Time Line
Time of event at Chessington Zoo 1931 - 1987:
- 1931 - Chessington Zoo opens as Surrey Zoological Gardens on 28th July.
- 1936 - Advert tells of animals and their names - Joey the monkey in a circus on a tightrope, Teddy bears, lions, cubs, elephants, tigers, leopards, hyenas, bear's tea party and many more. The zoo had over 200,000 visitors during the season.
• 1939 - Government restrictions at start of war lead to the temporary closure of zoo, as part of a
programme preventing large crowds forming at entertainment venues during wartime.
- 1944 - During the war years, three people were killed, and 21 bombs fell on the grounds. A doodlebug exploded in a tree above Jack, the polar bears cage. He was thrust against the side of the cage by the blast and lay silent for days, but amazingly recovered. A penguin enclosure was destroyed and an ostrich’s leg was severed and flung 30ft; the animal was sadly put down. A monkey cage was also blown apart, allowing the animals to escape before recapture shortly after.
• 1946 - R S Goddard dies on Christmas Day. Chessington Zoological Garden becomes a company. The
1,500 animals consume daily 30 tons of meat, 60 boxes of bananas, 40 boxes of oranges, and require 20
tons of straw for bedding.
- 1953 - The roaring of lions could be heard at night as far away as Clayton Road, Hook. Increasing traffic in the later years muffled their cries.
- 1962/3 - Giraffes join the zoo collection this year. A Chessington hybrid caused a sensation when a Watussi bull and an American bison cow bred, producing two cows. It was believed to have been a world first. By now, a large grassy area fronting the Leatherhead Road contained the lions and tigers. A zebra, born in the notoriously foggy December of 1962, was named Smog. By now a new attraction was a common hippopotamus, Humphrey.
- 1967/70 - Ape house opened. Deputy director Eddie Orbell quits after many years to run a wildlife park in Scotland. The zoo now has 335 mammals in 101 species; 800 birds in 103 species; 51 reptiles and amphibians and 200 fish in 21 and 70 species respectively.
- 1972 - Death of Hans Brick at the age of 72 on 22nd August in Middlesex. He had built the circus at Chessington. Stock is 406 mammals in 103 species; 568 birds in 136 species; 28 reptiles and amphibians in 19 and 58 species respectively. Construction of a Bird garden is now in progress.
- 1978 - Pearson's, a subsidiary of the Tussauds Group buys the zoo - First manager is Peter Morgan
- 1980 Head keeper is Ron 'Ginger' Eaton, who is later replaced by Chris Anscombe (previously head primate keeper)
- 1985 Nigel martin an ex-Royal Marines officer takes over as manager, assisted by Robin Dunham and David Attwood who both leave the zoo's employment by 1991.
- 1987 - Pearson's turn the zoo into a theme park, Chessington World of Adventures is opened by Prince Edward on 7th June.
