Brian Batstone , zoo elephant head-keeper in Germany Batstone was born * 1949 in Colombo Sri Lanka . After working as a sailor, Brian started as zookeeper in Zoo Cologne 1971 and would remain with the Zoo for over 41 years, retiring in 2012. Between 1973 and 1978 keeper for great Apes like the mountain gorillas, and then he became elephant keeper, and from 2000 responsible as elephant head keeper. After he retired as elephant head keeper in 2005, he worked as Zoo Guide until he was 70 years old.
From The Gorilla Journal Gorilla Coco with zookeeper Brian Batstone. "The two mountain gorillas from the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, Coco and Pucker, arrived in the Cologne Zoo in May 1969. At that time it was a very controversial theme worldwide. Coco and Pucker were a present from the Rwandan government to the mayor of Cologne, Theo Burauen. The Cologne Zoo was the only zoo in the world at that time to display mountain gorillas. They were given as a pair to breed, unfortunately they turned out to be two females. I was fortunate to work as a keeper with Coco and Pucker from 1973 to 1978. During the summer I took them out for walks. I remember they loved to climb the beech tree opposite the zoo directors house. On top of the tree they built themselves sleeping nests. Every time I pass this tree during my walks through the zoo today, I think of Coco and Pucker." Brian Batstone
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