ZOO LIFE: ZSL’s Post-War Magazine 1946-1957

Zoo Life was a magazine published by the Zoological Society of London from 1946 until 1957. It was very different from its predecessor that had ceased publication in 1941 as wartime paper shortage made it impossible to continue. The pre-war magazine was a joint venture between ZSL and Odhams Press. It crammed an enormous amount of information, factual as well as anthropomorphic animal fiction, into its pages over the three years it was published under three titles, ending its run as Animal & Zoo Magazine.

Zoo Life was a far more sober affair. It was launched with the Spring issue of 1946. The first Honorary Editor was Edward Hindle FRS. He had become Scientific Director of the Zoo in 1944, vacating the regius chair in Glasgow which he had occupied for nine years.

The first page of the first issue contains the following editorial:

The Zoological Society of London has great pleasure in presenting to its Fellows and all other friends, a new publication which will be devoted mainly to illustrated descriptions of animals likely to be seen when visiting Regent’s Park or Whipsnade. The main features of each issue will be an article on some animal of special interest, because of its rarity or novelty, with a photographic illustration; a series of photographic studies; and an illustrated report on recent additions to the collection. Besides these attempts to portray some of the beauties of animal life, which should appeal to everyone, readers will also find vivid descriptions of the ways and manners of Zoo Life. 

Anybody coming across the early issues of Zoo Life will be struck by the quality of the artwork for the front covers. Many were available to subscribers as prints and may have been included with each issue since I found a number enclosed in a batch I have bought on eBay a few years ago.

The cover of the first issue was of a Markhor (Capra falconeri), reproduced from an original painting by the famous artist Joseph Wolf (1820–1899) around 1865 and held in the Society’s collection.

The first article was written by the former superintendent of London Zoo, Reginald Innes Pocock FRS (1863-1947). It was on the Okapi and gives far more information on its discovery than finds its way into modern accounts. A regular features was on happenings at London Zoo. The first was  particularly interesting because it described how the Zoo was trying to recover from the war years. One snippet from the war years was the arrival of a Coyote, brought from the USA in a bomber as a mascot by its crew and swiftly impounded as a potential carrier of rabies.

Finally, there is a reminder of the pre-war magazine. One of the articles—on play in animals at the Zoo (i.e. ‘behavioural enrichment’ in modern jargon) was by Craven Hill. He was the Evening Standard’s Zoo Correspondent at a time when all the major newspapers had such a designated position to follow the goings-on at Regent’s Park.