Berlin Zoo Berlin Zoo news 2025

Hello, I'm going to visit the Berlin Zoo for the first time in August. I plan to spend a full day at the zoo and a morning at the aquarium. Is that enough time to see all the enclosures? Could you tell me where the Andean flamingos, the James's flamingos, the kiwis, the yellow-backed duikers, the gerenuks, and the tuataras in the aquarium are located? Are there any other rarities I shouldn't miss, either at the zoo or the aquarium?
Also, I heard that the night section under the predator house is lit very early in the morning. Around what time do they turn off the lights, and will the animals be more active with daytime or nighttime lighting?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
 
Thanks for the informations.
Is the top floor of the aquarium (the amphibian and invertebrate floor) reopened, or will it be in August?
 
Thanks for the informations.
Is the top floor of the aquarium (the amphibian and invertebrate floor) reopened, or will it be in August?

You can always find updates on their website. This is what it states for the time being (but you may want to look it up again, right before you go):

"In the course of a general modernization, there are construction works in the Aquarium that cause restrictions – the following areas are affected currently:
  • The street entrance of the Aquarium is closed. The Aquarium can only be entered via the Zoo’s Elefantentor entrance. Please also note the signage on site.
  • Unfortunately, no guided tours or workshops can be offered at the Aquarium currently. Only the animal encounters with the sharks continue to take place.
  • Around half of the ground floor is closed. This affects several tanks, but not all of them (for example, the shark tanks are open as usual). The first and second floors – the home of reptiles, insects and amphibians – are open as usual.
Please note that restrictions may change at short notice."
Current restrictions – Aquarium Berlin
 
The current sitatunga and lechwe exhibit will be transformed into a new okapi exhibit as part of an over 1 million euro redevelopment of the antelope house.
Zoo Berlin on Instagram: "Umzug bei den Okapis : Die sogenannten Waldgiraffen sollen zukünftig im historischen Antilopenhaus leben. Noch in diesem Jahr beginnen die Umbauarbeiten, um die bisherige Anlage der Kafue-Litschi-Moorantilopen und Sitatungas in ein artgerechtes Zuhause für die scheuen Waldbewohner zu verwandeln. Die neue Okapi-Anlage soll mit natürlicher Bepflanzung und mehr Rückzugsbereichen naturnah gestaltet werden. Die Fläche, die den Okapis im Innenbereich zur Verfügung steht, erhöht sich deutlich. In dem Zuge sollen auch die Außenanlage sowie die Innenstallungen der Giraffen aufgewertet werden. Die Kosten der Gesamtmaßnahme betragen ca. 1,3 Millionen Euro. Ermöglicht wird der Umbau dank zahlreicher Spenden. Vielen Dank an dieser Stelle an alle Spender*innen und an @freundehauptstadtzoos für euren tollen Einsatz! ℹ️ Das Okapi gilt auf der Roten Liste der Weltnaturschutzunion (IUCN) als stark gefährdet. In seinem natürlichen Lebensraum in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo leben Schätzungen zufolge nur noch rund 10.000 Individuen – Tendenz sinkend. Our okapis will soon be living in the historic antelope house. Renovation work will begin later this year to transform the current enclosure of the Kafue lechwe and sitatunga into a species-appropriate home for these shy forest dwellers. The new okapi facility will be designed to closely resemble their natural habitat, featuring natural vegetation and more retreat areas. At the same time, the outdoor area and indoor stalls for the giraffes will also be upgraded. The total cost of the project is approximately €1.3 million. The renovation is made possible thanks to numerous donations. A big thank-you to all donors and to @freundehauptstadtzoos for your amazing commitment! ℹ️ The okapi is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In its natural habitat in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, only an estimated 10,000 individuals remain – and the population is declining."
 
They will actually also redesign the giraffe exhibit into a mixed-species-exhibit for giraffes, ostriches and two species of antelopes. They also published some more pictures on their website:

Anlage__2_.jpeg


Innenanlage.jpeg


Aussenanlage.jpeg


Anlage.jpeg

Pictures: Zoo Berlin

They plan to cover all the costs of around 1.3 mio Euro with donations (two thirds from one private person and the remaining third from the collective of zoo supporters). They already funded the last couple of mixed-species-exhibits with donations.
 
@markmeier do you by any chance know if this means the plans for renovation of the former Bongo exhibit into a big okapi exhibit will be cancelled?
It seems they were going into that direction, but this new okapi plan could see the former plan discarded.
 
Yes I agree, the giraffe and okapi in the same house makes sense. The can even keep African species of primates on that side of the monkey house perhaps to theme it more.

if the ostrich are moving in with the giraffe perhaps the kudu and gazelle will move also?
 
Ils vont également réaménager l'exposition des girafes pour en faire une exposition mixte avec des girafes, des autruches et deux espèces d'antilopes. Ils ont également publié d'autres photos sur leur site web :

Anlage__2_.jpeg


Innenanlage.jpeg


Aussenanlage.jpeg


Anlage.jpeg

Photos : Zoo de Berlin

Ils prévoient de couvrir l'intégralité des coûts, soit environ 1,3 million d'euros, grâce à des dons (deux tiers provenant d'un particulier et le tiers restant de l'ensemble des donateurs du zoo). Ils ont déjà financé les deux dernières expositions mixtes grâce à des dons.

C'est une nouvelle passionnante.
Actuellement, comme les céphalophes à dos jaune vivent avec les okapis, ils pourraient intégrer le pavillon des antilopes au nouvel enclos des okapis. Ou rejoindre les bongos.
Il me semble également que les autruches se trouvent dans la zone d'extension, ainsi que quelques antilopes. Est-il probable qu'elles emménagent dans le pavillon des antilopes et que l'espace restant puisse être utilisé pour le nouveau complexe pour gorilles ? Le site web le mentionne expressément dans cette zone d'extension.
Bien sûr, tout cela n’est que spéculation.
 
Back
Top