The Slovak National Zoological Garden () is a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

in the town of

Bojnice Bojnice (; ) is a historical town in east Slovakia located on the Nitra (river), Nitra river, near the city of Prievidza. The town is situated just below the Bojnice Castle. It has a population of around 5,000. Bojnice is best known for its popul ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. It is the oldest and most visited of Slovak zoos, being established in 1955. The zoo received more than 400,000 visitors in the year 2018.Tlačová správa 2018 https://zoobojnice.sk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/01_TS-N%C3%A1rodn%C3%A1-zoo-Bojnice-Rok-2018-bol-v-znamen%C3%AD-rekordnej-n%C3%A1v%C5%A1tevnosti-1.pdf , it presents over 360 different species, with a total of over 2700 specimens. Its primary attractions include the

African elephant African elephants are members of the genus ''Loxodonta'' comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant (''L. africana'') and the smaller African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''). Both are social herbivores with grey skin. ...

and

Carpathian lynx The Carpathian lynx (''Lynx lynx carpathicus'') is a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx found in the Carpathian Basin of Romania, Northern Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and Bulgaria. Description thumb The Carpathian lynx is quite large compa ...

. It is the only zoo in Slovakia with species such as the

agile wallaby The agile wallaby (''Notamacropus agilis''), also known as the sandy wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in north Australia. The agile wallaby is a sandy colour, beco ...

Hamlyn's monkey The Hamlyn's monkey (''Cercopithecus hamlyni''), also known as the owl-faced monkey, is a species of Old World monkey that inhabits the bamboo and primary rainforests of the Congo. This species is exceedingly rare and known only from a few speci ...

African palm civet The African palm civet (''Nandinia binotata''), also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small feliform mammal widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Characteristics The African palm ...

red-fan parrot The red-fan parrot (''Deroptyus accipitrinus''), also known as the hawk-headed parrot, is a New World parrot hailing from the Amazon Rainforest. It is the only member of the genus ''Deroptyus''. It is found in Brazil, Suriname, Bolivia, Ecuador ...

and more. The Bojnice Zoo is managed by the

ministry of environment of the Slovak Republic Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

History

Opened on 1 April 1955, it is the first zoo to ever open in Slovakia. Initially called the ''Zoological Garden of the Nitra Region'' ('')'', administration of the zoo was later transferred to the ministry of environment in 1998. Only much later, in 2017, was the zoo named the Slovak ''National Zoological Garden''.

Associations

The Bojnice Zoo is a member of the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

(IUCN),the

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ...

(WAZA), the

European Association of Zoos and Aquaria The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is an organisation for the European zoo and aquarium community that links over 340 member organisations in 41 countries. EAZA membership is open to all zoos and aquaria across Europe that compl ...

(EAZA), the Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens (UCSZOO), the

International Zoo Educators Association The International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the education programmes in zoos and aquariums. Founded in 1972 by a group of European zoo educators, IZE's aim was to create a forum where zoo ...

(IZA), the

Species360 Species360 (formerly International Species Information System, abbreviated as ISIS), founded in 1974, is an international non-profit organization that maintains an online database of wild animals under human care. As of 2023, the organization ser ...

organization, the ''EUROLYNX'' organization, the ''West African Primate Conservation Action'' organization and the ''European Elephant Keeper and Manager Association''.

Collection

The Bojnice Zoo is home to the largest collection of animals of any Slovak zoo, many of which are also only showcased there. This includes, but is not limited to, the

and bongo antelope. The zoo also offers patrons the option to symbolic 'adopt' any of their animals for a fee, which supports the zoo financially. File:ZOO Bojnice - Antilopa bongo.jpg, Bongo antilope File:ZOO Bojnice - Medved.jpg,

Brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...

File:ZOO Bojnice - pelikany.jpg,

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

File:ZOO Bojnice - Maciak.jpg,

Roloway monkey The Roloway monkey (''Cercopithecus roloway'') is an endangered species of Old World monkey endemic to tropical West Africa. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Diana monkey (''C. diana''). The species is classified as Critically En ...

File:ZOO Bojnice - Pralesnicka azurova.jpg,

Blue poison dart frog The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog (''Dendrobates tinctorius'' "azureus") is a poison dart frog found in the "forest islands" surrounded by the Sipaliwini Savanna in southern Suriname. Its indigenous Tiriyó language, Tiriyo na ...

File:Camel - Bojnice ZOO.jpg,

Camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...

File:Panda červená.png,

Red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

File:ZOO Bojnice - Lev.jpg,

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

Notes

External links

* * {{authority control Zoos in Slovakia Buildings and structures in Trenčín Region Tourist attractions in Trenčín Region Zoos established in 1955 1955 establishments in Czechoslovakia Bojnice