DierenPark Amersfoort

DierenPark Amersfoort
Siberian tigers: Kira with a daughter
Date opened 22 May 1948
Location Amersfoort, Netherlands
Coordinates 52°09′02″N 5°20′42″E / 52.150555°N 5.345°E / 52.150555; 5.345Coordinates: 52°09′02″N 5°20′42″E / 52.150555°N 5.345°E / 52.150555; 5.345
No. of species 100
Annual visitors 650,000
Memberships EAZA,[1] NVD[2]
Major exhibits Exotic animals;
Theme areas Savanna, Night, Stad der Oudheid
Website www.dierenparkamersfoort.nl

DierenPark Amersfoort is a 19-hectare (47-acre) zoo located on the West side of Amersfoort, in the province of Utrecht, on the edge of the Birkhoven forrest, in the Netherlands.

History

The zoo was founded on 22 May 1948 by Mr. Tertoolen and Mr. Knoester. Initially it was a very small zoo with a monkey, a bear, a camel and some farm animals. In the years afterwards the first carnivore arrived, and in 1956 the elephants Indra and Rani arrived.

In 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Vis-Tertoolen, one of the zoo founder's daughters and her husband, took over the management of the zoo, and the first of the chimpanzees arrived.

In 1979, 2 white southern white lions were born, but while growing up they became normally colored. In 1982 seven Sudan cheetahs were born. In 1988, the park got a savanna area and "De Ark van Amersfoort" (Amersfoort's Ark) was opened. The zoo currently has an area of about 14 hectares (35 acres). It is home to more than 100 animal species and hosts about 650,000 visitors annually. Its ridable miniature railway, has a worldwide unique gauge of 340 mm (13 3⁄8 in).[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. EAZA. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  2. ↑ "NVD Zoos". nvdzoos.nl. NVD. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Nieuw ballastbed voor spoorlijn Dierenpark Amersfoort


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