Rock Lizard
This new area of housing development sits upon old marshland that was once home to Nanaimo’s only Zoo, owned by Paul Hertel. Hertel started his collection of animals in Port Alberni where he raised two Cougars to adulthood. Slowly he began to collect other animals before opening a Zoo in Nanaimo on Rutherford Road.
Tragically in May of 1968 one of the tamest lions, a lioness named Fury escaped during a feeding. A young girl by the name of Maureen died instantly after being bit by the Lioness.
The zoo closed soon after this tragedy and not many people even remember that Nanaimo even had a zoo.
This little series of five caches are placed to remember the history of Nanaimo as well as to honor the little girl who was lost in the tragedy. If you could, in your logs, post a tid-bit about the Nanaimo Zoo if you remember or know of anything, or another interesting fact about Nanaimo’s history.