Hellabrunn Zoo

Tierpark Hellabrunn

The old elephant house was built in 1914
Date opened	August 1, 1911
Location	Munich, Germany
Coordinates	48°5′50″N 11°33′15″E / 48.09722°N 11.55417°E / 48.09722; 11.55417Coordinates: 48°5′50″N 11°33′15″E / 48.09722°N 11.55417°E / 48.09722; 11.55417
Number of animals	7,700
Number of species	340
Annual visitors	1.4 million (2003)
Website	Tierpark Hellabrun

Tierpark Hellabrunn is the name of the zoological garden in the Bavarian capital Munich. The 36 hectare (89 acre) park is situated on the right bank of the river Isar in the southern part of Munich, near the quarter of Thalkirchen. As the groundwater level here is rather high and the water is of very good quality, the zoo can cover its needs for freshwater by using its own wells.

A high ratio of enclosures are cageless, relying upon moat features to keep the animals in place. This leads to a much more open feel than many zoos. The park also has several food dispensers where, for a small cost, the correct food for the species may be thrown by the public. This reduces the risk of animals being fed inappropriate foodstuffs.

History

On February 25, 1905, the Verein Zoologischer Garten München e.V. (Engl. Society of the Zoological Garden of Munich) was founded and the Hellabrunn area was chosen as the location for the zoo.
On August 1, 1911, the zoo, planned by the famous architect Emanuel von Seidl, opened for the public for the first time, but in 1922, it had to be closed down due to the inflation in Germany.
After the re-opening on May 23, 1928, the Tierpark Hellabrunn became the first Geo-Zoo in the world and engaged in the controversial back-breeding to "recreate" extinct animals like Heck cattle (to mimic the Aurochs) and the Tarpan.

During World War II, the zoo sustained massive damage due to allied air raids, but it was able to reopen in May 1945.

In 1970, a badly needed plan for the renovation of the zoo was drawn up.

Hellabrunn today

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Henning Wiesner, Hellabrunn is today among the largest zoo in Europe. The preserves of the animals—about 7,700 vertebrates of 340 different species—are arranged along geographic lines.

The Tierpark Hellabrunn is very active in breeding, reintroduction and conservation projects.

In 2003, about 1.4 million people visited Hellabrunn.

Attractions

The Jungle House was finished in 2005

• The old Elephant house: Constructed in 1914, it then had the largest concrete dome in the world (see picture above)
• The new jungle house which houses Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Mississippi Alligators
• The Aquarium with the Piranha-feeding
• "Dracula's villa" - bats fly around you
• Many other buildings like the "Polarium"
• The guided tours - especially when it's dark and there is no one else in the Zoo
• Children's birthday parties
• One of the very few zoos that allows you to take your dog

External links

• Official website
• Webcams at Hellabrunn
• News and press releases of Hellabrunn
• Guided Tours of Tierpark Hellabrunn
• Munich Zoo at Zoo-Infos.de (in English)
• Tierparkfreunde (Friends of the Zoo)