Krefeld Zoo

Krefeld Zoo is a zoological garden in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It occupies part of the Grotenburgpark and presents animals through a combination of outdoor habitats, specialized animal houses, tropical environments, educational facilities and conservation-breeding programs. Its principal areas of expertise are great apes and other primates, large carnivores, African savanna animals and tropical birds, although the collection also includes South American mammals, Asian elephants, rhinoceroses, penguins, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and locally relevant plant life. The zoo opened on 22 May 1938 as a youth-oriented educational facility. Its first director, Heinrich Janßen, had previously led Krefeld's natural history museum. The original zoo occupied approximately half of the area designated for the facility and contained roughly one hundred species in forty enclosures. The Second World War interrupted its development. Air raids between 1940 and 1945 damaged parts of the grounds, killed two badgers and a deer, and allowed other animals to escape through damaged fences. The escaped wolves were subsequently killed. Postwar development accelerated under director Walter Encke, who led the institution from 1959 to 1996. Encke emphasized species that were relatively poorly understood and sought to support the preservation of South American species through managed breeding. During the 1960s the zoo added outdoor facilities for baboons, penguins and seals as well as a lion house. The institution was renamed from Tierpark to Zoo in 1971, around the same period that it began keeping elephants, rhinoceroses and orangutans. Krefeld's modern identity is strongly connected with its tropical houses. The Monkey Tropic House opened in 1975, the Bird Tropics Hall in 1989 and the Rainforest House in 1998. The latter recreates a South American rainforest environment with hundreds of plant species and combines free-moving animals such as two-toed sloths and white-faced sakis with securely enclosed reptiles, amphibians and other potentially hazardous species. Additional visitor areas include the Gorilla Garden, South America House, Penguin Pool, African Savannah, Butterfly Jungle, Birdhouse and Meerkat Lodge. The organization became a nonprofit limited liability company, or gGmbH, on 1 July 2005. The City of Krefeld holds 74.9 percent of the shares and the nonprofit friends' association Zoofreunde Krefeld holds 25.1 percent. The zoo also operates as an educational and conservation institution. It participates in international, European and national breeding programs, maintains selected studbooks and supports ex-situ conservation of threatened species including black rhinoceroses, cheetahs, tigers, chimpanzees, snow leopards, European otters, tamanduas and Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos. It has belonged to WAZA since 1963, EAZA since 1988 and the Stiftung Artenschutz network since 2001. A major institutional crisis occurred on the night of 31 December 2019 to 1 January 2020, when a fire destroyed the Monkey Tropic House. More than thirty animals died, including orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, marmosets and fruit bats. Investigators linked the suspected cause to sky lanterns, which are prohibited in Germany because of their fire risk. Three people later contacted police and acknowledged releasing lanterns before the blaze, saying they had not known that the practice was prohibited. The fire became the defining tragedy in the zoo's recent history and prompted renewed attention to animal safety, the future of the primate collection and rebuilding. Krefeld Zoo remains an active public zoo whose brand is based on animal presentation, environmental education, species conservation, research-linked husbandry and regional civic support rather than commercial consumer products.

Krefeld Zoo opened on 22 May 1938 in Grotenburgpark as a youth education facility. Its first director was Heinrich Janßen, formerly head of the city's natural history museum. The original collection contained about one hundred species in forty enclosures. Wartime air raids damaged the zoo between 1940 and 1945. Two badgers and a deer were killed, while other animals escaped through damaged fencing; the escaped wolves were later killed. The zoo expanded during the postwar decades. The Grotenburgschlösschen was converted into a visitor café and restaurant in the 1950s. Walter Encke became director in 1959 and promoted breeding and study of less familiar species, with particular attention to South American fauna. New facilities for baboons, penguins, seals and lions were added during the 1960s. The facility adopted the name Zoo in 1971 and subsequently developed collections of elephants, rhinoceroses and orangutans. A tropical and conservation-oriented profile emerged through a series of major buildings. The Monkey Tropic House opened in 1975, followed by the Bird Tropics Hall in 1989 and the 1,100-square-metre Rainforest House in 1998. The zoo later added the Butterfly Jungle in 2010, a new Gorilla Garden in 2012, a Penguin Pool in 2014, a reconstructed rhinoceros facility completed in 2016 and the Meerkat Lodge in 2017. The zoo's habitats combine public interpretation with managed breeding and environmental education. Krefeld Zoo changed its legal form to a nonprofit limited liability company on 1 July 2005. The City of Krefeld owns 74.9 percent and Zoofreunde Krefeld e. V. owns the remaining 25.1 percent. The institution has participated in international and European zoo networks for decades and supports numerous conservation-breeding programs. It maintains studbooks for European otters, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos and tamanduas, among other activities. It also developed a sustainable water-management program using constructed wetlands and groundwater infrastructure, reducing the frequency with which certain pools needed to be emptied and cleaned while providing a platform for school-based environmental instruction. The most serious event in the zoo's history occurred over the night of 31 December 2019 and 1 January 2020. The Monkey Tropic House burned down completely, killing more than thirty animals. The victims included five Bornean orangutans, a chimpanzee, two western lowland gorillas and other primates and tropical animals; two chimpanzees survived. Police suspected sky lanterns, which are banned in Germany because they can ignite fires. Three people who had released lanterns later surrendered to police. The disaster affected the zoo's collection, public image and future planning, but the institution continued operating as an active zoo and conservation organization. The zoo's long-term identity rests on the presentation of great apes, big cats, African savanna animals, tropical birds and South American species, supported by education, research-informed husbandry, conservation breeding and regional civic ownership.

