Closed in 2012 Tygerberg Zoo near Stellenbosch was once a major attraction. It was the only zoo in the Western Cape. It was also the closest zoo to Cape Town. For 33 years Tygerberg Zoo delighted visitors. School children loved educational outings there.
Tygerberg Zoo opened in 1979. It covered 24 hectares 59 acres. John Spence founded the zoo. He was its director until his death in 2010. His wife Lorraine Spence took over. She then made the difficult decision to close the zoo in 2012. The zoo struggled financially in its last ten years. Visitor numbers fell. The costs of animal feed and salaries became too high.
Tygerberg Zoo specialized in breeding rare and endangered animals. One remarkable success was the 1998 birth of the world’s tiniest tortoise. It was a baby Namaqua speckled tortoise. The zoo also housed 61 mammal species 160 bird species and 63 reptile species. Animals such as chimpanzees tigers lions and cheetahs lived there.
Perhaps the most famous story from Tygerberg Zoo involves Cape lions. John Spence tracked down possible descendants of the extinct Cape lion population. He found them in a Russian zoo. He brought two cubs back to Tygerberg Zoo. This event gained international attention. Articles appeared in National Geographic News. A documentary was even made about the lions. John Spence hoped to breed lions resembling Cape lions for the Cape region. He wanted to restore a piece of South African heritage. He also wanted DNA testing done to confirm their lineage. However there are no records of the tests ever being performed.
The closure of Tygerberg Zoo was sad news. Its animals were moved to other facilities. Many went to the Drakenstein Lion Park. This park even built a new facility for chimpanzees and small animals from Tygerberg Zoo. Tygerberg Zoo may be gone but its legacy lives on in the memories of those who visited and in the animals it helped to protect. It stands as a reminder of the challenges facing zoos and the importance of conservation efforts.