Old Zoo Near Lost Lake?!

[riverrat]

This was submitted to Nanaimo Information - somebody please answer! I'm curious, too:

We live in the Lost Lake area. I recently was walking in the area near our house and stumbled across an animal enclosure railing. I understand that there was a zoo in this area and I was interested in getting more information. I looked on the internet and haven't found anything. Where is there some information on it.

[vulnerable64]

i remember when i was a little girl my dad took me to this huge area and told me about the zoo that used to be there.............he also mentioned something about someone being Injured/killed at the zoo which in turn caused it to close

[alas]

I searched and searched. A friend also remembers hearing of a zoo. The only "zoo" I remember is the petting zoo in bowen park.
But did find some lovely time lines and housing history on the Nanaimo city site:
http://www.nanaimo.ca/residents/inde..._collection=51
I, too, would like to hear more.

[yogi bear]

Hi all,

For a good insight to the background of the zoo located in Wellington (and the tragic death of the child by mauling) I'd suggest a trip down to the local library for a peek at the book "Harbour City" by Patterson..I believe it's the third in the series of books on Nanaimo history and covers the period from 1929-1967. Apparently when the animal was found to have escaped, the owners tried calling all the local residents to warn them...unfortunately one of the phone numbers was incorrect and a family missed the call, so unknowingly they allowed their children out when the attack took place. The book also goes into detail of the circumstances and persons involved in the hunt to find and put down the animal after the tragedy.

Al

[Persephone]

Wow, thanks

I am interested now too!

[riverrat]

Al, you're a tease!
At LEAST tell us what manner of beast was responsible for this sensational tragedy!

[yogi bear]

Gerry,
You know, I'm having a hard time remembering if it was a lion or a tiger..I'm thinking lion, I remember it was a female with a name like Elsa or something similar (it's been a while since I read the story) One point I do remember is that the kids were not afraid when coming upon the animal, as they had been used to seeing it at the zoo and were quite familiar with it.

cheers,
Al

[tailtwister]

We live in the Lost Lake area. I recently was walking in the area near our house and stumbled across an animal enclosure railing. I understand that there was a zoo in this area and I was interested in getting more information.

I've been trying to figure out where that was for a number of years. I just assumed that subdivisions had covered over it by now. I'm curious as to whereabouts you found the railing?

[Smokey©]

The zoo was located in the area near Amsterdam off Metral across the current highway from Zellers. At that time Metral was the old highway.

The place in Lost Lake is it north of Smokey Cres?

The above information may be wrong . . .. .

[tailtwister]

Here's a scan of a postcard from the old Rutherford zoo. If memory serves me correctly, there was information that the zoo was owned by the Hertel family. When it was closed, the animals were moved to Penticton. (I've also found other evidence that they may have gone to Port Alberni before Penticton but nothing to prove that).

Hopefully, someone will recognize the topography from this image. Not too sure this is from near the Amsterdam area off Metral though... I had heard it was somewhere in the area across Rutherford Road from where the Quilted Duck is now.