Givskud Zoo
Encyclopedia
Givskud Zoo is a zoo
and safari park in Givskud
, 20 km north west of Vejle in Denmark
. The park opened in 1969 under the name of "Løveparken" (the lion park) with lions as the only animals. In 1970 elephants arrived and today the park has more than 1,000 animals distributed among more than 80 species. The zoo is one of only ten attractions to be awarded 5 stars by the Danish tourist guide Jyllands Attraktioner and receives more than 350,000 visitors a year.
Givskud Zoo has over the years been home to several famous animals, among them the white rhino "Brutalis", who was very aggressive towards stable equipment, other rhinos and humans. Eventually he was shipped to the private game reserve Ongava in Namibia
, in spite of the fact that he was born in captivity and raised by zoo keepers. He lived in the reserve for 6 years before he died in a territorial battle with another male rhino.
Another famous animal from the park is the silverback Samson, a western lowland gorilla
, who has appeared several times on Danish TV.
Givskud Zoo is best known for its large enclosures, which the guests can drive through in their own cars. Some of the most well known and popular animals in the zoo are Asian elephant
s, white rhinos, gorilla
s, chimpanzee
s and of course the lion
s. The lion pride in the park is the largest pride in Europe.
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....
and safari park in Givskud
Givskud
Givskud is a little town in southern Jutland with a population of 595 . The town is located in Vejle Municipality in the Region of Southern Denmark. Other than Givskud Church it consisted of only a few farms, a school and a rectory in the 19th century. Later an inn was built. It was not until 1969...
, 20 km north west of Vejle in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The park opened in 1969 under the name of "Løveparken" (the lion park) with lions as the only animals. In 1970 elephants arrived and today the park has more than 1,000 animals distributed among more than 80 species. The zoo is one of only ten attractions to be awarded 5 stars by the Danish tourist guide Jyllands Attraktioner and receives more than 350,000 visitors a year.
Givskud Zoo has over the years been home to several famous animals, among them the white rhino "Brutalis", who was very aggressive towards stable equipment, other rhinos and humans. Eventually he was shipped to the private game reserve Ongava in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, in spite of the fact that he was born in captivity and raised by zoo keepers. He lived in the reserve for 6 years before he died in a territorial battle with another male rhino.
Another famous animal from the park is the silverback Samson, a western lowland gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
, who has appeared several times on Danish TV.
Givskud Zoo is best known for its large enclosures, which the guests can drive through in their own cars. Some of the most well known and popular animals in the zoo are Asian elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, white rhinos, gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s and of course the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s. The lion pride in the park is the largest pride in Europe.