Burgers' Zoo
Encyclopedia
Burgers' Zoo is a 45 hectares (111.2 acre) zoo
in Arnhem
, the Netherlands
, and is one of the biggest zoos in the country. Arnhem is a city that lies within the Veluwe
, a nature park
in the east of the Netherlands. The zoo is popular with both Dutch
and German people, and receives about 1.5 million visitors annually.
Besides presenting many of its animals in simulated habitat
in spacious indoors ecosystem
s, Burgers' Zoo also has facilities for conservation
and captive breeding of animals nearly extinct. The Socorro Dove
(Zenaida graysoni) for example does not exist outside captivity at present; it was wiped out by introduced mammal
s on its home island
. The species is being bred in Burgers' Zoo for eventual reintroduction into the wild.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
in Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and is one of the biggest zoos in the country. Arnhem is a city that lies within the Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
, a nature park
Nature park
A nature park is a landscape protected by means of long-term planning, use and agriculture. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present state and promoted for touristic purposes....
in the east of the Netherlands. The zoo is popular with both Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
and German people, and receives about 1.5 million visitors annually.
Exhibits
The zoo has 8 theme sites:- Burgers' Dierenpark (the original zoo).
- Burgers' Safari (a safari parkSafari parkA safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...
). - Burgers' Bush is a 1.5 hectares (3.7 acre) indoor tropical rainforestTropical rainforestA tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
. - Burgers' Mangrove (a mangrove swampMangroveMangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
). - Burgers' Desert (focusing on the Sonoran DesertSonoran DesertThe Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
). - Burgers' Ocean is a 8000000 litre seawaterSeawaterSeawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
aquariumAquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
duplicating a tropical reef, and is home to living corals, coral fishes, sharks, rays, and other aquatic animals. - Burgers' Avonturenland (the zoo's playground), opened in 2002).
- Burgers' Rimba (the zoo's newest attraction), opened in 2008. The Rimba gives visitors an impression of a Southeast Asian rainforest. The animals in this display include Sumatran tigerSumatran TigerThe Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...
s, sun bears, binturongBinturongThe Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
s, Golden-cheeked GibbonsYellow-cheeked GibbonThe yellow-cheeked gibbon , also called the yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, the golden-cheeked crested gibbon or the buffed-cheeked gibbon, is a species of gibbon native to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia....
, dusky leaf monkeysDusky Leaf Monkeythumb|200px|left|adult male spectacled langurThe dusky leaf monkey, spectacled langur, or spectacled leaf monkey is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family...
, Sri Lankan leopards, golden jackalsGolden JackalThe golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
, bantengBantengThe banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...
, muntjacMuntjacMuntjac, also known as Barking Deer and Mastreani Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland....
, hog deerHog DeerThe Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
, Eld's deerEld's DeerEld's Deer , also known as the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is an endangered species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur in India in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a...
, siamangSiamangThe siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
, pig-tailed macaquePig-tailed macaqueThe pig-tailed macaques are two macaque sister species. They look almost identical and are best distinguished by their parapatric ranges:* Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca leonina...
, reticulated python, and water monitorWater monitorThe Water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard capable of growing to in length, with the average size of most adults at long. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over , but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally compressed tail...
.
Conservation
Burgers’ Zoo has been successful enough in breeding fish and coral for their own aquarium that they can now help provide animals to other public aquariums. They use an artificial moon to stimulate sexual reproduction of corals in their reef, and also clone some 60 varieties.Besides presenting many of its animals in simulated habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
in spacious indoors ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s, Burgers' Zoo also has facilities for conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
and captive breeding of animals nearly extinct. The Socorro Dove
Socorro Dove
The Socorro Dove is a dove that is extinct in the wild. It was endemic to Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Islands off the west coast of Mexico. The last sighting in its natural habitat was in 1972. There are not more than 200 and probably fewer than 100 purebred birds in captivity...
(Zenaida graysoni) for example does not exist outside captivity at present; it was wiped out by introduced mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s on its home island
Socorro Island
Socorro Island is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying some 600 kilometers off the country's western coast at 18°48'N, 110°59'W. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km, with an area of 132 km².- Geology :...
. The species is being bred in Burgers' Zoo for eventual reintroduction into the wild.