London
Zoo (continued):
.
| Thylacines
displayed at the London Zoo (1850 - 1931) |
.
| N |
Date
of arrival |
A/J/P |
Sex |
Captured
by |
Source
(dealer) |
Capture
locality |
Sold
/ exchanged |
Date
of Departure |
Date
of death |
Ref |
FN |
| . |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
14/5/1850 |
J |
M |
Unknown snarer
(Nov 1849) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
St
Patricks River |
N/A |
N/A |
25/9/1853 |
1 |
1 |
| 2 |
14/5/1850 |
A |
F |
Unknown snarer
(May 1849) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
St
Patricks River |
N/A |
N/A |
13/5/1857 |
1 |
1 |
| 3 |
9/4/1856 |
A |
M |
Mr.
Martin |
Mr. Martin |
Unknown locality |
Dr. Peters (Director)
Berlin Zoo |
7/6/1864 |
Berlin
(14/11/1864) |
|
2 |
| 4 |
2/5/1863 |
A |
F |
Mr. Thomas Hurst
[son of] (Sep 1862) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
Pipers River |
N/A |
N/A |
23/1/1870 |
2 |
|
| - |
N/A |
P |
M |
Mr. Thomas Hurst
[son of] (Sep 1862) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
Pipers River |
- |
- |
Died
in transit |
2 |
|
| - |
N/A |
P |
F |
Mr. Thomas Hurst
[son of] (Sep 1862) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
Pipers River |
- |
- |
Died
in transit |
2 |
|
| 5 |
2/5/1863 |
P |
M |
Mr. Thomas Hurst
[son of] (Sep 1862) |
Dr. J. Grant
(purchaser) |
Pipers River |
N/A |
N/A |
17/4/1865 |
2 |
|
| 6 |
14/11/1884 |
A |
M |
Unknown snarer |
Dr. A. B. Crowther
[purchaser]
(Sept 1884) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
N/A |
5/2/1890 |
3 |
|
| 7 |
14/11/1884 |
A |
F |
Unknown snarer |
Dr. A. B. Crowther
[purchaser]
(Sept 1884) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
N/A |
2/4/1893 |
3 |
4 |
| 8 |
19/3/1886 (in
transit) |
A |
M |
Hill |
Dudley Le Souëf
(Melbourne Zoo) |
Montagu
(Nov 1885) |
Paris |
15/4/1886 |
Paris (27/3/1891) |
|
|
| 9 |
19/3/1886 (in
transit) |
A |
F |
Evans &
Hill |
Dudley Le Souëf
(Melbourne Zoo) |
South Downs,
Arthur River |
Paris |
15/4/1886 |
Paris (6/2/1891) |
|
|
| 10 |
30/6/1888 (in
transit) |
A |
F |
Unknown snarer |
Dudley Le Souëf
(Melbourne Zoo) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
Died
shortly after arrival |
7/7/1888 |
|
|
| 11 |
30/6/1888 (in
transit) |
A |
M |
Unknown snarer |
Dudley Le Souëf
(Melbourne Zoo) |
Unknown locality |
W. Cross (Liverpool) |
31/8/1888 |
Liverpool
(unknown) |
|
|
| 12 |
28/4/1891 |
A |
F |
Unknown snarer |
E. Le Souef
(Melbourne Zoo) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
N/A |
26/9/1891 |
8 |
|
| 13 |
28/4/1891 |
A |
M |
Unknown snarer |
E. Le Souef
(Melbourne Zoo) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
N/A |
5/7/1894 |
8 |
|
| 14 |
19/3/1901 |
A |
M |
Unknown
snarer |
C. Hagenbeck
(dealer) |
Unknown
locality |
N/A |
N/A |
1/2/1902 |
|
|
| 15 |
26/3/1902 |
J |
M |
Unknown
snarer |
William Jamrach
(dealer) |
Unknown
locality |
N/A |
N/A |
17/1/1906 |
|
5 |
| 16 |
12/3/1909 |
A |
F |
Unknown snarer |
Mrs. M. Roberts
[Beaumaris Zoo] (21/01/1909) |
Dee |
N/A |
N/A |
5/6/1914 |
4 |
6 |
| - |
N/A |
A |
M |
City Park Zoo |
Beaumaris Zoo
(21/01/1909) |
Unknown |
- |
- |
Died
in transit |
4 |
|
| 17 |
18/4/1910 |
J |
M |
G. Wainwright |
Mrs. M. Roberts
[Beaumaris Zoo] (1/3/1910) |
Woolnorth |
N/A |
N/A |
20/11/1914 |
5 |
|
| 18 |
21/11/1910 |
A |
M |
A. Blackwood |
Mrs. M. Roberts
