Official Description

Visitor Reviews

This review submitted by Niels Johs Legarth Iversen: November 2000
The older of the two Berlin zoos (the one actually named zoo) is also the oldest zoo in Germany, as it was founded as early as 1841. King Friedrich Wilhelm IV gave the land, and in 1844 he even moved the 850 animals from the royal collection from Pfaueninsel to the new zoo. The monumental orientalizing elephant portico at the entrance dates back to 1899. The zoo is not only old, but also known as the zoo with most species represented: it has had more than 2000 species on display, but in accordance with modern zoo principles the number has been steadily declining and now is below 1500 including the Aquarium. It has one more interesting feature, namely accessability, – it is just opposite to one of the busiest railway stations in the country, called Bahnhof Zoo, and this is surely one of the reasons for its 3.300.000 yearly visitors (the Tiergarten Friedrichsfelde only has a third of this number).When you enter through the venerable portico you first see flowers rather than animals, and generally you don't feel it is cramped inside the zoo, – but the reality is that it has quite a limited space and can't be expected to grow further. With the cooperation that has been established between the Berlin Zoos it is to be expected that space demanding animals more and more will be shown in Friedrichsfelde.And now, what is there to see? Right beside the elephant portico you see the Aquarium from 1913, but quite up to date inside. It is one of the very few places where you have the chance to see tuataras, but of course it also has tons of other reptiles (including comodo dragons) and amphibians, in addition to all the fish. A path to your left lead to the apes and monkeys, and further on to the elephants. In front of you there is something akin to a flower covered boulevard up to a fountain, from where it forks out the left and right. Left leads towards giraffes, antelopes and deer, – and behind these to the main part of the zoo. Right leads past (more) antelopes, okapis and zebras and over a bridge to the only outlying part of the zoo with a (small) pampa, a (small) savannah and a (small) Australian steppe. I understand why the zoo people accepted this area, but the effect is paradoxically mostly to remind you of the limitations of space. What I have described so far roughly covers just half the zoo.There seems to be some zoological motivation behind its structure. For instance in the middle there is a string of enclosures with visent, bisons, several kinds of cattle, buffalos, anoas, bantengs and gaurs, – in short just about any kind of bovine shown in zoos. Another area boasts canines: maned wolwes, ordinary wolwes and african wild dogs (with a selection of bears nearby). And near the large bird house you find the pheasants and cassowaries (though longlegged birds like flamingos, ibis, cranes and storks are assembled in another section). For the time being this is a rather rare way to configure a zoo, – the geographical configuration principle is much more popular. You may not think about this when you walk the zoo, but the effect is to emphasize the encyclopaedic multitude of species represented here. In short, one of the worlds greatest zoos.

Please note: The Star ratings can only be awarded by a Good Zoo Guide Official Visit. You can request one by email to [email protected]