Zurich Zoo: A Journey Through Conservation, Challenges, and Connection

Welcome to the last instalment of the April writing challenges UBC and Blogging from A to Z! Phew, this was an intense month, wasn't it.

As Europe’s first zoos paved the way for modern animal care, I felt Zurich Zoo deserved a place on Itchy Feet's map.

Let’s dive into a visit that showcases a remarkable blend of conservation, education, and the undeniable charm of the animal kingdom.

Zurich Zoo's exhibits are organized by geographical regions, such as cloud forests, savannahs, and deserts, allowing animals to engage with environments that support their well-being.

Big Cats at “Panthera”: After a major renovation, the zoo introduced an innovative “rotation principle” in the Panthera big cat enclosure. Here, big cats, including Amur tigers like Akim, rotate between interconnected areas, ensuring they experience “well-dosed stress” while always being separated by species. This approach promotes mental and physical health for these majestic animals, such as the Siberian tiger, adapted to the harsh cold of Russia’s forests.

The Lion’s Story: The African lion (Panthera leo) is represented by various subspecies, the most famous being the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica). 

Once nearing extinction, this subspecies now thrives in the Gir National Park, India, thanks to efforts supported by Zurich Zoo. The Asiatic lion differs from its African counterpart by being smaller and having a less pronounced mane. 

Lewa Savannah & Giraffes: The zoo's 5.6-hectare Lewa Savannah features expansive open areas for giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and other species. 

Baobab trees provide automatic feeders, helping zookeepers ensure balanced nutrition. The zoo also fosters awareness of biodiversity through its connection with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. In an uplifting development, the zoo’s rhino family grew with the birth of Ushindi, a young rhino born in 2020. The zoo's large open spaces, such as the 5.6-hectare Lewa Savannah, offer a perfect environment for these majestic creatures. 

During the pandemic, Zurich Zoo, like many others, was closed for an entire year, with no visitors allowed at all. While the lack of human presence was a challenge, it also provided an opportunity for zookeepers to enrich the animals' environment in other ways. Primates and other species were given behavioral enrichment, such as complex devices to free their food, helping them stay mentally engaged without human interaction.

Sadly, in 2022, the zoo experienced a tragic loss. Three young elephants—Umesh (2), Omysha (8), and Ruwani (5)—died from a herpes virus, a devastating illness that particularly affects young elephants between the ages of 2 and 8. Despite the best veterinary care, their deaths were a heavy blow to the zoo's elephant family. 

However, a new hope arrived when 19-year-old Farha gave birth to her fourth baby, Zali, on April 19, 2025, a joyful moment that brought the zoo community together. Meet the cute young bull in this video:

The zoo also welcomed a new resident in the form of a lesser panda (red panda). Tiang Tang, a young female red panda, moved to Zurich Zoo alongside a male named Siddhi. The red panda is endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching. While visiting, I learned that despite their playful nature, they often prefer to hide in the treetops, making a photo opportunity a bit tricky. I was particularly looking forward to meeting this cute little animal. However, they didn't want to greet me. 

So I may or may not have adopted one of their conspecifics in the store ;--)

Zurich Zoo also takes part in international breeding programs for penguins. King penguins are housed in the zoo’s indoor aquarium, which changes its residents with the seasons, hosting Humboldt penguins in winter and King penguins in summer. 

As you may have noticed, my pictures also rotate from summer to winter ;-) 

I draw from my stock of pictures from previous visits and from the beginning of April this year.

One memorable moment was when Colin was in Kindergarten and learned about penguins. The schedule didn't allow for his class to experience the "penguin walk," where visitors line up to watch these adorable birds waddle through the zoo, so we took him as a family outing.

Since 1992, Zurich Zoo has hatched over 20 king penguin chicks, contributing to the conservation of this species.

Here are some fun facts: Same-sex pairs also come together if there are enough partners of the opposite sex. Homosexual penguins know the same behavioral elements in the partnership, during courtship and in the rearing of young as heterosexual animals. The only disadvantage is that they have to steal the eggs or young from heterosexual couples. This was observed at Zurich Zoo in 2009, for example, when two male king penguins stole the newly hatched young of a very experienced 20-year-old female. Reportedly the two thieves then took care of the young in a very exemplary and successful manner.

In reflecting on the role of zoos, I feel conflicted. On one hand, they provide an invaluable opportunity for people to learn about animals they might never encounter in the wild. I appreciate the zoo's role in conservation and education. 

On the other hand, no matter how much effort goes into creating species-appropriate environments, a zoo can never fully replicate the vast territories that some animals need. 

This is a video I made ten years ago in South Africa. Everybody doesn't have the opportunity to witness lion cubs at their home:

Think about it, a lion pride's territory ranges from 20 to 400 square kilometers (about 8 to 154 square miles). If the Zurich Zoo wanted to provide a truly expansive, species-appropriate territory for their lions, the required space would span a radius of about 10.1 kilometers from the city center. This means the entire population of Zurich, along with surrounding larger towns, would need to vacate the area to make room for the lions' natural habitat. 

This raises an important question: How do we balance conservation with the ethical implications of confining animals to spaces that may not be truly representative of their natural habitats?

If you had a chance to chat with an animal at the zoo, which one would you choose, and what would you ask them about their habitat?

Thank you so much for keeping me company throughout this writing challenge - next week I'm going to post a review, keep your eyes open!