• 2020

  Monkey Tropic House destroyed by fire

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  A New Year's fire destroyed the primate house and killed more than thirty animals.

• 2014

  Penguin Pool opens

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  An 800-square-metre habitat for Humboldt penguins and associated bird species opened near the Rainforest House.

• 2012

  Gorilla Garden opens

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  A new outdoor gorilla facility with an adjoining house opened, providing space for two groups of lowland gorillas.

• 2010

  Sustainable water-management program begins

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The zoo introduced constructed wetlands and groundwater infrastructure to conserve water and support school education.

• 2005

  Conversion to nonprofit company

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  Krefeld Zoo became a gGmbH, with the City of Krefeld retaining majority ownership and Zoofreunde Krefeld holding a minority stake.

• 1998

  Rainforest House opens

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The zoo opened a South American rainforest hall featuring tropical vegetation, free-moving species and enclosed reptiles and amphibians.

• 1975

  Monkey Tropic House opens

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  A 2,000-square-metre tropical primate building opened with support from the Walter Gehlen Foundation and the zoo friends' association.

• 1971

  Tierpark renamed Zoo

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The institution adopted the name Krefeld Zoo as its collection expanded to include major mammals such as elephants, rhinoceroses and orangutans.

• 1959

  Walter Encke becomes director

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  Encke began a long directorship emphasizing lesser-known species and conservation breeding.

• 1938

  Zoo opens in Grotenburgpark

  [1]Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org

  Krefeld Zoo opened on 22 May as a youth education facility with approximately one hundred species in forty enclosures.

A regional zoological and educational institution with specialist strengths in primates, tropical species, African fauna and conservation breeding.

• Primate habitat · 2012

  Gorilla Garden

  The Gorilla Garden is an outdoor and indoor facility for lowland gorillas. It opened in 2012 and includes an outdoor area of approximately 1,200 square metres connected to a gorilla house of about 360 square metres. The enclosure was designed to allow visitors to observe gorilla groups in a naturalistic setting while supporting managed breeding and social husbandry.

• Tropical habitat · 1998

  Rainforest House

  Opened in 1998, the Rainforest House recreates a South American rainforest across roughly 1,100 square metres. It contains extensive tropical planting and presents sloths, white-faced sakis, tamanduas, bats, iguanas, basilisks, fish, turtles, caimans, tarantulas, poison dart frogs and a green anaconda in a mixture of free-moving and secured displays.

• Bird habitat · 2014

  Penguin Pool

  The Penguin Pool opened in 2014 as an approximately 800-square-metre habitat modeled on the coastal environments of northern Chile and Peru. Humboldt penguins share the netted complex with Inca terns and duck species. The layout includes land, water, underwater viewing and a small heated area for cold weather.

• Savanna habitat

  African Savannah

  The African Savannah presents an approximately one-hectare open landscape for large kudus, impalas and ostriches. Supporting construction was completed in stages, including an antelope and ostrich stable. A pelican lagoon was planned on part of the former zebra area.

• Invertebrate and tropical habitat · 2010

  Butterfly Jungle

  Opened in 2010, the Butterfly Jungle provides tropical vegetation for as many as approximately two hundred butterflies. Caterpillar boxes allow visitors to follow the life cycle from eggs and larvae through pupae to adult butterflies, combining display with environmental education.

• Primate and tropical habitat · 1975

  Monkey Tropic House

  The Monkey Tropic House was a 2,000-square-metre greenhouse-style facility opened in 1975 for orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, marmosets, fruit bats and tropical birds. It was destroyed by fire during the night of 31 December 2019 to 1 January 2020.

• 2010Sustainable water management in the zoo

  Germany

  The zoo developed a water-conservation and education program using constructed wetlands, a groundwater well and practical lessons for school groups.

  Outcome. The system reduced the need to empty and clean the sea-lion and penguin pools and became part of the zoo's environmental education work.

  Source
• 2007affenBRUT

  Germany

  Krefeld Zoo launched a fundraising art project in cooperation with an art-education agency. Paintings produced by orangutans were sold, with most proceeds directed toward animal enrichment and employment.

  Outcome. The project generated funds for animal enrichment; one of the featured orangutans, Barito, later moved to Zoo de la Palmyre in France.

  Source

• 2020

  Respond to Monkey Tropic House fireOther

  Background

  A fire destroyed the primate house during the New Year period and killed more than thirty animals.

  Action taken

  Zoo management held a press conference, cooperated with investigators and faced the long-term need to reconsider its primate facilities.

  Aftermath

  The disaster became a major turning point for the zoo's collection and public profile; the supplied sources do not establish a completed rebuilding outcome.

  Source

• 2010

  Change elephant husbandryStrategy

  Background

  New understanding of elephant social behavior and revised husbandry requirements prompted changes to the elephant facility.

  Action taken

  The zoo rebuilt the elephant area and moved from chained overnight keeping to box-based housing.

  Aftermath

  The two elephant cows could spend the night without being chained.

  Source

• 2005

  Adopt nonprofit company structureStrategy

  Background

  Krefeld Zoo reorganized its legal structure to support operation as a nonprofit zoological institution.

  Action taken

  The zoo became a gGmbH, with the City of Krefeld holding 74.9 percent and Zoofreunde Krefeld holding 25.1 percent.

  Aftermath

  The new structure formalized shared public and civic ownership.

  Source

1. 1Krefeld Zooen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Krefeld Zoo websitezookrefeld.de