Antwerp Zoo

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History

Jan Frans Loos, alderman of Antwerp (and to become Mayor from 1848 to 1863), visited Amsterdam Zoo during a business trip in 1840. His brother Jozef was living in Amsterdam, and together they owned the famous transport company Van Gend & Loos, being the children of the legendary founders of this company, Jan Van Gend en Maria Loos. During the 1840 visit to Amsterdam it all started, as Loos decided Antwerp should have its own zoological park, inspired by Natura Artis Magistra (Amsterdam Zoo). As soon as he found a business partner to help him in this challenge things started to shape. In the beginning the Zoo was nothing more than the collection of stuffed animals of his partner Jacques Kets, a renowned taxidermist. The City of Antwerp wanted to build army barracks at the location of Kets' house and made him an offer to house his 'cabinet of natural curiosities', including some tropical animals, in the Zoo to be built. This was a good deal and thus became Loos and Kets partners with Kets as the first director, appointed for life. It was not unusual at the time to have a zoological collection that consisted mostly of dead stuffed animals.

A committee was established on 19 July 1841 for the formation of a Zoological Society of Antwerp, though they lacked the grounds to house a substantial number of living animals. It was not until March 1843 before the committee bought a piece of land of approximately 1.5 ha, next to the recently built wooden railway station and just outside the city walls. Soon, 21 July 1843, the Zoo officially opened to the public. There was not a lot to see at the time, a few goats and horses, and the stuffed animals of course. More exotic animals would arrive in the years that followed. In 1844, when the Society became 'Royal', the complete collection is kept in one building, a museum for natural history including cages for predators. It housed a few primates, birds and snakes along with the taxidermal collection. The first chimpanzee arrived in 1847.

Although opened to the public not everybody was able to visit, because the entrance fee was steep and the upper classes did not want to mingle with the ordinary people. Like many other zoos at the time, Antwerp Zoo was a place for people to see and to be seen. In 1862, for the first time, they started to invite schools to the grounds and they lowered the price of a ticket on two Sundays to allow ordinary people to enter the Zoo. But it took until after the first World War before the Zoo opened the gates to all, at all times.

With the harbour at its doorstep the Society tried to expand the collection of exotic animals by asking shipowners to take home with them (specific) animals from the countries they visited. They asked diplomats the same question, successfully. However, the most important source was the international animal trade business, which was at its peak during the second half of the 19^th century.
To increase the income the Zoo started selling the results of their breeding efforts with the hippopotamuses couple as their major asset. In the 1870s the revenue of these sales increased to over 50 percent of their total income. These revenues were invested in new buildings and animals, and used for purchasing surrounding houses and kitchen gardens, leading to a steady growth of the Zoo to 11 ha. In 1856 the Egyptian temple for elephants, giraffes and zebras was built, in 1867 the Indian temple for the antilopes, in 1870 a palace for the predators, and in 1885 the Moorish temple for the ostriches. These were all typical for European zoo design at the time. This 'exotic style' of zoo building had an excellent and prominent representative with the Egyptian temple, which got decorated with paintings and hieroglyphs in 1860 when the architect, Charles Servais, convinced the Society council that this would make the temple more scientific accurate. The temple as an unique and impressive exotic building was imitated by many zoos at the time. In Antwerp the Egyptian temple (elephants and giraffes) and the Moorish temple (okapis) are still in use nowadays. The first living okapi in captivity (named Buta from Belgian colony Congo) was exhibited in Antwerp Zoo in 1919!

But as the city of Antwerp started to grow in the late 19^th century and new houses appeared around the Zoo, further expansion of the Zoo was not possible. The Zoo got encapsulated by the growing city. Already in 1893 the first plan was developed to move the entire zoo, followed by several other plans - including one of Le Corbusier wherein the new Zoo was scheduled in a new part of the city on the left bank of the river Schelde. All plans were turned down by the city council and disappeared into the drawer. Meanwhile the Zoological Society thought of expansion in terms of a second zoo. This led in 1956 to the purchase of an estate near Mechelen with a small castle, Planckendael. The zoo in Planckendael was opened to the public in 1960 and had enclosures for bison, camel, moose, antilope and cranes.

After a prosperous period with some minor setbacks - a tiger had to be shot when it escaped its transport cage in 1868, the primates building burned down in 1881, and a keeper was killed by a rhinoceros in 1885 - the Zoo suffered great losses during both World Wars. Both times the Zoo decided to kill animals when Antwerp was under siege, as destruction of buildings by bombing was too high a risk when large predators would escape. Another reason was animal welfare in the period of shortages. And food shortage led to butchering of the hoofed animals. In the winter of 1940 during WW II many valuable animals froze to death, such as an okapi, elephant and hippopotamus. The roof of the Egyptian temple collapsed. Both times the Zoo had to be built from scratch with perseverance, generosity and solidarity.

