Overview of Romanian Zoos

The Zoological Garden in Sibiu is the first in the country, opened in 1929 by the Elektrogesellschaft on the initiative of a Hungarian engineer. The idea came to him after he found some foxes while repairing the Sadu Dam near Sibiu.
After its foundation, the zoo in Sibiu received several animals and birds as donations - including a she-wolf donated by Obert von Spiess on behalf of the king, a wolf donated by the Soimii association, and a Carpathian deer donated by the hunters in Talmacel. The first bear was donated in 1930.
This zoo (15.1 ha) was particularly striking because of the many modern facilities. Background The zoo invested heavily in 2006-2012 and has continued to build new ones since then. Its historic buildings from the time it was built were no longer visible. The big cat house was the last to be opened (investment costs around 36,800 euros).
In 2006, an 800 square foot Jaguar site was built and the recreational lake dam was rehabilitated. The second lake in the garden was rehabilitated in 2007 and an island of 350 square meters was built in its center.
Also in 2007, rooms for bears were expanded, and in subsequent years rooms for white wolves, lions, tigers, wild boar, and herbivores were expanded. When the redesign of the animal rooms was completed, the number of visitors began to increase.

An unfortunate event in December 2011 drew the attention of the press to Sibiu Zoo. A female tiger escaped from the zoo after a keeper left the door of a tiger cage ajar. After being shot at with a tranquilizer gun from Sibiu Zoo, the tiger became aggressive and was killed before attacking several people.
The incident did not go unnoticed at the Sibiu Zoo. Authorities have purchased another stun gun and implemented several security measures: a system of electrically-locking cage doors, a high-performance video surveillance system for all animals, and electric fences around the enclosures of more dangerous animals.

The Peters Angola colobus came from Dvůr Králové in 2019.

Overall, the visit here with a basic round and then some special calls lasted 5 hours, making it one of the longest visits to the zoo in Romania.

In mid-August 2022, Sibiu Zoo had its annual inspection to join EAZA. Sibiu's mentor is Dr. Endre Sós, veterinarian from the Budapest Zoo (he looks after other international zoos).

And in October 2022 the farm was opened with sheep, goats, mules, various ducks, cattle. Pigs and guinea fowl are added.

Pictures of the zoo.
 
The Domeniul Dracula Danes is a kind of holiday horse farm with a petting zoo.
You can also visit the mini zoo without booking a hotel. Maps are available at reception.
The facility is very well maintained, the animals receive medical support, the claws and hooves were in perfect condition and the feed was healthy. In addition, there are alternative systems/couplings. Overall, one can speak of good animal husbandry with a few exceptions.

Pictures of the facility.
 
At the zoo in Sălicea I expected a small zoo, but what this tourist complex "Moara de vânt Zooparc" [Eng.: Windmill] had was very surprising. The zoo was open until 7 p.m.
The weather announced a rain front, but the zoo was still taken.

4.5 hectares, which were mostly allocated to the animals, took a little time. The zoo includes about 70 species with just over 500 animals. And it is visited by around 150,000 visitors a year.

The heaviest thunderstorm was spent in the restaurant, which is very good - the pizza is homemade! The restaurateur spoke German, even better than English. It shouldn't really surprise you in Transylvania, but I haven't tested it otherwise.
With a relatively sporty step we then went to the remaining facilities, which unfortunately (for the short time) were quite large and you had to walk around them.
We didn't go around the complex of red deer and Cameroon sheep for reasons of time and mud.
As a result, we didn't see the deer that have a facility on the lower slope.
A few minutes before the gates closed, we made it back to the exit.

Pictures of the facility
 
Since the facility in Cluj-Napoca only opened at 10 a.m., we had to sleep in again, well, what that means with an uncomfortable bed. The facility is located on the campus of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai. More precisely, this is a vivarium in the Zoological Institute, which also houses the Zoological Museum. At first I thought that these were living animals in the Zoological Museum...
It was only after touring the collection and thinking, well, that was nice, but then there must be no living animals left, that I found a sign outside saying “Vivarium”. So down the stairs.
Unfortunately the floor was closed for disinfection work. So not really something to look at except for a little look (therefore no photos here).
The vivarium opened in 2001 and reopened in 2014 after extensive renovation work. The renovation of the vivarium cost over 100,000 lei, but was only the first step in a program to modernize all of the university's museums.
Babeș-Bolyali University (UBB) Vivcarium was opened on the initiative of students who wanted to have at hand the practical part of the studied subject. Located in the basement of the Institute of Zoology on the street of the clinics, the vivarium started with just one collection of reptiles and amphibians, so that 13 years later in its more than 300 square meters it houses no less than 57 species of reptiles, fish, amphibians or birds should.

