‘Zoo proliferation’—The first British Zoos from 1831-1840

Over the last hundred years or so the history of zoological gardens and aquariums has been frequently documented, more so in recent decades. This has resulted in many chronologies published in a wide number of publications. In this article the author documents the growth and profusion of zoological gardens in Great Britain in the years immediately after the establishment of the London Zoo, revealing that Britain had a number of these institutions when other countries did not have any or, at most, one such place. He also seeks to identify why many of these zoos failed, with the necessary comparative observations between them.