John Aspinall; Gaming Tycoon Owned Animal Parks

John Aspinall, 74, a millionaire gambling tycoon and owner of two wild animal parks. Born in India, Aspinall moved with his family to England at the age of 6. He was already a well-known high roller during his student days at Oxford University, and in the 1950s became a regular patron of London’s underground gaming clubs. By the time gambling was legalized in the 1960s, Aspinall was operating traveling baccarat games for the privileged classes, and expanded his operations to include gaming rooms in London, New Zealand and France. A large win at the horse races helped Aspinall buy his first home in 1956--an 18th century country house near Canterbury in southeast England. Aspinall used the 40-acre property as a base to collect gorillas, tigers, elephants and rhinos. In 1973, when the collection became too large, Aspinall bought an early 20th century mansion on 275 acres in nearby Port Lympne. Two years later, he opened both animal parks to the public and eventually transferred ownership to a charity foundation under his name. Aspinall’s parks were praised as successful breeding grounds, and over the years the staff oversaw the birth of 73 gorillas and six black rhinos. But Aspinall’s game parks were best known for their unorthodox approach to animal management, in particular his policy of encouraging close relationships between the staff and wild animals. Over the decades, five employees were killed by the animals. The latest victim was a Port Lympne gamekeeper who was crushed by an elephant in February. On Thursday of cancer in London.