"The vivarium has a primarily didactic purpose. It meets the educational needs of the students and is not necessarily aimed at the public, like a zoo. Together with the Zoological Museum, we represent the practical part of the teaching act for students: they learn theoretically about animal species and their behavior, and in our country you can see these things live. The vivarium was created on the initiative of some students who needed something like this," explains Octavian Craioveanu, one of the biologists.
But not only biologists are trained here, phobias are also combated. The vivarium is often visited by psychologists with their patients.

The UBB also has its own YouTube channel with various playlists:
here the curiosities of the vivarium
 
We continued to Jibou. It was the botanical garden “Vasile Fati” with some animals. I thought I needed an hour… It wasn't to be!

The Botanical Garden was founded in 1968 by Vasile Fati. It takes the place of the amusement park of the medieval castle that was the residence of the Wesselényi family. The terrain is at an altitude of 272 m above sea level, with a relief with large slopes but also with large flat areas.

The history of Jibou Botanical Garden begins in 1959, nine years before its establishment, when Professor Vasile Fati came to Jibou High School. During this time, the grammar school was operated with a canteen and boarding school and was located in the medieval castle, the former residence of the Wesselényi family. The new biology teacher came from the general school in Someş-Odorhei, where he had also taken commendable initiatives to create the teaching materials for the biology class. At his former school he had set up a laboratory, a living area with small animals, a teaching greenhouse, a test field and a beehive.

Endowed with a special work force and an admirable tenacity, the new high school teacher feels the remarkable potential of the land around the high school and the old amusement park with the biodiversity that has been planted here. This park had to be exploited. This is where the real trouble began. At that time, the grammar school managed only 5 hectares of land, on which were the buildings, the grammar school courtyard with some playgrounds for the students, and the rest of the park belonged to the forest heritage. A first measure that led to the founding of the botanical garden was the decision of the forest ministry to withdraw a 7-hectare plot of land from the forest administration and leave it to the botanical garden for use. A few years later, in 1975, the local town hall decided to allocate another 6 hectares of land from the state reserve to the botanical garden. In 1978, on a plot of land next to the botanical garden called "Valea Viilor", the valley of the same name was closed and construction of a reservoir began. The lake water was needed to water the plants in the botanical garden.

At the same time, between 1959 and 1968, an extensive study of the pedoclimatic and floristic conditions of the area was carried out. Based on the prepared recommendations and reports, Professor Vasile Fati is preparing the memorandum for the establishment of the botanical garden. The memorandum was approved by the Ministry of Education. This is how the newest botanical garden in the country was born.

Incidentally, the aquarium was built in 1978-82 and the outdoor animal area was added in 2007.

Since we had no plan of the area, the online map was asked how to go back to the exit... the way back or dare to continue straight ahead... this area got bigger and bigger the further you went.

After almost 2 hours at least all animals were seen, but not all plants of course. That would have taken a lot longer.

I checked the size again: 6.5 ha of enclosure areas, 12 m² of bird aviaries and 100 m² of aquarium => 25 ha of the entire botanical garden
Since the calculated time was torn, the next zoo had to be postponed to the following day and only the 2.5 hour drive there was still possible.

Pictures of the botanical garden and the animals
 
In the morning at 9 o'clock we went to the Oradea Zoo (18°C) or rather to the ZOOO.

The land on which the zoo is located was originally a small English-style park created by its owner, Count Rhedey Lajos, a former lieutenant in the Habsburg army who lived in Oradea between 1791 and 1819.

In a year unknown to history, the count also built a chapel in which he placed the tomb of the captain of the Oradea Fortress, Rhedey Ferenc, from 1621.
In 1804, the year his wife died, the count donated the property and the chapel to the town, but demanded that the body of his beloved wife should rest there forever.
Although the Count returned to Budapest after the death of his wife, he asked in his will that he too should spend his eternal rest in Oradea. He died in Hungary in May 1831, and the sarcophagus with his body was taken to the chapel in Oradea that bears his name.

