- Tallinn Zoo
Tallinn Zoo in
Tallinn ,Estonia , was founded in1939 and today houses more than 5,400 animals, representing nearly 350species .History
In 1937, a team of Estonian marksmen won the World Champion title in
Helsinki . They brought back with them a younglynx , named Illu. Illu became the first exhibit in the zoo, which was formally opened on25 August 1939 . The lynx was later chosen to be the zoo'semblem animal.Inititally the zoo was based on the edge of
Kadriorg Park. Estonia was annexed by theSoviet Union in1940 , delaying the planned development of the zoo. It relocated to a 87 hectare site in the Veskimetsa district in1983 .The Zoo Today
The more exotic exhibits include elephants, tigers, and polar bears.
The zoo is currently undergoing a major modernisation programme, updating the facilities.
In July 2004 a man who had fallen asleep in a drunken stupor, woke up and roamed the zoo alone. He tried to offer a Polar Bear a cookie, only to have his hand bitten off. His screams alerted security who called an ambulance. He survived following surgery, but his hand was never recovered.
Zoo Conditions
In late 2007, a polar bear escaped from its cage due to human negligence, and died after being tranquilized. [http://www.tallinnzoo.ee/index.php?ide=20&shownews=6]
Links
* [http://www.loomaaed.ee Zoo website, in Estonian and English]
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