Edvard Moseid (born 18 April 1945) is a Norwegian animal expert and former zoo and amusement park director.
Personal life
Moseid was born in
Vennesla
Vennesla is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Venn ...
, a son of farmers Endre Moseid and Sigrid Andersen, and is a grandson of politician
Gabriel Moseid.
[
]
Career
Moseid was appointed director of the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park
The Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park () is a zoological garden and amusement park situated in of Kristiansand, Norway. It is Norway's most frequently visited attraction, covering an area of . Established in 1966, it has been owned by Braganza ...
after the founder and first director of the zoo, Willi Tjomsaas, was sacked by the board of the zoo, until his retirement in 2000. Prior to his appointment as the director of the zoo, Moseid received a certification as a gardener, and worked for several years starting from the founding of the zoo in 1964 as the zoo's leading gardener. His landscaping skills and capabilities proved instrumental in the shaping of the zoo, and he became known for the thousands of tulips and other plants he ensured would decorate it throughout his years as gardener and as director. Under his leadership, the park developed into one of the most important tourist attractions in Southern Norway
Southern Norway (; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical List of regions of Norway, region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function ...
. The amusement elements included the Cardamom Town theme park (developed in collaboration with Thorbjørn Egner
Thorbjørn Egner (12 December 1912 – 24 December 1990) was a Norwegian playwright, songwriter and illustrator known principally for his books, plays and musicals for children. He is principally associated with his narratives for children includ ...
) and the stage performances of Captain Sabertooth
Captain Sabertooth (in Norwegian: Kaptein Sabeltann) is a long running series that centers on the eponymous pirate Captain Sabertooth, who was created and was originally portrayed by the Norwegian singer, composer, author and actor Terje Formoe. ...
(with Terje Formoe
Terje Falk Formoe (born 6 December 1949) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, actor, playwright and author.
Background
Born in Fredrikstad, Norway, he was educated as a schoolteacher. In the 1970s, he began making records of his music. He curren ...
).
Moseid gained national and international attention in early 1980, when he, in response to a young female chimpanzee, Sanne, rejecting her child, chose to take the young baby chimpanzee out of the Zoo's chimpanzee group and raise him as one of his own. A special permission from the Ministry of Agriculture granted Moseid the permission to keep the young chimpanzee, Julius, as his own, with the ultimate goal of returning the youngster back to the group at some time in the future. Julius would continue to live with Moseid and his family for close to a year before attempts were made at returning him to the group. Initial attempts showed promise, and Julius was reluctantly accepted into the group. Julius would have none of it, and longed back to the human world, leading to the eventual decision to let him return to the Moseid family from time to time. At the same time, Moseid began a marketing program centered around the young chimpanzee, which turned into an important revenue source for the zoo. Despite Julius being back with the humans, efforts were still made to return him to the chimpanzees. This did however not go well with the leader of the group, and Moseid eventually lost his finger to the leader, Dennis, after the latter tried to kill Julius.
Moseid was decorated Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav
The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav.
Just be ...
in 1999.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moseid, Edvard
1945 births
Living people
People from Vennesla
Amusement park developers
Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park