Edinburgh Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 22 July 1913 |
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| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Land area | 82 acres (33 ha) |
| Coordinates | 55°56′35″N 3°16′5″W / 55.94306°N 3.26806°W |
| No. of animals | 3218 (2022) |
| No. of species | 171 |
| Annual visitors | 601,285 (2022) |
| Memberships | BIAZA, EAZA, WAZA |
| Major exhibits | Giant pandas, penguins, koalas, chimpanzees, sun bears, giraffes |
Edinburgh Zoo is a famous animal park in Edinburgh, Scotland. It used to be called the Scottish National Zoological Park. This amazing zoo covers 82 acres and is a non-profit organization. It is located in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh.
The zoo sits on the sunny slopes of Corstorphine Hill. This spot offers fantastic views of the city. Edinburgh Zoo opened in 1913. It is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. More than 600,000 people visit the zoo each year. This makes it one of Scotland's most popular places to visit.
Besides being a fun place for visitors, the zoo does important scientific work. They help breed endangered animals. They also study how animals behave. The zoo is very active in many animal protection programs around the world.
Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo ever to keep and breed penguins. It is also the only zoo in Britain that has Queensland koalas. It used to have giant pandas, but they returned to China in December 2023. The zoo is part of big animal organizations like BIAZA, EAZA, and WAZA. It has even earned four stars from the Scottish Tourism Board. The zoo's gardens also have a huge variety of trees.
Contents
History of Edinburgh Zoo
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) started in 1909. It was set up by a lawyer named Thomas Hailing Gillespie. The RZSS bought the land on Corstorphine Hill in 1913. The Edinburgh Town Council helped them buy it.
Gillespie wanted the zoo to be different. He liked the 'open design' of a zoo in Hamburg, Germany. This design gave animals more space and a natural home. This was very different from the small, steel cages in older zoos. The zoo's layout was mostly planned by Patrick Geddes and Frank Mears.
The Scottish National Zoological Park opened to the public in 1913. In 1948, King George VI visited the zoo. After his visit, the Society was allowed to add 'Royal' to its name. It is still the only zoo in the United Kingdom with a Royal Charter.
Edinburgh Zoo's connection with penguins began in 1914. Three king penguins arrived from a whaling trip. In 1919, a king penguin chick hatched at the zoo. This was the first penguin ever born in a zoo. These were also the first penguins seen outside the South Atlantic. The famous daily penguin parade started by accident in 1950. Some penguins escaped, and people loved it! Now, it's a daily show at the zoo.
In 1986, the RZSS also took over the Highland Wildlife Park. This park is near Kingussie, about 30 miles south of Inverness. Both the zoo and the park work together. They try to give animals the best possible homes in Scotland.
The zoo still follows its original goals. These include active breeding programs. They also focus on protecting different types of life and nature. The RZSS offers many ways for people to help. You can join their club, adopt an animal, or volunteer.
Since September 2020, BBC Scotland has shown a TV series. It is called Inside the Zoo. It is about Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park.
Amazing Animals and Exhibits
Edinburgh Zoo is home to many different animals. Let's explore some of their special areas.
Budongo Trail Chimpanzees
The Budongo Trail is named after a forest in Uganda. This area is home to 15 chimpanzees. There are 7 males and 8 females. The main building has places to watch the chimps. It also has a lecture room and fun games. These teach visitors about chimpanzee life and how they live together.
Living Links Primates
Living Links is a special research center. Here, scientists study how primates behave. The exhibit has enclosures for common squirrel monkeys and tufted capuchins.
Penguins Rock
Edinburgh Zoo is famous for its penguins. The first three king penguins arrived in 1913. The current penguin pool is called "Penguins Rock." It is 65 meters long and 3.5 meters deep. It holds 1.2 million liters of water! It is home to gentoo, king, and northern rockhopper penguins.
Giant Pandas
In 2011, Edinburgh Zoo welcomed two giant pandas. Their names were Yáng Guāng (meaning "sunshine") and Tián Tián (meaning "sweetie"). They came from China. The zoo built a special home for them. They were the only giant pandas in the United Kingdom. The pandas returned to China on December 4, 2023.
Magic Forest
The Magic Forest is near the sun bear area. This building houses smaller rainforest animals. You can see cotton-top tamarins, eastern pygmy marmosets, and Goeldi's monkeys here. It also has gray-handed night monkeys and ground cuscuses.
