Copenhagen Zoo

Copenhagen Zoo

Copenhagen Zoo was founded in 1859 and covers an area of 11 hectares. It is one of the oldest zoos in Europe, the most visited zoo in Denmark, and the fourth most visited attraction in the country. The zoo is most famous for its new Elephant House, designed by the world-renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster.

Copenhagen Zoo was established in 1859 by ornithologist Niels Kjarbolling, when the Copenhagen Council donated the summer garden of Princess Vilhelmine's Garden to him. In the early days, visitors could see animals such as eagles, chickens, ducks, owls, rabbits, foxes, seals, and turtles. During its initial years, the zoo focused on displaying as many different species of animals as possible. However, as the number and variety of animals increased, concerns over animal safety and well-being arose due to territorial conflicts among the species.

Over the past 25 years, Copenhagen Zoo has undergone significant reforms, mainly replacing cages with more naturalistic enclosures to create a more natural living environment for the animals. This approach also allows visitors to observe the animals' natural behaviors. The Elephant House and the 1.5-hectare tropical rainforest area are outcomes of these reforms. The zoo is the only one outside Australia to house Tasmanian devils. It also has extremely rare Amur leopards and Amur tigers.

Copenhagen Zoo

Must-visit reason: One of the oldest zoos in Europe

Continent: Europe

Country/Region: Denmark

Province/State: Capital Region of Denmark

City: Frederiksberg