In the late 1880s an orphaned Black Bear cub kickstarted the idea of the Stanley Park Zoo, an attraction that lasted more than a century. Henry Avison, Stanley Park’s first Superintendent, captured the cub, chained it up, and put it on display. That small bear became the zoo’s first inhabitant. Shortly after other animals were donated including seals, bison, raccoons, and various species of birds. The zoo was located directly beside the Vancouver Aquarium and quickly became a popular attraction.
Over the years the wildlife became more exotic requiring the zoo’s infrastructure to be improved to keep the animals in and the park’s resident wildlife out. This was never more paramount after a 1911 incident resulted in the deaths of several of the zoo’s animals. The killer turned out to be a cougar that was living in the surrounding park. With support and financing from all three levels of government, the Stanley Park Zoo officially opened its doors to the public in 1956. In 1962 the zoo constructed the concrete polar bear compound and received four polar bear cubs (Nootka, Jubilee II, Prince Rupert, and Princess Rupert) from the Hudson’s Bay Company. Tuk, another polar bear cub, also arrived in 1962 from the North West Territories.
By 1994 a growing number of activists were angry at the inhumane conditions many of the animals were kept in, namely small, unnatural habitats. In a referendum, Vancouverites voted to phase out the zoo. Many of the animals were re-homed to different zoos, farms, or other organizations. Tuk, who was too old to be moved, lived out the rest of his days at the zoo, becoming the last animal to call the zoo home. The Stanley Park Zoo shuttered its doors in 1996 ending a run of more than 100 years in both an official and unofficial capacity.
For even more history on Stanley Park, please refer to my previous post called Vintage Photographs from Stanley Park.
The photos above were collected from the City of Vancouver Archives. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on their website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from Vancouver, British Columbia, and across Western Canada. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