Sloths and Armadillos
This area opened in September 2021. It tells the story of animals from South America. It has two Linnaeus's two-toed sloths named Nico and Feira. Edinburgh Zoo is the only zoo in Scotland with sloths. You can also see two large hairy armadillos here.
Giraffe House
In 2019, Edinburgh Zoo started building a new home for giraffes. They raised money for it with a special campaign. The giraffe house opened in June 2021. The zoo has five male Nubian giraffes. Their names are Ronnie, Arrow, Gerald, Fennessy, and Gilbert.
Wee Beasties
"Wee Beasties" opened in 2017. This indoor exhibit shows off some of the zoo's smallest animals. You can find blue poison dart frogs, axolotls, and pancake tortoises. There are also partula snails and Chilean rose tarantulas. A coral reef tank holds colorful fish like percula clownfish and yellow tangs.
Koala Territory and Wallaby Outback
Koala Territory opened in 2005. It is home to three female koalas: Kalari, Myaree, and Talara. The area has artwork inspired by Aboriginal culture. It also has a garden with eucalyptus plants.
Wallaby Outback is a walk-through area next to Koala Territory. It opened in 2015. Here, you can see swamp wallabies and western grey kangaroos.
Animal Antics Show
"Animal Antics" is a daily show. Keepers demonstrate the natural skills of animals. They use positive training methods. This means the animals are never forced to perform. So, the animals in the show can change each time.
Other Amazing Mammals
The zoo has many other cool mammals. These include meerkats, red pandas, and red river hogs. You can also see L'Hoest's monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs, and pygmy hippopotamus. Other animals are Asian small-clawed otters, sun bears, and Scottish wildcats. Don't miss the Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, and giant anteaters!
Other Wonderful Birds
The zoo also has many interesting birds. You can see Chilean flamingos, black storks, and great white pelicans. There are also East African crowned cranes and vulturine guineafowl. Look out for southern cassowaries and Egyptian vultures too.
Military Animals
Some animals at the zoo have even held military ranks!
- Wojtek the Bear: Wojtek was a bear adopted by Polish soldiers in Iran. He was part of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. He served in the Middle East and during a big battle. When the soldiers moved to Scotland, Wojtek retired to Edinburgh Zoo.
- Sir Nils Olav: Sir Nils Olav is a king penguin. He is the mascot and Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard. He was adopted in 1972. Each time the King's Guard visited Edinburgh, Nils was promoted. He was even given a knighthood in 2008! The King of Norway approved this special honor.
Future Plans for the Zoo
The giraffe house is the first of five big projects planned by the zoo. This initiative is called "Edinburgh Zoo's Big 5." Future plans include new homes for the sun bears, rhinoceros, and king penguins. They also plan a new tropical house. This house will have monkeys and birds roaming freely.
Research and Conservation Work
Edinburgh Zoo is home to a special research center called Living Links. This center studies how primates behave. It was created with the University of St Andrews. The center has capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys from South America. Researchers can study their behavior here.
The Budongo Trail for chimpanzees opened in 2008. It is a natural-looking home for up to 40 chimps. It has a large outdoor area and indoor spaces. There are also viewing areas and a lecture room for visitors. The RZSS helps with a long-term study of chimpanzees in Uganda, Africa. Jane Goodall, a famous chimpanzee expert, called the Budongo Trail a "wonderful facility." She said the chimps are "probably better off" there than in the wild in some areas.
The zoo also helps with conservation projects outside the zoo. For example, they helped remove invasive brown rats from the Scottish island of Canna. These rats were harming local mice and seabirds. The zoo helped capture and care for the rare Canna mice. Later, these mice were returned to the island.
In 2008, the RZSS and the Scottish Wildlife Trust got approval for a trial. They planned to bring back the European beaver to Knapdale Forest in Scotland. Beavers had been extinct in Scotland since the 16th century. If this trial is successful, the European beaver will be the first mammal brought back to the United Kingdom.
Zoo Gardens
Before it was a zoo, the Corstorphine hill site was a plant nursery. Many of the trees you see today were planted long ago. The zoo has one of the most varied tree collections in the Lothians area. There are 120 different species of trees. Because the area faces south, bananas can even grow outside! The zoo uses plants to create natural habitats for animals. They also grow food for the animals and make the zoo beautiful for visitors.
Images for kids
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Edinburgh Zoo Logo
See also
In Spanish: Zoológico de Edimburgo para niños
