Sunday, October 31, 2010

St. Louis Zoo #4


Scan13189, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 10/31/2010 06:02:00 AM

2 comments:

Jim A. said...

Greg and Carol Lille with their chimps.

Mike Kostial Jr., long-time trainer of the chimp show, died on the evening of the last Saturday in August, 1976. There was discussion about the future of the show. The facilities were old but the show show was still very popular in St. Louis. The Zoo Board wanted to keep the show if possible and they look about for a replacement act. A board member heard about a young couple working at Japanese Deer Park in CA. The Asst. Director went out to see them and that's how Greg And Carol came to the STL Zoo. Their animals performed in the summer until 1982. That was the last year of the chimp show and work was soon begun on a new ape facility.

31 October, 2010 08:31
Wade G. Burck said...

Jim,
Japanese Deer Park is where I first met Greg and Carol, when Hawthorn wintered at the Great Western Exhibition Center in LA, in 1976 and they mentioned going to St. Louis. Dave McMillian had just made his exodus out of there. Do you recall who presented the single elephant Misty, dressed as Shena Queen of the Jungle?
Wade Burck

31 October, 2010 12:28

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