Zoo News

The one millionth visitor of this year has arrived in the person of six-year-old Simon Marci, who visited the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden with his family. Our outstandingly popular Zoo and Botanical Garden has been visited by even more people this year than usual, as it has been nearly a decade since the number of visitors reached one million by the end of October.

Following the great success of the Light Dome in March, from November 6th, our Zoo’s Biodome will once again host a light art exhibition for over a month. The Light Dome 2 presents the magical creations of domestic and foreign artists. Tickets are already available, and we even offer discounted presale tickets until November 5.

In 1956, major changes took place in our Zoo, although most of these were only partially related to the 1956 Revolution. The battles in Budapest fortunately did not cause major damage, but two hippos died under unclear circumstances.

Yesterday, we successfully returned the orphaned wildcats, which arrived at our nature conservation rescue centre in early June, back to nature. You can learn more about the mammal of the year on Saturday, as this is when we are holding the Wildcat Gala and Carnival at the Zoo and Botanical Garden.

The range of animals presented in the Venomous House has expanded with two new, interesting species: the white-eyed bamboo viper and the mangrove viper. One of them has been on display for a few weeks now, while the other species has only been visible to the public for a few days. Both venomous snake species are native to Southeast Asia.

October 4^th is not only World Animal Day, but also the day we celebrate the Zookeepers’ Day at the Budapest Zoo. There is also much to celebrate, as even Gerald Durrell said that zookeepers are one of the most important factors in a zoo!

Recently, we regularly experience smaller or larger, longer or shorter periods of rain. However, this is not an obstacle, even then we await the audience with a full-fledged experience. After all, in our Zoo there are not only outdoor enclosures, but also indoor exhibition areas and animal houses.

The relocation of our Bactrian camels to one of the spacious outdoor enclosures of the Biodome also affected the related alpacas: they took over the camels’ previous place. So, they also upgraded to a larger home.

Among the rescued animals that arrive at our wildlife rescue centre, there are regularly swallows as well. Due to the cold and rainy weather at the beginning of September, we have had to take care of as many distressed swallows in just a few days as we usually do in 5-6 months.

We have significantly expanded the exhibition area for wombats. The renovated Wombat Castle provides sufficient space for the older breeding pair who have already raised 6 cubs, as well as for a new, younger breeding pair, and also for their future offsprings.

Sharp-eyed visitors may spot free-living geckos on the walls of the zoo’s Shark School (Cápasuli) and the surrounding buildings, with a bit of luck. These geckos aren’t escaped animals, and in fact, we don’t even keep this species at the Zoo. However, their story is quite interesting.

Starting today, we’re offering even more space and more animals for you to enjoy. As of this morning’s opening, the outdoor enclosures of the Biodome are now accessible to visitors. Among the animals on display, water buffalo and hungarian grey cattle are back after decades of absence.