[Beaumaris Zoo] (30/9/1910) |
Fingal
(in May) |
N/A |
N/A |
25/12/1914 |
6 |
|
| - |
21/11/1910 |
J |
F |
G Wainwright |
Mrs. M. Roberts
[Beaumaris Zoo] (30/9/1910) |
Woolnorth |
- |
- |
Dead
on arrival |
6 |
|
| 19 |
21/11/1911 |
J |
M |
G. Wainwright |
Mrs. M. Roberts
[Beaumaris Zoo] (28/9/1911) |
Woolnorth |
Bronx Zoo (New
York) |
10/1/1912 |
New York
(20/11/1912) |
|
|
| 20 |
26/1/1926 |
A |
F |
James Harrison
(dealer) [Unknown snarer 8/1924] |
G. Bruce Chapman
(dealer) [Beaumaris Zoo]
(Domain) |
Unknown locality |
N/A |
N/A |
9/8/1931 |
7 |
|
| - |
N/A |
A |
F |
James Harrison
(dealer) (Unknown snarer) |
G. Bruce Chapman
(dealer) [Beaumaris Zoo]
(Domain) |
Unknown locality |
- |
- |
Died
in transit |
7 |
|
.
Based
on Edwards, J., 1996. "List of thylacines (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
at London Zoo".
Unpublished
notes. Zoological Society of London. |
| A/J/P |
Adult
/ Juvenile / Pup |
|
Family
group |
|
Dead
on arrival / died in transit |
| Short
dates are formatted Day/Month/Year. |
| References:
1. Examiner 30/3/1940 p. 12; 2. The Cornwall Chronicle 14/1/1863 p. 4 &
Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser 1/1/1863 p. 3; 3. Daily
Telegraph (Launceston) 26/9/1884 p. 2; 4: Mercury 7/10/1908 p. 4 &
Examiner 21/4/1909 p. 4; 5. Mercury 28/5/1910 p. 4; 6. Examiner 21/6/1910
p. 3 & Mercury 5/10/1910 p. 4; 7. Advocate 28/1/1926 p. 3 & Daily
Mercury 14/4/1926 p. 9; 8. Argus 11/8/1891 p. 7. |
| Footnotes:
1. Dissected by Crisp (Crisp 1855 & 1860); 2. Longest lived captive
specimen [8 years, 220 days (Moeller 1997)]; 3. Beddard's dissection (Beddard
1891); 4. Record for longest living female in captivity (8 years 139 days);
5. Dissected by Beddard (Beddard 1908). 6. In
death, female #16, along with a male (probably #17) became the subject
of several papers by Pocock (1914, 1921, 1926) in which he describes the
external characteristics of the thylacine with illustrations of the head
with facial vibrissae (1914, 1926), rhinarium, ear, fore and hind feet
(1926) and the marsupium (1921, 1926).
Note:
The Mercury newspaper of the 5th December 1891 records the locality of
capture of a thylacine destined for display at the London Zoo:
"A
fine specimen of the Tasmanian tiger is to be seen on board the barque
Ethel. It was sent down by the P.S. Monarch from New Norfolk by Mr.
T. Allwright. It is understood that the animal is to be sent to England.
A number of opossums and wallabies are also on the vessel bound for the
Old Country. The Ethel will maintain the reputation of her predecessor
in taking home Tasmanian animals to the Old Country".
Unfortunately,
the thylacine on board the Ethel does not appear to have survived the sea
voyage to England, as there are no records of a thylacine arriving at the
London Zoo during the early months of 1892. |
. |
.
| (Research
on this listing is ongoing and further information will be added as it
becomes available.) |
.
| Graham Renshaw (1938)
made some interesting observations on London Zoo's last thylacine in an
article entitled
"The Thylacine" published in the Journal of the
Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire. Renshaw
states:
"A Thylacine studied
by the writer was active during the early part of the day, running to and
fro in its exercise yard, the head held low like a hound's on scent.
