SUMMARY:
Press cuttings report Miss Joan Proctor’s appointment as curator of reptiles at the London Zoo, describe her lifelong interest in reptiles and her unusual pets, and note her experiments with axolotls. Additional New Zealand clippings reprise the news and include a light verse celebrating her fearlessness.
CONTENT:
Cutting from the Dundee Telegraph
Address of Publication
Issue dated
-
- 23
GIRL ZOO CURATOR AND
HER QUEER PALS.
Boa Constrictor and
Crocodile as Playmates.
Turning a "Water Creature" Dry.
Miss Joan Proctor, the young girl who
has been appointed curator of reptiles at
the London Zoo, is somewhat shy to talk
about her life work, which has been the
study of creatures from which the average
person turns with a shudder.
A slightly-built, smiling girl, with a pleasant
expression, she is now busily engaged
in the new aquarium in course of construction
at the Zoo.
It was with reluctance that she admitted
her identity. Asked when she began to be
interested in snakes, she replied—
"I never did begin, I have always been
interested in them. I have worked among
them since the time I left school. I have
been at the Natural History Museum so far,
and I am coming to my new post here in
November.
"Yes, I have kept a great many pets of
all sorts," she continued. "Which is the
most unusual? Oh, they are all considered
unusual. Among them was a boa constrictor.
It is in the reptile house now—five
feet long and perfectly tame. I kept it at
home, and usually had it loose. It was shut
up at night. Of course, I did not allow it
to be about in the same room with the
cat. It would have eaten pussy.
"I have also had a crocodile, an alligator,
and all sorts of snakes and lizards. I have
never had the slightest trouble with them.
They were all great pets and quite tame."
When asked if she had trained any of her
peculiar pets to do tricks, Miss Proctor
merely smiled and said she did not want
anything theatrical to be said about her and
her pets.
She thinks, however, that the reptile
house is one of the most popular places in
the Zoo, especially with children.
"Children," she said, "are not afraid of
the reptiles."
Miss Proctor's own collection of animals,
it may be added, is a considerable one.
The crocodile to which she referred was her
playmate when she was quite a little girl
of seven years old. It, however, only lived
two years.
To see her making friends with a Brazilian
mongoose snake, which is one of her
favourites at present, would scare the ordinary
girl. A small python is also one of
her present possessions, and she has a number
of lizards.
Recently she succeeded with certain experiments
in regard to axolotls. She
managed to change the habits of one of
them by scientifically reducing his allowance
of water, and transformed it from a water
creature to a land creature.
New Zealand
DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1923.
THE EVENING STAR,
WOMAN AS SNAKE EXPERT.
IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT.
LONDON, July 20.
(Received July 21, at 11 a.m.)
The Daily Express says that Miss
Joan Proctor, an English girl, aged
twenty-five, has been appointed curator
of reptiles at the London Zoological Gardens.
Her grandfather was a famous herpetologist.
Miss Proctor had her first
pet snake when she was ten years of age.
One day she received a crocodile as a present,
and took it to Dr Boulenger, head of
the department of reptiles in the Natural
History Museum at South Kensington.
He was astonished at Miss Proctor's
knowledge, and offered to train her. She
became Dr Boulenger's assistant when she
was eighteen, and succeeded him when he
resigned. She is one of the greatest
snake experts in the world, and is a
fellow of the Zoological and Linnæan Societies.—A.
and N.Z. Cable.
DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1923.
THE EVENING STAR.
New Zealand
Joan Proctor was a little maid
Who never learnt to be afraid
Of caterpillars, slugs, or worms,
Or anything that creeps or squirm.
The birthday gift that first would fill her
With gladness was a caterpillar.
But great was her rejoicing when,
Attaining to the age of ten,
Some kindly friend contrived to make
A present of a lovely snake.
This gift with some might well beget
Dislike of a reptilian pet;
But Joan's small soul was tickled greatly.
She loved that serpent passionately!
And often (when the day was fine)
She bathed it in the Serpentine.
This lasted for a little while,
And then the sweetest crocodile,
With legs and jaws and tail complete,
Was sent her for a birthday treat.
Too lovely to enjoy alone,
She took it to South Kensington.
Thus opened her career of fame,
And soon our heroine became
The highest number on the lists
Of female serpentologists.
So great her reputation grew
That now she's been promoted to
Command the snake-house at the Zoo!
MORAL
So, little girls, be sure you keep
From fear of things that crawl and creep.
Whene'er you're terrified or scared,
Just think of how Joan Proctor fared.