Zoo Leipzig

Description

On the edge of the Rosental in the Leipzig district of Zentrum‑Nordwest lies the Zoo Leipzig, originally laid out as a park‑like zoological garden and, over the past decades, extensively transformed into a modern nature‑experience park.

The zoo was founded in 1878 as a private animal garden; in its early years exotic showpieces and orangutans—shown for the first time in Germany—drew visitors. Until the 1930s, alongside animal presentations, the operation also included the then‑common ethnological Völkerschauen. At the beginning of the 20th century an aquarium and terrarium were built; the first major expansions followed after the First World War. After difficult war years the operation was taken over by the city in 1920 and was gradually expanded. From the second half of the 20th century the zoo continued to develop, gained new outdoor enclosures and in 1973 assumed responsibility for the International Studbook for Tigers — achieving outstanding breeding success with Amur tigers.

Since 2000 the "Zoo der Zukunft" concept has guided development: the park was divided into six themed worlds (Gründer‑Garten, Gondwanaland, Asien, Pongoland, Afrika, Südamerika) and was successively supplemented with naturalistic, large‑scale enclosures. Significant new constructions include, among others, the great ape enclosure Pongoland (2001), the lion savanna and the Kiwara‑Savanne (2001/2004), the Elephant Temple (2006) and the large tropical hall Gondwanaland (2011). At the same time historical buildings were renovated and reconceived.

Zoo Leipzig pursues intensive conservation breeding and species conservation work: it maintains several international studbooks and coordinates European conservation programmes. Longstanding in‑situ projects include establishing and supporting protection stations in Vietnam, protective measures for chimpanzees in West Africa, a breeding station for endangered rhinoceros subspecies in Borneo and a breeding and research station for the Darwin's frog in Chile. In addition, the zoo takes part in reintroduction projects in Europe, North Africa and Central Asia and is engaged regionally in the conservation of the European hamster.

Because of this combination of historical development, modern exhibition architecture and committed conservation work, the Zoo Leipzig is among Europe's internationally recognized zoological gardens.