The beast often paused abruptly, as if to reconnoitre, standing motionless
with head raised; it took little notice of the attendant entering the yard,
as if half blinded by the sun. When the light became powerful it
often retreated to the inner den, when it curled itself up like a dog;
but it would also recline to bask in the sun, a strange habit for a semi-nocturnal
animal. In sleep it lay on one side fully extended; the upper most
ear remaining erect confirmed the original description by Harris.
It never uttered any sound, though the keeper said it would hiss or grunt
if disturbed". |
.
.
|
A
photo of the London Zoo's last thylacine (a female), taken by F. W. Bond
shortly after her arrival at the zoo in 1926. She was resident from
26th January 1926 until her death on the 9th August 1931. She was
the last living thylacine to be seen outside of Australia. Photo
courtesy of the Zoological Society of London.
|
The Launceston Examiner
of the 22nd September 1884 (p. 2) makes mention of the two thylacines sent
to London by Dr. A. B. Crowther of Launceston in 1884:
"ZOOLOGICAL. - Last
week, Dr. A. B. Crowther, York-street, received two very fine specimens
(alive) of the Tasmanian native tiger. These, which will be forwarded
to the Royal Zoological Society, London, will be on view on Saturday next
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the doctor's residence".
Although London Zoo never bred any of its thylacines, it certainly had
aspirations to do so. The Examiner of the 7th January 1885 (p. 2)
published an abstract from a letter to Dr. Crowther from Professor Flower,
of the Natural History branch of the British Museum in London, in which
is stated:
"I am happy to tell you that the thylacines have arrived quite safely and
are comfortably lodged in the Zoological Gardens, with every prospect of
doing well. They are a very handsome pair, and very tame. If
we could only be fortunate enough to get them to breed it would be a grand
thing, but anyhow it is most interesting to be able to observe them in
a living state, as it is many years since the last ones died".
November
28th 1884
The Examiner of the 3rd
March 1885 (p. 2) states:
"TASMANIAN WOLVES
IN ENGLAND. - The Field, of January 3, publishes an engraving of the pair
of Tasmanian wolves (Thylacinus Cynocephalus) which were obtained for the
London Zoological Gardens from Dr. A. B. Crowther of Launceston.
From a description accompanying the engraving we learn that those wolves
are located in a very large den under the terrace. They are bedded
with an abundance of straw, under which they are generally concealed in
the day time. When aroused by the offer of food they become very
active, the female, which is considerably smaller than the male, securing
her full share. After feeding they will play very much in the same
manner as two dogs, opening their enormous mouths and pretending to bite
each other. They are so far domesticated as to permit the keeper
to go into the cage, and will even rub against him. The two animals
are in excellent health".
.
|
A
thylacine photographed by W. P. Dando at the London Zoo in 1904.
Another photo of this individual is shown here.
Photo courtesy of the Zoological Society of London.
|
It has always been assumed that all the live thylacines exported to the
United Kingdom were placed on display at the London Zoo. This is
not the case. Historical records at the Zoological Society provide
proof that a thylacine was displayed outside London. A pair of thylacines
were deposited at the London Zoo on the 30th June 1888, for and on behalf
of a Mr. William Cross. The female died after 8 days, but the male
was returned to Cross on the 31st August 1888, after 8 weeks quarantine
at the zoo. William Cross was a major importer of animals for zoological
gardens and other collections and was based on Earle Street, Liverpool.
What became of William Cross's thylacine is unknown, but it is highly probable
that it was initially taken to Liverpool and placed on display in his menagerie
awaiting a buyer.
In addition to Cross's thylacine, researchers (Sleightholme & Campbell)
at the Thylacine Museum confirmed that Bostock's Scottish Zoo in Glasgow
also had a thylacine on display. This is discussed later in this
subsection, under the Thylacines
in Circuses heading.
Of historic interest,
the Mercury newspaper of the 9th July 1910 (p. 10) reported on President
Roosevelt's visit to the London Zoo to see the Tasmanian wolf:
"What time Mr. Roosevelt
has been able to spare from the amenities of social life has been devoted
to natural history. The ex-President has made more than one visit
to the Museum at South Kensington, and he has also visited the Zoological
Gardens. One of the things which interested him most was the male
Tasmanian wolf, which has just been added to the collection at Regent's
Park. There has been a female in the gardens for some time, and Mr.
Chalmers Mitchell, the secretary, is not unhopeful that the stock may be
increased. As he explained to Mr. Roosevelt, this is desirable". |
