Ikunde: Wild animals from Spanish Guinea for the Barcelona Zoo

Abstract

Antoni Jonch i Cuspinera (1916-1992) had an intense interest in nature and animals since childhood. He gradually built up a small private zoo with animals from the Vallés region in his house in Granollers. In the first half of the 1950s, as a private person and before becoming director of the Barcelona Zoo (1955-1984), he carried out a project to acquire wild animals from Spanish Guinea, acclimatise them and send them to Granollers. He was not on his own, but could count on the collaboration of Agustí Lorenzo i Gàcia from Guinea. He received animals from the colony at regular intervals, which became part of his private collection. The success of the project favoured Jonch’s position as a candidate for the post of zoo director. This project gave rise to the Ikunde Centre (1958-1969), a research station set up by the Barcelona City Council in the Spanish colony of Guinea. From there, thousands of wild animals were sent to Barcelona Zoo, including the famous albino gorilla Snowflake. They were all exhibited in the park itself or used for trade and exchange with other zoos.