Tourist attractions in Vienna : Tiergarten Schönbrunn

Schönbrunn Zoo located on the grounds of the famous Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna and is the oldest zoo in the world. The still preserved buildings of the baroque era, which have been complemented in the last years by elements of modern zoo architecture, still convey a good impression of the 18th century menagerie-buildings after the Versailles model. Today Tiergarten Schönbrunn is considered and regards itself as a scientifically administered zoo which sees its main purpose to protect species from excessive rates of extinction. 

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The zoo was constructed in 1752 next to Schloss Schönbrunn by Adrian van Stekhoven at the order of the Emperor Francis I, husband of Maria Theresia, to serve as an imperial menagerie (a royal animal collection). It was centered around a pavilion meant for imperial breakfasts. Therefore, thirteen animal enclosures in the form of cut cake pieces were established around this central pavilion. The central pavilions and the menagerie building were built by a French architect Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey. Being at first a courtly menagerie with private character it was opened to the public in 1779. Initially, it was only open for "respectably dressed persons".

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Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II organized expeditions to Africa and the Americas to procure specimens for the zoo. The arrival of the first giraffe in 1828 influenced Viennese fashion and city life. Clothes’, accessories’, and other items’ designs were influenced, and Adolf Bäuerle performed his play titled Giraffes in Vienna.

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At the onset of World War I, the zoo was home to 712 species and 3,500 specimens. Due to diminishing food supplies during the war, the number of specimens rapidly sank to 900. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the war, the zoo became the responsibility of the Austrian Republic. Bombing raids during World War II, had an even greater impact on the zoo. Many buildings were destroyed and specimens killed, reducing the stock of specimens to 400. Restoration was planned after the war and the zoo was extended by a number of new buildings. Tiergarten Schönbrunn experienced a financial crisis in the 1980s, but closure of the zoo was prevented by privatization in 1992. The new management was able to renovate and extend many of the enclosures thanks to a number of sponsors and significantly increased entrance fees. 

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Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of the few zoos worldwide to house giant pandas. The zoo's pandas are named Yang Yang (F), Long Hui (M), Fu Long (M), and Fu Hu (M). Fu Long's birth in August 2007 was the first natural insemination panda birth in Europe. Fu Hu was born exactly 3 years later, and he was also conceived via natural mating. One more panda cub, Fu Bao (福豹), was born nearly three years later in 2013 via natural mating.

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Other zoo attractions include a rain forest house, in which the spectator is led through a simulation of the Amazon rain forest, an aquarium, which enables spectators to walk through underneath a simulation of the Amazon in flood, and more recently, an exhibit of animals in unnatural habitats. The new polarium for animals of the Arctic region was opened in early 2004.


Text Source: wikipedia.org