Wildlife park, animal park, animal park, zoological garden –
90 years seem to be just a very short moment.

Facts and figures – the development of the zoo into a nationally and internationally recognized barrier-free zoological garden

1990

• Cmpaign after the fall of the Wall: “Preserve our zoo” – many thousands of people from Eberswalde helped
• Founding of the Association of Friends and Supporters of Eberswalde Zoo

1991

• Animal park pond – start of a 3-year renovation
• The first job creation measures (ABM) begin, sidewalks are paved to be handicapped accessible

1992

• New construction of the trample and yak enclosure
• first completely free-living group of monkeys in the zoo (common marmosets)
• Construction of a new pond bridge, the pigeon house and the pot-bellied pig enclosure
• a large new playground is being built

1993

• New construction of a llama and zebra enclosure
• Construction of a snow owl aviary
• Three enclosures for Sakis, Lisztäffchen and Katta are being built in cooperation with the Berlin Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
• Redesign of the wild boar enclosure – fences are falling
• the first paved parking lot is created
• Reconstruction of the old singing memorial
• Lion tamarin enclosure, eagle owl aviary and the Nilgau antelope enclosure are being built

1994

• A system for beech martens, a new bison house, a new system for porcupines, the cheetah enclosure and the flamingo house with outdoor facilities are being built
• the tiger enclosure is being expanded and rebuilt for the first time
• the pond renovation is completed after 3 years, two fountains and islands are also being created
• second completely free-living group of monkeys in the zoo (white-headed lemurs)

1995

• New construction of a pet enclosure, a system for ring-tailed lemurs and a griffon vulture aviary
• Reopening of the zoo restaurant “Brauner Bär” after renovation
• the Tierparkhäusl is being reconstructed and reopened

1996

• Construction of the penguin enclosure
• Renovation and conversion of the red deer house, it becomes an antelope and zebra house
• the 2nd zoo parking lot will be completely rebuilt
• Construction of the facility for black leopards
• free range for prairie dogs begins
• Construction of a new sanitary and toilet block as well as an aviary for steppe eagles

1997

• Admission of the director Dr. Bernd Hensch in the Association of German Zoo Directors e. V.
• an animal facility for Rote Varis is created – fences are falling

1998

• Environmental award of the Federal Republic of Germany for an innovative project for energy saving: jungle house with decentralized heat supply for all animal and farm buildings
• Opening of the jungle house
• the fountain at the zoo entrance is being built
• an adventure playground with the first Eberswalder “suspension bridge”, steep and uphill slides is created
• 1. Fancy the zoo – children, young people and “celebrities” at work and in conversation – is established an annual tradition
• Completion of the community facility for European brown bears and wolves
• Construction of 5 teaching pavilions with topics related to environmental education
• the conversion of the zoo into an educational park begins

1999

• the zoo school Märchenvilla opens its doors
• Construction of the “most exciting” lion enclosure in the world
• The long-term renovation work to ensure accessibility in the zoo is completed
• Construction of a walk-in kangaroo enclosure and a new enclosure for binturongs
• a large aviary for bald eagles is being built

2000

• The Eberswalder Zoo is rated as first class by an international jury and receives the best marks of all German zoos
• Opening of an official registry office in the zoo school
• a dwarf otter enclosure and an aviary for bearded owls are being built
• the wild wolf “three-legged” is caught and given guest accommodation in the Eberswalder Zoo
• Opening of the zoo museum
• Inauguration of an animal house for Nilgau antelopes, stag goats and cranes
• the gibbon house and enclosure are being renovated, and a pond island and a climbing bridge are also being built

2001

• the LAGA mascot “Borstel” is created by the zoo director and christened in the zoo
• Construction of an enclosure for squirrel monkeys and an enclosure for reindeer
• the interesting species cemetery is inaugurated – project on the topic: “Conscious handling of nature”
• Completion of the paving work on visitor paths in the park, several kilometers are now easily accessible with wheelchairs and prams, every animal facility is accessible for people with disabilities

2002

• 1. Long zoo night with open-air cinema
• the Nosebear facility is getting a winter garden

2003

• Zoostraße is inaugurated
• Construction of a third parking lot behind the railway embankment
• Construction of the South America facility with a walk-in winter garden

2004

• Angela Merkel is a guest at the zoo and baptizes a penguin
• the bridge over the zoo pond is being renovated and redesigned
• Construction of the natural oven “Zum Lauschigen Hans”
• a lookout tower at the gibbon enclosure is being built
• New construction of a community house for llamas, coatis, rheas and capybaras
• third group of monkeys (ring-tailed lemurs) completely free living in the zoo

