Copenhagen Zoo

Copenhagen or København is the capital of Denmark and is the largest city in the country. Though the country is now considered a boom town in terms of its cultural and urban development since the turn of the 21st century, the city retains its charm.

Copenhagen has plenty of tourist destinations and one of the more popular places to visit is the Copenhagen Zoo. The zoo has been established in 1859 by Niles Kjaerbolling and is one of the oldest zoos in all of Europe.

Main entrance of the zoo

Photo by Hans Jørn Storgaard Andersen, Wikimedia Commons

København Zoo is located in Frederiksberg, between Søndermarken and Frederiksberg Park. It spreads on an 11 hectare property that is right smack in the centre of Copenhagen. If you touring Copenhagen in a motorhome, it would be best for you to park in a motorhome park near Lystbådehavn first and commute going to the zoo. With more than a million visitors trooping to the zoo yearly, the venue is the 4th most visited tourist attraction in the country.

The zoo is divided into sectors. The Norden (North) boasts of animals such as reindeers, seals, polar bears, brown bears, muskox, grey wolf and more. Sydamerika (South America) has the guanaco, capybara, mara, anteater, nandu and screamer.

The observation tower

Photo by Björn Söderqvist, Flickr Creative Commons

Afrika (Africa) visitors are treated to views of giraffes, rhinoceros, impala, ostrich, hippopotamus, zebra, caracal and the rare okapi. Øer pertains to Islands and in this area are found native animals of Australia such as the kangaroo, emu, kea, lemur and Tasmanian devil.

At the Børnezoo or Children’s Zoo are animals that are good enough to pet: goats, llamas, pigs, horses, chickens and cows. Children may ride ponies or take a closer look at rabbits, snakes and other animals in the Zoo Stage. Daily at 3:20 p.m. the cows are milked to the delight of children as they watch. You can check the schedules of feeding time for seals, chimpanzees, sea lions and other carnivores.

A latest addition to the zoo is the Elephant House. Designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster with Danish landscape architect Stig Anderson, the structure has two glass-domed enclosures for cows and bulls. Contained in the building are an exhibit and lecture halls. The main area in the Elephant House is the 1 hectare landscaped paddock for the elephants. The enclosure has a pool that spans 60 metres long. The fence that separates the paddocks from Frederiksberg Park has been opened up so the people at the park can take a view of the elephants too (and vice versa).

Copenhagen Zoo continues its partnership with other Danish zoos so they could all join in an effort to implement for programs beneficial to the animals. Copenhagen Zoo is open 365 days a year. It has become a great place to spend and enjoy a day. The animal habitats and enclosures are well-designed and constructed. The many animals and displays and facilities in the zoo afford for a relaxing atmosphere. A trip to Copenhagen Zoo is an inexpensive alternative to amusement parks.