Gambling Casino, has travelled a very different road since the days of his life in 'high society'. For he is now the owner of a beautiful country mansion in Canterbury called Howletts, which h as bought in the late fifties as a home for his family and wild animals. The property had been neglected since the outbreak of war and it took more than five years to restore the building to its old condition. As time passed, the collection of animals on the estate grew to such an extent that the Aspinall family decided to ask the public to help defray the mounting cost of upkeep and finally last year, permission was granted by the Canterbury City Council to, open the Zoo Park for eight months a year, 1st March to 31st October. There are more than thirty different types of animal in the zoo park and it is the policy of the zoo ~~~~ to breed from all the species in its care, regardless of the cost in human or financial terms. To date, enough to produce, there have been twenty nine successes. The outstanding failure has been the cheetah. It has been said that Chrisitianity, Islam and Communism have all conspired to encourage man to look down on other living things be they oak trees or monkeys. What John Aspinall is reaching out for is the hope that a visit to the Howletts Zoo Park will invite ordinary people to treat the masterpieces of nature with a greater respect. A respect that enables a human being to cross the threshold into nature's relam. Later this month, John Aspinall is having a book of his published in this country which tells about his life and his future hopes and aspirations for the animal world. It may well be worth reading.
The Aspinall Family together in the Gorrillarium at Howletts in Cantebury.
Photo measures 10 x 8.25 inches.
Photo is dated --none.
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