2005

• The 1st African Zoo Night celebrates an exciting debut and becomes an annual tradition
• The first zoo tour from Eberswalde Zoo to Rostock Zoo over 320 km brings in donations of € 30,000 for the zoo
• Renovation of the social building with money from a zoo inheritance

2006

• 25th anniversary of the zoo director Dr. Hensch
• the association of friends and sponsors of the zoological garden Eberswalde e. V. begins to take action due to the zoo’s financial difficulties, new members are recruited and actively support the zoo
• Zoo TV from now on at every hospital bed as well as live on the Internet
• Award of the quality seal for the Eberswalder Zoo at the international tourism exchange in Berlin
• the 4th car park (former Red Army site) is inaugurated
• The 2nd zoo tour over 320 km, in which the zoo director also takes part for the first time, brings the zoo a donation of 35 T € as well as great media interest

2007

• Solemn inauguration of the bronze bust of the former zoo director and honorary citizen of the city of Eberswalde Günter Schulz
• Construction of a new snake and turtle enclosure in the jungle house
• the 3rd zoo tour is becoming an important marketing tool

2008

• Starting shot for the first bike tour for the Eberswalder Zoo over 100 km and 200 km through Barnim district with donations of 40,000 € and a very high level of media interest
• Inauguration of the Ice Age glacier landscape with an outdoor enclosure for Siberian tigers as well as a glacier and climate playground
• Reconstruction of the cheetah enclosure
• Prime Minister Matthias Platzeck writes praise in the guest book

2009

• Live Zoo TV transmission is being expanded, and three more have been added to the six existing video cameras in the zoo
• The turtles move into a new house with a species-appropriate design
• 10 lockable bicycle boxes – a unique item for bicycle tourists – are inaugurated by the Minister of Infrastructure, Reinhold Dellmann
• a Berlin entrepreneur hands over a donation check for € 7,500 for renovation work on the South America building
• Zoo catering has a new operator with Finesse GmbH

2010

• an energy concept to save energy costs is created
• a wolverine couple moves into the new tiger enclosure, separated by a power fence
• the Schwärzesee elementary school in the zoo designed an information booth “Save the frog”
• Acquisition of a new electric vehicle to save costs and protect the environment
• The advertising idea of the Association of Friends and Patrons of the Zoological Garden Eberswalde e.V. with the plastic lions is getting more and more feedback
• “Loyalty Thaler” with a lion’s head is issued by the zoo support association

2011

• the zoo is hosting the traditional annual reception of the mayor of Eberswalde
• Breeding success with the Amur tigers – male twin babies are born
• the zoo presents itself as a training company at the 15th Eberswalder job market
• Inauguration of a new outdoor enclosure for spurred and leopard tortoises
• Completion of the completely new construction of a second sanitary facility as the first project that the city and the zoo’s friends’ association have implemented together. In addition to a new toilet for women, men and handicapped people, there is also a changing room
• First groundbreaking on the adventure axis between the zoo and the forest solar home
• the art association “Die Mühle” presents the calendar “Impressions from the Eberswalder Zoo” with 12 animal motifs

2012

• After only 3 months of construction, a new city-owned local heating system is put into operation, which is operated with renewable energies at 100 percent and a combined heat and power system
• the zoo is becoming more and more popular with young people who want to work as federal volunteers or as part of the voluntary ecological year
• the animal facilities and administration building will be equipped with a new electronic locking system
• A very successful marketing campaign is started in the Polish media with funding from the municipal community POMERANIA eV (commercials on Polish radio and television, advertisements in Polish newspapers)
• Zoo and OderCenter Schwedt start a joint photo campaign “Open your eyes! Looking for animal pictures! “
• Triplet birth in common marmosets
• the logo of the tiger bike tour adorns a new Barni thaler
• a young pair of brown bears completes the communal enclosure with the wolves

