Buckles Blog: St. Louis Zoo #5

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Scan000010424, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Anonymous said...: This group of pictures look like the year that I came by for a visit. That would be about 1977 or 78.
Donn and Jim were very hospitable to this stranger.

Don Bloomer; 07 November, 2007 15:06
Lion Den said...: I think it was 1977. That was the first year Greg and Carol Lille of "Lille's Chimps" had the "monkey" show at the zoo. The previous summer Mike Kostial, long-time animal trainer at the zoo who had a huge chimp/pony act there, had died suddenly in the middle of the season while on a fishing trip with his assistant Hank.

The Lilles performed at the zoo for several seasons, then the show was closed down and the arena and adjacent Ape House were razed to make room for the current ape exhibit.

Between show seasons at the zoo, the Lille's had a standing gig with Hallmark to model their animals for those greeting cards with chimps on them. On the back of the cards, the Lilles were always mentioned.

Very nice people. They helped me get a spot with John Campolongo helping to expand his original mixed cat act. -kevin; 11 November, 2007 11:20

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