Belfast Zoo
 Belfast Zoo logo |
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| Date opened | 1934 |
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| Location | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Land area | 55 acres (22 ha)[1] |
| Coordinates | 54°39′22″N 5°56′31″W / 54.656°N 5.942°WCoordinates: 54°39′22″N 5°56′31″W / 54.656°N 5.942°W |
| Number of animals | 1200+[1] |
| Number of species | 140[1] |
| Annual visitors | 300,000 |
| Website | www.belfastzoo.co.uk |
Belfast Zoological Gardens (also known as Bellevue Zoo) is a zoo in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in a relatively secluded location on the northeastern slope of Cavehill, overlooking Belfast's Antrim Road, resulting in a uniquely tranquil environment for the animals that the zoo is frequently praised for.
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[edit] About the zoo
Belfast Zoo is one of the top fee-paying visitor attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving more than 300,000 visitors a year. Located in north Belfast, the zoo's 55-acre (22 ha) site is home to more than 1,200 animals and 140 species.
The majority of the animals in Belfast Zoo are in danger in their natural habitat. The zoo carries out important conservation work and takes part in over 90 European and international breeding programmes which help to ensure the survival of many species under threat.
Belfast Zoo is owned by Belfast City Council.[1] The council spends £1.5 million every year on running and promoting the zoo, which is one of the few local government-funded zoos in the UK and Ireland.
The zoo's work is overseen by the council's Parks and Leisure Committee. The committee is made up of 20 locally elected councillors.
[edit] History
The story of Belfast Zoo begins with the city’s public transport system. At the beginning of the 20th century, passengers from Belfast were transported to the villages of Whitewell and Glengormley by horse-drawn trams belonging to the Belfast Street Tramway company and steam tramways from Cave Hill and Whitewell.
In 1911, the tram line was taken over by Belfast Corporation, now Belfast City Council. The corporation decided to build a miniature railway, playground, and pleasure gardens at the end of the line to encourage customers to use the service. The area was named Bellevue Gardens, meaning 'good or pretty view'.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the gardens were a popular destination for day trips. In 1933, the corporation decided to install a representative zoological collection on the site. Then, in 1934, 12 acres (4.9 ha) on either side of the Grand Floral Staircase, a series of steps designed to reach the top of the hillside, were laid out as Bellevue Zoo.
It took 150 men to build the site and the steps can still be seen from Antrim Road today. The zoo was opened on 28 March 1934 by Sir Crawford McCullough, the then Lord Mayor of Belfast. The venture was supported by Councillor RJR Harcourt from Belfast Corporation and was partnered by George Chapman, an animal dealer and circus entrepreneur.
It cost £10,000 to build and a total of 284,713 people visited the zoo in its first year.
[edit] Exhibits
- Avenue Animal Walk
Avenue Animal Walk is the first part of the zoo, and is home to Eastern Bngo, Malayan Tapir, Darwin's Rea, Blesbok, Giant Anteater, Sitatunga, Nile Lechwe and occasionally Grant's Zebra which had been taken out of the Savannah Exhibit.
- Lake Walk
Lake Walk is home to the Moloch Gibbon and many birds including Chilean Flamingo and Demoiselle Crane.
- Reptiles of the Forest House
This exhibit was opened in 2008, and is home to reptiles including Royal Python and Mediterannean Tortoise.
- Lemurs
A large mixed exhibit next to Reptiles of the Forest House is home to Crowned Lemur, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Ring-tailed Lemur (Which also roam free around the zoo), Capybara, Parma Wallaby, and Wild Rabbit.
- Spider Monkey Island
Spider Monkey Island holds a successful breeding troop of monkeys and coscorba swans swim freely in the water. The there is a Kangaroo Exhibit with yet again another breeding success. Spectacled Bear Follows.
- Giraffe and Elephant Walk
Giraffe and Elephant Walk is home to Rothschild's Giraffe and Hybrid Giraffe, Grant's Zebra and Ostrich which all share a medioca sized exhibit. There are two small exhibits one holding Visayan Warty Pig, the other Blesbok, Ostrich and Zebra.
- Elephant Sanctuary
This exhibit houses Tine, Jenny, Yhetto, and another Elephant, all very old and most of them being rescued working animals. Then there is the ever popular meerkat.
- Monkey Walk
The monkey walk is home to Tamarins and Marmosets, along with Francois Langur, Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo, Crowned Sifaka, Javan Bwon Langur, Chimpanzee, and Black and White Colobus Monkey.
- Ape House
Chimpanzees are housed in one half of the Ape House (opened by Jane Goodall in the 1990s), and the other side accommodates Wetern Lowland Gorillas.
