Mollie was one of Melbourne Zoo’s most famous characters in the early 1900s due to her intelligence and quirky personality, as well as the human-like habits she was taught.

Mollie came to the Zoo in 1901 when she was only a few months old and remained a crowd favourite until her death in 1923.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, humanisation of animals was common in zoos all around the world and Melbourne Zoo was no exception. Mollie was known for her ability to light and smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. She had an elaborate ritual for setting up her bed each night, which she created from hessian sacks in her cage.

Unfortunately, due to her talent for lighting matches, Mollie had a habit of setting her bedding on fire. After partially burning down her wooden enclosure, a concrete one was built to replace it.

After her death Mollie was stuffed and put on display at the Melbourne Zoo. She was so well loved by the Victorian public that the anniversary of her death was still recognised ten years after her death.

Further information:

150 years Melbourne Zoo, Zoos Victoria, Bounce Books, 2012

Almost Human: Reminiscences of Melbourne Zoo, A.A.W Wilkie, Whitcombe and Tombs,1920

The Zoo Story, Catherine de Courcy, Penguin, 1995