Belgrade Zoo Belgrade Zoo, Serbia

As a Serbian I would love to know is there some organisation that keeps tracks of zoos around the world, a sin enforcing rules and such, if international zoo Rules even exist. Cause the Belgrade zoo is terrible place. Hippos, Alligator, Elephant, Chimpanzees, Orangutans, most of wild cats, some wolves and almost all birds have terrible, disgusting exhibits. Exhibits are mostly concrete, smelly, and depressingly small.

IDK who can receive such complaints. I'm sure someone had to do inspection once or twice there, but I can't believe that the place isn't closed. Hippos have such small concrete land part that they couldn't turn in place, water is so shallow that they can't dive.

I mean such a big city in such a country "deserves" a zoo, but if you can't maintain it then you shouldn't have it. Or remove big species that you can't house until you find money and space to keep them.
 
@Old_Dog, I am not sure about local Serbian legislation on zoo operation in your country. Beograd Zoo is part of the EAZA network and through them would receive regular inspections as well as advice on good operating standards, animal husbandry and management of the zoo.

Most foreign Zoochat posters on the Beograd Zoo give them a favourable review. As generally speaking Zoochat is an informed network participants are highly critical of sub standard facilities. Whereas, I agree some exclosures in Beograd Zoo leave something to be desired I do get to hear from time to time on zoo improvements and new exhibits here.

Out of interest: Do you frequently visit or not?

We have another local Zoochast poster in @gorst. Perhaps @gorst can fill us in on some of the latest improvements at the zoo and / or plans for new exhibits or renovations of older ones (like you mentioned).
 
"Local Zoochater" ;) will try to provide some explanations, as much as I can, because annual visits do not make me an expert.
The problem of the Belgrade Zoo is that it is a small and overcrowded city zoo without space for expansion, with limited resources and, since it is the largest (not in total area) zoo in the country, it must meet the expectations of its visitors by exhibiting large and "interesting" animals (elephant, lion, tiger, bear ...).
The best long-term solution would be to relocate the zoo, but in the current economic and financial situation, that is not realistic.
It seems that the only realistic thing is to gradually reduce the number of species and individuals and, at the same time, make new and better enclosures. For example, the zoo had three species of bears (polar, brown and Asian black), but I heard that only one species would return after the enclosure is finished.
As for the plans and contacts of the zoo with the world zoo community, I don't know much. I only found a few pictures with text on the zoo’s facebook page
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gorst said:
For example, the zoo had three species of bears (polar, brown and Asian black), but I heard that only one species would return after the enclosure is finished.
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At the end of 2020, a new enclosure for bears was completed. It is currently inhabited by a male Asian black bear, only bear species that remained in the zoo.
 
ZTL shows Belgrade Zoo as the only European zoo with an Aru Islands cassowary and American red fox
 
Dassie rat said:
ZTL shows Belgrade Zoo as the only European zoo with an Aru Islands cassowary and American red fox
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I'm not sure, but I don't think the subspecies is listed on the zoo's sign... ZTL lists several former holders, so it's possible.
I don't remember seeing an American red fox ... there is a pair of coyotes, but an American fox?
 
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Given the fact that I have posted about this collection in my guidebook thread, and uploaded a full 2011 stocklist as part of this account, I think it would be appropriate to reproduce the stocklist here:

full
 
Jana said:
Any other news? New enclosures or interesting offspring?
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Some... new enclosures for greater flamingos and marabou stork and a small island enclosure for the group of four brown capuchins. Several smaller enclosures have been redone: for southern ground hornbill (former flamingo enclosure), an outer enclosure for the binturong family and enclosures for small mammals (dwarf mongoose, fennec fox, ring-tailed lemur...). Reptil house is in the process of renovation, but since the building remains same (small) I do not expect much.
 
@gorst, thank you for all the Beograd Zoo updates! It is nice to learn how the zoo is slowly renovating parts of the city zoo. Will be interesting to hear how the Reptile House will be renovated..., I am hoping for a part focus on local Balkan restricted and endemic species.

Any new noteworthy births and hatchings this 2023 season? Do you know where did the first bearded vulture chick hatched in 2022 go? Have they bred again this year?

