| |
 Researched
by Mary Geddes, Display Artist: Education Dept. 1994 - 1999
Early in 1904, 200 acres of land, offered by the firm of H.
Eckstein & Co as a recreational venue in perpetuity, was officially
accepted by the Town Council of Johannesburg and signed over to the
people of Johannesburg.. This land was to be called "The Hermann
Eckstein Park" in memory of the founder of the firm. Nowadays, this area
comprises Zoo Lake and the Johannesburg Zoo, divided by Jan Smuts
Avenue.
Hermann Eckstein had been involved in the development of the
then new mining town of Johannesburg. He had three million trees planted
in an area he christened Sachsenwald, now the suburb of Saxonwold. After
his death in 1893 the land was subdivided. His partners offered part of
the plantation to the Town Council. It was South Africa’s well-known Sir
Percy Fitzpatrick, a partner in the firm, who suggested that it be named
after Hermann Eckstein.
The nucleus of an animal collection was already kept on the
grounds.
It comprised:
• 1 male Lion 1 male Baboon
• 1 female Leopard 1 pair Indian apes (later identified as Rhesus
monkeys)
• 2 male Sable Antelope 1 Golden Eagle
• 1 Insimba Cat (a Genet) 1 pair Porcupines
• 1 female Giraffe
• Old Baboon Row
The first "official" enclosure was built by the Town Council
to house 2 young Lions. Only the Lions and Leopard were in the public
area at this stage. Development of the park proceeded immediately and
continued unabated for some years. Bridges were built over water
courses, paths laid out, ornamental trees and gardens planted and animal
houses built to house the ever-growing animal collection. The infant zoo
received many donations of wild animals, many of which were arranged by
Sir Percy Fitzpatrick.
The Zoo fell under Superintendent of Parks, Mr A.H. Stirrat
who keenly encouraged children’s playgrounds and open recreation areas
in the then formal, “keep-off-the-grass” parks.
In 1910 a Bandstand was erected for the current popular live
brass band music. The tramway from the town centre was extended to the
zoo gates, resulting in an increase in visitors. Facilities for
picnicking helped this park to become one of the most popular places to
spend leisure time in, even though public toilets were only built in
1916 and waterborne sewerage installed in 1935.
The development of Johannesburg Zoological Gardens closely
followed the current European trends, largely due to a mostly colonial
population. Between 1913 - 1915 A stone Elephant and Rhino house was
erected. A few years later, a Hippo house and pool were added on
alongside the Elephant House, and an Elephants’ bathing pool was
constructed in 1937.
Also at this time, 1 Asian Elephant and 1 Bactrian Camel were
purchased and trained for rides. Donkey and pony cart rides started in
the late 1920s. These animal rides, including Llamas and a Zebra,
continued to be popular until the late 1960s, though the variety of
animals used was reduced. One day in 1963/1964, an elephant with a cargo
of children left its regular route and ran back to the Elephant House,
refusing to return to its routine. This event marked the end of the
elephant rides, although the Donkey rides continued until the early
1990s.
The Elephant House was converted into an auditorium in the
1980s and remains a popular conference and function venue to this day,
with its wooden block flooring still intact. Some of the old stone
buildings constructed in the 1920s and 1930s are still in use today,
though not as animal houses.
The principle of “cages without bars” and the use of
vegetation and artificial rocks to give a natural look to the exhibits
was started just after the turn of the century. It took many years for
the trend to become the norm in zoos worldwide, but Johannesburg Zoo
started its own moated camp system as early as 1921 with the original
Lions' enclosure. This was stated to be the first open enclosure of its
kind in South African the large camps to be the first in zoos in the
southern hemisphere. (Daily Mail 2/2/1939).
Ironically, this first camp’s moat had to be filled in during
2001 because of drainage problems. It was then the practice in South
Africa to have separate facilities for “Europeans and non-Europeans”,
and the new playground installed in 1929 was no exception do we need to
bring racism in here?
By 1927, the blue-gum tree plantation had largely been
cleared to extend the recreational area.
A new hospital was built in 1936. These buildings consisted
simply of open-faced cages in rows facing north. The contrast between
this and the current hospital, built in the 1960s and partially upgraded
in the 1990s is enormous. It now has heated floors in the wards, a
drive-through passageway, laboratory, surgery, X-ray room, examination
room,
and an entirely separate quarantine station, both served by a modern
incinerator.
The first guide-book was published in 1936 and proved very
popular with visitors. Information contained within the guidebooks has
changed over the years, from basic directional information and do’s and
don’ts in the 1960s, to the comprehensive guide we see today, containing
detailed information and photographs of all the animals on display.
Copies from the 1970s and 1980s could also be useful to scholars for
biology projects.
For many years, plans for new animal houses were drawn up by
the Town Engineers’ Department and not by zoologists. Perhaps for this
reason, very few innovations were seen until private architects were
involved in the designs. The 4 bear enclosures completed in 1939 and
currently in use are a good example. Since medieval times, it was the
practice to keep bears in pits and these enclosures, though beautifully
executed in stone, remind many people of bear pits. The Zoo is currently
raising funds to modify and extend this section into a more
natural-looking environment.
In 1949, for the first time in the zoos history, the
Zoological collection was diminishing instead of growing, despite a
number of private animal collections that were donated to the zoo.
By 1950, the need had arisen for a "master plan" to redesign
the zoo over the next 10 to 15 years. However, this was delayed until
the 1960s by inadequate funds, when a study tour of zoos in England and
Europe was undertaken by
senior officials to study layout and administration.
American consultants and architects were involved in the
master plan. The major element was for open, large enclosures with
moats. A major redevelopment of most of the zoo, including the
horticultural layout, took place in the 1960s and continued into the
1970s due to labour shortages in the building trade from the mid-60s.
Public awareness was changing ( when?) and visitors were
becoming sceptical with the old zoo. The staff Zoologist recommended
reducing the number of species on display in favour of larger, more
natural displays of a more representative cross-section of each animal
group.
He also recommended establishing a “trademark” by which the
zoo could be identified. These changes would enhance observational
research and could eventually include a museum of zoological specimens,
made available to students of all kinds. (see Biofacts Museum below).
The Biofacts Museum, in operation since 1988, hires out
animal specimens for a small fee to teachers, students and for
commercial use. It is unique in that few museums allow people to take
out items in this way. To date, there are over 700 catalogued specimens
available to the public.
In November 1963, a start was made to replace white labourers
with “Bantu Animal Attendants”. Demotivation among keeper staff was a
problem until some grading of posts took place in the early 1970s. In
1974, the first attempt was made to “professionalise” keepers and
selected staff were sent on a part-time course on Wild Life Management
Nowadays, the minimum requirement is Matric, plus relevant experience.
Source: official web of
Johannesburg Zoo (2010)
|
|
