Brian Batstone

From the list of elephant persons Family: Batstone

Brian Batstone

Personal details
Country	Germany

Organisations

Title	trustee
Organisation	at European Elephant Keeper and Manager Association

Work locations
Title	zoo guide 2006-2012
Location	at Cologne Zoo (Köln Zoo) in Germany

Title	elephant head-keeper 2000-2005
Location	at Cologne Zoo (Köln Zoo) in Germany

Title	elephant keeper 1979-2000
Location	at Cologne Zoo (Köln Zoo) in Germany

Title	zookeeper 1971-1978
Location	at Cologne Zoo (Köln Zoo) in Germany

Relevant literature

Biography details

Brian Batstone , zoo elephant head-keeper in Germany

Born 1949 in 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

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2021). elephant head-keeper Brian Batstone in Germany. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 24 March 2023 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=200. (archived at the Wayback machine)

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