Information & Pictures about Liberec - Zoo

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The Zoo
In the year 1904 the unusual sounds of birds were first heard in Liberec city park. It was then that the local ornithological society first housed exotic birds in a large aviary and shortly after this roe deer were to be seen in a small reserve in the valley beyond the Labutí jezero (Swan lake). The first steps towards establishing small zoological gardens in Liberec were taken in 1907. The promising development was however interrupted by the war and it wasn't until it was over that any real progress was made. In the autumn of 1919 the first small zoo in Czechoslovakia was officially opened. The number of protected species rapidly increased and by the year 1927 the valley in which it was located was just about full. Later however the second world war didn't just put a halt to development, it left the zoo in such a critical condition that it almost had to be closed entirely. It was only the enthusiasm, dedication and self-sacrifice of the local employees that saved the zoo from this fate. Today the Liberec Zoo houses around 1000 animals of 150 different species and covers an area of 16 hectares.

The zoo principally aims to breed endangered species in a natural environment. Here 27 endangered species are bred, for example the black gibbon, the Sumatran orangutan, the sea eagle, the flat nosed rhinoceros, the Rothschild giraffe and many others. Liberec Zoo is part of the European protection of endangered species program. Liberec Zoo boasts almost eighty birds of prey, making it the top zoo in Europe for breeding these birds. Other rarities to be found in the zoo include the Dagistanian goat, the Somalian donkey and the northern deer. The Zoo's greatest attraction is perhaps the white tigers, which were brought to the Zoo in 1994. This is the only zoo in central Europe to have white tigers. Liberec Zoo became a part of the International protection of endangered species program thanks to its overall approach to the reproduction and breeding of endangered species in a natural environment. The International program targets specifically the needs of each individual continent. The success of the breeding program in Liberec attracted so much international public attention that the 33rd World Symposium On Zoological Gardens was held here in 1991. In 1994 the Zoo became a permanent member of the European Association of Zoological Gardens, and in the year of its 80th anniversary, 1999, it became a member of the World Zoo Organization - the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (WZO-IUDZG). It now ranks among the top 150 Zoo's in the World. The Zoo continues to grow. In the last few years a new monkey house has been built and a new aviary for exotic birds is currently being built. The Zoo is to be found in the middle of green park land on the edge of Liberec, close to the Swan lake which is an ideal spot for relaxation and contemplation. There's also plenty for the children. The children's playground has a play pool, a mini train and other attractions. While you're in Liberec don't forget to visit the Zoo, the time you spend walking through it will be both pleasurable and informative.

Lada Sedláčková