Copenhagen Zoo
 Main entrance | |
| Date opened | 1859 |
|---|---|
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Coordinates | 55°40′22″N 12°31′17″E / 55.67278°N 12.52139°ECoordinates: 55°40′22″N 12°31′17″E / 55.67278°N 12.52139°E |
| Land area | 11 hectares (27 acres) |
| Number of animals | 3000+[1] |
| Number of species | 264[1] |
| Annual visitors | 1,161,388 (2008) |
| Memberships | EAZA,[2] WAZA[3] |
| Website | www.zoo.dk |
Copenhagen Zoo (Danish: København Zoo) is a zoological garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. It comprises 11 hectares (27 acres) and is located in the municipality of Frederiksberg, sandwiched between the parks of Frederiksberg Park and Søndermarken. With 1,161,388 visitors in 2008 it is the most visited zoo and 4th most visited attraction in Denmark.[4] The zoo is noted for its new Elephant House designed by the world-famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. The zoo maintains and promotes a number of European breeding programmes and is active in the safeguarding several endangered species.
History
Copenhagen Zoo was founded by the ornithologist Niels Kjærbølling in 1859. He was given the summer garden of "Prinsess Vilhelmines Have" (The garden of Princess Vilhelmine) by the chief directorate of Copenhagen. The animals that the visitors could contemplate at the opening were eagles, chickens, ducks, owls, rabbits, a fox, a seal in a bathtub and a turtle in a bucket. In the early years the zoo focused on showing as many different types of animals as possible, but as animal welfare later became an issue, the number of different species has dropped in favour of more space to each animal. In 1901 the zoo displayed 25 Indians- men, women and children- in an exhibition where the "brown exotic" people went about their daily lives in palm tree leaf huts constructed in the middle of the zoo.[5] One of the most notable animals kept there was a male slow worm that lived there from 1892 to 1946 (for 54 years, which is a record among lizards).[6][7]
Copenhagen Zoo Tower
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A notable and highly visible feature of the zoo is the wooden observation tower. 43.5 metres (142.7 ft) high, it offers views of the surrounding parklands and city. The tower was built in 1905 and is one of the tallest observation towers built of wood in the world.[8] Its base is similar to that of Eiffel Tower.
Copenhagen Zoo today
During the last 25 years, Copenhagen Zoo has been undergoing a renovation project aimed at replacing cages with enclosures which recreate animals' natural environments, giving a better lifestyle to the animals, and a more realistic experience to visitors.[9] The Elephant House and 1.5-hectare (3.7-acre) Savanna are results of these efforts. The Savanna includes a Hippopotamus House where the hippos can be watched underwater.
The zoo has preserved many of its historical buildings. The oldest building still in use, a stable for yaks, was erected in 1872, and now houses the bactrian camels.[10] A Herbivore House built in 1875 still houses herbivores, namely tapirs. An owl tower from 1885 is today left as a memorial commemorating how zoo animals were once kept.[11]
Foster's Elephant House
The new Elephant House, opened in June 2008, is designed by Norman Foster in cooperation with the Danish landscape architect Stig L. Andersson. It houses Asian elephants and contains two glass-domed enclosures. One is for six cows and calves and measures 45 by 23 metres (148 by 75 ft). The other is 30 by 15 metres (98 by 49 ft) and is for two bulls, kept in separate pens during the mating season for fear of fights.[12] The building also contain an exhibit space and a small lecture hall. The enclosures open out through mighty rusted steel doors into am almost 1 hectare big landscaped paddock with a pool 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep and 60 metres (200 ft) long.[13]
The paddock's border with Frederiksberg Park, once a 3-metre (9.8 ft) high wall, has been opened up so that people in the park can now watch the elephants. This has been done because the zoo, with its central location is very much a city zoo, wants to integrate with the urban landscape. At the same time it affords the elephants distant views of open parkland and ancient trees.
Rare species
- For several years, Copenhagen Zoo was the only zoo outside Australia that had Tasmanian devils,[14] and it remains the only in Europe. They bred for the first time in Copenhagen Zoo in 2013 when the two females gave birth to a total of seven young.[15]
- Copenhagen Zoo has the rare Amur leopard, okapi and muskox.
Exhibitions
Animals which are exhibited at the zoo but not in any of the main areas are for example bactrian camel, American flamingo, scarlet ibis, roseate spoonbill, Dalmatian pelican, turkey vulture, Humboldt penguin, California sea lion, black-capped squirrel monkey, chimpanzee and lion.
The Nordics and the Arctic Ring
In the part of the zoo called "The Nordics" (Danish: Norden) visitors can see species such as harbour seal, reindeer, muskox, Eurasian eagle-owl, brown bear and grey wolf. The "Artic Ring" (Danish: Den Arktiske Ring), which opened in 2013, has an exhibit for polar bears (including a tunnel allowing underwater views) and an aviary for North Atlantic seabirds (alcids).[16]
Asia
In the "Asia" (Danish: Asien) section visitors can see red panda, Asian tapir, Oriental small-clawed otter, leopard, tiger, Asian elephant and other animals.
South America
In the "South America" (Danish: Sydamerika) section visitors can see species such as capybara, guanaco, greater rhea, Patagonian mara, southern screamer and giant anteater.
Africa
In the part of the zoo called "Africa" (Danish: Afrika) visitors can see species such as white rhinoceros, giraffe, impala, okapi, sable antelope, ostrich, plains zebra, hippopotamus, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Congo Peafowl and caracal.
Islands
In the "Islands" (Danish: Øer) section visitors can see emu, red-necked wallaby, Tasmanian devil, ring-tailed lemur, kea and other animals.
Tropical Zoo
The "Tropical Zoo" (Danish: Tropezoo) consists of a rainforest hall with one section for free-ranging birds and another for tropical butterflies. In between the two is a section for reptiles, amphibians and fish.
Children's Zoo
In the Children's Zoo (Danish: Børnezoo) visitors can see domestic animals like llama, goat, cow, pig, horse, rabbit and chicken.
Animal gallery
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A Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorumin)
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Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in the grounds of the new Elephant House
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A Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) in Copenhagen Zoo
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A Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) yawning
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Visit Denmark: Zoo. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ↑ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. EAZA. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ↑ "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ↑ "Attraktionsstatistikken 2007 - top50". Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ↑ http://rac.sagepub.com/content/45/2/21.extract
- ↑ "Slow Worm".
- ↑ "Slow Worm".
- ↑ Zoo Tower at Structurae
- ↑ "Bygninger". Københavns Zoo. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ "Bygninger". Københavns Zoo. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ↑ Glancey, Jonathan (2008-06-10). "Bygninger". London: Københavns Zoo. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ↑ "Wait till you see our swimming pool!". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ Glancey, Jonathan (2008-06-10). "Wait till you see our swimming pool!". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ "Disease-plagued Tasmanian devils now endangered". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- ↑ Glaetzer, S. (5 January 2014). Denmark's Copenhagen Zoo plans to lead way in Tasmanian devil care. The Mercury. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ A.P.Moller Fonden (February 2013). Den Arktiske Ring (Danish). Retrieved 19 January 2014
External links
Media related to Copenhagen Zoo at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
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