Coventry Zoo and its giant Zulu warrior

WHY did Coventry Zoo close and what ever happened to the giant Zulu warrior statue that stood at the gates?

The zoo, located on part of Whitley Common, was once one of the region’s major tourist attractions.

It was relatively modern, by zoo standards, opening its doors in April 1966.

Directors included Dick and John Chipperfield, who were cousins of the famous circus family and many of its early residents were retiring circus animals.

It was a hit from the off, both with Coventrians and people from further afield. Coventry Zoo had an extensive collection of animals, ranging from big cats to dolphins and monkeys to bears.

But despite its popularity the zoo was dogged with problems from the word go, indeed the Telegraph archives reveal a succession of accidents, escapes, complaints - and attacks.

On one occasion a young keeper from Coventry, Richard McCormack, was left badly injured after Harry the hippo charged at him while being shut in his house.

At the time Richard made headlines in many of the national papers as the only person to have ever survived a hippo attack.

In 1980 it closed after running into financial difficulties. The site is now home to Coventry & Warwickshire Health and Racquets Club.

As a youngster growing up in Solihull, I have fond memories of visiting the zoo on many occasions, usually as part of a school friend’s birthday outing.

My most abiding memory is of the giant Zulu warrior which used to tower over the zoo entrance.

But what ever happened to that famous statue that was so familiar to thousands? For many years it remained a mystery, until 2011 when the Telegraph reported that it (or at least part of it) survived in a Coventry home.

The head was virtually all that remained of the iconic 35ft figure after being spotted in a scrapyard.

Brothers Gary and Wayne Anderson made the discovery when they were scouring Freddie Barnes’s scrapyard at Baginton in the 1980s.