Joan Procter, the lady who tamed dragons

Caitlin. 2017. ‘Joan Beauchamp Procter: Her best friend was a Komodo dragon and if that doesn’t entice you to read this, I don’t know what will’, Kaijutegu, _blog entry, 17h05, 27 January, viewed 13 May 2020, https://kaijutegu.tumblr.com/post/156464585243/joan-beauchamp-procter-her-best-friend-was-a My Girl Heroes. 2017. ‘The woman who played with Dragons! – Joan Beauchamp Procter’, YouTube, online video clip, posted 26 October 2017 by YouTube, viewed 12 May 2020, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-RB0pwecosQ Objectivity. 2020. ‘The Reptile Expert – Objectivity #220’, YouTube, online video clip, posted 19 February 2020 by YouTube, viewed 12 May 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6CrC0QLCE

The Linnean Society of London. 2019. Joan Beauchamp Procter FLS. [Internet]. London: The Linnean Society of London. Available from: [accessed 13 May 2020]. Valdez, Patricia. 2018. Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor. New York City: Random House Children’s book. ‘Joan Beauchamp Procter’ 2020. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited 07h57, 14, April, Wikipedia Foundation, viewed 12 May 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Beauchamp_Procter.

(Front cover picture) https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=i&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fpaintingvalley.com%2Fkomodo-dragon-painting&amp;psig=AOvVaw240DrEvnPuoW-w4Zj97Gor&amp;ust=1589866689849000&amp;source=images&amp;cd=vfe&amp;ved= 0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIj26o3ZvOkCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Sadly Joan’s successful life ended when she was just thirty-four. She died from cancer caused by her chronic intestinal illness. By that time she was Doctor Procter, as the University of Chicago had awarded her an honorary doctorate. Joan was still working at the zoo just before she died even though she had been ill for a very long time. She showed persistence and dedication throughout her painful life and has influenced many young scientists.

Joan Procter was a sickly child born in London on 5 August 1897. Her father, Joseph Procter, was a stockbroker and her mother, Elizabeth Procter, was an artist. Both Joan and her older sister Chrystabel were interested in science and art. Joan developed a special interest in reptiles and amphibians whilst very young and studied all the British species of reptile. By the age of ten she had seven pet snakes and lizards and even took her favourite lizard everywhere she went.

Giana beautifully captures the life and achievements of Joan Procter, an unknown zoologist. I loved the illustrations of the pet crocodile and lizard. This book is an inspiration to all young ladies and to anyone who has experienced setbacks. Worth the read!!! - Jennisha Gappoo, lockdown mum. Joan Procter is truly a great inspiration to our learners. Learners who love reptiles will no doubt gain immense knowledge from this book. This book conveys a powerful message that we too can make a great contribution to life. A very interesting and informative book. A must read for all! - Kumarie Govender, retired teacher

Giana has succinctly but powerfully captured the sad-yet-inspiring tale of someone who should be more famous than she is.  And Giana’s art captures the affection Joan had for her pets in a wonderfully delicate manner. - Dinesh Govender, dad, Discovery Vitality CEO. 

David Attenborough once said, “Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as primitive, dull and dim-witted. In fact, of course, they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and very sophisticated.” This is what Joan Procter tried to teach the world.

https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=i&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Frachelwithane.com%2Fmuseums%2Fthursday-thoughts-women-as- curators%2F&amp;psig=AOvVaw1SZ1F18I0uXJKFY9n4shAp&amp;ust=1589865599905000&amp;source=ima ges&amp;cd=vfe&amp;ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIiq74TVvOkCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAV

People were shocked to find a woman in such a prominent role but Joan’s talents and accomplishments in art and science deemed her more than fit for the role. After her success at the aquarium she started designing other parts of the zoo. She still loved reptiles and one of her most impressive designs was the reptile house which is still in use today. She designed rock-work and pools for the reptile enclosures and pioneered a special Vita-glass that allowed natural UV light to reach the animals as well as differential electrical heating for the enclosures. The building was built using advanced technology (for that time) and was the first building of its kind.

Apart from enclosure design Joan was also one of the first people to study albinism in snakes and she discovered the pancake tortoise. She was also able to handled dangerous reptiles and was said to be able to tame them as she had a pet Komodo Dragon called Sumbawa which she let children touch.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/thmb/OH2IaoVJYWf27AEnvnWVeivs8FU=/1000x0/ filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ReptileHouseatZSLLondonZoocZSL5-fd284e70b14a4d0085975e45fc4eff6d.JPG

Who is an example of a highly unusual, unsung hero in zoologist?

Her affection for reptiles progressed further during her time at St Paul&apos;s Girls&apos; School. For her sixteenth birthday she was given a young crocodile as a pet and took it with her to school, creating disquietude during her maths lesson! Although she was seen as strange, she was considered a “brilliant” student. Unfortunately she was too ill to fulfill her dream of going to Cambridge University, however her interest in reptiles continued to grow.

Joan’s fascination for reptiles was noticed by the Keeper of Reptiles and Fishes at the British Museum, George Boulenger. He agreed to assist her with her studies and when she was nineteen she presented her first scientific paper. A year later she was elected as a citizen of the Zoological Society. Joan continued her research on reptiles and in 1920 she took over from George Boulenger. Three years later she assisted his son, Edward, with developing the new Aquarium at London Zoo. The aquarium was a success and Joan was appointed as the first female Curator of Reptiles.

Joan Procter inspires me to do what I love. Like her I take an interest in reptiles however I want to be a paleontologist. Joan has taught me to spend your time wisely and follow through with your dreams no matter what the circumstances are. She shows us that women can be anything they want to be. Her discoveries and contributions to zoology are highly beneficial but widely unknown. Joan Procter was unlike any other girl. It was said that “she preferred a large green Dalmatian lizard as a plaything instead of dolls.”

https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=i&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Falchetron.com%2FJoan-Beauchamp-Procter&amp;psig=AOvVaw1SZ1F18I0uXJKFY9n4shAp&amp;ust=1589865599905000&amp;source=images&amp; cd=vfe&amp;ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIiq74TVvOkCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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