Belfast Zoo facts for kids

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Belfast Zoo

Date opened	28 March 1934
Location	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Land area	55 acres (22 ha)
Coordinates	54°39′22″N 5°56′31″W / 54.656°N 5.942°W / 54.656; -5.942
No. of animals	1200+
No. of species	120+
Annual visitors	300,000
Memberships	BIAZA, EAZA, WAZA
Website	www.belfastzoo.co.uk

Belfast Zoological Gardens, often called Belfast Zoo, is a popular zoo located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It sits high up on the side of Cavehill, offering amazing views over Belfast's Antrim Road. The zoo first opened its doors on March 28, 1934. It is the second-oldest zoo in Ireland, with Dublin Zoo being the oldest.

Belfast Zoo is one of the most visited places in Northern Ireland. Over 300,000 people visit each year. The zoo covers 55-acre (22 ha) of land. It is home to more than 1,200 animals from over 140 different species.

Many animals at Belfast Zoo are endangered in their natural homes. The zoo does important work to protect these animals. It takes part in over 90 special breeding programs. These programs help make sure that many threatened species can survive and thrive.

The zoo is part of several important groups. These include the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). It is also a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Finally, it belongs to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

A Look Back: The History of Belfast Zoo
How Belfast Zoo is Managed
Amazing Animals: The Zoo's Collections
New Additions and Improvements at the Zoo
Incidents at the Zoo
The Historic Floral Hall
See also

A Look Back: The History of Belfast Zoo

The view east from inside Belfast Zoo, showing its location on the slopes of Cavehill

The story of Belfast Zoo began with the city's public transport. In the early 1900s, horse-drawn trams carried people from Belfast to nearby villages. Later, a company called Belfast Corporation took over the tram line in 1911.

The corporation decided to build fun attractions. They created a miniature railway, a playground, and beautiful gardens. This area was named Bellevue, which means 'good view' in French.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Bellevue Gardens became a very popular spot for day trips. In 1933, the idea came up to add a collection of animals. So, in 1934, 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land was set aside for Bellevue Zoo. This land was on either side of the Grand Floral Staircase. These steps were built to reach the top of the hillside.

It took 150 workers to build the zoo. You can still see the steps from Antrim Road today. Sir Crawford McCullagh, who was the Lord Mayor of Belfast at the time, officially opened the zoo. This happened on March 28, 1934. The project cost about £10,000, which would be around £700,000 today. In its first year, an amazing 284,713 people visited the zoo!

How Belfast Zoo is Managed

Belfast Zoo is owned by Belfast City Council. The council spends more than £2.5 million each year to run and promote the zoo. It is one of the few zoos in the UK and Ireland that gets funding from a local government.

The council's Parks and Leisure Committee oversees the zoo's operations. This committee is made up of 20 local councillors. They are elected by the people of Belfast.

Amazing Animals: The Zoo's Collections

The zoo is home to over 120 different species of animals.

Primates

Primates are a group of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and lemurs.

Other Mammals

Meerkat, Belfast Zoo

Bush dog
Spectacled bear
Californian sea lion
Visayan warty pig
Barbary lion
Giant anteater
Blesbok
Spot-necked otter
Rodrigues fruit bat
Nepalese red panda
Maned wolf
Vicuña
Rothschild's giraffe
Eastern bongo
Grant's zebra
Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo
Cape porcupine
Meerkat
Capybara
Red squirrel
Southern pudu
Northeast African cheetah

Birds

Reptiles

Beaded lizard
Royal python
Mediterranean tortoise
Red-footed tortoise
Cuban tree boa
Box turtle
Jamaican boa
Madagascar tree boa
Mangrove snake
Pancake tortoise
Turqoise dwarf gecko
Utila iguana
Bearded dragon

Domestic Animals

The zoo also has a special farm area. Here, you can see domestic animals. These include pygmy goats, Shetland ponies, miniature donkeys, rabbits, and Norfolk Grey chickens.

