Antwerp Zoo

A place that will be of interest to people of any age is the zoo, the zoological garden in the city of Antwerp is not only a place of residence for a variety of species, but also a monument of culture, architecture and history of the city. It is located in close proximity to the local train station, which also deserves special attention.

History

Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest in Europe, ranked eighth. It was opened in 1843, then it occupied 10 times less space than now, and among its inhabitants there were mostly goats and horses. The first director agreed to work on the condition that his collection of stuffed animals was to be placed on the territory. Over time, the territory expanded, birds, snakes and other inhabitants appeared in the zoo. Wealthy residents of the city donated money here and supported, brought exotic animals. So tigers, hippos, numerous primates, snakes and other animals settled here.

At first, there were all sorts of troubles at the zoo. Once a rhinoceros attacked a watchman and killed him, another time a pavilion burned down in which more than 70 different monkeys were locked. The tiger that escaped from the cage had to be shot so that no one was hurt by the paws of the predator. But all this did not prevent the zoo from continuing its existence.

From the beginning of the opening, the park was open only to the nobility. The ticket price was very high, it was equal to the monthly salary of an ordinary worker. In addition, distinguished guests did not want to walk along the same paths with ordinary people. Later, several times a week they began to sell tickets for a lower price, then there were more guests, at the same time they introduced visits for school groups. In 1918, the Antwerp Zoo was opened to everyone.

The Second World War greatly affected both the city and the zoo, many animals died of starvation, others froze to death. The starving population slaughtered artiodactyls for food. With the end of the war, the Antwerp Zoo slowly but surely stopped and began to adhere to environmental principles. Great emphasis was placed and is now being placed on the conservation and maintenance of rare species of animals and birds.

Sights

The main pride of the park is its numerous inhabitants. Here they are presented in a very diverse way, in addition, excellent conditions have been created for them:

• Area with hippos, tapirs and pelicans;
• "Moorish temple" in which rare okapis live;
• "Egyptian temple" with elephants and giraffes;
• "The Land of Frost: dedicated to fans of freezing temperatures, especially penguins;
• A variety of monkeys are comfortably accommodated in the Primate House;
• Aquaforum is home to sea lions and shows with their participation.

In addition to animals and birds, Antwerp Zoo is famous for its architecture. Many pavilions were built at the end of the 19th century and are still in excellent condition. The oldest building is the entrance gate, it has been here since 1843.

You can walk along the paths and pavilions all day long. For those who are tired and want to refresh themselves, there are several themed cafes and restaurants. For those wishing to admire the views, an observation deck 6 meters high was placed on the territory, it offers a good overview of the entire park.