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BERLIN ZOO
" Knut" No Longer So Cute at Great Zoo Berlin

Alas, all children grow and so it is with the world’s one time most famous polar bear. Once called Cute Knut, the Berlin bear at the Berlin Zoo continues to mature and has been supplanted in the cutest animal wars by a new cub at the Nuremburg Zoo. But the world’s largest variety of animal species can still be found at the Berlin Zoo, or more accurately Berlin’s two zoos. In December of 2006 a polar bear cub was the first born at the Berlin Zoo in 30 years. At first was controversy that the little one should be killed rather than raised by humans, but the cuddly one was spared and named “Knut”. Since then the real live ice world teddy bear who become a worldwide sensation has alas been growing into a full grown bear, no longer the cuddly cub.

The Berlin Zoo has certainly seen its way through good times and bad times. First opened in 1844 when the private royal animal menagerie collection of Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm IV was moved from Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel) in the Havel River to some royal land then a distance outside historic Berlin. The animal collection grew under the stewardship of Dr. Ludwig Heck as a variety of animal houses where built in fascinating architectural styles to reflect the origins of the resident. The Moorish Antelope House, Indian style Elephant House, Egyptian Ostrich House where a unique world city to themselves. In 1913 the Berlin Aquarium was opened, not only fresh and salt water fish, but reptiles and amphibians.

The bombs that fell on Berlin in WWII did not spare the zoo or its animals. Not only were many of the structures destroyed but the animals went from over 3,500 to just 91 survivors. During the cold war that saw the city divided into the “island” of West Berlin surrounded by the communist east, the Zoo came to be the center of the surrounded city. Even after reunification, the Zoo with its distinctive oriental Elephant Gate on Budapester Strasse, rebuilt from the bombed original along with several of the unique buildings was the central landmark of West Berlin. The main train station was the Bahnhof Zoolischer Garten or Am Zoo (rail station at the zoo), still a common rail destination virtually just across the street, though new central Railway Station Hauptbahnhof in Berlin opened in 2006 is at Europaplatz. The city's monument to WWII destruction the old cathedral at the Blaukirch can be seen beyond the gates.

The Berlin Zoo’s animal collection offers the worlds broadest variety of species on display in combination with the Berlin Tierpark animal park in the Friedrichsfelde district. The oldest zoo in Germany, the Berlin Zoo continues to add new exhibits in a mix of unique old world and modern design with the 1905 Russian style bison house juxtaposed with the glass domed Hippopotamus House with above and below the water viewing. The zoo provides with activity programs for families and children in multiple languages and a list of feeding times for best viewing.

The Berlin Zoo is easily reached by train or subway, just get off at the Zoolischer Garten station from the S-Bahn S5, S7, S75 and S9 or Kurfürstendamm on the U9 and U 15. There is an express bus from the airport which goes to the Zoo Station as well. There are pay parking lots in the neighborhood, but a very busy part of the city. Two large garages are on Nürnberger Strasse and Budapester Strasse. © Bargain Travel Europe

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These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. Photos courtesy Berlin Zoo.

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