Mitchell Park Zoo
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Park Zoo is also known as Mitchell Park or Mitchell's Park. Situated in the Morningside suburb of Durban
, South Africa
, it is the only zoo in Durban.
The zoo was established as an Ostrich
farm in 1910, but was unprofitable and started adding other animals. At one time it was home to many large animals, the most notable of which was an Indian Elephant
named Nellie. Nellie was given to the zoo by the Maharajah of Mysore in 1928, and could blow a mouth organ and crack coconut
s with her feet.
Today the Zoo holds various smaller animals such as blue duiker
, small South American Monkeys, Racoon
s and various birds. The largest animals in the zoo today are Aldabra Giant Tortoise
s.
The zoo also includes a children's playground, a walk-through aviary, and the Blue Zoo tea garden, as well as a large lawn area for picnics. It is adjacent to Jameson Park
, which was once a pineapple plantation and now displays some 200 species of roses.
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, it is the only zoo in Durban.
The zoo was established as an Ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
farm in 1910, but was unprofitable and started adding other animals. At one time it was home to many large animals, the most notable of which was an Indian Elephant
Indian Elephant
The Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
named Nellie. Nellie was given to the zoo by the Maharajah of Mysore in 1928, and could blow a mouth organ and crack coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s with her feet.
Today the Zoo holds various smaller animals such as blue duiker
Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...
, small South American Monkeys, Racoon
Racoon
Racoon is a Dutch rock band, formed in 1997. Their first big appearance was at the 1999 Noorderslagfestival. First album Till Monkeys Fly appeared in January 2000, produced by Michael Schoots . The first single, Feel Like Flying, became a hit and got a lot of airplay on the Dutch radiostation 3FM...
s and various birds. The largest animals in the zoo today are Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
The Aldabra giant tortoise , from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world....
s.
The zoo also includes a children's playground, a walk-through aviary, and the Blue Zoo tea garden, as well as a large lawn area for picnics. It is adjacent to Jameson Park
Jameson Park and Rose Garden
Jameson Park and Rose Garden is a rose garden located in Durban, South Africa.Once being a pineapple plantation, it currently possesses about 200 species of roses which are prominent in the South African Spring months of September to November....
, which was once a pineapple plantation and now displays some 200 species of roses.
Mammals
- SuniSuniSuni is a very small species of antelope. It occurs in south-east Africa in dense underbrush.Suni are around 12-17 inches high at the shoulder and weigh 10-12 pounds . They are usually reddish brown, darker on their back than their sides and legs. The belly, chin, throat and insides of legs are...
- Suricate
- Ground SquirrelGround squirrelThe ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
- Banded MongooseBanded MongooseThe Banded Mongoose is a mongoose commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds...
- White-eared Marmosets
- Cotton-top Tamarins
- Black-capped Squirrel MonkeyBlack-capped Squirrel MonkeyThe black-capped squirrel monkey is a South American squirrel monkey, found in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. This South American monkey can be found at the Ellen Trout Zoo.-Subspecies:...
Birds
- Various species of parrots
- Black-shouldered and White Indian PeafowlIndian PeafowlThe Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world...
s - Grey Crowned CraneGrey Crowned CraneThe Grey Crowned Crane is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This animal does not migrate....
s - Black SwanBlack SwanThe Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
s - Silver PheasantSilver PheasantThe Silver Pheasant is a species of pheasant found in forests, mainly in mountains, of mainland Southeast Asia, and eastern and southern China, with introduced populations in Hawaii and various locations in the US mainland. The male is black and white, while the female is mainly brown...
s - Nicobar PigeonNicobar PigeonThe Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica, is a pigeon found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Nicobar Islands, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas....
s - Scarlet IbisScarlet IbisThe Scarlet Ibis is a species of ibis that inhabits tropical South America and also Trinidad and Tobago. It is the national bird of Trinidad and is featured on the Trinidad and Tobago coat of arms along with Tobago's national bird, the Rufous-vented Chachalaca.-Taxonomy:This species is very...
is - Carolina Wood DucksWood DuckThe Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
- White Imperial Pigeons