Molly Winifred Badham MBE (18 May 1914 – 19 October 2007) was a co-founder of Twycross Zoo. She trained the chimpanzees who appeared on the Brooke Bond PG Tips television advertisements in the 1960s to the 1980s.
Badham was born in Evesham in Worcestershire, the daughter of a herbalist and homeopath. She was educated at Town School in Sutton Coldfield. She kept animals from an early age, and bred dogs and ran a boarding kennel, before setting up a pet shop in her home town. Another pet shop in the town was run by Nathalie Evans. Badham bought a woolly monkey named "Sambo" from Evans. Although the animal soon died, the two business rivals went on to share a flat – along with two chimpanzees, Sue and Mickey – and later became co-founders of Twycross Zoo.
They moved to a bungalow in Hints, between Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth, in 1954, setting up Hints Zoological Society in the 3⁄4 acre plot. Their collection of animals grew, and in 1962 they bought Norton Grange, a large Victorian rectory with 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land, plus farm buildings and stables. They opened to visitors as Twycross Zoo on Whitsun bank holiday, 26 May 1963. Over time, the zoo expanded onto adjoining fields to cover over 40 acres (160,000 m2).
Badham became an expert of primates in captivity. She provided chimpanzees for PG Tips tea commercials (notably Mr Shifter) as a way to raise funds for the zoo, and one of the zoo's chimpanzees appeared in a Hammer Horror film with Peter Cushing. She kept studbooks for gibbons and chimpanzees. The Department of the Environment appointed her as an Inspector under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.
The zoo grew to have the largest collection of primates in the world. The first colobus monkey bred in captivity in Britain was born at the zoo in 1969, and Britain's first bonobo was born at the zoo in 1994. Badham and Evans set up a charity, the East Midlands Zoological Society, to which their animal collection and zoo premises were donated in 1972.
She published two books with Evans and Maureen Lawless: Chimps with Everything, published in 1979, and Molly's Zoo, published in 2000. She also participated in a television series, Molly's Zoo, in 1999, about the running of the zoo.
Badham was a founder member of the National Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland, and a member of the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens. She was awarded an honorary BSc by Leicester University in 1982, and received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2002, for her services to the conservation of endangered species. She retired, becoming director emeritus of Twycross Zoo in 2003.
Molly Winifred Badham MBE (18 May 1914 – 19 October 2007) was a co-founder of Twycross Zoo. She trained the chimpanzees who appeared on the Brooke Bond...
"Twycross Zoo – The World Primate Centre". Twycross Zoo was established by MollyBadham and Nathalie Evans in 1963. The pair had been looking for a suitable...
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racing driver who competed in the British Touring Car Championship. MollyBadham was a co-founder of Twycross Zoo. She trained the chimpanzees who appeared...
amusement park with just a handful of children's rides. In 1954, Mrs. MollyBadham, who later opened the nearby Twycross Zoo, partnered with the Bryans...
and East Midlands Zoological Society (founded 1972), both founded by MollyBadham and Nathalie Evans North of England Zoological Society (founded 1934)...
breeder and pet shop owner before merging her business with that of rival MollyBadham. The pair kept primates in their shared flat before moving, in 1954,...
zoologist MollyBadham, who founded Twycross Zoo (at first known as The East Midlands Zoological Society) in the rectory's gardens. Molly and the Zoo...
Osbourne (Birmingham) for services to music and entertainment Conservation: MollyBadham MBE, (Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire/Warwickshire) for services to conservation...
shop in Sutton Coldfield whose animals Mary Brancker cared for, run by MollyBadham MBE and Nathalie Evans, later expanded and moved to become Twycross Zoo...
Childminding in Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey. (Hampton, Middlesex) Miss MollyBadham. Director, Twycross Zoo. For services to the Conservation of Endangered...
however, his box office performance improved with Blue Thunder (1983), a John Badham film about a prototype attack helicopter that provided security over the...
during the second half of the 20th century. The British physician Charles Badham was the first person to describe the condition and name the acute form as...
(1971) and such Joycean theatrical projects as Ulysses in Nighttown (as Molly Bloom) and James Joyce's Women (1977; toured through 1979), a one-woman...
as a cruel corrections officer in the 1976 television movie Nightmare in Badham County. Other television appearances included supporting roles in Look What's...
McClung, Jody Abrahams The Hard Way Universal Pictures / The Badham/Cohen Group John Badham (director); Daniel Pyne, Lem Dobbs (screenplay); Michael J....
Lupe Ontiveros 18 Bird on a Wire Universal Pictures / The Badham/Cohen Group John Badham (director); Louis Venosta, David Seltzer (screenplay); Mel Gibson...
police officer at the scene and that Badham may have accompanied him, but there are no official records to confirm Badham being with him. Some sources state...
Forke, Allan Rich, David Drew Gallagher Drop Zone Paramount Pictures John Badham (director); Peter Barsocchini, John Bishop (screenplay); Wesley Snipes,...
her using her powers. Mohinder treats Molly with antibodies from his own blood, realizing this is the cure. Molly shows that she is healed by locating...
three episodes, while Steve Franks and James Roday directed two each. John Badham, Andy Berman, Andrew Bernstein, Jay Chandrasekhar, David Crabtree, and Reginald...
starring role in women in prison exploitation television film Nightmare in Badham County, later released to theaters as Nightmare in 1976. In 1977, Moody...
Austin (born 1994) Sosie Bacon (born 1992) Vanessa Baden (born 1985) Mary Badham (born 1952) Ross Bagley (born 1988) Sherwood Bailey (1923–1987) Scott Baio...
United Artists / Cinema International Corporation / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer John Badham (director); Brian Clark, Reginald Rose (screenplay); Richard Dreyfuss, John...
Barnet Kellman, Mayor Edward I. Koch 16 American Flyers Warner Bros. John Badham (director); Steve Tesich (screenplay); Kevin Costner, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra...
Ralph Hanalei, Kim Kahana United States Comedy Western The Godchild John Badham Jack Palance, Jack Warden, Keith Carradine, Ed Lauter, Jose Perez, Bill...
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