Dudley Zoo facts for kids
 |
|
| Date opened | 18 May 1937 |
|---|---|
| Location | Dudley, West Midlands, England |
| Land area | 40 acre |
| No. of animals | 1500+ (2017) |
| No. of species | 200+ (2017) |
| Major exhibits | Tigers, Chimpanzees, Lemur Wood |
Dudley Zoo & Castle is a fun and educational place located in Dudley, England. It's a 40-acre zoo set within the large grounds of Dudley Castle. The zoo first opened its doors on May 18, 1937. It's special because it has 12 unique animal homes and buildings designed in a modern style by a famous architect named Berthold Lubetkin and his team, Tecton Group. Today, Dudley Zoo is run by the Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society, which is a charity dedicated to caring for animals and educating visitors.
Contents
History of Dudley Zoo
.jpg)
The idea for Dudley Zoo came from William Ward, 3rd Earl of Dudley, who owned Dudley Castle in the 1930s. He decided to build a zoo right in his castle grounds! Most of the first animals came from Oxford Zoo, which closed in 1936.
The zoo was built between 1935 and 1937. The buildings were designed by Berthold Lubetkin and his team, Tecton Group. They chose a very modern look for the animal homes and visitor areas. They didn't try to make them look like the old castle. Instead, they used strong, curved concrete shapes. They also tried to avoid cages where possible, showing animals in a new, artistic way.
Opening Day Excitement
Dudley Zoo opened on May 18, 1937, and it was a huge success! Over 250,000 people visited on the very first day, and 700,000 people came in its first year. Even King Edward VIII was a regular visitor because he was friends with the Earl of Dudley.
Early Animal Adventures
Sometimes, animals would get a bit too adventurous! On June 18, 1937, a Malayan brown bear escaped. It spent a few hours exploring local gardens before being safely brought back. Just three days later, it escaped again and was humanely put down in the castle grounds.
For many years, visitors could even enjoy elephant rides! Two Indian elephants arrived in 1937 for this purpose. However, the zoo's last two African elephants, Flossie and Flora, moved to a safari park in France in 2003 to have more space.
Fun Rides and Changes
A miniature railway was added in 1938, taking passengers on a mile-long ride. In 1958, a chairlift was built to help visitors get up the steep hill to the elephant house. The famous comedian Richard Hearne opened it. The chairlift stopped working in 2000 for safety reasons but was fixed up and reopened in August 2012, thanks to a special grant.
In the 1970s, the zoo faced some challenges. It was bought by a company called Scotia leisure group in 1970. In 1977, the zoo had financial problems, but the local council, Dudley Metropolitan Council, bought it. Then, in 1978, the Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society charity was created to run the zoo. The council still owns the land.
In 1979, the original Penguin Pool had to be taken down because the salty water damaged the concrete. This was the only major original animal home that was lost.
In October 2018, an 8-year-old snow leopard named Margaash left his enclosure when a keeper accidentally left it unsecured. Zoo staff decided to humanely put him down. The zoo explained that no visitors were on site, and Margaash didn't pose an immediate threat to anyone.
Amazing Animals at Dudley Zoo
Dudley Zoo has been home to many wonderful animals over the years.
Past Residents
A famous gorilla named Bonzo lived at the zoo from 1962 until 1994. He was so popular that a statue of him was put up in 2016!
In 2003, the zoo's two female African elephants moved to West Midland Safari Park. This gave them much more room to roam.
The zoo also used to have polar bears and large Southern elephant seals. A male orca named Cuddles lived at the zoo from 1971 until 1974. The pools for the dolphin and whale were changed from seal pools. However, these changes didn't follow local rules, and the zoo was told to change them back. Cuddles sadly passed away before he could be moved. The pools were returned to their original design and now house the zoo's sea lions.
Animals You Can See Today
Today, you can see many large animals like giraffes, tigers, lions, reindeer, and wallabies. There are also three snow leopards, with the latest cub born in May 2013. The zoo has many different types of primates, several aviaries (bird houses), and a reptile house.
Modernist Architecture at the Zoo
The zoo is famous for its unique buildings. Twelve of them are special "listed buildings," meaning they are protected because of their historical or architectural importance. They were built in 1937 by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group. Most of these buildings are in a style called the International Style (architecture), known for its clean lines and simple shapes.
In 2011, the zoo announced plans to fix up and improve these special buildings and other parts of the zoo. This project cost over £1 million and received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In 2013, new plans showed that the zoo's entrance would connect with the Black Country Museum and the Dudley Canal Trust. This created one main entrance for all three attractions, which was finished in September 2015.
In November 2018, a big £6 million plan was announced to expand the zoo. This included possibly reopening old tunnels from World War II that run under the castle hill, so visitors could learn about Dudley's mining history. The zoo's famous 1930s Tecton buildings were also planned for refurbishment. This work started in 2020.
In February 2019, the zoo's director, Derek Grove, shared plans to improve animal enclosures and visitor areas. These improvements included fixing up the Lemur walk-through, adding a new indoor adventure playground, making the Sumatran Tiger exhibit bigger, and bringing back European brown bears.
Special Tecton Buildings at Dudley Zoo
Here are some of the amazing Tecton buildings you can see at Dudley Zoo:
- The Castle Restaurant
- The Elephant House
- The Entrance Gateway
- The Education Centre (which used to be the Moat Café)
- Tropical Bird House
- Sea lion pools
- Brown bear ravine
- Kiosk south of the former brown bear pit
- Former Station Café, now the Safari Shop
- Polar Bear Pit and Lion and Tiger Ravines
- Kiosk east of the former brown bear pit
- The former reptiliary, now the Meerkat Enclosure
One Tecton building, the Penguin Enclosure, was taken down in the 1960s.
Art and the Zoo
A painting called Tropical Bird House, Dudley Zoo (painted around 1939 by Percy Shakespeare) is displayed in the Dudley Museum and Art Gallery.
In 2015, an 89-year-old artist named Rama Samaraweera gave three of his original oil paintings to the zoo. He was inspired to paint when he worked as a keeper at Dudley Zoo! His painting Clouded Leopard was very popular in America in the 1970s. A film called Animal Architecture (2015), narrated by Lenny Henry, also explored the zoo and the restoration of its special Tecton buildings.
Dudley Castle
Your ticket to Dudley Zoo also includes access to Dudley Castle! This amazing castle is a Grade I listed building and was built way back in the 11th century. It's a fantastic place to explore history right next to the animals.
The Chairlift
The visitor chairlift takes you from near the zoo's entrance up to the castle. It first opened on May 11, 1958. It was closed in 2000 for safety reasons but was reopened in August 2012 after a big restoration project. It was even painted back to its original light cream color!
