History

Ljubljana Zoo was founded in 1949. The first cages were placed in the centre of Ljubljana, and in 1951 the zoo moved to its present location — the southwestern part of Rožnik, where it covers 19.6 ha and has 6.5 km of walking paths. Every year we are visited by around 260,000 people. Since 1988 we have been developing as a modern zoo. For each animal we create as natural an environment as possible, containing everything the animal needs: a place to sleep, sunbathe, bathe, defecate, observe and hide — and this differs from species to species.
We care for the native fauna of Slovenia and a number of non-native amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

In the 19th century animals were shown in circus menageries. Many different species were displayed in cages, and the main interest was in the systematics and diversity of animal species. In the 20th century, zoos emerged that display animals in as natural an environment as possible, with emphasis on ecology. In the 21st century, centres for nature conservation are being created that show the ecological interdependence between non-living and living nature, and relationships within species. The conservation of nature and the natural environment is central.

Book: Ljubljana Zoo – A Jubilee Look at Its History and Future