Košice Zoo

The Košice Zoo (Slovak: Košická zoologická záhrada) is a zoo in Košice, Slovakia in the local city part of Kavečany. Encompassing 292 hectares (720 acres), it is the largest zoo in Slovakia and the third largest in Europe, though visitors are allowed only in about one third of this area. Another area around the visitors area is preserves as the Carpathian Biom with many free living protected species of Slovak fauna and flora, including Imperial Eagle, Black Storc, Raven, etc. The zoo hosts about 250,000 visitors each year. Inside the zoo is a largest Slovak Jurassic Park and many educational trails.

Košice Zoo
Kosice Zoo logo
Zebra enclosure
Date opened1979[1]
LocationKošice, Slovakia
Coordinates48°47′1″N 21°12′14″E
Land area292 ha (720 acres)[2]
No. of animals1200[3]
No. of species280[3]
Annual visitors250,000[2]
Websitewww.zookosice.sk

Animal collection:

At January,1st 2020 zoo kept approx. 1250 specimens in 280 species - the second largest collection in Slovak Zoos.

Most important species in collection with high successful reproduction:

Cuban Boa, Humboldt Penguin, Toco toucan, Silvery-Checked Hornbill, Himalaya Monal pheasants, European Brown Bear ( official World Guinness Book recorded of 5 cubs born and reared in one litter in the zoo in 2002), Przewalski wild horse (3 animals released back to willdness in Mongolia), Blasboock, Kafue red lechwe, Siberian ibex, Alpine Chamois, European Bison, Hutsul horse (protected horse form of Carpathians )

Another important species in collection:

Dwarf crocodiles, Andean Condor, Kamchatka eagle, Australian sarus crane, Mantchurian Crane, Harbor seal, Red Panda, Pallas CAT,North Chinese Leopard, Maneless zebra, Siberian wapiti, Mishmi takin,

History

Construction of the zoo started in 1979, and the zoo opened 7 hectares (17 acres) to the public in 1985 with only 23 species.[4] A petting zoo was opened for children in 2000.[5]

Animals
Bears

Animals at the zoo are mostly from Europe and Asia, though the zoo does keep some exotic species. The zoo keeps about 1200 animals in 250 species including brown bear, lynx, emu, parrots, tamarins, turtles, tortoises, zebras, camels, ibexs, horses, antelopes, lions, tigers, european bison.[6]

Breeding
Horses

Over the years, the zoo has been successful in breeding the hucul horse. Having birthed 92 foals, since 1996 the zoo has been returning some of its animals to the general gene pool of the species. The zoo includes an 11-hectare (27-acre) off-visitor area for the horses to roam.[3]

Other breeding efforts at the zoo include brown bears (a litter of 5 born in 2002 is in the Guinness Book of World Records),[5] baboons, lynx, Przewalski's horses, Shetland ponies, Chapman's zebras, Siberian wapiti, Capybaras, and emus.[3]

Notes
  1. "Zoo Košice". zookosice.sk. Košice Zoo. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  2. Matlovičová, Kvetoslava; Matlovič, René; Némethyová, Barbora. "City Branding as a Tool of the Local Development (Case Study of Košice, Slovakia)" (PDF). fhpv.unipo.sk. University of Prešov, Slovakia. p. 7. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  3. "Zoo Košice". zookosice.sk. Košice Zoo. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  4. "Košice Zoological Garden". slovakia.travel. Slovakia Travel. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  5. "Zoo". skrz.sk. SKRZ. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  6. "Zoo Košice". slovakiasite.com. SlovakiaSite. Retrieved 19 February 2011.

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