Slottskogens djurpark is a Swedish

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

in the park

Slottsskogen Slottsskogen (, "Castle Forest") is a 137-hectare park located in central Gothenburg, Sweden. History When Gothenburg was founded in the 17th century, the area of Slottsskogen was a forest that belonged to the Old Älvsborg fortress. In the ...

, located in the town Gothenburg in Sweden. It is a member of 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). Partially opened for public in 1876, Slottskogens djurpark is one of the oldest zoos in Sweden. There is no entrance fee charged. Among the species displayed is Swedish animals, a pond with

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means ...

and

penguin Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...

s. During summer season, a children zoo is open, where children can meet animals like goats, sheep and pigs.

Animals

The zoo keeps several wild species of animals, primarily from the Nordic countries, such as

moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...

, but also a handful of species from further abroad such as penguins. In addition to wild animals, the zoo also works to conserve some traditional heritage breeds of Nordic domestic animals. In 2021, an old pond was remodelled to house the Swedish yellow duck (Sw. ''Svensk gul anka'').

Criticism

The long-lived zoo has not been without criticism. In August 2022, ahead of the

2022 Swedish general election General elections were held in Sweden on 11 September 2022 to elect the 349 members of the Riksdag who in turn elected the Prime Minister of Sweden. Under the constitution, regional and municipal elections were also held on the same day. The pr ...

, the spokesperson of the political party Feminist Initiative Teysir Subhi called for the zoo to be shut down by the municipal authorities of Gothenburg, arguing that the conditions faced by the animals were inhumane.

References

Zoos in Sweden Buildings and structures in Gothenburg 1876 establishments in Sweden {{zoo-stub