Zoo Basel

Zoo Basel

Zoo Basel is a zoological garden in the city of Basel, Switzerland. People in Basel call it Zolli. The zoo is in the Birsig stream valley, close to the city centre and near the border with Binningen and Basel-Country. It has over 500 animal species from all seven continents.

Zoo Basel is Switzerland's oldest zoo, opened in 1874, and the largest by number of animals. In 2024, it had over 1.2 million visitors.

In 2008, Forbes Traveler ranked Zoo Basel as one of the fifteen best zoos in the world. In 2009, Anthony Sheridan from the Zoological Society of London ranked it the seventh best in Europe.

The zoo had the first Indian rhinoceros birth in any zoo and the first greater flamingo hatch. It has had many successful breedings with animals such as cheetahs, okapi, pygmy hippopotamuses, and flamingos. Every Somali wild ass in zoos worldwide comes from the breeding program started at Basel. The zoo works on more than 40 programs to help save endangered species.

Zoo Basel is making big changes. It has renovated the monkeyhouse, the zoo restaurant, and built a new elephant house. More changes are planned for the future. The zoo has a master plan called "Zolli 2049" starting in late 2024.

Exhibits and attractions

Zoo Basel is in the city of Basel. It is a special place for local people, like Central Park is for New York City residents. The zoo's exhibits help visitors watch animals up close.

The Africa exhibit has hippos, ostriches, and Grant's zebras together outdoors. This was the first place at Zoo Basel where three species lived together outside. The zoo has successfully bred ostriches here, with parents watching their eggs without any human help.

The Bird House opened in 1927. It is the second oldest building at the zoo. Today it is home only to birds. There is a central "jungle" area where visitors can hear and sometimes see birds flying freely.

The Etosha area opened in 2001. It shows animals from Africa and the circle of life. It has spaces for cheetahs, African wild dogs, ring-tailed lemurs, Cape porcupines, and lions.

Gamgoas is part of the Etosha area. It has a lion and crocodile house. It includes colonies of termites, a chameleon, Nile crocodiles, and fish, along with special viewing areas.

The Sauter Garden is at the zoo's south end. It focuses on Asian animals. It is home to the Indian rhinoceros, snow leopards, and a group of about 60 macaques. The rhinoceros exhibit lets rhinos, smaller deer, and otters share space and resources together.

Special opening days

Zoo Basel sometimes has special nights when it stays open late. On June 24, known as Beck Day, the zoo stays open until 10 pm to honor Johannes Beck, its first big supporter. After 4 pm, everyone can enter for free. There are fun events each year, like live music and special meals.

On other special nights called Zolli night, the zoo stays open until midnight. After 5 pm, tickets cost less. Zoo staff share fun facts about the animals every half hour. The exact dates change each year and are shared on the zoo’s website and local news.

Breeding programs

Main article: Breeding programs at Zoo Basel

Zoo Basel works with groups to help protect animals, like the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Endangered Species Programme. The zoo has helped breed animals that are in danger, such as pygmy hippopotamuses, Indian rhinoceroses, okapis, snow leopards, South African cheetahs, squirrel monkeys, and European otters.

The zoo has had many cheetah babies born there. Breeding cheetahs in zoos can be hard because males and females live apart in the wild.

Zoo Basel also cares for Indian rhinoceroses. The zoo keeps records to help these rhinos stay healthy in zoos around the world. The first Indian rhino born in the Western Hemisphere was born at Zoo Basel in 1956.

The zoo has also had many okapi babies. The first okapi was born at Zoo Basel in 1957, and many more have been born there.

Zoo Basel started breeding pygmy hippopotamuses in 1928, and many have been born there. These pygmy hippos and their families live in zoos around the world. The zoo also keeps important records for this species.

The zoo helps protect Somali wild asses, a type of wild donkey that is in danger. Zoo Basel works with others to keep these animals safe in zoos around the world.

History

Zoo Basel started in 1870 when a group called the Ornithologiegesellschaft worked with the city of Basel to make a place where people could see animals from Switzerland and Europe. The zoo opened on July 3, 1874.

On its first day, visitors saw animals like bears, lynx, otters, and mountain goats. That year, over 62,000 people visited, even though Basel only had 50,000 residents. The zoo’s nickname, Zolli, started that same year and is still used today.

In 1884, the zoo grew by adding a new area called the Sautergarten. In 1890, the first lions arrived, and in 1891, the first lion cub was born in Basel. Over the years, the zoo added new homes for big cats and other animals.

The wars in the early 1900s made it hard for the zoo, but friends of the zoo helped support it. In 1949, the zoo celebrated its 75th birthday with new buildings. A new lion house opened in 1956, and a new elephant house came in 1959.

In 1966, the first African elephant, Ota, was born in Basel. New homes for monkeys opened in 1969, and an aquarium opened in 1972. In 1992, another elephant, Pambo, was born, and a new Africa exhibit opened where many animals lived together.

In recent years, Zoo Basel has focused on updating and expanding its exhibits. In 2001, work began on creating larger themed areas. In 2008 and 2010, the rhino exhibit was updated with new outdoor spaces and a renovated indoor area. In 2011, a new monkey rock opened, followed by an expanded monkey house. In 2012, much larger outdoor spaces for bats were created.

