What you did not know about Antwerp Zoo

If you’re planning a trip to Antwerp and you are an animal lover, make time to visit the wonderful Antwerp Zoo. A trailblazer in the zoological world, the zoo has had many world firsts including new species and beautiful listed buildings. A trip to the zoo has a special place in the hearts of many families, groups of friends and couples and remains one of the top things to do when you visit Antwerp. PREMIER SUITES Antwerp is ideally located for a trip to the zoo, less than 5 minutes walk from this busy attraction. Book your stay in our spacious, comfortable suites for a perfect break for all the family.

1. Antwerp Zoo was built in 1843 and is the oldest zoo in Belgium. When it was established over 170 years ago, it was located just outside the city walls, but the city has expanded so much that it’s now in the middle of the city. It occupies a 10-hectare (25-acre) site in the centre of Antwerp and is managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp. The Zoo is our city garden and a green oasis beside the Central Station, a stone’s throw from our accommodation in Antwerp. The Zoo’s beautiful buildings and gardens have been listed as monuments and have a specific protection order to prevent them from being modified. You can see 80% of the zoo’s animals on any given day despite the changeable Belgian weather.
2. Our beloved zoo has one of the largest and most diversified animal collections in Europe. It is home to over 6000 specimens of animals including about 300 reptiles and 1,700 fish which represent more than 1,160 different species. Some of the specimens of the mammal collection are rare and wonderful and include Père David’s deer – a large Asian species of deer, and an extremely rare and dwindling species, the white rhinoceroses. During the 1920s, the zoo gained notoriety for breeding newly discovered animals such as the Okapi and Congo Peafowl. In 1936 the zoo acquired 90 acres in Planckendael where they developed a breeding station for endangered speciessuch as the bongo antelope and Indian rhinoceros.
3. Antwerp were not only the first zoo to hold White Rhinos in Europe but the entire world. Nowhere outside of Africa ever held white rhinos and only one institution in Africa held them successfully. Two beautiful white rhinos arrived in Antwerp zoo in 1950. Paul was the male and was born in 1948 in the wild of South Sudan the same as Chloe, the female. They were 30 and 24 months old respectively when they arrived at Antwerp Zoo. In 1974 Southern white rhinos also came to live in the same enclosure, and in 1978 Indian rhinos joined them. Paul passed away in April 1968 but Chloe survived much longer. When the Indian rhinos arrived, she was moved to a smaller, more private enclosure until she died in 1985.
4. Another first for Antwerp Zoo was the arrival of a brand new species called okapis, also known as the forest giraffe or zebra giraffe. Discovered in 1901, okapi were highly sought after animals for breeding and as early as 1907, the Antwerp Zoo inquired of the Secretary-General for Congolese Affairs to obtain one of these interesting species for Antwerp Zoo. One was shipped previously in 1905 but it turned out to be stuffed! After the 1st World War, the Antwerp Zoo was largely destroyed. Only 19% of the animal collection before the war was left, this number consisted mostly of fish. They got to work rebuilding the collection and the first okapi, Buta, finally arrived in Antwerp on August 9, 1919. Today, Antwerp is Zoo holds the record for most okapi births in one zoo, with around 50 so far.

Antwerp Zoo is one of the main and most popular attractions in Antwerp and for good reason. Their animals are held in clean, spacious enclosures; they even have a dedicated animal welfare scientist! Book a stay in PREMIER SUITES serviced apartments in Antwerp and enjoy a family break you’ll always remember.