The period after WW II is identified by a different attitude of the public, because they have more money to spend, more leisure time and more interest in animals and nature. The Zoo evolves, like many other zoos, and changes its objectives towards more scientific research, animal welfare and nature conservation. Breeding programmes are started (Congo peacock and okapi), and in 1946 the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA) is co-founder of the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens, now the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The great apes house is built (1958, renovated in 1989), as well as the Nocturama (1968), a new reptile house (1973) and a new monkey house (1978). For all these changes additional investements had to be made. Money that was not readily available, so the visitor numbers had to increase. This was the time that the Zoo resorted to advertising campaigns and sales of by-products. Though these were successful, the oil-crisis in the 1970s was a major setback with a 20-year aftermath. The RZSA was running the Zoo as a private company, but the new director Daman recognised in 1983 that a municipal subsidy was inevitable for the Zoo to survive in the long term. Fortunately, he managed to get a municipal subsidy which in 2001 was supplemented with subsidy from the Flemish goverment. Together with increasing visitor numbers and the Zoo listed as a historical monument, which deliver finances for the maintenance of the old buildings, this allows for progress and modernisation that is required.

The masterplan that was developed in the 1990s showed how Antwerp Zoo was following new opinions about zoo husbandry and management. It was scheduled to turn the Zoo into four macro-habitats - a tropical rainforest, a swamp area, a savannah, a polar zone - and a discovery centre. In the different habitats the animals should be housed together, separated by natural borders. Though this barless concept was not new, as it was introduced for the first time in Hamburg Zoo in the early 20^th century, it meant quite a change in Antwerp. Mixed species exhibits were rare in the Zoo. Unfortunately, new financial problems appeared in 1996, because enormous works on the railway station hindered the reachability by public transport. Therefore, only the penguins benefited from the masterplan with the building of the Antarctic house (Vriesland, 1997) and the elephants with the completion of the first part of the savannah habitat (olifantenperk, 1999), which triples the size of their original outdoor enclosure. As mentioned earlier the Flemish government in 2001 financially appreciated the relevance of a modern zoo in Antwerp, for tourism and as a centre for knowledge, research and education on nature conservation. This gave a new boost to the effectuation of the masterplan. The swamp habitat was finalised around 2003, housing pelicans and marsh birds, and bringing relief for the hippopotamuses who now could enjoy a nice outdoors with a rivulet, physically but not visibly separated from the tapirs. In 2006 a south-american habitat enclosure for spectacled bears and coatis was completed. Amazingly, they even managed to expand with 1.5 ha in 2008 by demolishing large parts of an adjacent street.

While in 2011 the new lion enclosure was delivered and the renovation of the seal enclosure started as part of the current masterplan, a new ambitious strategic masterplan launches. A fundamental metamorphosis is foreseen before 2020: with a complete makeover for the entrance; a brand new restaurant in the hoofed animals building; a transfer of the Cape buffalo and zebra close to the giraffes; the great apes will get a new building with a terrace; same counts for the big cats; the Aquaforum of the sea lions, the Nocturama, the birdhouse, the Antarctic house, the Aquarium and the Egyptian temple will be renovated. At a price of about 70 million euro Antwerp Zoo will be made future proof.

(Sources: website Antwerp Zoo; De Tuin van het Leven by Rudy van Eysendeyk and Roland Van Boxstaele; Zoo and Aquarium history by Vernon N. Kisling, jr.)

For information about Antwerp Zoo's history in pictures click here

Visit(s)

30.04.2012

About a year ago I paid Antwerp Zoo my first visit. This old, not to say ancient, city zoo just next-door to Antwerp central railway station has been out of options to expand long ago. Already 50 years ago they have moved part of the animal collection to Planckendael Zoo nearby to continue to meet the demands of a modern zoo, which in such a confined area as in Antwerp means: less animal species and specimens. The Zoo is still in the process of transition, and last year improvements were scheduled and construction of a new lion enclosure was visible. This was one of the reasons I went over again.

The new lion enclosure is inhabited by two African lions, who seem very comfortable and are enjoying their new home. Soon they will have to share the enclosure with meerkats (Suricata suricatta) and yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata) who are still in the process of habituation in the adjacent enclosure. The lioness is either fat or pregnant if you ask me, but without doubt very relaxed. Both the lions should have a stable character and not easily be disturbed by the public, because to my surprise the enclosure lacks hideouts. And though the enclosure is of a decent size the animals are very exposed to the public, who have access for viewing on all sides. On the frontside you can see the lions with just a moat filled with water in between, and the other three sides provide viewing access from a high level which probably is less disturbing. From the bridge on the backside you can see lions on one side and camels on the other side. The enclosure has got a nice design considering the little waterfall, the stream and the different bottom covering materials, but why there is no high level resting platform I do not understand. That's really a feline requirement I think.

