Olga Kerr: Daughter of Coco the Clown who became a successful trapeze artiste and owner of a private zoo

Kerr married the renowned Scottish lion tamer, Alexander Kerr, before they established their own zoo in north Norfolk, with attractions like Billy, the pipe-smoking chimpanzee who also enjoyed cigarettes donated by the public

Kerr on her wedding day with her father Nicolai Poliakoff, aka Coco the Clown

Olga Kerr was the last remaining offspring of the circus performer Coco the Clown. An accomplished circus trapeze artist, she went on to marry the renowned Scottish lion tamer, Alexander Kerr, before they established their own zoo in north Norfolk.

Born into a Jewish family in Riga, Latvia, in 1924, Olga was the third of six children born to Nicolai and Valentina Poliakoff. In 1929, Nicolai, an celebrated circus performer from birth and a huge hit in Germany, was spotted by Willy Schumann and invited to Manchester to appear as Coco with the Christmas season with Bertram Mills Circus.

Coco was such a success that he stayed for 38 years; his wife and eldest two children followed him to Britain while Olga and her siblings were cared for by their grandmother until she arrived in 1934. She was educated in Torquay and spent her holidays with the circus, riding horses and elephants in an act at Blackpool Tower.

During the Second World War, Olga, wanting to do her bit, lied about her age and drove ambulances with the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Her father worked in the Pioneer Corps.

After the war Olga and the rest of the family rejoined Bertram Mills, where she perfected her acrobatics, trapeze work and high line walking. She joined the troupe of acrobats, covered in gold paint and a modicum of decency, the highlight for the thousands who saw them. She helped Coco with his paint, replicated his signature for photographs and hand-painted the Coco figurines that were so sought after by fans. Occasionally, when a member was ill, she would join her two brothers, who were also clowns, and don a red nose herself.

She became engaged to Alexander Kerr, a Scottish elephant and lion trainer who became the best known animal trainer in the country; their wedding in Sheffield in 1949 was one of the events of the year, attended by performers from around the country.

In 1960, the couple left Bertram Mills and moved to Cromer on the Norfolk coast, where they opened a zoo. It soon gained a reputation for its quirkiness and a certain ramshackle charm, with attractions like Billy, the pipe-smoking chimpanzee who also enjoyed cigarettes donated by the public.

After Alexander died in 1970 Kerr struggled to keep the zoo afloat until 1983, when it became financially unviable. Following an appeal on a BBC News report most of the animals were eventually rehomed – except Billy the chimp, who was put down.

MARTIN CHILDS

Olga Kerr, circus artiste and zoo owner: born Riga, Latvia 6 August 1924; married 1949 Alexander Kerr (died 1970; one daughter, one son, and one daughter deceased); died 1 October 2015.