- Hill Walk
The Hill Walk is an uphill walk which displays Maned Wolf, Outside Gorilla Exhibit, Fossa, Temmincks Golden Cat (hard to spot), and More Tamarins and Marmosets. This section of the zoo also shows the Lion Tailed Macaque.
- Mountain walk
White Nosed Coati, Vicuna, Malayan Sun Bear, Cheeath, Red River Hog and Red Ruffed Lemur all live in the Mountain Walk which is where the Mountain Tea House was placed.
- Cat Walk
Two Sumatran Tigers, A pair of African Wild Dogs, Red Panda's and a Happy Family Family of Barbary Lions all live in the 'Cat Walk.' The Red Panda's have escaped on numerous occasions into the large forest which suronds the zoo, the coati also escaped but were successfully returned to the zoo still alive and well :)
- Penguin exhibit
The penguin exhibit is home to Rockhopper, Gentoo, and Humboldt's Penguins. The California Sea Lion and Andean Goose follow. The White tailed sea eagle is in a netted enclosure, and there is a pair of Smooth Coated Otters.
- Birds
A Bird Park, Rainforest House, Prairie Dog Exhibit and Walk Through Aviary complete the exhibits. Exit from the zoo is through the Zoovenier Shop, built in 2009 to mark the 75th anniversary of the zoo.
[edit] Recent developments
Belfast Zoo is always making changes and welcoming new arrivals or celebrating births.
In 2001 a wolf-like dog broke into a Knagaroo enlosure and killed one of the younger kangaroos that had been born at the zoo.
In June 2007, a Barbary lion cub was born at the zoo. This was the first Barbary lion to be born in Ireland. The cub was rejected by its mother and hand-reared at home by keeper Linda Frew. Lily the lion moved to Hodonin Zoo in the Czech Republic in August 2009, as part of a breeding programme.
In 2008, the zoo opened a new tropical rainforest which houses such animals as two-toed sloth, red-footed tortoises and Rodrigues bats. The Rainforest House is a walk-through exhibition with tropical landscaping and a constant temperature of 27 degrees. In winter the zoo finds it slightly harder to keep it at a constant temperature and therefore some of the animals sadly pass away.
More recently, renovations have included work on the gorilla and chimpanzee enclosures, giraffe and elephant enclosures, including a raised giraffe feeder, and new frames in the spider monkey and Andean bear enclosures.
In 2009, on its 75th birthday, the zoo opened a new state-of-the-art Visitors’ Centre and Zoovenir Shop. The refurbishment features high-level roofing with plenty of natural light and multimedia presentations showing the history of Belfast Zoo and wildlife in Northern Ireland.
The zoo was awarded £250,000 from the Tourism Development Scheme (TDS) from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to build the new reception area. The council has donated a further £300,000 to help with the increase in visitor numbers.
2009 was a successful year with plenty of new arrivals including a Sumatran tiger called Kabus, and the only Tree-kangaroo in the UK, called Kwikila. 2009 also brought the zoo’s highest level of visitors in its history with over 302,000 visitors. Over 90 babies were born in the zoo in 2009.
2010 has seen the arrival of two smooth-coated otters, red titi monkeys and a pair of Toco Toucans. Other new arrivals are planned for the year, to include a female Sumatran tiger to join Kabus.
May Day in 2010 had more than double the visitors of the same day in 2009.
Babies since 2009 have included a Malayan tapir, ring-tailed lemurs, a Grant's zebra, sea lions, prairie dogs, litters of piglets, spider monkeys, red kangaroos and many more. The Zoo also has a farm which houses African Pygmy Goats, Shetland Pony, Mediterannean Miniature Donkey, Irish moiled Cattle, Ferrets, Rabbits, Barn Owl, Tamworth Pig, Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig, Vorweck Chicken, Turkey, Bronze Turkey and Berkshire Pig. Within the Zoo there is great breeding Succes.
[edit] Floral Hall
Located within the grounds of the zoo is a 1930s art deco ballroom, the Floral Hall.
In the 1960s, the hall was a popular venue for visiting musical artists including Pink Floyd and Small Faces. The hall has been derelict since the outbreak of the Troubles in the 1970s. Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust are planning to renovate the building, although Belfast City Council have yet to provide any funding.
2010 has seen the project be taken further, with various meetings to discuss potential uses for the hall and the carrying out of a feasibility study.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d "Visit Us". belfastzoo.co.uk. Belfast City Council. http://www.belfastzoo.co.uk/visitus/index.aspx. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
[edit] External links
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