Liberec Zoo, Zoological gardens in Liberec, Czech Republic
Zoologická zahrada Liberec is a 14-hectare zoo in the valley behind Labutí jezírko, founded in 1904 and the oldest in the Czech Republic. Its entrance has a flat canopy with a "ZOO" sign and animal-pattern panels above grey blockwork, glass doors flanked by reddish-brown wooden panels with round windows, and the metal letters "ZOOLOGICKÁ ZAHRADA" on the left wall.
The zoo traces its origin to the Ornithological Society for Northern Bohemia, founded in 1888, which opened a bird park on Hrnčířský vrch in 1895. On 6 August 1904 the city council granted land behind Labutí jezírko for a Tierpark, first holding deer and waterfowl. In autumn 1919 the Tiergarten Association was formed and the zoo opened, with Erich Sluwa as director until June 1945.
The zoo grew out of the Ornithological Society for Northern Bohemia, founded in 1888, which held annual exhibitions of live and mounted birds; its first, in 1889, took place in Appelt's House on Sokolovské náměstí. The bird house with an aviary, completed in 1902 in the city park, stood roughly where the elephant enclosure is today.
The entrance with its flat canopy and wide glass doors is reached by broad stone steps, so the main approach is not step-free. The grounds cover 14 hectares and slope up from the Swan Pond, where the zoo began; the historic Lidové sady building with its lookout tower stands inside the area. Allow several hours to walk the whole site.
The zoo is also home to rare white tigers, which can be seen at only a handful of places worldwide. This uncommon feature makes it a special destination for visitors who want to observe these extraordinary big cats up close.
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