Berlin Zoo
Berlin Zoo | |
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52°30′30″N 13°20′15″E / 52.50833°N 13.33750°E | |
Date opened | 1844[1] |
Location | Berlin, Germany |
Land area | 35 hectares (86.5 acres)[1] |
No. of animals | 20,219 (December 2017)[2] |
No. of species | 1,373 (December 2017)[2] |
Annual visitors | More than 3.5 million (2017)[2] |
Memberships | EAZA,[3] WAZA[4] |
Director | Andreas Knieriem |
Website | zoo-berlin |
The Berlin Zoological Garden (German: Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers 35 hectares (86.5 acres) and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, the zoo presents one of the most comprehensive collections of species in the world.[2][5]
The zoo and
The zoo collaborates with many universities, research institutes, and other zoos around the world. It maintains and promotes
History
Opened on 1 August 1844, the Zoologischer Garten Berlin was the second zoo in Germany after the short-lived "Thiergarten" in Hamburg-Horn. The aquarium opened in 1913. The first animals were donated by
Third Reich
In 1938, the Berlin Zoo got rid of Jewish board members and forced Jewish shareholders to sell their stocks at a loss, before re-selling the stocks in an effort to "Aryanize" the institution. Starting in 1939, Jews were also prevented from visiting the zoo.[6] Zoo director Lutz Heck was named chief of the Oberste Naturschütz Behörde im Reichsforstamt (highest nature preservation agency in the state department of forestry) by his friend Hermann Göring in the summer of 1938 and in this capacity he was the senior responsible person for the entire nature management.[7]
World War II
During World War II, the zoo area was hit by
In less than 15 minutes, 30% of the zoo population was killed on the first day, and on the second day the aquarium building was completely destroyed by a direct hit. Of the eight elephants, only one survived, the bull Siam, and 2-year-old hippo bull Knautschke was saved from the gunfire in his animal house. Most damage was done during the Battle of Berlin: from 22 April 1945 onwards, the zoo was under constant artillery fire of the Red Army. Heavy fighting took place on the zoo area till 30 April, and safety measures forced the zoo keepers to kill some predators and other dangerous animals.
Next to the zoo stood the Zoo Tower, a huge flak tower that was one of the last remaining areas of Nazi German resistance against the Red Army, with its bunkers and anti-aircraft weapons defending against Allied air forces. At the entrance of the zoo, there was a small underground shelter for zoo visitors and keepers. During the battle, wounded German soldiers were taken care of here by female personnel and the wives of zookeepers. On 30 April, the zoo flak bunker surrendered.
A count on 31 May 1945 revealed only 91 of 3,715 animals had survived, including two lion cubs, two hyenas, Asian bull elephant Siam, hippo bull Knautschke, ten
Following the zoo's destruction, it and the associated aquarium was reconstructed on modern principles so as to display the animals in as close to their natural environment as feasible. The success in breeding animals, including some rare species, demonstrates the efficacy of these new methods.[7]
Postwar period
The zoo came to be located in West Berlin, hence a second zoo – Tierpark Berlin – was built in the East.[8] There was virtually no public attention paid to the zoo's Third Reich history until 2000, when Werner Cohn, whose father was a former shareholder, wrote to enquire about the fate of those shares. The zoo initially denied that Jewish shareholders were forced to sell their shares, but as a public scandal ensued, it ultimately acknowledged this.[9] It commissioned a historian to identify these past shareholders and track down their descendants, according to a report by AFP.[6]
Zoo
Group | Species[5] | Animals[5] |
---|---|---|
Mammals | 169 | 1,044 |
Birds | 319 | 2,092 |
Reptiles | 69 | 357 |
Amphibians | 54 | 639 |
Fish | 562 | 7,629 |
Invertebrates | 331 | 8,604 |
Total (2013) | 1,504 | 20,365 |
The Berlin Zoo is the most visited zoo in
Visitors can either enter the zoo through the exotically designed Elephant Gate beside the aquarium on Budapester Straße or through the Lion Gate on Hardenbergplatz. The original Elephant Gate, built in 1899, was destroyed in World War II. It was faithfully reconstructed to original plans in 1984.[10]
The zoo has always maintained an extensive and diverse collection. At the outbreak of World War II there were 4000 birds and mammals of 1400 species, while the aquarium held 8300 reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates of 750 species. In 2001, the combined collection numbered 14188 animals of 1517 species, similar to present.[11] The number of larger animals displayed has gradually thinned as enclosures become increasingly designed to recreate natural habitat.
The zoo maintains studbooks for black and Indian rhinoceroses and gaurs. The populations of rare deer and pigs are part of several captive breeding projects. Berlin Zoo supports conservationists in other countries (for instance, in Madagascar) and as a partner of the Stiftung Artenschutz , a species protection foundation.
