border: none; He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. According to the zoo, Belle Benchley took over many of the duties herself during this time, spending long hours taking care of the animals, managing budgets that were tighter than ever, and using some of Dr. Harrys schemes to acquire needed items and food for the animals. Largely because of her, the zoo made it through these hard times much better than most other zoos across the country. Patches was the oldest reticulated giraffe in the U.S. at 31 yeas. . . Life Magazine is a photographic magazine chronicling the 20th Century. Today, Mbongo and Ngagi are memorialized at the zoos entrance by large bronze statues. West with Giraffes is an endearing, and also heart-rending piece of historical fiction. It was a three-hour ordeal. Two weeks in the past final night time, Smith, the giraffes and Eddie Seuss, mechanic, began the trek westward, the animals heads protruding of the highest of the crates and astounding motorists from ocean to ocean questioning in the event that they noticed it, actually. The zoo: Its quite a storyCagey civic leaders founded it just 70 years ago.San Diego Union-Tribune (September 30, 1986): A1. . 2016. https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches. } When he fell ill, she would spend evenings with him, holding his hand and comforting him. justify-content: center; Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. In January 1949, the zoo obtained two snow leopards, believed to be the first ever in captivity. Is there any talk of turning this into a movie? Browse all issues of Life Magazine in full color and search the full text through Google Books. Wonderful to see the photos and learn the history! https://timeline.sandiegozoo100.org, San Diego Zoo. The first two giraffes ever to cross the continent by truck left the federal animal quarantine at Athenia, N. J., today for the zoo in San Diego, Calif. -webkit-box-shadow: none; There is only one giraffe species, but there are several subspeciestwo of which are endangered. First pair of giraffes, "Lofty" and "Patches," welcomed to the San Diego Zoo in 1938. giraffes lofty and patchesbrown sugar pork chops grilled. Nothing labored till, after a few hours, he tried an onion. Yesterday at 12:30 Eddie drove the truck through the gates at San Diego zoological gardens and all hands followed it to the mesa where the citys big crane was waiting and the camels were wondering what the heck. . San Diego to spend $77M building regions largest composting plant to comply with state organics law. Thank you! My Friends, the Apes. Dr. Wegeforth mentored Benchley especially well not only in negotiating for new animals but also in the art of raising funds for the zoo. Realizing that punching all the TVs in the world wouldnt save the giraffes, he set out to document his story of how two giraffes changed his life forever. But in many ways, the San Diego Zoo had been built on risk taking, and Dr. Harry Wegeforth, the zoos former director and then Belle Benchleys right-hand man, was darn good at fundraising. High quality Lofty Giraffe inspired Postcards by independent artists and designers from around the world. That trick was right out of Dr. Harrys playbook. I realized to count on it, he mentioned yesterday, however I by no means realized to love it.. could that giraffe have been a descendant of Lofty and Patches? After three days of being fed pancakes (and the giraffes are indeed fed pancakes at one point in the novel), she mustered up the energy to pull herself up. It was some time before they found out. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. West with Giraffes book. Another animal that attached herself immediately was Mickey the Bairds tapir, who arrived in 1934 from Ecuador, extremely homesick and refusing to eat. Lofty and Patches lived on the San Diego Zoo for almost 30 years and had seven offspring, together with Raffy, D-Day (born June 6, 1946), Rusty, Patty and Lofty Jr. From The San Diego Union, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1938: These Spots Earlier than Your eyes, Reader, Are Symptom of Galloping Giraffe-itis By Ruth Taunton Giraffes! Bercovitch et al. City tax assessors threatened to sell the zoo to the State of California if they did not come up with the funds. In October 1938 the first breeding pair of giraffes arrived at the San Diego Zoo from east Africa. An Eventful Century at the Zoo. San Diego Union-Tribune (May 8, 2016): 2. Other exciting events included the birth of a northern fur seal (the first in captivity) in 1950, the first million-visitor year in 1951, and the arrival of four koalas from Sydney, Australia, in 1952. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes.. Staff would often sneak in some of the animals when visiting herbaby foxes, binturongs, and other small mammals. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. Sold! Read 5,433 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. .printfriendly { Another indication that Benchley was loved by the zoo staff came in 1933 when she found herself in the hospital for eleven weeks following an auto accident. Benchley made history yet again in 1949 when she became the first female president of the American Zoological Association. She picked Harry Wegeforths brain as much as she could to get a sense of his plans and ideas for a rapidly growing, already well-respected zoo. the name of the author is . Wilkens, John. You might as well run the place, he told her, youre already doing it anyway. From that day on, Belle Benchley (The Zoo Lady) became a household name in San Diego. Belle so desperately wanted gorillas in San Diego (only a few zoos in the country had them), and after reading in the newspaper that well-known adventurers and filmmakers Martin and Osa Johnson were looking for a home for a pair of mountain gorillas that they had brought back