Description of the attraction
Edinburgh Zoo is a non-profit organization dedicated to not only entertaining and educating visitors, but also participating in serious research projects. And today the zoo is actively working in the following areas: captive breeding of rare and endangered species; research in ethology (animal behavior); active participation in various conservation programs around the world.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was founded in 1909. The society bought a plot of land from the city for a zoo, and the zoo itself was planned on the model of the Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg. Edinburgh Zoo was an "open-air" zoo that recreated the animals' natural habitat whenever possible. Compared to the cramped steel cages typical of Victorian menageries, this was new and progressive. Scottish National Zoological Park (as its official name) was opened to the public in the summer of 1913.
For many people, the name Edinburgh Zoo is firmly associated with penguins, and this is not surprising. The first penguins appeared here in 1914. The first chick of king penguins hatched at the zoo in 1919 - this was the first time a penguin chick was hatched in captivity. One of the most colorful and popular events of the day is the penguin parade, when the attendant opens the aviary, and the penguins go for a walk, and visitors have the opportunity to communicate with them better. The beginning of this tradition was laid by a chance - several penguins escaped from the enclosure and went for a walk around the zoo. The parade is absolutely voluntary on the part of the penguins, so the public's interest is fueled by the fact that it is impossible to predict in advance how many penguins will go to the parade, and whether they will come out at all. And a penguin named Nils Olaf is not just the mascot of the Norwegian Royal Guards - he was awarded the knighthood and the post of chief colonel.
The Budongo Trail is an opportunity for zoo visitors to see chimpanzees in a state-of-the-art enclosure and learn more about our closest relatives.
In the bird house, you can see the most exotic birds such as the purple turaco, the Balinese starling and the Nicobar pigeon. Aviaries with biruangs (Malay bears), saki monkeys and, of course, koalas, which are not found in any zoo in Great Britain, are very popular.
