Wrocław Zoological Garden, Zoological garden in Wrocław, Poland.
Wrocław Zoological Garden covers 33 hectares by the Oder in Wrocław, with about 10,500 animals of some 1,132 species. Its 19th-century brick buildings, mostly by Karl Schmidt and Albert Grau, include the 1888 Elephant House and the Moorish-style 1887 Monkey Pavilion. The Africarium, opened in 2014, is a glass-and-metal oceanarium showing African fauna, with giraffes on dirt outside.
The park was established in 1865 during Prussian rule under the name Breslau Zoological Garden, making it one of the oldest animal parks in Europe. After destruction in World War II, reconstruction began, and the site reopened to visitors in 1948 under Polish administration.
The zoo's name is shortened locally to "Zoo Wrocław". Its 1887 Monkey Pavilion was built in Moorish style and still houses primates, while the 1912 wooden gate in Japanese style on the Oder embankment serves again as an entrance since 2009. A statue commemorates the gorilla Pussy, who arrived from Liverpool in 1897.
The zoo lies on Wróblewskiego Street by the Oder, with a wooden Japanese-style gate in the southern fence on the river embankment, open since 2009. The main entrance is a 1935 gate by Richard Konwiarz, a modernist paraphrase of the Brandenburg Gate. The grounds cover 33 hectares, so plan walking time between the Africarium and the 19th-century pavilions.
The Africarium section opened in 2014 and is the only facility in Poland dedicated solely to aquatic life and habitats from Africa, including penguins and sharks. Visitors can walk through an underwater tunnel and observe animals from a perspective usually reserved for divers.
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