2013

• The Association of Friends and Patrons of the Zoological Garden Eberswalde e.V. is building an attractive observation tower on one of the most beautiful outdoor tiger enclosures in Europe
• This tower is included in the Eberswalder Höhenpass
• Establishing a “pacifier tree” for even large toddlers who no longer need their pacifier, but want to visit it again from time to time
• the handcart rental station is being expanded
• 70 old park benches will be replaced by new ones
• Free lockable bike boxes are available at the zoo entrance
• the zoo is being converted to computer cash registers, and entry payment with EC cards is now also possible
• a new bus stop will go into operation in front of the zoo entrance
• The facility and building of the pet farm are being completely renovated
• first parade of animals at the Eberswalder Zoo in Szczecin
• first live TV broadcast with young animals from the zoo from the Stettin studio
• Large zoo displays are in the Szczecin Palace and the Przelewice Botanical Garden (Poland)
• the Eberswalder Zoo is a founding member of the German-Polish adventure network
• first animal baptisms in the Eberswalder Zoo with Polish godparents in Polish names
• with spider monkeys and a timber wolf, two new animal species are moving into the zoo
• a young crowned crane comes from the zoo Finsterwalde to Eberswalde
• two Chinese leopards born in the zoo go to the zoos of Dubai and Abudabi
• first triplet birth in servals
• There are 9 attractive zoo information signs (3.50 mx 2.50 m) in the city of Eberswalde as well as in Oderberg, Zerpenschleuse, Biesenthal and Gartz / O. built

2014

• Complete renovation of the old gibbon house, including the addition of a spacious winter garden – conversion into an animal facility for spider monkeys
• Set up amusing large interactive boards at the tiger enclosure as well as at the enclosure of the llama, rhea and capybara
• Redesign of the entrance and exit areas of the zoo
• the old lion house and the leopard house are being completely renovated
• the business reception of the mayor of the city of Eberswalde in the zoo reached a record attendance
• the cooperation with the Polish media TVP Stettin, Rundfunk Stettin as well as the newspapers Kurier- and Glos Stettin will be further expanded
• For the first time, more than 20,000 Polish guests can be welcomed to the zoo
• 166 large zoo displays (Stroer) with various zoo motifs are advertised in Berlin, Frankfurt / Oder and Slubice (Poland)
• In cooperation with WITO, there are attractive, large advertising signs for the Eberswalder Zoo at the five most important Berlin train stations
• the 10th tiger bike tour and the 15th zoo tour (with the Rostock zoo) – the anniversary tour is a complete success, 40,000 Euros in sponsorship money are earned for the zoo
• Two young European wolves from the Perleberg zoo, a trample mare from the Straubing zoo, a zebra stallion from the Hoyerswerda zoo and two young black-headed lemurs from the Berlin zoo come to the zoo
• a little Siberian tiger is born on October 7th

2015

• Construction of the German / Polish display and teaching boards in the entire zoo area
• Beginning of the replacement of worn wooden benches and waste paper baskets in the entire zoo area
• Reconstructed Flamingo outdoor area
• Servale: Inner boxes completely renewed
• Large zoo restaurant: heating, roof and air conditioning renovated
• Staircase of the zoo restaurant to the singing memorial reopened
• Advertising at 5 exposed places in the city: car parking lot at train station, bus station, Kaufland petrol station, Spechthausen, Nordend
• Continuation of energy saving roofs, doors, windows on various Animal facilities
• The farm yard was newly paved

2016

• Continuation of the German / Polish display and teaching boards throughout the zoo
• Continuation of the use of new benches and wastepaper baskets throughout the zoo
• Meerkat facility was enlarged by an expansion area. The animals enter a large outdoor enclosure via a new tunnel system
• New opening of the playground ticket office
• Inauguration of the South America playground
• Squirrel monkey – reconstructed floor and outdoor facilities
• Beginning of the conversion of zoo vehicles from diesel to electric by 2020
• Charging station parking lot 1 for cars and electric bicycles
• New Polish media partner, Ströer in Stettin
• The Eberswalder Zoo receives the “Q” quality seal, an award for customer-oriented orientation

2017

• Completion of the German / Polish display and teaching boards throughout the zoo
• Completion: New purchase of the benches and waste paper baskets in the entire zoo area
• Penguin outdoor facility completely renovated
• Gibbon Pavilion at the Penguin Pool inaugurated by Anthony Sheridan
• Energy saving through direct heating in the jungle house
• Start of renovation of the jungle house by 2020
• Cooling systems completely new construction (start of funding)
• Service yard WC employees and quarantine facility completely reconstructed
• Farm yard and large zoo restaurant completely paved
• Advertising NaturTherme Templin
• Five shop windows built into animal facilities
• In his book “Sheridan’s Handbook of Zoos in Europe”, the zoo expert places the Eberswalde zoo in first place in the category of up to 250,000 visitors annually
• New Polish media partner, Wyborcza newspaper in Szczecin
• White Lion, a rare beauty, moves from Magdeburg to the Eberswalde Zoo

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