Berlin Zoo facts for kids
The Elephant Gate: one of two zoo entrances
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| Date opened | 1844 |
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| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Land area | 35 hectares (86.5 acres) |
| Coordinates | 52°30′30″N 13°20′15″E / 52.50833°N 13.33750°E |
| No. of animals | 20,219 (December 2017) |
| No. of species | 1,373 (December 2017) |
| Annual visitors | More than 3.5 million (2017) |
| Memberships | EAZA, WAZA |
The Berlin Zoological Garden (German: Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is Germany's oldest and most famous zoo. It opened in 1844 and covers about 35 hectares (86 acres) in Berlin's Tiergarten area. With around 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, it has one of the largest animal collections in the world.
In 2017, the zoo and its aquarium welcomed over 3.5 million visitors. This makes it the most-visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. Many people enjoy watching the regular animal feedings. Famous animals like Knut the polar bear and Bao Bao the giant panda have made the zoo very well-known.
The zoo works with many universities, research centers, and other zoos globally. It helps with programs to breed endangered species in Europe. It also helps protect several species and supports programs to reintroduce animals into the wild.
Contents
History of the Berlin Zoo
The Berlin Zoo first opened its doors on August 1, 1844. It was the second zoo in Germany. The first animals were given by King Frederick William IV of Prussia. They came from his private animal collections. The zoo's aquarium was added later, opening in 1913. A nearby train station for the zoo opened in 1882.
Difficult Times
During a difficult period in history, the Berlin Zoo made unfair decisions. In 1938, the zoo forced some Jewish shareholders to sell their shares at a loss. Starting in 1939, Jewish people were also not allowed to visit the zoo.
World War II Impact
During World War II, the zoo was hit by bombs starting in 1941. The worst damage happened in November 1943. In just 15 minutes, 30% of the zoo's animals died on one day. The aquarium building was completely destroyed. Of eight elephants, only one survived. A young hippo named Knautschke was also saved.
The fighting continued until April 1945. Zoo keepers had to make hard choices to keep some dangerous animals from escaping. By May 31, 1945, only 91 of 3,715 animals had survived. These included two lion cubs, a chimpanzee, and the hippo Knautschke. After the war, the zoo was rebuilt using modern ideas. Animals were given enclosures that looked more like their natural homes.
After the War
After World War II, Berlin was divided. The Berlin Zoo was in West Berlin. Because of this, another zoo, Tierpark Berlin, was built in East Berlin. For many years, the zoo's difficult history from the 1930s was not widely discussed. However, in the 2000s, the zoo acknowledged these past actions. It worked to identify and connect with the families who were unfairly treated.
Exploring the Zoo
| Group | Species | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| 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 open all year. It is easy to reach by public transport. The Berlin Zoologischer Garten railway station is a major transport hub. You can get there by subway (U-Bahn), city train (S-Bahn), and buses.
Visitors can enter the zoo through two main gates. One is the beautifully designed Elephant Gate. It is next to the aquarium on Budapester Straße. The other is the Lion Gate on Hardenbergplatz. The original Elephant Gate was built in 1899 but was destroyed in World War II. It was rebuilt exactly as it was in 1984.
The zoo has always had a very large and varied collection of animals. Before World War II, it had 4,000 birds and mammals from 1,400 species. The aquarium had 8,300 reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates from 750 species. Today, the collection is similar in size. The zoo focuses on creating natural-looking homes for its animals.
The Berlin Zoo helps protect many rare animals. It keeps important records for black and Indian rhinoceroses. It also helps with breeding projects for rare deer and pigs. The zoo supports conservation efforts in other countries, like Madagascar. It also partners with a foundation dedicated to protecting species.
The zoo is home to four types of great ape. These include orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. The carnivore house displays all the big cats. It also has many rare small predators. In the basement, you can see animals that are active at night.
The bird house has a large aviary where you can walk through. It features many different types of birds. This includes hornbills and many parrots. Large outdoor aviaries show wading birds and herons. The Berlin Zoo is one of the few zoos to have tuatara (in the aquarium) and Luzon tarictic hornbills.
The Aquarium
The aquarium was built in 1913. It is part of the Berlin Zoological Garden complex. Besides fish and other water creatures, it is home to most of the zoo's reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Famous Animals
Knut the Polar Bear
Knut was a polar bear born at the zoo on December 5, 2006. His mother rejected him and his twin at birth. Zookeeper Thomas Dörflein raised Knut by hand. Knut became famous worldwide. He appeared on TV, in books, and on toys. He brought a lot of attention and money to the zoo. In 2007, the zoo's income increased by about five million euros. Zoo visits went up by 30%. Knut sadly died on March 19, 2011.
Bao Bao the Giant Panda
Bao Bao (1978–2012) was one of the first two giant pandas in Germany. He was given to West Germany by China in 1980. He became the oldest known panda in a zoo for a time. Bao Bao lived with a female panda named Tjen Tjen, who died in 1984. Later, another female panda named Yan Yan came to Berlin. They tried to have cubs, but it did not happen. Yan Yan died in 2007. In 2017, new giant pandas, Jiao Quing and Meng Meng, arrived from China. In September 2019, Meng Meng gave birth to twin panda cubs!
Fatou the Gorilla
Fatou is a female gorilla born on April 13, 1957. She came to the zoo when she was about two years old. In 1974, she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla raised in Berlin. Since January 2017, Fatou has been one of the oldest living gorillas in zoos worldwide.
Incidents
In 2009, a visitor was injured by polar bears after entering their exhibit. She was taken to the hospital and survived.
Images for kids
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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
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Black-winged red bishop
See also
In Spanish: Jardín zoológico de Berlín para niños
- List of zoos in Germany
- List of tourist attractions in Berlin
- Zoo flak tower, built in 1941, demolished in 1947