Another enclosure that has been torn down and rebuilt according the original plans of 1908 is the basin for common seals next-door to the lions. Although the old enclosure for the common seals was falling apart, it had a nice atmosphere. The brand new basin looks very sterile still, but is filled with salt water instead of freshwater and therefore better for the seals' eyes.

Unfortunately, Inca the female spectacled bear died last February. The Zoo hopes to get a recommendation from the coordinator of the studbook, Cologne Zoo, to house another female together with their male, Gladstone. And if so, hopefully the new pair will breed, as Inca never got pregnant, neither by natural conception or by artificial insemination.

Last time the primate house was closed, so I really wanted to have a look inside this time. It appears that the building in the old days housed probably many species in small bare adjacent rooms. These are interconnected now, and the Zoo restrains itself to only two species, chimpanzees and gorillas. The additional large enclosures where the animals have access to nowadays provides plenty of enrichment features, though it is strange that both the species do not have outdoor access.

13.03.2011

It is a short walk from Antwerp central railway station to the Zoo. Its entrance is more or less 'around the corner' when you exit the station. Very convenient when you arrive by public transport, but such a central location in the city makes it very hard for the Zoo to expand. Especially as one side borders the railway station and some enclosures are actually built against a wall of the station building. Fortunately, all platforms are deep under ground and no disturbing sounds from train arrivals and departures can be heard when walking in the Zoo.

When you enter the grounds via the old entrance gates you might expect that history will unfolds itself before you. That is partly true. You will find some remains of the old days as the Zoo contains several listed buildings. But many improvements have been made over the years, there are works ongoing and more progress is expected. As the new and ambitious master plan that has been developed considers a fundamental metamorphosis of the Zoo.

The Zoo as a refuge for the busy city dweller contains several lawns with flower beds in a snug design, which imitate private gardens, next to many statues. The enclosures are situated around these lawns that form the centre of the Zoological park.

One of the nicest exhibits can be found close to the entrance when you turn to the right. The enclosure with the spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus) and the south-American coatis (Nasua nasua) is large and modern and offers lots of natural foliage. Although some trees are dead, they still deliver essential enrichment to the environment of the animals. The walled area provides good separation from the visitor like a bear pit from the old days would do, but bigger and with good viewing opportunities for the visitor and many hiding places for the animals. This enclosure is connected with another one that contains a pool and some elevated areas.

On the other side of the walking path an old-fashioned row of aviaries presents a collection of birds in a rather strange mix of species and geographical origin. You will find red cardinals next to amazones, burrowing owls, black-billed turaco (Tauraco schuettii), von der Decken's hornbill and Swift parrots (Lathamus discolor). Some birds from different geographical regions, but similar habitat, are housed together. These aviaries are not impressive, but the same can be said from the aviary adjacent to the hippotopia. That is just another walk-through aviary with Waldrapp ibis, where you can hear the birds but you don't see them. The hippotopia, by the way, is an exhibit for hippopotamuses with an indoor and a gigantic outdoor pool, which was empty. Probably, because it was still winter and quite cold outside.

Further along the walking path the lions have their terrace, which is nothing more than some square meters of sand, a few tree trunks and no enrichment whatsoever. No high level viewing/resting posts and no places to hide other than inside. It really was a sad picture, and not according today's standards. This has been recognised by the management and work is in progress to allow the lions to be moved to their new quarters by the end of this year.

Unfortunately, not only the lions have an enclosure which is absolutely insufficient. The same counts for the enclosures of the Amur tigers, the Amur leopard, the jaguars and the large spotted genet (Genetta tigrina). The tigers seem in a good condition, but the others are a bit fat, which might be caused by inadequate enrichment and too much feed. The two Amur tigers occupy a very sad amphitheatre-like enclosure with a moat and one old tree trunk. This enclosure is part of a row of enclosures built in 1969/70 that badly needs upgrading. As you can tell when looking at the cages used for housing the other cats. These do not meet today's zoo standards for keeping animals in captivity, although the cages provide high level posts for the cats to lie down and observe, which the lions and tigers can not. It is foreseen that, as soon as the new lion enclosure is ready and the lions are transfered, all the cats will get new modern enclosures, including more space and enrichment.

The masterpiece of enclosure design can be found in the corner of the grounds close to where the new lion enclosure will appear. The artificial rock face that is created to house the Himalayan thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus) and the takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is really superb. The design forces the visitor to look up which supports the idea as if you are in the Himalayas, with the bare rocks scarcely populated with thar and takin. The beauty of it is that while looking up you don't see city buildings or apartment blocks, of course. When turning around at this elevated spot the visitor has got a good overview of the entire Zoo, the railway station and parts of the surrounding inner city.

