Maguari, this zoo looks like it has some spectacular exhibits, especially for large animals like the giraffes, elephants, and rhinos. Is the Poznan Zoo well known in European zoo nerd circles - I had never heard of it until I stumbled across the gallery.
Maguari, this zoo looks like it has some spectacular exhibits, especially for large animals like the giraffes, elephants, and rhinos. Is the Poznan Zoo well known in European zoo nerd circles - I had never heard of it until I stumbled across the gallery.
Yes, I think Poznan is well known. It has the distinction of being a city with two zoos: the old zoo, of which several photos have recently appeared in the gallery, and the new one, which I think was originally intended to replace the old zoo, which now coexists alongside it.
The old zoo is tiny, a rather interesting menagerie which, until fairly recently, still had a number of large animals: in 1995, I saw elephants, spectacled bears, big cats and so on there. The new zoo, on the edge of the town, has a fantastic site: woodland, gentle undulations, massive lakes. It really is wonderful. It also has a number of very strong exhibits, as can be seen in these various photos. In previous years the zoo was well known for being the location for a number of very unusual species. I think this was in large part due to its former director, who is now the director at Wroclaw Zoo.
The annual zoo nerds meeting for those who are interested in old zoo stuff was hosted by Poznan in 1992 – the third time that the event happened, and the first of two occasions on which it has been hosted in Poland. One of Europe's best-known zoo nerd collectors, a very nice chap, is a former director of this zoo.
Whether the zoo will become more mainstream over the coming years remains to be seen. I rather like the fact that it is the only place in Europe at which can be seen an African palm civet – a really rather fascinating species!
