Zoo in Wuppertal, Germany
Wuppertal Zoo
(
German
:
Zoologischer Garten Wuppertal
or
Zoo Wuppertal
) is a 24-hectare (59-acre)
zoo
in
Wuppertal
,
Germany
. About 5,000 animals from around the world live at the zoo, representing about 500
species
, including
apes
,
monkeys
,
bears
,
big cats
,
elephants
, as well as birds, reptiles, and fish.
History
[
edit
]
Share of the Actien-Gesellschaft "Zoologischer Garten" in Elberfeld, issued 1. June 1881
The zoo was founded on 5 December 1879 by a
joint-stock company
, Gesellschaft Zoologischer Garten.
[1]
The central building opened on 8 September 1881, together with the zoo itself. It featured 34 animals, among them a pair of
wolves
and a bear.
[2]
Since then, the zoo has been steadily expanded.
In 1937, the joint-stock company which owned the zoo struggled due to economic hardships, and operations were transferred to the Wuppertal city council, which has run the zoo since then.
[1]
During
World War II
, Zoo Wuppertal was not as badly damaged as other German zoos. At that time, a majority of the animals were evacuated to the
Berlin
and
Poznan
zoos and did not return.
[1]
In 1946, the Zoo Banqueting Hall hosted British
war crimes trials
which especially concerned the individuals brought to the dock by the
Special Air Service
War Crimes Investigation Team. Major Alastair Hunt was responsible for trying several Nazi war criminals, notably
Gestapo
and
SS
Commander
Standartenfuhrer
Erich Isselhorst
and SS-
Hauptsturmfuhrer
Fritz Hartjenstein
.
[3]
The late 20th century and early 21st century saw major upgrades and renovations to the exhibits in the zoo. A new large-cat building was constructed in 1970 to replace the old lion house and moated lion enclosure, followed by a renovated aquarium in 1974, an ape pavilion in 1978, a renovated primate house in 1985 and, in 1993, an aviary for South American birds, which was added to the bird building constructed in 1960.
[1]
In 1995, a new elephant house was constructed, with a 1.2-hectare (3-acre) outdoor yard and 1,000-square-metre (10,750 sq ft) indoor quarters, giving the zoo's herd of elephants expanded room.
[1]
The
gorilla
enclosure was updated and expanded to 525 square metres (5,650 sq ft) in 2006, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the opening of the zoo. Visitors can view the gorillas through a large glass window. The
drill monkey
enclosure was also renovated in 2006.
[4]
On 24 May 2007, the zoo opened a new enclosure for
lions
and tigers. The 1-hectare (2.5-acre) lion enclosure is claimed to be the largest in a German zoo, and the
Siberian tigers
now live in several enclosures in the Valley of Tigers.
[5]
Anori, a
polar bear
cub born on 4 January 2012, which shares a father with the internationally well-known late polar bear
Knut
, made her public debut alongside her mother, Vilma, on Thursday, 29 March 2012. Until then, a camera inside their enclosure had been monitoring her progress in learning to walk and get around.
[6]
Animals & Exhibits
[
edit
]
![[icon]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png) | This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
April 2022
)
|
The zoo's rocky and hilly terrain, as well as the city's humid and rainy climate, has led it to specialize in animals native to
alpine tundra
,
temperate deciduous forests
, and
tropical rainforests
.
[1]
Modern enclosures and zoo buildings exist for
elephants
and apes, and there is a house for birds with a specially designed hall, where free-flying birds can be observed, as well as small combined
aquarium
/
terrarium
.
Location
[
edit
]
The zoo lies in the western part of
Wuppertal
, on the so-called "Boltenberg", between
Elberfeld
and
Vohwinkel
.
Public transport is available in the immediate vicinity. The
Wuppertaler Schwebebahn
(Wuppertal Suspension Railway), and
Wuppertal Zoologischer Garten station
on the
Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn
(S8, S9), are close by. Travelling car, via
Autobahn
46, is possible but not recommended, since parking spaces are in very short supply.
Directors
[1]
[
edit
]
- 1900?1934: Josef Keusch
- 1934?1941: Wilhelm Seiffge
- 1942?1947: Eduard Wiedmann
- 1947?1950: Martin Schlott
- 1950?1967: Richard Muller
- 1967?1988: Gerhard Haas
- 1988?present: Ulrich Schurer
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Schurer, Ulrich (2001).
"Zoo Wuppertal", Encyclopedia of The World's Zoos, Volume 3
. Fitzroy Dearborn.
ISBN
1-57958-174-9
.
- ^
"Zoo History"
.
zoo-wuppertal.de
. Wuppertal Zoo
. Retrieved
31 March
2012
.
- ^
Lewis.
SAS Nazi Hunters: The Ultra-Secret Unit and the Hunt for Hitler's War Criminals (Quercus, London (2015)).
- ^
"Zoo Today"
.
zoo-wuppertal.de
. Wuppertal Zoo
. Retrieved
31 March
2012
.
- ^
"Lions and Tigers"
.
zoo-wuppertal.de
. Wuppertal Zoo
. Retrieved
31 March
2012
.
- ^
Smith-Spar, Laura (31 March 2012).
"Polar bear Knut's half-sister makes public debut"
.
cnn.com
.
CNN
. Retrieved
31 March
2012
.
External links
[
edit
]