Salzburg Zoo

The Salzburg Zoo (formerly Zoo Salzburg or Tiergarten Hellbrunn ) is south of the Austrian city of Salzburg. The 14 hectare site is part of the historic castle park of Schloss Hellbrunn and bordered to the south by the municipality of Anif. The zoo holds approximately 1200 animals in 140 species and has around 50 employees. Visitor numbers are annually about 300,000.

History

1421 will be a " Peunt pey the Tirgarten " mentioned, which was in 1459 owned by Peter Erlach. Under Tiergarten there was a noble hunting reserves to understand. 1479 is mentioned a " fallow ground propte Tiergarten et Fontem ". As of 1612, the Archbishop of Salzburg, Markus Sittikus Hellbrunn Palace was built by his great hunting deer park to the Hellbrunn Mountain and his bird cages around the pheasant in the north of the castle. The prince- hunting Wildgatter no longer existed after the decline of the archbishopric of Salzburg and the launch of wildlife by a French General in December 1800.

In memory of the historic hunting reserves the zoo was opened in 1961 as Bergweltzoo under the sponsorship of the Friends of the Salzburg zoo Hellbrunn for the visitors, with the domestic (Alps) wildlife should be brought closer to the audience. Here, the animal park in the historic castle garden should be fully integrated. 1966 by Heinrich Windischbauer a griffon vulture colony founded, which still exists today and is a major attraction. The griffon vulture is native mainly in southern Europe. In the Hohe Tauern National Park each year of summers 50-100 non-breeding Griffon Vultures from Croatia. There are contacts between animals in Hellbrunn and those in the Hohe Tauern.

1972 was a crisis year of the zoo, which was internationally condemned for violating the ban on imports of orangutans. In 1976, Friedrich Lacchini the line, the city and province of Salzburg secured the financial situation of the zoo. After taking office in 1990, Lacchinis successor Rainer lapel from the concept of an affiliating yourself in the historic Castle Park mountains zoos turned away and introduced the present GeoZoo. 2003 former Trägerverein Salzburger Tiergarten Hellbrunn was converted to the Zoo Salzburg profit Ltd., which is located in 50-50 ownership of the land and the city of Salzburg. Since 2005 Sabine Grebner is the managing director.

Zoo concept

The now conceived as GeoZoo Salzburg Zoo is an important educational institution. He tries to meet the demands of zoo animals better suited to their habitat through enrichment and changes in their environment. The attitude of different species in a plant is to increase the contact of the species to each other.

The zoo cooperated in the framework of scientific projects repeated with the Faculty of Science, University of Salzburg.

The zoo is divided by continents as follows:

Eurasia

The northern part of the zoo is dedicated to the wildlife of the double continent Eurasia. The plant for Alpine ibex was remodeled in 2012. You now allows closer contact with the animals. In addition, a terrarium for the local smooth snake emerged. On the steep slopes of the Hellbrunn Mountain close to the enclosure for Wolverines, European brown bears, otters and chamois. Inside the Bears home habitats of synanthropic house mouse and black rat staged as uninvited guests under one roof with human roommates. To the European part of the park also includes the facilities for European wolves and forest reindeer and feeding place for the free-flying vultures.

With Red Panda, Chinese muntjac and gibbon representatives of the East Asian wildlife are shown. The investment for these three types will be transformed since December 2013, the Gibbonhaus replaced by a new building. The Irbisgehege is still in the range of the old predator - free plants. Also spatially separated from the Eurasia region is the community area for Bactrian camels and Przewalski's horses.

The Ark petting zoo live mainly endangered breeds, including Mangalitzaschwein, forest sheep, peacocks and goats Appenzeller Spitzhauben. Outside the petting zoo there is the possibility, alpacas to pet African pygmy goats and sheep and Cameroon to feed them with special food.

America

In part of the park (South ) America will - spread over three small animal houses, the gibbon, the tropics and the South House - shown several representatives of New World monkeys: cotton top tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Golden-headed lion tamarin, pygmy marmoset, Bolivian squirrel monkey and Gehaubter Capuchins. The socialized with the Green Iguana tamarins can move freely in the tropical house. In South America live next to the monkey house typical representatives of South American fish, amphibians and reptiles, as well as the Southern banded armadillo.

An American rodents Black-tailed prairie dogs, Large Maras and capybaras are held. With the Maras Nandu and alpaca are socialized. Other representatives of the South American avifauna are macaws and flamingos Chile. With the Flachlandtapiren held since 2011, involved the Zoo at the European Endangered Species Programme. As a representative of Neuweltschweine peccaries are shown. The maned wolves currently live in the old lion enclosure.

The equipment for the South African predators were renewed in 2013. The new Jaguar house live next to Jaguar and Puma also Königsboa and wedge head - smooth forehead Cayman. The decoration of indoor plants is modeled on a jungle landscape with Mayan architecture.

Australia

The community area for emus and kangaroos in southeastern Zooareal Bennett was abandoned. From the Australian continent, the zoo holds today Parma kangaroos and some typical insects.

Africa

The Savannah plant for white rhinos, Grevy's zebras, sable antelope and waterbuck lychee in Africa is part of over one hectare, the largest enclosure of the zoo. A group of ring-tailed lemurs, which can move freely on the zoo grounds, usually holding on near the rhino house. In the adjacent, crossed by watercourses bird park, among other Rötelpelikane, Heaven and crowned cranes, Helmperlhühner and Sitatungas are seen. Salzburg Zoo is known for its cheetah facility with the 60 km / h fast prey Simulator: Here, a piece of fresh meat with some kind of cable is transported across the big enclosure. Thus, the Cheetahs have an incentive to move as much in the wild and to exercise their hunting behavior.

2010, the lion house was completed. The building is deliberately kept low. From the roof to provide insight into the savannah plant on the one hand and into the lion's den and into a community facility for hogs and Diana monkeys on the other. Inside the lion house of the different vegetation zones in tropical Africa are exemplary animals presented, including jewel tree frogs, day geckos, panther chameleons, Harlequin Quail and short-eared elephant-shrews. Furthermore, there are in Africa range plants spurred tortoises, parrots and gray banded mongoose.