History of zoos

The concept of zoos dates back to ancient times.

The history of the zoo can be briefly summarised as follows: from zoos for the private enjoyment of monarchs over a fairly long period of time, to zoos for spectacle and entertainment, with the additional goals of education, scientific research and species protection.

The tradition of keeping wild and exotic animals dates back to ancient times. Exotic animals were collected and displayed as symbols of power and wealth, as seen in the zoos of Egyptian and Roman leaders. Such traditions were long-term and universal in the royal courts of many, but not all, countries.

Modern zoos, starting with the Vienna Zoo

It was in this context that a revolution of sorts took place with the founding of the Vienna Zoo in 1752. The Vienna Zoo was designed for scientific purposes.

In the 18th century, more and more royal zoos were opened to the public. And during the Victorian period in England, the number of public zoos exploded.

In 1828, the London Zoological Gardens also opened, with a clear mission to promote animal research in the spirit of scientific discovery. And a zoo much closer to today’s zoos began to take shape.

Here is a shot of Queen Elizabeth II visiting that London Zoo in 1967.

Other zoos in Paris and Berlin began to develop around the same time. Considered an integral part of urban development, many of these institutions were established in large cities. Their influence spread rapidly around the world, even outside Europe, to the USA and Japan.

Then, at the beginning of the 20th century. A revolution occurs as a zoo concept. The German animal dealer and trainer Carl Hagenbeck appeared on the scene. He revolutionised zoo design by introducing open, bar-free enclosures that more closely mimicked the animals’ natural habitat, with the aim of increasing animal comfort and enabling more natural behaviour.

And as more zoos opened, animals were often traded between them, resulting in an increasingly diverse collection of species from all over the world.

Then came the recent revolution: the environmental movement of the mid-to-late 20th century began to redefine the zoo’s mission once again. To combat the rapidly accelerating loss of biodiversity, the emphasis becomes more on conservation and social education.

Zoos thus play a considerably more active role in breeding programmes for endangered species and can be said to have shifted their centre of gravity from being places of amusement park-like purpose to nature conservation centres.

Famous zoos of the world

Vienna Zoo (Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

The Vienna Zoo (officially known as Schönbrunn Zoo, which translates directly from the German as Schönbrunn’s Animal Garden) is the oldest continuously operating zoo in the world, located in Vienna, Austria.

It was founded in 1752 by Holy Roman Emperor Francis I as the Imperial Zoo at Schönbrunn Palace. Initially for the enjoyment and education of the imperial family and court, it was opened to the public in 1779.

Especially in the early 19th century, under the supervision of zoologist Carl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibarth, scientific standards and naturalistic enclosures began to be introduced. Today, the Vienna Zoo is known for its conservation work, breeding programmes and public education on biodiversity and ecosystems.

If you watch the video here, you might think that the zoo looks surprisingly similar to a typical zoo, aside from the ornate buildings. But other zoos around the world have adopted this zoo’s features.

As its name suggests, the zoo is located on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but would probably have been listed as a World Heritage Site even if it had been organised separately from Schönbrunn Palace.

The zoo has undergone continuous evolution and even at the beginning of the 21st century it underwent significant modernisation to bring the animals’ habitat closer to nature. It should be added that there is also a rainforest house where visitors can experience a tropical ecosystem with birds and bats flying around.

London Zoo The British Royal Family love it

Opened in 1828, London Zoo was initially created as a collection for scientific research and was the world’s first scientific zoo. About 20 years later, in 1849, a reptile house was opened, and in 1853 an aquarium was built.

London Zoo is committed to nature conservation and houses endangered species, including Sumatran tigers and Asiatic lions. There is also an insect exhibit, which aims to educate the public about the importance of insects in the ecosystem.

And here are Queen Elizabeth’s sons, King Charles and Prince William. It is half a century after the footage of the Queen’s visit that I put up earlier in this article. You may be deeply moved if you watch them in succession.

Berlin Zoo Germany’s oldest zoo

Founded in 1844, Berlin Zoo is not only Germany’s oldest zoo, but also one of the world’s leading zoos with more than 20,000 animals of around 1,400 species, including rare and endangered species.
Innovative habitats The zoo features meticulously designed habitats that mimic the natural environment, including a renowned aquarium.

Renowned for its successful breeding programme, including endangered species, it offers an excellent visitor experience in well-designed habitats that mimic the natural environment.

World’s largest zoo San Diego Zoo

Opened in 1916 and located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, this is one of the world’s most famous zoos, renowned for its conservation and species protection work. Specifically, it houses more than 650 species and subspecies and more than 3,500 animals.

It is particularly famous for its early start in doing open-air, cageless exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park aims to provide an African safari-like experience by allowing visitors to see animals in larger free-range enclosures.

The zoo’s Penguin Beach is also one of the largest penguin pools in the USA, built to resemble a South American beach.

The San Diego Zoo is objectively and consistently rated as one of the top zoos not only in the USA, but also in the world. Known for its vast collection of rare and endangered species, the zoo is at the forefront of animal care and conservation science. Incidentally, in addition to animals, the zoo also has a vast plant collection of over 700,000 exotic plants.

It runs the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which focuses on conservation science to save the world’s species. It also preserves the genetic material of animals in projects such as the ‘Frozen Zoo’ project, in the hope that future technology will allow extinct species to be brought back to life.

In a sense, in the 21st century, the zoo may be regarded as the planet’s leading zoo.