| Located on the grounds of the famous Schönbrunn | | | | increased entrance fees, but also through private and |
| Palace in Vienna, Austria, is Tiergarten Schönbrunn | | | | corporate sponsorship, and hotels in Vienna are once |
| (German for Schönbrunn Zoo) the oldest zoo in the | | | | again being patronised by visitors who have come |
| world. It was founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752 | | | | from afar to visit the famous animal establishment. |
| and when first opened to the public in 1779, there were | | | | Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of the few zoos |
| no entrance fees. | | | | worldwide to house giant pandas and on the 23rd |
| It was the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, who first | | | | August 2007 the first non-artificial insemination panda |
| organized expeditions to Africa and the Amercias to | | | | baby in Europe was born there. Other attractions |
| capture specimens for the zoo and the first giraffe | | | | include a rainforest house, in which the spectator is led |
| arrived in 1828. On July 14, 1906, the zoo shocked the | | | | through a simulation of the Amazon Rainforest, and an |
| world with the birth of the first elephant in captivity; until | | | | aquarium which enables spectators to walk |
| then, zoologists had held the opinion that elephants | | | | underneath a simulation of the Amazon in flood. The |
| could only reproduce in the wild. | | | | new polarium for animals of the Arctic region was |
| At the onset of the first world war, the zoo was home | | | | opened in early 2004 and the zoo is now also a |
| to 712 species and 3500 specimens, but due to | | | | center for Zoological research. |
| diminishing food supplies during the conflict, the number | | | | The zoo's long life has not been without hardship and |
| of specimens rapidly sank down to 900. Bombing raids | | | | a number of tragic accidents have plagued the |
| in February 1945 during World War II had an even | | | | organisation. In 2002 a jaguar attacked a caretaker |
| greater impact on the zoo; many buildings were | | | | during feeding, killing her in front of visitors and the |
| destroyed and many animals were killed, leaving just | | | | director sustained heavy arm injuries whilst trying to |
| 400 samples alive. | | | | intervene. In February 2005 a young elephant lethally |
| After the war, the new zoo director Dr. Julius | | | | crushed his caretaker and in the following press storm, |
| Brachetka eventually managed to restore the zoo, but | | | | director Helmut Pechlaner offered to resign over the |
| in the 1980s, it experienced a financial crisis due to lack | | | | issue. |
| of visitors and increasing costs, however, closure was | | | | However, despite all this, Tiergarten Schönbrunn is |
| prevented by privatization in 1992. Recently, under the | | | | among the most modern zoos in the world and their |
| guidance of manager Helmut Pechlaner, also president | | | | motto “Schönbrunn should be a zoo of happy |
| of the Austrian wing of the World Wildlife Fund | | | | animals”, is clearly visible everywhere, which is what |
| (WWF), the zoo has been able to renovate and | | | | has allowed it to survive to become the world's oldest |
| extend many of the enclosures thanks to significantly | | | | zoo. |