VIA: Sheree Conibear - Barry & Wales at HeartFate of Billy the Seal.
Victoria Park's best known inhabitant was a seal called Billy. It is commonly believed that Billy was accidentally caught in trawler nets off the Irish coast in 1912 and brought to Cardiff to live at Victoria Park.
Parks Committee minutes in Janurary 1914 recorded that Councillor H.M. Thompson was willing to present two seals to the Council if a suitable pond were provided. The Committee selected a site in Victoria Park between the monkey house and the jackel den, and allocated £40 in the next year's finances to cover the cost of constructing the proposed seal pond. 🦭
In May 1914 it was decided that a more suitable site for the seal pond would be near the existing lake in Victoria Park, and if a length of two foot diameter pipe were laid between the proposed seal pond and the lake, the latter could also be used by the seals
In January 1915 it was reported that Councillor Thompson had presented a male seal, to be housed at Victoria Park.
The Committee expressed its thanks for "a most interesting addition to the Collection already at Victoria Park".
After this, other seals were presented to the zoo but did not survive for long.
Official documents make no mention of providing a salt water environment for the seals so the assumption is that both the lake and seal pond contained fresh water - not the normal habitat for seals.
The Cardiff trawler company Neale & West was initially supplying fish for the seal free of charge but was unable to continue this throughout the 1914-18 war and in June 1917 the Parks Chief Officer reported that the cost of feeding the seal each week was £1-14s.
The Parks Committee discussion about whether the seal should remain in Victoria Park or be returned to the sea, was reported in the Western Mail under the head line "Fate of Billy the Seal" and the report stated that Billy had been presented to the public by Councillor Thompson.
In the event it was decided that Billy would remain but be put on "half rations".
In 1920 the fishmonger E. Ashton was supplying fish for the seal free of charge.
Billy died in early April 1939, after which it was discovered she was female. Her skeleton is preserved at the National Museum Wales in Cardiff.
A sculpture by David Petersen commemorating Billy the Seal was placed beside the paddling pool in Victoria Park in 1997. The sculpture is made from forged mild steel, galvanised and painted. It was commissioned for the Victoria Park Centenary celebrations by the Cardiff Council, with assistance from the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust and funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It was officially opened on June 21st 1997 by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor M. Phillips. The opening ceremony included Frank Hennessy singing "Billy the Seal"
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Billy the Seal sculpted by David Petersen