The zoo houses four types of
.The carnivore house displays all
The bird house presents a walk-through
Aquarium
The aquarium was built in 1913 as part of the Zoologischer Garten complex.[12] In addition to fish and other aquatic life, it is home to most of the zoo's reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Animals
Polar bear Knut was born in captivity at the zoo on 5 December 2006. He and his twin brother or sister were directly rejected by their mother on the day of birth. He was subsequently raised by zookeeper Thomas Dörflein and became the center of a mass media phenomenon that spanned the globe, quickly spawning numerous toys, media specials, DVDs, and books. Because of this, the cub was largely responsible for a significant increase in revenue, estimated at five million euros, at the Berlin Zoo in 2007. Zoo attendance figures for the year increased by an estimated 30%, making it the most profitable year in its 165-year history.[13] Knut died on 19 March 2011 after collapsing in his exhibit.
Bao Bao (1978–2012) was one of the first two
Fatou the female gorilla was born on 13 April 1957. She came to the zoo at an estimated age of two. In 1974 she gave birth to the first gorilla to be raised in Berlin, Dufte.[16] Since the death of Colo in January 2017, she is the oldest living gorilla in captivity of the world (now together with American gorilla Trudy).
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Knut and his keeper Thomas Dörflein
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Giant panda Bao Bao
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Southern ostrich
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Springbok
Incidents / Criticism
In 2008, Claudia Hämmerling, a Green Party MP, accused the zoo director, Bernhard Blaszkiewitz (also the director of Tierpark Berlin), of selling hundred of animals for slaughter, in some cases to breeders in China for potency-boosting drugs. [17] The same year, Blaszkiewitz admitted to breaking the necks of several feral domestic housecat kittens found at the zoo. [18]
In 2009, a woman was mauled by polar bears after jumping into their exhibit. She was rushed to the hospital and survived.[19]
In 2023, employees from the zoo's education department made serious allegations of exploitation and disrespect. They also criticised the fact that quality in the area of education was no longer a priority, although this is one of the main tasks of a scientifically working zoo. These accusations highlighted problems within the organisation and led to a wave of terminations by the zoo and resignations from dissatisfied employees. As a result, the original team was reduced to around a third of its previous size. These staffing shortages forced the management to limit the offers of guided tours. [20][21][22]
See also
- List of zoos in Germany
- List of tourist attractions in Berlin
- Zoo flak tower, built in 1941, demolished in 1947
References
- ^ a b "Zoologischer Garten Berlin". zoo-infos.de. Zoo-Infos.de. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "Das aufregende Jahr 2017 in Zahlen – Inventur in Zoo, Tierpark und Aquarium Berlin" [The Exiting Year 2017 In Numbers – Stocktaking In Zoo, Aquarium And Tierpark]. Zoologischer Garten Berlin's website (in German). 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Zoo Berlin Tierstatistik 2013". zoo-berlin.de (in German). Zoo Berlin. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Berlin Zoo Comes to Terms With Nazi Past, Seeks Out Former Jewish Shareholders". Haaretz. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b Prenger, Kevin, War Zone Zoo, 2018
- ISBN 978-3-89234-295-3.[is the new one in East Berlin.]
as a result of division, Berlin has two planetariums, two philharmonic orchestras and concert halls, two Grand Hotels and two zoos. The Tierpark, not to be confused with the Tiergarten, in Friedrichsfelde
- ^ Berlin Zoo seeks Jewish members stripped of shares
- ^ Elephant Gate (Berlin Zoological Garden) - Elefantentor (Zoologischer Garten Berlin). Vol. Band 25: Moehring-Olivié. E. A. Seemann. 1931.
- ^ Fradrich, Hans (2002). Guidebook to the Berlin Zoological Garden and its Aquarium (2nd ed.). Zoologischer Garten Berlin. p. 15.
- ^ "A brief introduction to Berlin Zoo". berlin-life.com. Berlin Life. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ Boyes, Roger (13 December 2007). "Berlin Zoo culls creator of the cult of Knut". timesonline.co.uk. London: The Times. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- ^ The Local (20 October 2016). Berlin Zoo to have a pair of pandas by next summer. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ "Panda Meng Meng gives birth to twins in Berlin Zoo". DW.COM. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Zoo Berlin - Herzlich willkommen im Zoo Berlin. - Senior citizens meet for gorilla's birthday". www.zoo-berlin.de. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- TheGuardian.com. 28 March 2008.
- ^ "Berlin Zoo chief threatened over kitten killings". Reuters. 29 March 2008.
- ^ "Shocking pictures and video of woman mauled by polar bear at Berlin Zoo". mirror.co.uk/. 10 April 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Zoologischer Garten Berlin als Arbeitgeber: Gehalt, Karriere, Benefits". kununu.com (in German). 27 January 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ Schmolzi, Interview: Lukas. "Zoo Berlin: »Ort der Ausbeutung und Geringschätzung«". nd-aktuell.de (in German). Retrieved 22 February 2024.
External links
- Official website (in German and English)