At the end of the 1950's it was decided that Oradea would get a zoo, which was then worked out in 1958-1960. In this context, based on a nationally standardized model, the zoo was established with the aim of presenting the wild animal and bird species of the fauna of Romania and Europe. However, it was probably only made accessible to the public in 1962 (3.2 ha). At the end of the 1960's some investments were made to populate the zoo with new species of representative animals and birds from all over the world.
In the early 1980s, the communist regime called for the demolition of the mausoleum, but a compromise solution was found - it was converted into a deer and deer house, so the building was inhabited by animals for years. In the end, after the fall of communism, he regained his well-deserved dignity.

After Romania joined the EU, this zoo also ended up on the cross-off list. Due to the limited and unsuitable areas for animals, the zoo loses its environmental permit, the authorities decide to close it in 2007. Three years later, the municipal council of Oradea Municipality allocated another 3.5 ha of land for the expansion of the zoo.
Several investment works have been carried out for its establishment, expansion and modernization in order to reach the standards required for approval. The works started in December 2010 and ended on May 15, 2013. The total value of these works was 19,445,238 lei gross, with 75% of the value being the contribution of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and 25% the contribution of the Municipality of Oradea.
The zoo reopened on June 1, 2013.

3.5 hours were needed for the normal round and a few extra photos.

Pictures of the ZOOO
 
On the way to the next zoo, we discovered a facility that was not yet listed in the ZTL.

The vivarium is integrated in the Muzeul Tării Crişurilor in Oradea. The museum includes a collection of paintings and sculptures with works of art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century as well as exhibits from archeology and natural history and ethnology. On January 17, 1971 the museum was founded and moved into the baroque palace of Oradea. Since January 3, 2006, the museum in the Baroque Palace is no longer open to the public, with the exception of temporary exhibitions. A suitable location for the museum's relocation is still being sought today.

The vivarium has been a permanent exhibition in the museum since 2018 and covers an area of 359 m². Setting up the exhibition, which is supposedly unique in Romania due to its complexity (according to Romanian opinion), cost 70,000 euros.

You have to buy tickets at the main cash desk and then back out and around the house to the special entrance.
For the overall view of the page I went further away. The gray building on the left is a school that is part of an entire school complex that lies between the zoo and the museum.

The photos are mixed cell phone / camera - because initially no real camera was allowed, my cell phone then no longer wanted due to overheating and the supervisor classified us as harmless but very interested and we were then allowed to use the cameras.

The peculiarity is the Pardul Petea rudd, which lived only in the nature reserve "Băile 1 Mai" and unfortunately no longer exists in nature due to the destruction of the nature reserve. And I don't really have a good picture of them.

After 50 minutes we continued.

Pictures of the vivarium
 
But…
... after almost an hour's drive, I was engrossed in the documents, and suddenly it said "There's another zoo!"
And in fact, a sign suddenly showed “Zoo”… unbelievable, this had also remained hidden from the ZTL (= NEW INSTALLATION). So get out of here again and use the break for something to eat.

This small zoo is part of a motel in Madaras. It's basically a duck/swan pond and pets to entertain the guests of the restaurant and motel. A nice idea, but the execution can be improved.

At 3:20 p.m. the journey to the next facility was continued. This time even without finding any other zoos.
 
The nearest zoo is a mini zoo in a mini park in Curtici, opened around 2008.
There are bird aviaries and an enclosure for ungulates. You can't really get close to the enclosures.
After probably the fastest "zoo visit" - 13 minutes from getting off to boarding - we then went to the accommodation.

Pictures of the facility
 
The next facility only opens at 10 a.m. (18°C) and was located outside the village of Sâmbăteni near Cicir on a gravel road. TomTom was only able to show half of the way.

An amazingly spacious facility opened up there, which deliberately does not call itself a zoo (despite the name ZooLandArad) but rather a farm.

Gabriel Mohaci founded his zoo farm about 15 years ago. The financing came from teir own resources as well as from a European "Young Farmer" program.

At first it was just a deer farm whose deer used to be sold to farmers who also wanted to breed these animals. As the requests to visit the facility increased, the requests were adapted.
After working in the field for many years and working with many companies in Germany, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands, Mohaci came into contact with various breeders there and was authorized as an import and sales agency in the country. Therefore, they had the opportunity to buy other animals to keep on the farm.
The 14 acre facility is proving to be an important landmark for the village and the county as a whole. If you want to spice up your life with exotic animals, you can buy specimens here, which finances the park, among other things.