New Additions and Improvements at the Zoo

A giraffe in the shared indoor giraffe and elephant house

Belfast Zoo is always changing and growing. They often welcome new animals or celebrate new births.

In June 2007, a Barbary lion cub was born at the zoo. This was the first Barbary lion born in Ireland! The cub was raised by a keeper named Linda Frew. In August 2009, this lion, named Lily, moved to Hodonín Zoo in the Czech Republic. This move was part of a special breeding program.

In 2008, the zoo opened a new tropical rainforest exhibit. This area is home to animals like two-toed sloths, red-footed tortoises, and Rodrigues bats. The Rainforest House is a walk-through exhibit. It has tropical plants and stays at a warm 27 degrees Celsius.

More recently, the zoo has updated many animal homes. This includes the gorilla and chimpanzee areas. They also improved the giraffe and elephant enclosures. A raised feeder was added for the giraffes. New climbing frames were put in for the spider monkeys and Andean bears.

In 2009, the zoo celebrated its 75th birthday. They opened a brand new Visitors' Centre and "Zoovenir" Shop. The new building has high ceilings and lots of natural light. It also features multimedia displays about the zoo's history and Northern Ireland's wildlife.

The zoo received £250,000 from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board for this new reception area. The council also gave an extra £300,000. This helped with the increase in visitors.

2009 was a very successful year for the zoo. Many new animals arrived, including a Sumatran tiger named Kabus. Also, the only tree-kangaroo in the UK, named Kwikila, arrived. That year, the zoo had its highest number of visitors ever, with over 302,000 people. Plus, over 90 baby animals were born at the zoo in 2009!

In 2010, two smooth-coated otters arrived. Also, coppery titi monkeys and a pair of toco toucans joined the zoo family. A female Sumatran tiger also arrived to join Kabus. May Day in 2010 saw more than double the visitors compared to the same day in 2009.

Since 2009, many babies have been born at the zoo. These include a Malayan tapir, ring-tailed lemurs, a Grant's zebra, California sea lions, black-tailed prairie dogs, and many more.

In 2012, two eastern bongos were born. A blesbok foal, a giraffe foal, and a baby chimpanzee also arrived. In 2013, more babies were born. These included coppery titi monkeys, a two toed sloth, another chimpanzee, and twin white-belted ruffed lemurs. Two goodfellow's tree-kangaroos also arrived. Belfast Zoo is one of only 22 zoos worldwide that has the Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo.

Incidents at the Zoo

Sometimes, unexpected things happen at the zoo. In 2001, a wild dog got into the kangaroo area. It sadly killed one of the younger kangaroos. In the same year, some vandals broke into the zoo. They attacked several penguins. One penguin was thrown into the lion's den and died.

In 2010, a female white-nosed coati escaped. It was found more than five weeks later.

In 2013 and again in 2015, several macaques escaped. They were found a few days later.

In 2018, a spider monkey escaped. Sadly, it was hit by a car on a nearby road and died.

In 2019, a red panda escaped because of a power problem in her enclosure. She was found the next day in a neighborhood about a mile away from the zoo.

The Historic Floral Hall

The Floral Hall

Inside the zoo grounds, there is a special building called the Floral Hall. It is an art deco ballroom from the 1930s. This hall was once a very popular place for dances. During World War II, blackouts were put on the windows so dances could continue. In the 1960s, famous musicians like Pink Floyd and Small Faces even visited the hall.

The Floral Hall closed to the public on April 2, 1972. Since then, it has fallen into disrepair. In the 1990s, it was given "Listed Building" status. This means it is a building of special historical importance.

The Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust wants to fix up the building. However, Belfast City Council has not yet provided the money needed.

In 2010, meetings were held to discuss what the hall could be used for. In December 2011, a social media account was created to share old and new photos of the hall. In 2012, an online petition asked Belfast City Council to make progress on restoring the hall. In March 2018, a company called Signature Living suggested a £5 million plan to bring the hall back to life. The owner, Lawrence Kenwright, hoped to restore the hall to be a "leading entertainment, conference and wedding venue."