from the Belgian Congo, Belle immediately penned a pleading note to them. There is no real bluffing and nothing underhanded between Charley Smith and me nor is there between any of us; we are all working for one end, here in the Zoo, though perhaps by different methods. Belle Benchley, My Life in a Man-Made Jungle. July 12, 2021. Theyd wait for her car. It is one of my favorite books I have read in my 84 1/2 yrs. They're here! img.pf-button-img + .pf-button-text { .wp-block-image figcaption {text-align: center; font-size: 75%}, As the country teeters between a depression and Europes looming war, a pair of giraffes, survivors of a hurricane at sea, left a wake of much-needed cheer while driven cross-country to the San Diego Zoo, where lady zoo director Mrs. Belle Benchley awaited.. Born in the wild country of southeast Africa, these babies, less than three years old, set sail from their native shores last summer and were 54 days at sea. It Began with a Roar! Location: Urban Jungle. San Diego Zoo. So preciousIt reminded me of my days at the St Louis Zoo and Bill Ross the elephant man. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! Any scrap of material that could be found was used to build needed enclosures. -moz-box-shadow: none; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists are working with Kenyan pastoralists to protect wild giraffes. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. Wegeforths trust in Benchley grew rapidly, and eventually Belle was not only keeping the books, she was assisting him with animal acquisitions and trading, helping with fundraising, speaking at public and private functions all over the country, and performing as much of the day-to-day that needed to be doneand not afraid to get her hands dirty with zookeeping duties if called upon. A treasure for sure. They were enormously relieved to find that their precious cargo was alive. In her letter, she touted San Diego as the perfect place for their gorillaswarm climate, year-round outdoor habitats, fresh fruits and vegetables, an impressive animal longevity record, one of the only zoo hospitals in the country, not to mention the best care team and medical staff. Nobody considered padding their stalls, and so they realized bout mal de mer over the past days of the voyage when the massive September storm swept the Atlantic coast. .printfriendly { display: inline; The 45-mile drive from Brooklyn to the quarantine facility through flooded and debris-ridden streets, avoiding potentially low-rise overpasses, was certainly a true test of how the giraffes might handle a drive across the country, which in fact had never been done before with the towering creatures. . Arriving in New York Sept. 23, they had to keep quarantine officers company for 16 days. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. . During Belles early years, the Great Depression put a damper on the zoos budget. One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. On top of all her responsibilities, somehow she found time to bring the San Diego Zoo to homes nationwide through her extremely popular books. Copyright 2022 Richzine.com All Rights Reserved. . Prior to becoming head keeper at the San Diego Zoo, he had been with the circus since he was eleven years old, including sixteen-year gig as the lead keeper of the Ringling Bros. circus. Early 1800s: First giraffes arrived in Europe as gifts to various leaders. Hope grave of ballerina Olympiada Alperova. Benchley was well respected not only by Wegeforth but also by the entire zoo community. .printfriendly.pf-alignleft { Feb 14, 2016 - The crates holding giraffes Lofty and Patches are loaded onto the truck from the ship in New York, 1938. As the giraffes leave quarantine, Woody jumps back on the stolen motorcycle and follows them. Benchley had lost a great friend and colleague. 1.555.555.555 | influencer scandal 2022. } They never have kept house together before, and just o make sure they do not kick the daylights out of each otherand make the Zoos $7500 investment worth no more than the current quotation on dead giraffesthe animals were shown to separate apartments for the time being. The zoos fame continued to grow, more visitors entered the gates, groundbreaking research was performed in the zoos hospital facilities, and new, exciting animals made their home in San Diego. It's 1938. It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! the pillow bar down alternative side sleeper md; allegheny college lacrosse Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. Womens Museum of California. Dng ng. } Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. It turned out to be the storm surge, topped by waves 30 and 50 feet high. The Zoo Lady: Belle Benchley and the San Diego Zoo. This attention, the time for which had to be borrowed from their all too few leisure hours, touched me deeply because it showed that I had won a place with them not based on relationship of boss and employee, but upon friendship and confidence, she reminisced in her memoir. I did some research too and found a website that gave me an idea of what the two crates looked like. New York: Scribner. Benchley was devastated when Mbongo, her lovable clown, died in 1942 of a fungal infection. San Diego: The Zoological Society of San Diego, 2015. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. Charley Smith was certainly the man for the job. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { Because not much was known about the species at the time, zoologists from around the world started showing up to study Mbongo and Ngagis behavior and personalities. Many zoos simply werent willing to take the risk or didnt have the funds. Giraffe to leave his crate was another matter. .