Mohaci brought the bison from Belgium when he was one year old. In the meantime a young female has been added.

The facility would like to improve and possibly expand their animal shelters in the future. However, one would like to stick to the farm style and not become a typical zoo (quote: one does not want to concrete everything over)

Pictures of the zoo farm
 
The Resita Zoo was founded by the city's biology teacher Ioan Crisan as a mini zoo (1.5 hectares) at his high school in the 1960s. In 1965, the “real” zoo was built in what was then the city park (7 hectares), which then gradually increased to 12 hectares today. Modernization work was carried out in 2011-2013. The renovation and expansion work with an investment of around 1.6 million euros, supported by the Ministry of the Environment (75%) and the municipal budget (25%), included, among other things, the zoo school, the veterinary station and quarantine, a feed kitchen, a hayloft and a multifunctional warehouse as well as the zoo shop. In addition to the animals that are already in the park, new ones have been added, such as puma, jaguar, tiger, llama, skunk, emu, fallow deer, bison or ostrich, a total of almost 200 animals.

The zebra, Riko, came to Resita in fall 2021. He was born 1.5 years earlier in Hamburg and is therefore a Chapman's zebra.

For the tour and of course a repeat stroll past the Jaguar, the visit was over after 2 hours and we went to the next station or local accommodation.

Pictures of the zoo.
 
In the morning we went to the facility in Hateg. Another European bison reserve.
It is the oldest of the four reserves in Romania and was founded in 1958. The original pair came from Poland, and further examples also came from Poland in 1963. Most of the now over 50 offspring have been distributed to other reserves or zoos.

This time the whole thing is in a forest and you have to walk a bit from the parking lot.

After 40 minutes we continued.

Pictures of the reserve.
 
Otorongo said:
Here in Ilisesti should be found incredible animal collection “Zoo Soimaru” on 0.9 ha (established in 2009). When she arrived she looked like the interior of the Romanian Tiger King. Unfortunately or fortunately, the holding was temporarily closed and you could only see a few animals from the street (-> mobile phone photos). It's a pity, of course, for the ZTL to clean up this time. But I myself was quite happy not to have to look at the mass of animals there.

The private zoo in Ilisesti Municipality was founded by businessman Dorin Soimaru in the winter of 2004 when he took in two lions (then called Athos and Athens) that were abandoned during the winter. Over time, Soimaru picked up other big cats in poor condition and traded them with other collectors.
Soimaru Zoo has been renamed “Şoimaru Ilişeşti Colt Zoologic” (Zoo Corner) to comply with the legal regulations for this type of facility. It covers an area of 5,000 square meters.
In 2009, Şoimaru said of his establishment: “We don't claim that this zoo corner is classified as a real zoo, because neither the budget nor the space and the location allow us to do so. However, we are satisfied that these animals, most of which were bought when they had little chance of life, are now in excellent health and we can present them to the public". He hoped to move the attitude to a suitable place for expansion on the outskirts of Ilişeşti Municipality, for which he needs the help of local authorities who would have to provide him with land.
In 2012, the collection included around 400 specimens of exotic animals, most of which came from the Szeged Zoo in Hungary.

There was a petition last year for this facility to be permanently closed.

Pictures of this facility.
Click to expand...

The zoo has been closed at its former place in Ilisesti and moved 10km to the east. It opened on 1th of June, in town Zaharesti under a new name "Arca lui Noe".

Source
 
Thanks @Otorongo for your details on a selection of Romanian zoos. I doubt that I'll ever make it to that nation, therefore I found your 2023 comments and descriptions most fascinating. How many zoos are there in Romania? Which ones would make up a 'top 5'?
 
Thanks so much @Otorongo for this series of reviews, made for really interesting reading and I'm annoyed that I'm so late to reading them!

I've only visited one collection not on your list, the Muzeul de Ştiinţe ale Naturii (Museum of Natural Sciences) in Suceava. It's a small natural history museum with an aquarium which cost 3 Lei when I went in 2019 if memory serves. The natural history dioramas of local species had recently been renovated to make the surroundings feel more natural and the specimens tidied up, a nice little museum overall for anyone in the area.

The aquarium consisted of a few small tanks for pet shop species, though they did have a nice jaguar cichlid and clarias catfish when I went. I can't remember any species really worth writing about but I certainly didn't regret my visit.
 
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