The newspaper article from April 2023 mentioned the bearded vulture and the zoo biologist Kristijan Ovari noted that griffon vulture populations have recovered in Serbia from 20 to now 120 breeding pairs. He hoped that also European black and bearded vultures would recover.
SOURCE: Dve nove bebe u zoološkom vrtu u Beogradu
 
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I noted two feature articles on the proposed relocation of the Beograd Zoo to a new location Adi Ciganliji. Municipality management and mayoral office plans call for a zoo with a natural environment feel replicating other more modern zoos in the Balkan region and with a target visitor number of 400,000 (currently the zoo is visited by only 200,000 people on the weekend).

The mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić said that the proposal to relocate the Zoo from Kalemegdan historical site to Ada Ciganli was made after considering all aspects and that it remains closest to the original proposal put forwarded by the legendary zoo director, Vuk Bojović,

The mayor Šapić noted that on the planned site of the New Zoo an "illegal" settlement of 1,500 people (Cigani are the native gypsy ethnicity) has come up and that the City Council forsees their eviction and the Municipality is commited to provide the Cigani community alternative housing elsewhere in the city and surrounds.

Only on completion of this relocation operation the site will be cleared for the new zoo and new temporary facilities built for the new zoo. Formal development of the site and the zoo concept masterplan will only be initiated then.

SOURCE:
A) Šapić: Izmeštanje Zoo vrta na Adu je najpribližnije predlogu Vuka Bojovića

The zoo has been the topic of often heated and intense discussions over animal welfare and husbandry management concerns at the Kalemegdan which is also a cultural heritage of Kalemegdan. The zoo was established at this site on July, 12th, 1936 under the Kalemegdan fortress and was expanded several times. The devastation of the Second World War in Beograd led the zoo to its reduced surface of just 7 hectares.

Various proposals have been proposed over the last 15 years. The first proposal concerned a site was at Surčin with surface area of 20 hectares that would meet all required European standards for modern zoos. The plan would have involved expansion to almost 4 times its current size and enable the development of a modern zoo and animal collection. The site was deemed to be too far from the City Center and might affect its appeal and accesibility to zoo visitors.

Only in 2022 the long-standing goal of moving the Zoo from the City Center took center stage and was included in the General Urban Plan 2022. The Beograd Urban Institute viewed the current location quite unsuitable for exhibiting wild animals and stated its intensions to move the zoo to the outskirts of the City. Preconditions for the move were a) an environment suitable and close to nature for a zoo and animal exhibition concept and be more easily accessible to Beograd residents and other potential zoo visiting public from outside.

The former zoo director Vuk Bojovic even suggested moving the zoo to Ratno ostrvo (War Island) island that was deemed unfeasible due to frequent flooding. Other sites like Krnjača and Surin were turned down as located too much on the periphery of the city and lacking visitor appeal.

SOURCE
B) Šapić saopštio novu lokaciju Zoološkog vrta
 
Kifaru Bwana,
The elephant enclosure is being renovated, the latest news is that this year (2024) two elephants will arrive at the Belgrade Zoo. It looks like one of them will come from Italy.
The bearded vulture chick was destined for a reintroduction project in Spain (Andalusia). I don't know if it is alredy there.
Marbow storks and hornbills hatched in 2023, also white storks from wild-born birds that were injured and unable to return to the wild. The young birds were given to a bird protection society for release into the wild.
 
The griffon vulture colony in the Uvac river gorge is constantly growing. There are now around 120 breeding pairs and, including non-breeding birds, between 400 - 500 vultures in the area.
 
The proposal to relocate the Zoo from the Kalemegdan Fortress to Ada Ciganlija is one of several pre-election proposals and promises. There are many difficulties with that option. First, the relocation of several hundred inhabitants of a "wild" settlement is politically very sensitive. The site itself is not ideal. Access by car is limited. The total area is about 14 hectares, twice as much as the current zoo. In my opinion, if the zoo is to be relocated, it should have a much larger area (30+ hectares).
Again, the proposal is one of many put forward before the election...
 
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