Bowmanville Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1919 |
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| Date closed | October 10, 2016 |
| Location | 340 King Street East, Clarington, Ontario, Canada |
| Land area | 42 acres (17 ha) |
| Coordinates | 43°54′46″N 78°40′06″W / 43.912811°N 78.668456°W |
| No. of animals | 300 |
| Memberships | CAZA |
| Website | http://www.bowmanvillezoo.com |
The Bowmanville Zoo was a special place for animals in Clarington, Ontario, Canada. It first opened in 1919. When it closed in 2016, it was the oldest private zoo in North America. This zoo was also well-known for providing animals for movies made in Hollywood.
Around 100,000 people visited the zoo every year. However, in its last year, fewer people came. The Bowmanville Zoo officially closed its doors on October 10, 2016.
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History of Bowmanville Zoo
The land where the zoo was built is next to Soper Creek. It was once part of a property that had a mill called the Cream of Barley Mill. The mill owner created a campground and park for visitors. It was called "The Cream of Barley Campground." Later, a small petting zoo was added to this park.
By 1928, a man named James Morden owned the mill, camp, and park. The park also had cabins for tourists. Alfred Shrubb, a famous long-distance runner, helped run the park. By 1946, the park even had tennis courts.
Over time, the animal part of the business grew bigger. The tourist cabins were changed into shelters and storage for the animals.
The last owner of the Bowmanville Zoo was Michael Hackenberger. In 2016, there were concerns about how some animals were being treated. This led to a big drop in visitors.
Famous Animals at the Zoo
The Bowmanville Zoo was home to many animals that became movie stars! Here are some of them:
- Baghera, a black jaguar, who appeared in Peter Benchley's Amazon.
- Many camels from the movie The 13th Warrior, which starred Antonio Banderas.
- Ron and Julie, two tiger siblings. They were in a Discovery Channel documentary called Living with Tigers.
- Caesar, an African lion, from the movie The Ghost and the Darkness.
- Billy, a white Bengal tiger, from the TV show Animorphs.
- Bongo, another African lion, who was in several movies like The Ghost and the Darkness and George of the Jungle. He was also in the TV series Animorphs.
- Maggie the Macaque, a monkey famous for predicting the winners of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Jonas, a Bengal tiger, who was in the movie Life of Pi.
- Robbie, a tiger from the 2014 film The Interview.
Elephants at the Zoo
The zoo used to have seven elephants. These included both African and Asian elephants.
Limba was the only Asian elephant at the zoo. She arrived in 1989. Limba was well-known for being in Bowmanville's yearly Santa Claus Parade. She also appeared in several movies. Limba passed away in 2013 at 50 years old.
Traveling Animal Shows
Animals from the Bowmanville Zoo sometimes traveled to different parts of Canada. They would be part of special shows.
In 2010, two camels named Shawn and Todd, along with Jonas the tiger, went missing for two days. Their trailer and the truck pulling it were stolen in Quebec. Luckily, all three animals were found safe and returned to the zoo.
Zoo Programs
The zoo took part in programs to help save endangered species. They also provided a home for circus animals that had retired.
Why the Zoo Closed
On June 23, 2016, the zoo announced it would close. It shut down at the end of the 2016 season. This was just three years before its 100th anniversary. Zoo officials said the closure was due to money problems. Fewer people visited the zoo after public concerns arose about the owner. The zoo officially closed on October 10, 2016.
In 2017, the property reopened as the Clarington Family Outdoor Adventure Park. It still had some lions and staff from the old zoo.
