Zoo Ljubljana Ljubljana Zoo

G

Grant Rhino

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Hi everyone

Ive been to Ljubljana Zoo once in the early 2000s (perhaps 2003 or 2004). Its a small zoo but quite reasonable from memory.

They have a reasonable collection of animals and there were no tiny cages or anything like that (from memory).

Ive spent a lot of time in Slovenia before and after seeing the zoo and Id love to go back and see how it has changed. Slovenia joined the EU in 2004 and thus I expect that there will have been a lot of improvements in the zoo since then. Even before 2004 it was a reasonable zoo anyway, so I have a feeling that it will be heading from "reasonable" to "pretty good" as we speak (if it hasnt already).

My impression when I was there was that it was on par with the zoos in Budapest, Prague and Zagreb and certainly better than Belgrade Zoo. Its certainly not in the same league as Berlin or Melbourne Zoos though.

Anyone else been to Ljuljana Zoo? Especially since 2004? Id love to hear what you lot thought.
 
Oh - my one criticism was that the seal pool was small. Other than that, it was ok from what I recall.
 
I'm going to Ljubljana at the end of this month. Any thoughts on how long is needed for the zoo or anything in particular to look out for?
 
Shirokuma said:
According to the latest map on the zoo website, the upper part of the zoo is under construction until June 2014

http://www.zoo.si/fileadmin/user_upload/slike/nacrtovanje_obiska/Zemljevid.jpg

Does anyone know what they are doing?
Click to expand...

I saw on the Ljubljana Zoo website that the upper area is now open. Chamois and ibex are now together in the ibex enclosure and moose/elk and reindeer are in the two other paddocks at the top of the zoo.

ZOO

Mouflon are in the paddock with fallow deer at the bottom of the zoo.

Beaver are between the sealion and cheetah enclosures and alpaca are now in the farmyard area; their former paddock is the site of a new lion enclosure which is under construction.
 
Some news from the Ljubljana Zoo!

First of all, something Shirokuma forgot to mention (still, a great work keeping up and writing about my home zoo), the Australian exhibit was renovated in June of 2017 and is now a walkthrough exhibit with red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) and emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

A lot has happened since last year. First of all, the upper part of the zoo, which was heavily damaged by glaze ice in 2014, which made most of the trees fall and damage the enclosures, has now been completely rebuilt and reopened. Next to the previously mentioned elk and reindeer enclosure, opened in June of 2018, three new aviaries for the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) and great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) have been opened in October of 2018.

In the spring of 2019, the zoo celebrated its 70th anniversary with the opening of the new Asiatic lion (Panthera leo leo formerly known as Panthera leo persica) exhibit for a male and a female in the lower part of the zoo opposite the african savannah. The enclosure is 1020 square metres big and includes a hill for the lions to watch over the enclosure and the anthelopes in the savannah enclosure, a heated inside space and a pond surrounded by trees for shade.

This June, a new Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis) enclosure housing 8 beavers was built on the foothills next to the wild boar enclosure. It features a pond and a large beaver home which is built in a way, that visitors can enter it and glimpse at the life of beavers inside their home.

We also recently welcomed a southern three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus) from ZOO Brno, which now lives together with black-tufted marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) in their enclosure.

So far, that's all from the Ljubljana Zoo, I am planning a visit this summer and will definitely update you if anything new happens there. For the end, here is the newest map of the zoo (the beaver enclosure is now opened):
 

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Jobovc said:
Some news from the Ljubljana Zoo!

First of all, something Shirokuma forgot to mention (still, a great work keeping up and writing about my home zoo), the Australian exhibit was renovated in June of 2017 and is now a walkthrough exhibit with red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) and emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

A lot has happened since last year. First of all, the upper part of the zoo, which was heavily damaged by glaze ice in 2014, which made most of the trees fall and damage the enclosures, has now been completely rebuilt and reopened. Next to the previously mentioned elk and reindeer enclosure, opened in June of 2018, three new aviaries for the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) and great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) have been opened in October of 2018.

In the spring of 2019, the zoo celebrated its 70th anniversary with the opening of the new Asiatic lion (Panthera leo leo formerly known as Panthera leo persica) exhibit for a male and a female in the lower part of the zoo opposite the african savannah. The enclosure is 1020 square metres big and includes a hill for the lions to watch over the enclosure and the anthelopes in the savannah enclosure, a heated inside space and a pond surrounded by trees for shade.

This June, a new Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis) enclosure housing 8 beavers was built on the foothills next to the wild boar enclosure. It features a pond and a large beaver home which is built in a way, that visitors can enter it and glimpse at the life of beavers inside their home.

We also recently welcomed a southern three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus) from ZOO Brno, which now lives together with black-tufted marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) in their enclosure.

So far, that's all from the Ljubljana Zoo, I am planning a visit this summer and will definitely update you if anything new happens there. For the end, here is the newest map of the zoo (the beaver enclosure is now opened):
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update. It is good to see this charming little zoo move forward. That leaves the Elephant, Chimpanzees and the Leopard as some of the last in unsuitable housing, do you know of any plans for new enclosures for these species?
 
lintworm said:
Thanks for the update. It is good to see this charming little zoo move forward. That leaves the Elephant, Chimpanzees and the Leopard as some of the last in unsuitable housing, do you know of any plans for new enclosures for these species?
Click to expand...
There have been plans to build a new leopard enclosure in 2014, but they were scrapped when the zoo experienced the previously mentioned ice glaze that year. After that they have tried to make the leopard enclosure more fitting for them by building new climbing equipment and by other various enrichments. Hopefully now that they have completely renovated the upper part of the zoo and built all the enclosures they have had plans for, they can focus on renovating the leopard enclosure. Same goes for the chimpanzee and elephant enclosure but these two ussualy aren't really viewed as desperately in need of a revamp.
 
