Sofia Zoo in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was founded by royal decree on 1 May 1888, and is Bulgaria's oldest and largest zoological garden. It covers 36 hectares (89 acres) and, as of March 2006, housed 1,113 animals representing 244 species.
Contents
History[edit]
Initially, the zoo was located in the park of the former royal palace, with the primary attraction being a Eurasian Black Vulture caught in Bulgaria and exhibited in a cage in the garden. Later, pheasants and deer were added to the collection, but since the exhibits and facilities of the time proved inadequate to accommodate a pair of Brown Bears, Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria ordered a grant of land to be awarded to Sofia Zoo on the grounds of the former botanical garden, then in the outskirts of the city.[3]
Sofia Zoo's exhibition of animals constantly increased, with both local and foreign species being added. Most notably a pair of lions in 1892, which were housed in a former stable and a lion cub was born the same year.[3]
Between 1893 and 1895, new cages and buildings were constructed to accommodate the ever increasing collection of birds and mammals, including a solid three-room stone building in the back of the terrain designed to be inhabited by bears (1894), a pool where a few Pink-backed Pelicans lived, a building to accommodate pheasants and another one for eagles (1895).[3]
Sofia Zoo moved from its original (and smaller) location in the center of the city to a new 36-hectare (89-acre) site about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) south of Sofia in 1982.[1]
Exhibits[edit]
- Grazing Animals
The zoo is home to some 80 individuals representing 20 grazing species, including white rhinos, hippopotamus, elephants, zebras, red deer, addax,ibex, wild boar, dromedary camels, and American bison.[4]
- Primates
Primates are housed in two pavilions. The zoo is home to 41 individuals representing 12 species, including ring-tailed lemurs, drills, yellow baboons,white-headed marmoset, common marmoset, and macaques.[5]
- Predators
The predator sector houses big cats, bears and small predators, including lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, and brown bears.[6]
- Penguins
In January 2011 the zoo received 8 Humboldt penguins on loan from Germany. The penguins are on loan for about 18 months, after which they will be returned, with any offspring to stay at the zoo.[2][7]
- Birds
The zoo houses some 500 individual birds representing 60 species. Waterbirds are housed in a 1.5-hectare (3.7-acre) lake, and imperial eagles, griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, and buzzards in a large walk-through aviary. Other species of birds at the zoo include ostriches, silver pheasants, peacocks, flamingos, blue-and-yellow macaws, owls, cockatoos, cockatiels.[8]
Other facilities[edit]
The zoo's veterinary clinic includes a separate entrance and is accessible to the public without entry to the zoo.[1]
The future[edit]
Sofia Zoo is currently in the process of upgrading its facilities to meet current European standards in preparation for becoming a full member of theEuropean Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).[1]
Incidents[edit]
In 2009 the central heating at the zoo was shut down because the gas supply into the country was stopped by Russia due to a pricing dispute. About a third of the 1300 animals at the zoo were vulnerable to the resulting cold. Employees had to find portable electric and oil heaters to heat their enclosures.[9]
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