From Swamp Monkeys to Coconut Palms | San Diego Zoo 100
Back to Timeline
Not much was known about the Allen's swamp monkey in the 1950s, so the Zoo was excited to receive a young pair in 1953, the first in a U.S. zoo. That excitement was doubled on June 10, 1959, when a baby was born, the first birth of the species in the U.S. Mammal curator George Pournelle noted that the baby grew quickly, and that by 10 weeks of age he was eating bits of his mother's food. The staff was also interested to see that reports of this species liking water and swimming were true—a large tub of water was eagerly used for splashing and dunking.
In 1959, some new exhibits and features were added to the Children's Zoo, including the Clark Children's Theater. Its design was a geodesic dome, more than 50 feet in diameter at the base and 18 feet hight, placed over an area of child-height stools and a curved, raised stage. There were backstage areas for both humans and animals and places for information displays out front. It was a flexible space designed for a variety of educational presentations and opportunities for children to learn about animals in greater depth. It was made possible by Mrs. Henry B. Clark, who donated her Point Loma estate to the Zoo.
In 1959, an extremely valuable, 60-year-old Senegal date palm was left to the Zoo from the Henry B. Clark estate in Ocean Beach. The Zoo staff was thrilled, especially the Horticulture Department. But now they had to get it from Ocean Beach to the Zoo—no easy task, since the multi-trunked tree (15 trunks) weighed some 26 tons and was 40 feet wide. It took several weeks to plan the move, including Dr. Charlie Schroeder using his persuasive powers to convince the city to turn off the electricity along the route as they moved the tree. The endeavor began at 3 a.m., and it took four hours of negotiating primary, secondary, and house-service electrical and telephone wires on neighborhood streets just to get out of Point Loma. All along the way, linemen from the telephone and power and light companies disengaged and then reconnected overhead wires as the truck inched the tree along. Harbor Drive was a breeze in comparison, except for a few traffic signals that had to be temporarily disconnected. Then the procession made it through the Fifth and Broadway intersection (seen in this photo), which the San Diego Police Department helped keep clear, before turning north on 12th Street and finally on to the Zoo. In the end, the Zoo paid a $2,500 moving bill to bring the palm to its new home. But it was worth it—it was considered one of the most beautiful specimens of this palm species in the world.

1959

Innovation 1957 - 1966
␡
Share
© 2025 San Diego Zoo Global Site by Mindgruve