Antwerp Zoo

Geschiedenis

Antwerp Zoo is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.HistorySince its foundation, the park has been controlled by De Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde van Antwerpen, a society originally called Société Royale de Zoologie d'Anvers . This also became the popular nickname for the zoo, "De Zoologie". The initial objective was to encourage zoological and botanical sciences. Its first director was renowned zoologist and botanist Jacques Kets . He accepted this position on one condition: a museum had to be built to house his nature-historical collections. This building was inaugurated in 1844 by H.M. King Léopold I. The predicate Royal was added to the name of the society on that occasion.Throughout the years, it has encouraged wildlife preservation through activities and exhibits on a recreational, educational, scientific, and cultural level.In its early years, the size of the park grew from less than 1.59ha to more than 10.5ha. Notable buildings from that period are the Egyptian temple and the antelope building in Oriental style, which now houses the okapis.The zoo has also a cultural function. Originally, concerts were held in the garden. Later, symphonic concerts were organized. The museum building was demolished to build a concert hall. The museum collections were moved to the second floor.