Zoo Ruins

T

tschandler71

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
As many of you guys know I teach history, and one thing that has always interested me is the history of zoos. Now days with rapidly changing zoo exhibits a lot of the old stuff is simply demolished.

There are however examples of zoos that are still standing despite being completely closed as well as sections of zoos that are closed but somewhat accessible to guests.

Anyone have any good stories or pictures of these?
 
Vormer seal enclosure of Brussels Zoo, which closed in 1880

IMG_3190.jpg
 
Belfast Zoo, I'm sure it's been covered elsewhere but a lot of the old exhibits from the Bellevue Zoo are still intact although inaccessible without prior invitation or a guided tour
 
alethionaut said:
Belfast Zoo, I'm sure it's been covered elsewhere but a lot of the old exhibits from the Bellevue Zoo are still intact although inaccessible without prior invitation or a guided tour
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There are more than a few pictures of the old zoo in the Belfast gallery,many put up by myself and a few other's that have been lucky enough to be shown round the old zoo!

If its who I think it is doing the tour I can guarantee that who ever does it will have a great time,as the guy really knows his stuff about the old zoo!!!
 
If you watch the movie Anchorman you can see the ruins from the original LA Zoo.
 
The ruins of the owl exhibit are the only visible remains of the "Benedikt Zoo"(1863-1866) at the English Garden of Munich, Germany
 
The old Griffith Park Zoo (about a mile down the park from the current Los Angeles Zoo) is a picnic area accessible to all. This is the one referred to above in the movie Anchorman.

There are also photos in the gallery of the remains of a closed zoo in Miami - I forget the name of it. (Something like Camden Park???).
 
From Hobart, Australia: [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart_Zoo]Hobart Zoo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
 
tschandler71 said:
As many of you guys know I teach history, and one thing that has always interested me is the history of zoos. Now days with rapidly changing zoo exhibits a lot of the old stuff is simply demolished.

There are however examples of zoos that are still standing despite being completely closed as well as sections of zoos that are closed but somewhat accessible to guests.

Anyone have any good stories or pictures of these?
Click to expand...

Melbourne Zoo restored two 19thC ape enclosures that are on their main drive, effectively as a museum. They also restored their elephant house for sleepovers. All three are of course in excellent condition. Off limits the old bear pits still exist, but these are now used as a rubbish dump.
 
"Off limits the old bear pits still exist, but these are now used as a rubbish dump. " - really? I've never heard of these, what area of the zoo would they be closest to?
 
Astrobird said:
"Off limits the old bear pits still exist, but these are now used as a rubbish dump. " - really? I've never heard of these, what area of the zoo would they be closest to?
Click to expand...

My apologies I should have been a little more circumspect, in that I must admit it has been several years since I have actual knowledge of their continued existence. A quick check of Google Earth shows that they now appear have been filled in and bulldozed into a parking area.

The bear pits were against the boundary wall, continuous with the big cat complex, and behind the current bear enclosure.
 
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