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Saint Louis Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo, U.S.A.
Official website: www.stlzoo.org
Giant Panda Zoo 1939-1952
Saint Louis Zoo
In 1904, the Smithsonian Institution's large walk-through bird cage constructed for the Saint Louis World's Fair brought more and varied animals to Forest Park. This piqued the interest of citizens of Saint Louis. Ten days after the World's Fair closed they bought the "1904 World's Fair Flight Cage". This led to the formation of the Saint Louis Zoological Society in 1910. The City of St. Louis set aside 77 acres in Forest Park for a zoo and named a Zoological Board of Control in 1913. State legislation provided that "the zoo shall be forever free," which has kept the Zoo accessible to millions of visitors ever since.
History of Giant Pandas in Saint Louis
Saint Louis Zoo had 2 giant pandas: Happy & Pao Pei
Happy
Happy (male) was born approximately in September 1935.
He has studbook number 5.
He was captured by Floyd Tangier Smith in the Chinese Sichuan Province. Together with 5 other pandas, he was shipped from Shanghai to the United Kingdom. They arrived in London on December 24, 1938.
One panda died from internal lesions on the transport, one died in the quarantine station of London Zoo and three were sold to London Zoo.
Happy was for sale at a price of 10000 dollars. But for the reason of the tense political situation in 1939, none of the European zoos neither had the courage nor the money to buy this panda.
Otto Fockelmann received Happy from his owner, Floyd Tangier Smith, in trust on January 26, 1939. He took him to Hannover and placed him at the disposal of animal dealer L. Ruhe for exhibition in Germany.
Ruhe & Fockelmann displayed him at Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Zoo Hannover, Münchner Tierpark Hellabrunn, Zoologischer Garten Leipzig & Kölner Zoo.
After his German Tour, Happy was on display at the Zoo de Vincennes in Paris, France from May 24, 1939 until June 6, 1939.
Happy was sold to the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, USA.
He left Europe on an ocean liner at the port of Cherbourg on June 6, 1939.
He arrived in Saint Louis on June 24, 1939.
Happy died on March 10, 1946.
Pao Pei
Pao Pei (female) was born approximately in September 1938.
She has studbook number 12.
She was captured in the Chinese Sichuan Province in 1939.
She arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo on September 12, 1939.
Pao Pei died on June 24, 1952.
The Present of Saint Louis Zoo
Visit www.stlzoo.org
Image Source: Saint Louis Zoo Library.
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