Tallinn Zoo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tallinn Zoo in Tallinn, Estonia, was founded in 1939 and today houses more than 5,400 animals, representing nearly 350 species.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1937, a team of Estonian marksmen won the World Champion title in Helsinki. They brought back with them a young lynx, named Illu. Illu became the first exhibit in the zoo, which was formally opened on 25 August 1939. The lynx was later chosen to be the zoo's emblem animal.
Inititally the zoo was based on the edge of Kadriorg Park. Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, delaying the planned development of the zoo. It relocated to a 87 hectare site in the Veskimetsa district in 1983.
[edit] The Zoo Today
The more exotic exhibits include elephants, tigers, and polar bears.
The zoo is currently undergoing a major modernisation programme, updating the facilities.
In July 2004 a man who had fallen asleep in a drunken stupor, woke up and roamed the zoo alone. He tried to offer a Polar Bear a cookie, only to have his hand bitten off. His screams alerted security who called an ambulance. He survived following surgery, but his hand was never recovered.
[edit] Zoo Conditions
In late 2007, a polar bear escaped from its cage due to human negligence, and died after being tranquilized.[1]
[edit] Links
|
||||||||||||||||||||
