
The Tierpark Berlin is one of two
zoos located in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It was founded in 1955 and is located in
Friedrichsfelde on the former grounds of
Friedrichsfelde Palace, which is situated within the zoo. , the zoo houses 7,250 animals from 846 species,
[Tierpark Berlin]
Tierstatistik 2013
Retrieved 18 January 2014. in an area of . Tierpark Berlin also features two public exhibits free of charge, one being the Bärenschaufenster (Bear Show Window) for
American black bear
The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...
s. The park is also home to the
Treskow family's historic
family burial ground.
Tierpark Berlin 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) and participates in about 120 breeding programmes (
EEP). It maintains the international
studbooks for endangered species of deer and wild asses of Asia and Africa as well as the European studbook for
little pied cormorant
The little pied cormorant, little shag or kawaupaka (''Microcarbo melanoleucos'') is a common species of Australasian waterbird, found around the coasts, islands, Estuary, estuaries, and inland waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Timor- ...
s. The zoo further participates in attempts of
reintroducing species to areas where they have become endangered or extinct and it financially supports selected in situ projects for the protection of natural habitats.
History
Founded in 1955, it was originally established as a counterpart of the famous
Berlin Zoological Garden
The Berlin Zoological Garden (, ) is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten (park), Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, the zoo pre ...
, which was located in what was then
West Berlin
West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...
and soon to be out of reach for residents of the former
eastern sector. The initial bear enclosures featured natural rocks and
artificial waterfalls, while large
paddock
A paddock is a small enclosure for horses. In the United Kingdom, this term also applies to a field for a general automobile racing competition, particularly Formula 1.
Description
The most common design provides an area for exercise and is ofte ...
s surrounded by old trees and canals were designed for camels and bison. In the following years and decades, other exhibits,
aviaries, and larger buildings were added to accommodate a selection of carnivores,
ungulates
Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. Once part of the clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata, "Ungulata" has since been determined to b ...
, reptiles and birds, as well as primates, including great apes. A large building for both
African and
Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...
s and other
pachyderms was completed just a few years before East and West Berlin
were reunited.
Despite serious discussions dealing with a possible closure of the park, the 1990s saw a process of replacing improvised or damaged structures as well as expanding the zoo with new areas for African ungulates and primates, as well as species from alpine regions of Asia and Europe. At the same time, Berlin Tierpark, which now was designated to complement Berlin Zoological Garden, had to give up some species such as
great apes
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
. In recent years, the zoo has become famous for its successful
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
breeding program. It is also one of the few zoos in
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
that houses various large herds of ungulates, including some rarely kept species such as
muskoxen and
takin
The takin (''Budorcas taxicolor''; ), also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a large species of ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae found in the eastern Himalayas. It includes four subspecies: the Mishmi takin (''B. t. taxicolor''), the golde ...
. It has the most diverse collection of hoofed mammals in Europe. Due to economic challenges, Berlin Tierpark recently issued a new master plan which identifies a number of potential attractions and revenues, though the funding for the proposed projects is not clear.
Tierpark Berlin has faced several controversies in the past, including allegations in 2008 by Green Party politician Claudia Hämmerling that it illegally sold animals, such as a
pygmy hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo (''Choeropsis liberiensis'') is a small Hippopotamidae, hippopotamid which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Co ...
and several
Asiatic black bears, for slaughter under its former director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz (also the director of the Berlin Zoo). The same year, Blaszkiewitz faced criticism for breaking the necks of several
feral
A feral (; ) animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in som ...
domestic housecat kittens at the Berlin Zoo. A polar bear cub born in 2018 was found to be the offspring of bears who were brother and sister, accidentally housed together due to a studbook error.
Statistics
Directors
The first director (1955–1990) of the Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde,
Heinrich Dathe, was a well-known scientist. He edited five scentitific journals and wrote more than 1,000 scientific and popular papers and books.
[Strehlow, Harro, "Zoological Gardens of Western Europe", in ''Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Collections to Zoological Gardens'', Kisling, Vernon N. (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2001, p.109. ] He was succeeded by Bernhard Blaszkiewitz.
See also
*
List of zoos in Germany
This list of zoos, animal parks, wildlife parks, bird parks and other public zoological establishments in Germany is sorted by location.
{, class="wikitable sortable"
! City/town !! Name !! Year of opening !! Area (ha)!! No. of animals !! Speci ...
Notes
External links
* in English
{{Authority control
Tourist attractions in Berlin
Buildings and structures in Lichtenberg
Zoos in Germany
Zoos established in 1955
1955 establishments in East Germany