Tierpark Berlin

Tierpark Berlin is one of two zoos located in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1955 and is situated in Friedrichsfelde on the former grounds of Friedrichsfelde Palace. The park covers a large area of 160 hectares, which is about 400 acres, and is home to many animals.

As of the end of 2013, the zoo housed over 7,000 animals representing more than 800 different species. One special feature of Tierpark Berlin is a free exhibit called the Bärenschaufenster, or Bear Show Window, where visitors can see American black bears up close.

The zoo is part of an important group called the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and takes part in around 120 breeding programs. It helps protect endangered animals by keeping careful records and supporting efforts to return some species to places where they used to live. The park also supports projects that help protect natural habitats around the world.

History

Tierpark Berlin opened in 1955 as a zoo in East Berlin. It was created to give people from that area a place to visit animals, since the famous Berlin Zoological Garden was far away in West Berlin. The zoo started with bear enclosures that had natural rocks and artificial waterfalls, plus large paddocks for animals like camels and bison.

Over the years, the zoo added many new exhibits, including aviaries and buildings for different kinds of animals such as carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, birds, and primates like great apes. A big building for African and Asian elephants and other large animals was finished just before East and West Berlin were reunited.

In the 1990s, the zoo replaced old structures and added new areas for animals from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Recently, it has become well-known for successfully breeding elephants. It is one of the few zoos in Western Europe that keeps large groups of hoofed animals, including some rare kinds like muskoxen and takin. The zoo has the widest variety of hoofed mammals in Europe.

Statistics

Directors

The first director of the Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde from 1955 to 1990 was Heinrich Dathe. He was a famous scientist who edited five scientific journals and wrote over 1,000 papers and books. After him, Bernhard Blaszkiewitz took over as director.