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[[preprinted]] ...Branféré, one of the oldest names in old Brittany, was already known by Julius Caeser well over two thousand years ago. He had started there his first iron mine and built, very near, his first Roman temple. In a strange mixture of Latin and Celtic languages, Branféré means the << Iron Table Land >>, also shown quite clearly by the blue colour of its hydrangeas. The temple's altar, destroyed, a thousand years later, by the Knights Templars, is now the base of the granite cross they had erected, in front of the church of Le Guerno, the nearest village, not even a mile from Branféré. Their order was abolished in the then independent dukedom of the XIVth century and replaced by the family Freslon de la Freslonnière, which had inherited their influence and power in the area. Around the beginning of the XVIIth century, another castle, much more important, was going o take the place of the medieval one already built just after the fall of the Knights. About a century later, an enlightened botanist, also a member of the Freslon family, was going to change entirely the Park, planting trees then extremely rare, which have not yet disappeared to day. Unfortunately, the next generation, after having embraced with enthusiasm the cause of the << chouannerie >> found itself obliged to migrate to England, at the very last moment, and had to stay there until the end of Napoleon's era. The manor and the castle had been almost entirely destroyed, after having been occupied by the << Blue >>, the soldiers of the Republican army; the chapel in an even worse condition, was beyond repairs: since those days, its ruins have never been touched and the Park itself had terribly suffered. Finally back in Brittany, the remaining members of the Freslon family had to face the work of reconstruction and started rebuilding the ruins they had found on their return; alas, the second Chouannerie was going to achieve discouraging them: they sold the estate to a distant relative, the Marquis de Barbeyrac de Saint Maurice, who sold it again very soon to the grand father of the present owner, As a nature's lover, not only he started right away to finish restoring the buildings but he also replanned and replanted the Park, which had so long been abandoned, bringing back to life Branféré, that had seemed condemned for ever. Two generations further, after the exotic plants and trees which had been imported with such difficulties, were going to arrive gradually the thousands of rare birds and mammals brought there by his grandson, with the help often brought by François de la Grange, so well known all over Europe by the friends of nature and especially the television fans, as also by Branféré's visitors. Now inhabited by all sorts of animal guests, the Park of Branféré does not have very much in common with other so called zoological organizations and very few cages and aviaries are to be found there, in such an animal kingdom. The ground, the vegetation and particularly the climatic conditions, especially favourable, Branféré is enjoying have been and still are permitting importing, acclimatizing and also breeding very rare species both from the Equator and the Artic Circle. Amongst them, the group of Maras to be seen in the Park is certainly the most important in the world, just as the one of Wallabies is amongst the largest. The best known scientists, such as the Nobel Prize Winner Professor Konrad Lorenz, visit Branféré one after each other, to proceed with their studies there and scientific observations in ideal conditions, staying in the old << Maison du Chapelain >> — the priest's house in the ancient days before the French Revolution, now the Park's House — where they can live, as Branféré's guests, in absolute freedom, Many students, year after year, also come in Summer, especially during their holidays, and keep working on the spot. To all those scientific and educated goals, quite a few others must also be added: artistic (during the season, paintings and other shows are to be seen in the Exhibition Room, where take place regularly projections with their corresponding comments), cultural and just as well touristic: so are attracted in a far distant corner of Brittany, still unknown very recently, the ever increasing crowds of nature and animal lovers! All those who understand the urgent necessity to manage to safeguard so many animal species threatened with extinction will find in Branféré, in complete or almost complete freedom most of the birds fullwinged, all sorts of samples of a wonderful faune, without much mankind itself could not survive very long... [[/preprinted]] [[end page]] [[start page]] MAP OF THE PARK [[image: graphic map of Branféré Park]] 1 Flamingos 2 Double Wattle Cassowaries 3 Java Green Peafowl 4 European Storks 5 Prairie Dogs 6 Humboldt Penguins 7 Lesser Apes and Parrots. King Vulture 8 Park's House: Exhibits and slides, bar 9 Birds' Garden 10 Great Indian Hornbills 11 Cariamas, Hymalayan Monaul 12 Watussi, Deers, Stags, Ostriches, Antelopes, Maras, Vicugnas 13 Gibbons 14 Yack, Axis, Emeus, Lamas 15 Waterfowl 16 Siamangs 17 Spoonbills 18 Bennet's Cassowaries 19 Black Necked Swans 20 Guanacos, Kangaroos, Hog Deers, Tapirs 21 Lemurs.
