Our Zoo is one of the oldest in the world: we first opened our gates to the public on 9 August 1866. This Saturday marked our 159th birthday. Alongside many different birthday programmes, of course, there was cake too!
Last Saturday we celebrated the Zoo’s 159th birthday, as it was the anniversary of our opening on 9 August 1866. For this special day, we prepared extra birthday activities for visitors, including fun programmes for children and families, a cake hunt, poetry writing, an animal world map, a zoo history memory game, and a craft table. We also offered several themed guided tours about the Zoo’s history, as well as its botanical attractions.
Some programmes were organised by our partner organisations who joined the celebration, such as the Crime Prevention Department of the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK), HungaroMet, the One Drop of Attention Foundation, Immunovet, and Gardena.
In addition to all these activities – which complemented the Zoo’s regular attractions and the various experience programmes held every day during the high season – we also prepared a special birthday cake. It was organised by the Budapest Zoo Foundation. The actual cake, or rather cake squares, were created by master confectioner Emese Szentandrás-Szabó from Suhajda Confectionery and Chocolate Manufacture. It was similar to an “allergen-free” cake, baked from a mixture of grated carrot, apple, banana, rolled oats, and corn flour, giving it a fruit bread-like texture. The pieces were arranged on a tiered stand and decorated with lots of fresh fruit, creating the complete cake display. It was made to suit both our visitors’ tastes and those of our herbivorous animals.
The special cake was “cut” at 9:30 a.m., after a short greeting from the Zoo’s Chief Operating Officer. Keepers then took portions to the animals in their care, while visitors who came for the birthday celebration could also enjoy a taste.
We are delighted that so many people came to celebrate with us on Saturday – several thousand visitors in total. We are grateful not only for their presence but also for all the birthday wishes, and for the fact that the public has been honouring us with their visits, interest, and attention for 159 years now.