The old pool for the six common seals is deteriorating, especially the artifical rock face. That is why the mountain river and waterfall has been closed down. But within the scheduled renovation projects the common seal pool and surrounding 'beach' will be completely renovated according the original plans of 1908. For now the other seal enclosure, which is part of the so called 'Vriesland' house (Antarctic house) and dedicated to penguins (Gentoo, King and Macaroni penguin), is more beautiful. The seals have access to an outdoor and indoor pool, where they can be seen via glass window panes.

One of the main historical attraction and a listed building is the Egyptian temple. It is a relic of ancient zoo design, but is still in use as indoor enclosure for 4 giraffes and 5 Asian elephants. The giraffes have access to a small and bare outdoor enclosure which surrounds the temple. The elephants on the other hand are provided with large and modern outdoors including a variety of enrichment. The visitor's platform allows close viewing of the pachyderms.

The old reptile and amphibia house contains an impressive collection of modern terrariums (e.g. poison arrow frogs, Komodo dragons) and aquariums, including a walk-through terrarium with lizards and tortoises.

At the time of visit the chimpanzee building was closed for maintenance. So, the animals could only be seen from outside via the glass windows. They had plenty of enrichment in their large enclosure. At the other side of the building gorillas can be seen. Two different subspecies are housed together says the sign outside the enclosure. One of them is the western lowland gorilla, but it is not clearly indicated what the other subspecies is, the eastern lowland gorilla or the mountain gorilla which is a subspecies of the eastern lowland gorilla. I suppose they do not breed with these species then? Both the chimps and the gorillas do not have access to an outside enclosure.

Monkeys from the Old and the New World are housed together in what is called the small monkeys house, though a crested black macaque and a brown-headed spider monkey are not particular small. Other species that can be found here are for instance the golden-headed lion tamarin, Goeldi's marmoset, pygmy marmoset and emperor tamarin. Though small, their enclosures are nice with numerous (natural) objects for behavioural enrichment.

The Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp has several conservation projects ongoing, and their contributions to endangered species programmes are numerous. Such as their DNA research in Anoa (Bubalus depressicornis) to determine genetic lineages and prevent inbreeding in breeding programmes in captivity and in the wild (Sulawesi). They coordinate the okapi (Okapi johnstoni) EEP, and they keep endangered Eastern Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) which are found in the wild now only in Kenya.

Antwerp Zoo is worth a visit, definitely. Not just because it is one of the oldest zoos in the world, but also because of the different styles of zoo design that developed over the years and can still be seen here. Fortunately, some of this will be lost soon as new enclosure are being built and further developments are scheduled in the master plan with its 10-year outlook. Nevertheless, it will be hard to implement the modern habitat-immersion enclosures which is introduced as the new concept for zoos to fulfill the requirements for keeping wild animals in captivity and visitor education. The available space is too limited for such a drastic change, but the RSZA's other zoo, Mechelen Zoo (Planckendael), has ample space to implement this new concept.

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History in pictures

History of Antwerp Zoo in pictures

For those interested in a visualised history of Antwerp Zoo a recently published article by Gie Robeyns is recommended. It highlights a specific issue of Antwerp Zoo's history that deserves some attention here.

After the Zoological Society of Antwerp was founded in 1841, and became Royal in 1844, it was key for the young Society to have significant exposure and sound bookkeeping. So, it was important to establish a significant group of satisfied members of upper class society, as their membership fees would enable further development of the Zoological gardens. To pamper these members, the rich and French speaking Antwerp bourgeoisie, a special wishing card was offered to them annually, from 1850 to 1914 when World War I broke out. Typically, these 'wishes' were not offered on the start of a new calendar year, but at the start of a new fiscal year. The wishes disappeared from the cards after a few years, but as said the cards stayed as a form of communication with the members until 1914.

The cards provide the opportunity to survey Antwerp Zoo history from 1850 until 1914, when the Zoo flourished and continuously expanded. The results of the survey are addressed in the article “Special wishes for the members of Antwerp Zoo; 65 years of history in pictures ” by Guy Robeyns, published in the German journal Der Zoologische Garten (which translates The Zoological Garden, -Moos-)

Initially members were offered porcelain cards, which were almost exclusively manufactured in Belgium with Ghent, Brussels and Bruges as the main centres. Porcelain cards are so named not because they were porcelain, but because they resemble porcelain and whatever their age they do not lose their colour and therefore their beauty. These cards served different purposes, but in fact the porcelain cards were considered business cards from stores, factories, professionals and societies. Because health hazards were recognised when working with the colour powders and lead oxides the porcelain cards gradually disappeared after 1870. From then on other printing techniques were used, also for the 'wishing cards' of Antwerp Zoo.

Another source for surveying Antwerp Zoo history in pictures is the website beeldbankzoo, unfortunately only in Dutch/Flemish.

A few examples of the aforementioned 'wishing cards':