dromedaries, Arjan and Samantha which were crated up and loaded on the back of a lorry and moved to Cleethorpes Zoo on 4th May 1970, as the Zoo in Pershore Rd was being converted into a pets corner and the name changed to Birmingham Nature Centre
 
Ist photo courtesy of Alton Douglas taken on 22nd April 1964
Second photo taken by me June 64 to show the condition that the animals were kept in ..............Glad to see it shut down as the conditions were not that good
 
My memory served me well about the two giraffes then. The nature centre is good to visit at Cannon Hill the entrance is through the museum on Pershore Road.
 
Do you know all the years I lived in Brum I never knew there was a Birminham Zoo? I knew about the animal and birds at Cannon Hill and of course Dudley Zoo, but never a Birmingham one. you learn something new every day.
paul
 
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