Skopje Zoo

The Skopje Zoo (Macedonian: Зоолошка градина Скопје; Albanian: Kopshti zoologjik Shkup) is a 12-hectare (30-acre) zoo near City Park in Skopje, North Macedonia. It is home to 500 animals representing 85 species.

Skopje Zoo
Entrance to Skopje Zoo
42.007078°N 21.41687°E / 42.007078; 21.41687
Date opened1926
LocationCity Park, Skopje, North Macedonia
Land area12 ha (30 acres)[1]
No. of animals500[1]
No. of species85[1]
Websitewww.zooskopje.com.mk

History

The zoo was founded in 1926 by a three-member commission led by Stanko Karaman. When it opened, the zoo covered only 4 hectares (10 acres), and exhibited only a few animals which it had received as gifts. With a decision by the Skopje city council in 1965, and the new town zoning in 1966, the zoo was expanded to its current size.[1]

Over the years the zoo received much criticism for the living conditions of its animals. The only elephant ever held by the zoo died at age 23 less than a year after being transferred from the Belgrade Zoo,[2] and the chronically depressed lone Chimpanzee Koko was transferred to the AAP Primate Sanctuary in 2009.[3]

However, in 2008 the City allocated 42 million denar in funds to improve the zoo, and the zoo started working with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) to improve conditions and bring the zoo up to modern standards. By 2010, 18 new enclosures had been built, 85% of the older exhibits at the zoo had been renovated, and the zoo became an EAZA membership candidate.[3][4]

The future

The zoo plans to build new enclosures for elephants and giraffes (financed by the city),[4] as well as build a new chimpanzee enclosure so that Koko can return home.[3]

Notes
  1. "About the Zoo". zooskopje.com.mk. Skopje Zoo. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. "Deceased elephants at Skopje Zoo in Macedonia". elephant.se. Koehl D, Elephant Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  3. "Macedonia: Skopje Zoo Improvements". globalvoices.org. Global Voices. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  4. "PM Gruevski visits renovated Skopje Zoo". macedoniaonline.eu. Macedonian International News Agency. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
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