Coventry Zoo in United Kingdom

Coventry Zoo
Coventry Zoo, August 1978
Type	zoo

Owner	1965-1969: Jill Banks 1965-1969: Stewart Banks 1969-1979: Billy Chipperfield 1979-1980: Gerry Hambrook
Founded	1966
Closed down	1980
Address	Whitley
Place	Coventry
Country	United Kingdom
Website	Website

Directors

Key People	-: Jon Voce (zookeeper) -1980: Doreen Duggan (manager) 1969-1970: Terry Duggan (manager) 1970-: Robert Cyril Waite (manager) 1970-: Maureen White (zookeeper)

Veterinarians

Elephant department

Head keepers of elephants

Elephant keepers
Record history
History of updates	2024-03-08

Latest document update	2024-03-08 18:23:01

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Description

Coventry Zoo, located at Whitley, in Coventry, United Kingdom , was founded in 1966. Coventry Zoo closed down in 1980.

Comments / picturesWhitley was the home to Coventry Zoo from 1966 until 1980.

1966: Then come the big day 5th April 1966; the opening of Coventry Zoo Park. 8,000 people turned up on the first weekend, the car park was full and in the surrounding side roads cars were parked bumper to bumper. Boris the Camel and Suki the Elephant had by now joined the collection.

Coventry Zoo in United Kingdom United+Kingdom

Coventry Zoo in United Kingdom United+Kingdom

Sukie the elephant, formerly of Chipperfields Circus, helps herself to a banana stolen from the keepers pocket. (20th July 1967)

1967: Visitors to Coventry Zoo watch elephant, Sukie, enjoying his daily shower bath. 4th August 1967.

1968: In August 1968 Mr and Mrs Banks flew to India to search for a mate for their Indian Elephant and roughly at the same time Mr Banks announced he believed their 2 18 month old Polar Bears were or may have been pregnant to their recently acquired 10 year old male Sir Matt (named after Sir Matt Busby).

1969:: Surprisingly on 17th February 1969 it was announced that the Zoo had been sold after 10 months negotiation. 2 cousins of Dick Chipperfield and John Chipperfield had paid £100, 000 and were now the owners of the Site outright, their names were James Chipperfield and William Billy Chipperfield and they were known as the Chipperfield Brothers, who had an Amusement Park down in Weymouth. Mr Stewart Banks was said to have returned to farming in Yorkshire but there was no mention of what Jill Banks was to do.
Terry Duggan was appointed the Zoo Manager and he was the Brother in Law of Billy Chipperfield.

April 1969 saw the arrival of a new 1 year old Elephant. The Zoo replied that the Elephant had to be acclimatised first before being allowed out for the general public to see.
Coventry Zoo in United Kingdom United+Kingdom

The 15-month-old baby elephant Snoopy went to visit the Christian Aid 'Nearly New' shop in Hertford Street. Children gathered to feed Snoopy with bananas and buns for a small charge. Snoopy earned £4 for the shop and went for a walk around the Precinct. (8th August 1969)

September 1969 saw the arrival of Dolly a 12 year old Elephant.

1970: 19th March 1970 saw the arrival of The Zulu Warrior a 30 foot fibre glass statue which had cost £1500 this was placed at the entrance to the Zoo (it weighed 2 1/2 ton) Also by March 1970 the Zoo Park Manager had changed it was now Robert Cyril Waite (sometimes known as Robert and others as Cyril) he had been the Tent Manager for Chipperfields in Weymouth for 20 years and was married to the Previous Managers Sister (so he too was brother in law to Billy Chipperfield)

Coventry Zoo in United Kingdom United+Kingdom

Mr William Shirran (Billy Chipperfield?), Coventry\'s director of parks, is pictured offering cabbage to Tara, the three-year-old African elephant. The committee visited the zoo park to see its development (28th August 1972)

1978: August 1978 the building attached to the Elephant House (believed to be a flat) had a fire only furniture was damaged.

1979: 23rd June 1979 a new owner emerged, his name was Gerry Hambrook he had bought all 10,000 shares for an undisclosed fee. He planned to rename the Zoo as Coventry Zoological Gardens. The animals still at the site on take over were Lions , Pumas, Leopards, Rhesus Monkeys, Apes , Danish Sheep , Llamas , Boars and a few others. There were no plans to replace the Elephant which had recently passed away (3rd one in 13 years) He was to stop charging visitors to visit the Zoo ((to encourage people back through the door) and was running it with Staff being Doreen Duggan (sister of Terry Duggan and so sister in law to Billy Chipperfield the previous owner ) and her 2 children.

October 1979 Mr Hambrook stated that he was fed up 16 weeks into owning the Zoo but he was not quitting. He asked for volunteer labour to help clean up the Zoo. He admitted in his 16 weeks he had taken only £260 at the gates and the Zoo needed at least £200 a week to break even. Also to compound his problems the Zoo had had 3 break ins during his 16 weeks.

December 1979 was the last report I can find on the Zoo when "Project Zoo" got underway. 50 children organised by the Coventry Mormon Church turned up to clean , paint and tend the gardens.

So it seems its demise was December 1979 although other websites have stated 1980 as it\'s closure date...

The Warwickshire Racquet & Health Club currently are upon the site where the Zoo once stood.

zoowhoswho at zoochat.com

I have read about Coventry Zoo which I visited twice, once in 1972 when they had the dolphins, and in 1979 just after it had been taken over by the Hambrooks when, apart from the absence of many animals, It was said that the polar bears had been shot by the previous owner and the elephant had died from pneumonia because the heating had been turned-off to save money.

zooboy at zoochat.com

References for records about Coventry Zoo

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2024). Coventry Zoo, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=1333. (archived at the Wayback machine)

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Links to websites about Coventry Zoo

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