Groote Schuur Zoo, Former animal park in Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa.
Groote Schuur Zoo was an animal park in Rondebosch located on the slopes of Devil's Peak that once covered about 2 hectares. Stone remnants, concrete structures, and a distinctive lion enclosure remain from the original complex.
Cecil Rhodes bought the Rhodes Estate in 1893 and kept a herbivorous menagerie there; in 1896 he was given two lions and a leopard and built a small extension to house them. After his death the estate passed to the state, the lion house was demolished in 1930, and new enclosures opened the next year as Groote Schuur Zoo. It closed between 1975 and 1985.
The zoo influenced the region's wildlife when Himalayan tahrs and European starlings escaped and established populations that still exist in South Africa. These animals shaped the local ecosystem and remain part of the landscape today.
The site is accessible through the Old Zoo Parking Lot on Rhodes Drive, right next to the University of Cape Town. Since it is an abandoned location, visitors should proceed carefully and stick to stable paths.
The remaining lion enclosure combines architectural elements reminiscent of a Greek amphitheater with a flagstone floor featuring inlaid Dutch pentagonal stars. This unusual design reveals a blend of European influences in the zoo's construction.
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