Zoo Basel
| Zoo Basel | |
|---|---|
Zoo Basel logo | |
Interactive map of Zoo Basel | |
| 47°32′50″N 7°34′44″E / 47.547336°N 7.578764°E | |
| Date opened | July 3, 1874 |
| Location | Basel, Switzerland |
| Land area | 32.12 acres (13.00 ha) |
| No. of animals | 11,393 (Dec. 31, 2024) |
| No. of species | 602 (Dec. 31, 2024) |
| Annual visitors | 1,226,274 (2024) |
| Memberships | 20 organizations, including EAZA, WAZA, and zooschweiz/zoosuisse |
| Major exhibits | Africa, Antelope House, Aquarium, Australia, Bird House, Elephant and Tembea Enclosure, Etoscha, Gamgoas, Kinderzoo, Monkey House, and Rhino Exhibit in the Sautergarden (Asian Section), Seal/Sea Lion Pool, Flamingo |
| Website | www |
Zoo Basel is a zoological garden in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents affectionately call it Zolli. Its main entrance is just outside Basel's city centre and extends in the Birsig stream valley to Basel's city border with Binningen, Basel-Country. The zoo has over 500 animal species from all seven continents.
Zoo Basel is Switzerland's oldest (1874) and largest zoo by number of animals. In 2024 it got over 1.2 million visitors.
Zoo Basel was ranked as one of the fifteen best zoos in the world by Forbes Traveler in 2008 and in 2009 as the seventh best in Europe by Anthony Sheridan from the Zoological Society of London.
The zoo had the first Indian rhinoceros birth in a zoo, as well as the first greater flamingo hatch. It has had repeated breeding success with animals including cheetahs (18 births), okapi (22), pygmy hippopotamuses (53), and flamingos (over 400 hatches). Every Somali wild ass (a donkey) in zoos worldwide is related to the population in Basel, where this species' zoological breeding program was started. The zoo is currently engaged in more than 40 conservation breeding programs for endangered species.
Zoo Basel is undergoing the most expensive expansion in its history. These include the indoor and outdoor renovation of the monkeyhouse (2011–2012 / Fr. 30 millions), the zoo restaurant renovation/expansion (2015 / Fr. 16 millions) and a new elephant house and outdoor exhibit (2016 / Fr. 28 millions). In the near future, further expansions into the current parking lot and to the south are planned. Basel Zoo is implementing a master plan starting from late 2024. This initiative is called "Zolli 2049".