Copenhagen Zoo is a zoological garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is part of EAZA. It covers 11 hectares (27 acres) and is located in the municipality of Frederiksberg, between the parks Frederiksberg Gardens and Söndermarken. With 1,161,388 visitors in 2008, it is the most visited zoo and the 4th most visited attraction in Denmark. The zoo is famous for its new Elephant House, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. The zoo supports and promotes a number of European breeding programs.
The Copenhagen Zoo was founded by ornithologist Niels Kierbolling in 1859. The summer garden "At Princess Wilhelmina's" (Princess Wilhelmina's garden) was given to it by the Copenhagen General Directorate. Animals that visitors could observe at the opening: eagles, chickens, ducks, owls, rabbits, foxes, a seal in the bath and a turtle in a bucket. In the first years of the zoo's existence, the main focus was to demonstrate as many different species as possible, but since animal welfare later became a problem, the number of different species decreased in favor of more space for each animal. In 1901, the Zoo organized a human exhibition with 25 Indians - men, women and children - at which "brown exotics" spoke about their daily lives in huts made of palm leaves built in the middle of the zoo. One of the most remarkable animals kept in the zoo was a male slow worm, who lived there from 1892 to 1946 (54 years, which is a record among lizards).
Since the early 1980s, the Copenhagen Zoo has been undergoing a renovation to replace the enclosures with enclosures that recreate the natural habitat of the animals, giving the animals a better lifestyle and a more realistic experience for visitors. The Elephant Storage and Savannah of 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) are the result of these efforts. The Savannah includes the Hippopotamus House, where hippos can be watched underwater.
Many historical buildings have been preserved in the zoo. The oldest building that is still in use today, the Yak stables, was built in 1872 and is now home to Bactrian camels. In the house of herbivores, built in 1875, still live herbivores, namely tapirs. Today is preserved tower owl 1885 in memory of how once kept animals in the zoo.
A remarkable and well noticeable feature of the zoo is a wooden observation tower. From a height of 43.5 meters (142.7 feet) offers a view of the surrounding parks and the city. The tower was built in 1905 and is one of the highest observation towers built of wood in the world. Its foundation is similar to that of the Eiffel Tower.
Animals exhibited in the zoo, which are not located in any of the main areas, include Bactrian camels, American flamingos, scarlet ibis, pink spoons, Dalmatian pelicans, turkey vultures, Humboldt penguins, California sea lions, white monkeys in black cap, chimpanzees and lions.
In the part of the zoo called Norden, visitors can see species such as common seals, snow owls, reindeer, sheep, brown bears, Arctic foxes and grey wolves. The "Arctic Ring", which opened in 2013, presents an exposition of polar bears (including a tunnel that allows you to observe under water) and an aviary for seabirds of the North Atlantic (alcids).