Future

Main article: Developments at Zoo Basel

Zoo Basel is always working to make its facilities better, but it has little space to grow because it is in the middle of the city of Basel.

In 2014, the zoo made its restaurant bigger and better. This included adding a large window with a view of the elephant area, more restrooms, and a small shop for food to go. The project cost 16 million Swiss francs. Half of this money came from a kind donor who wished to stay unknown.

Plans for a new elephant house began in 2012 and were shown to the public in 2013. The new space for the elephants will be much larger than the old one, which was built in 1953. It will also have areas for other animals like guinea fowl and storks. Work was planned to start in 2013 and finish in 2016.

In 2009, the zoo talked about plans for Switzerland’s first big ocean aquarium, called the Ozeanium. It would have been built near the city center and cost 70 million Swiss francs, mostly from private donors. Construction was supposed to start in 2016 and open in 2019, but in May 2019, people voted against the project, so it did not happen.

List of animals

Zoo Basel has many interesting animals from all around the world. Here are some of the animals you can see there:

Mammals

You can see big animals like the African elephant and the Lion. There are also smaller, unique animals such as the Black-and-white ruffed lemur and the Pygmy hippopotamus. Special breeds like the Miniature donkey and the Guinea pig are also there.

Birds

The zoo has many colorful birds, including the Gentoo penguin, the European white stork, and the Ostrich. You might also spot the King penguin or the Hawaiian goose.

Reptiles and amphibians

Zoo Basel has fascinating reptiles such as the Alligator snapping turtle, the Burmese python, and the Gila monster. You can also see the Nile crocodile and the Horned viper.

Fish

There are many interesting fish to see, like the Clown anemonefish, the Neon tetra, and the Zebra moray. You might also find the Yellow tang and the Emperor angelfish swimming around.

Invertebrates

Some of the smaller creatures include the Common octopus, the Giant prickly stick insect, and the Western honey bee. You can also see the Black widow spider and the Moon jellyfish.

Notable residents – past and current

Miss Kumbuk (? – 1917)

Miss Kumbuk was Zoo Basel's first elephant. She was an Asian elephant and arrived in 1891. The zoo built its first elephant house for her.

Rudra (1956–1987)

Rudra was the first Indian rhinoceros born in a zoo, in 1956. He was the son of a rhino bull named Gadadhar and a female named Joymothi from Kaziranga National Park. Two hours after he was born, he weighed 60.5 kg and was 105 cm long. He grew quickly. In 1959, Rudra was sent to the Milwaukee County Zoo, where he became a father once before he passed away.

Goma (1959 – )

Goma was the first gorilla born in Europe (western lowland gorilla), and the second worldwide in a zoo. Zoo staff raised her. On May 2, 1972, she and Jambo had a baby named Tamtam. She is the oldest gorilla in Basel's group and had a big celebration for her 50th birthday on September 23, 2009.

Jambo (1961–1992)

Main article: Jambo

Jambo was a western lowland gorilla born at Basel Zoo. He became famous at the Jersey Zoo when he helped a young boy who fell into the gorilla area. A video of this event became very popular. After Jambo passed away in 1992, a bronze statue was made in his memory. He was named by the zoo's director, Ernst H. Lang, and "Jambo" means "Hello" or "How are you?" in Swahili. Because of Jambo, many apes around the world are called "Jambo," similar to Lassie the collie dog or Nemo the clownfish.

Pambo (1992 – )

Pambo was a young male African elephant who was very popular with visitors. He was first sent to the Vienna Zoo, where he had a child. On October 26, 2009, he was sent to Cabarceno Natural Park in Spain. Later, on November 28, 2012, he was moved to Bioparc Valencia, where he passed away on January 23, 2013.

Ruaha (1951 – 29.07.2010 )

Ruaha was the oldest known African elephant at the time and the leader of Basel's elephant group. She came to Basel on November 1, 1952. Ruaha was one of the five original African elephants that came to the new elephant house at the zoo. Like older humans, she showed signs of her age. Her death was unexpected because she had no health problems before. Ruaha was found in the outdoor area early one morning on July 29, 2010, by her zookeeper.

Farasi (2008 – )

Farasi is a male hippopotamus who became famous when news reported that the zoo planned to let lions eat him. The zoo quickly said this was not true, but the story spread around the world. Farasi was sent to Tshukudu Private Game Reserve in South Africa on November 17, 2010. He was later attacked by a lion but recovered after a veterinarian gave him medicine.

In the media

Zoo Basel is known as one of the best zoos in the world. In 2008, Forbes Travel listed it among the top fifteen zoos. In 2009, a study by Anthony Sheridan from the Zoological Society of London ranked it as the seventh best zoo in Europe. The local newspaper, Basler Zeitung, often writes about the zoo and has a special section called Dossier: Der Basler Zolli just for it. Each year, Zoo Basel holds a special event called the Zolli Apero for media members. Other travel websites have also placed Zoo Basel among the top zoos worldwide.