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { Music if Fun display: none; what time does marshalls open; allen iverson house gladwyne; tesla front trunk open warning. Found your piece on the Giraffes through researching the question So, is it true? as our Buddy read group was working its way through West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. She was presumed dead while every precaution was taken to protect the male. ); San Diego Zoo was third largest in the world, 1931: Gorillas Mbongo and Ngagi purchased from Martin and Osa Johnson, 1932: Tax assessors threaten to sell the zoo to the State of California, 1934: First zoo tax passed by city residents, 1937: Scripps flight cage built (largest aviary in the world), 1941: Dr. Harry Wegeforth dies at the age of 59; zoo plants its own garden to save money during the war, 1942: First Andean condor hatched in captivity in the United States; Benchley publishes, 1943: Benchley hires SDZs first female zookeeper, Georgia Dittoe; first hippo born at the zoo (Rubie gives birth to Lotus), 1948: Arrival of five-year-old orangutan Doris (an immediate favorite with staff and visitors) to be a mate for Kokok, 1949: Gorillas Albert, Bouba, and Bata arrive (Albert later became the father of Alvila, the zoos first gorilla birth, in 1965); Benchley begins term as American Zoological Association president (19491950), 1951: Zoo attendance beaks the one million mark for the first time, 1952: Four koala arrive from Sydney, Australia; first rhino (black rhino named Sally) arrives from East Africa. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. cursor: pointer; On September 16, 1916, local physician Dr. Harry Wegeforth and his brother Paul drove past Balboa Park when they heard a lion's roar. Giraffe Transport with International D-40 Truck More. Blog harriet vogel The Great Depression lingers. Born within the wild nation of southeast Africa, these infants, lower than three years previous, set sail from their native shores final summer time and have been 54 days at sea. Column: Suddenly, water is everywhere. Charley Smith would update Benchley via telegram during the twelve-day trek. Animal Trainer Called by Death. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1941): B16. The keepers and other staff members would visit her daily; [s]ometimes as many as eight would come during the same day or evening, she recalled. I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! But by 1925 there were reportedly only five giraffes in the entire country. Lofty and Patches became national figures when they made the last lap of the journey from south eastern Africa a transcontinental trip from New York by truck.. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years and had seven offspring, including Raffy, D-Day (born June 6, 1946 . Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. Otro sitio realizado con Another indication that Benchley was loved by the zoo staff came after she found herself in the hospital for eleven weeks following an auto accident. Apparently they subsisted on pancakes that the cook made for them for three days until they got to shore. All Wildlife. Smith stayed with the giraffes during their time in quarantine, sleeping beside their stalls, nursing the females injury, and getting to know these towering creatures of Gods pure Eden. After their quarantine was complete, it was time to load the giraffes into their custom-made, heavily padded 12 8 crates, which were large enough for the giraffes to lie down on piles of peat moss and straw. Deebo The Baby Boy Giraffe Joins Safari West . Two weeks ago last night, Smith, the giraffes and Eddie Seuss, mechanic, started the trek westward, the animals heads sticking out of the top of the crates and astounding motorists from ocean to ocean wondering if they saw it, really. (All zookeepers were given rifles in case of animal escapes, and the windows of the reptile house were reinforced as much as possible. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. she was such a sweet grandmotherly type. and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. He is full of talk and wit and fun when he is around, but when away he makes me wait for news day after day until I am nearly mad from worrying. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years and had seven offspring, including Raffy, D-Day (born June 6, 1946), Rusty, Patty and Lofty Jr. From The San Diego Union, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1938: THOSE SPOTS BEFORE YOUR EYES, READER, ARE SYMPTOM OF GALLOPING GIRAFFE-ITIS By Ruth Taunton Giraffes! The giraffes, a male and a female, from Kenya colony in British East Africa, are about four years old and stand ten feet tall. I cannot keep from pitying him, for to know animals is to love them. Their Latin name, Giraffa camelopardalis refers to their camel-like appearance and leopard-like patches of colour. (The zoo received another publicity boost when newspapers circulated a photo of young chimpanzee Georgie contributing one of his tire toys to a scrap rubber drive.). She would spend her lunch breaks and any other chance she could get to familiarize herself with the zoo animals and their caretakers. The Zoo at 100: Zoo Lady Passionate about Job. San Diego Union-Tribune (August 8, 2016): 1. Fact sheet index, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, Home page, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, Email the librarians at [email protected], https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/giraffes, International Environment Library Consortium. I have read in years! company for 16 days about job the world & # x27 ; s community! Oldest reticulated giraffe in the zoos entrance by large bronze statues $ 77M building regions composting! And found a website that gave me an idea of what the two crates looked like days the... Needed enclosures was right out of dr. Harrys playbook took place in 1938, the Zoo an endearing, also... 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