Zoo keeps Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus) from 1949. Last year last male died.

In 2017 they got two females (sisters) Mackenzie valley wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) form Zoo Givskud, Denmark. On 13. 11. 2020 male from Zoo Munster, Germany join them.
 
LegoOwl said:
Zoo keeps Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus) from 1949. Last year last male died.

In 2017 they got two females (sisters) Mackenzie valley wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) form Zoo Givskud, Denmark. On 13. 11. 2020 male from Zoo Munster, Germany join them.
Click to expand...
His name is Aragorn and has apparently adapted well to the enclosure :) The zoo unfortunately hasn't yet had the option to present him to the general public, since it has been closed since November due to the Coronavirus restrictions.
 
In 2013 the zoo opened new big (4.000 m2) enclosure for Siberian tigers. In the same year male tiger move here from Zoo Sosto, Hungary and female from Zoo Magdeburg, Germany.
In March 2021 male died from cancer. He was 9 years old.
 
A new chimpanzee was born and a new tiger arrived

In 2015 a male Western chimpanzee arrived from Zoo Zagreb (Croatia) and Zoo Ljubljana established a new reproductive group.

On 18. 1. 2021 "Tai" (male) was born, he is the brother of "Leona". She was born in 2016.

In April Siberian tiger Botsman (Pootsman) arrived to Ljubljana. Botsman is on a big EU tour:

2011 born in Zoo Moscow
2012 transfer to Zoo Tallinn (Estonia)
offspring: no
2018 transfer to Zoo Zlín-Lešná (Czech Republic)
offspring: 2019 3 cubs with Tanya
2019 transfer to Bussolengo - Parco Natura Viva (Italy)
offspring: 2020 3 cubs with Luvi
2021 transfer to Zoo Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Zoo Ljubljana already stated that Botsman will not stay long in Slovenia. After (hopefully successful) breeding with the Ljubljana female, he will return to Zoo Tallinn, where they are building a big new tiger enclosure.
 
It would be nice if they can redo chimp area.

Further, surprised that the zoo acquired N.American wolf and beaver instead of European species. Last choices can make good difference in engagement on local conservation issues.
 
I agree with you.

Surprisingly, expansion of the outdoor chimp area and choice of wolf species is connected. Wolf enclosure is the only place where bigger chimp area can be built. So, there are plans that wolves would be moved into the upper part of the zoo, where already reindeer and moose are.

Choice of N. American beaver was, in my opinion, connected with old beaver enclosure, which was next to Californian sea lions. Now, when they build a new beaver enclosure on another part of the zoo, this should be changed.
 
I was able to visit the zoo last week for a few hours (was traveling from Croatia back home to the Netherlands) and enjoyed the visit. I liked the location of the zoo as part of a larger park or forest, it added a sense of realism especially in the back of the zoo, where the enclosures were a bit more spaced out and the elevation made the eventual animal watching more rewarding.

I thought a few enclosures were really top notch and the collection of animals, while relatively small for a capital city zoo, pretty great. I was able to achieve a few notable lifetime 'firsts', as I had previously never seen a Eurasian Lynx or a Moose before.

Coincidently, I definitely liked the Lynx enclosure best and would go as far as to rate it 5 stars. It almost was as if the enclosure was part of the larger park or forest in which the zoo was situated. It looked very natural and spotting the Lynxes somewhat of a challenge. It was great eventually spotting both and I felt very lucky in seeing one active Lynx casually strolling about, especially since I was virtually undisturbed by other guests for all time spent. Other notable highlights for me were the Ibex enclosure and the enclosures surrounding the three owl aviaries, which included the Reindeer and Moose, as well as the aviaries themselves.

I think this zoo excelled at local (or European) fauna more than displaying exotic animals. While I enjoyed, for instance, the Gibbons and Meerkat enclosures, some others looked a bit on the small side or not super interesting, especially when compared to other zoos I've visited over the years. It also seemed the zoo's in a bit of a transitional period as heavy construction was going on, so possibly these (relatively small) negatives could be a thing of the past in a few years.

I managed to snap a few great pictures, if there's interest, I can always upload a few.
 
Tigers exchange and some new species

In 2013 Zoo Ljubljana opened a new big (4000 m2) enclosure for Siberian tigers. Male Vito (from Zoo Sosto) and female Vita (from Zoo Magdeburg) moved in. Vito died in 2021. The same year Botsman (Pootsman) from Zoo Tallinn arrived.

Breeding was unsuccessful in all 9 years and now it's time for a change:

6. 6. 2024: Botsman (Pootsman) and Ljubljana Zoo female Vita are on their way to Zoo Tallinn where the new "Tiger Valley" will open in July this year.

Zoo Ljubljana has already announced that Arisa from ZOO Zamosc, Poland and Ussuri from ZOO Kristiansan, Norway are coming in this summer.

New species: Vietnamese sika deer, Indian hog deer and Visayan tarictic hornbill (1,0 from Zoo Prague)
 
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