THE man who set up one of Hampshire's most popular tourist attractions has quit the organisation after nearly 40 years because of a series of rows over its running.
John Knowles, who founded Marwell Zoo out of a passion to save endangered wildlife, has severed his ties with the establishment, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Dr Knowles has resigned as honorary director in a letter sent to Vice-Admiral Sir James Weatherall, the chairman of the Marwell Preservation Trust, which owns the zoo at Colden Common, near Winchester.
The letter was sent in November but neither side revealed the rift until the Echo learned of the split.
In an exclusive interview, Dr Knowles, 77, who divides his time between a home near Bishop's Waltham and South Africa, said: "It has been very painful. It was not done without a great deal of soul-searching.
"Marwell is the most significant thing I have done in my life. I will always love it."
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