Sofia Zoo has a 137-year history that resembles a fairy tale – one that includes a king, adventures, and a happy ending. Once upon a time there was the Principality of Bulgaria, whose young ruler arrived from Germany in 1887 and immediately impressed his new subjects with his passion for nature.
This was Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was elected and proclaimed Prince of Bulgaria on 7 July of the same year. Prince Ferdinand I possessed extensive biological knowledge and a strong interest in birds, insects, and botany. Enchanted by Bulgarian nature, he spent much of his time exploring it, collecting animals and plants. These interests of the monarch were well known, which is why some of the gifts Ferdinand I received from the people as a welcome included animals. The first was a majestic and impressive bird – a cinereous vulture (black vulture), for which an aviary was immediately built in the park of the royal residence in Vrana. It was followed by Colchian pheasants, a red deer, a brown bear, and others.
Soon it became clear that there would not be enough space in Vrana Park for the rapidly growing zoo collection. Therefore, at the end of 1887, by special decree of Prince Ferdinand I, land was allocated for the construction of a Royal Zoological Garden within the Royal Botanical Garden (today’s Knyazheska Garden). At that time, the site was located on the outskirts of the city. The decree was officially registered and sealed on 5 January 1888. From that date begins the official history of Sofia Zoo.
In 1890, the Royal Zoological Garden occupied the area designated by decree and law within Sofia’s Royal Botanical Garden, following landscaping and intensive construction of enclosures. In addition to the animals from the park of the Vrana Palace, many other species were housed there, including otters, wild goats, red deer, birds of prey, llamas, swans, and cranes. Animal keepers were appointed, and Ernst Hublein was designated as supervisor, having been invited specifically for this position by Prince Ferdinand I. A capable and diligent man, he was a sculptor and taxidermist by profession. He designed and built bird aviaries and, based on his own drawings, created and installed sculptures and ornaments for some of the larger enclosures.
In 1892, the first pair of lions arrived and were housed in a converted stable previously used for cows and horses. Intensive construction of enclosures continued. During the period 1893–1894, facilities were built for camels, deer, white buffalo, a large aviary for bearded vultures and sea eagles, a long row of enclosures for pheasants, and a lake for pelicans. The bear house was also constructed. Many animals were received from abroad, including North American wapiti deer, bezoar ibex, griffon vultures, imperial and sea eagles, parrots, herons, and others. The zoo continued to enrich its animal collection, and public interest grew. As a result, in 1893 it opened its doors to visitors for the first time, with three days a week designated for free public entry.
In 1895, many new animals arrived. Among the most interesting were a pair of condors and North American Carolina parakeets, a species that is now extinct. In 1921, a pair of Indian elephants—Nal and Damayanti—were received from the zoo of Carl Hagenbeck in Hamburg.
In 1896, the first director of the Royal Zoological Garden was appointed – Dr Bernhard Kurtzius (1862–1931). The Zoo’s collection was further enriched with several notable mammal species, including maned and Alpine ibex, capuchin monkeys, and others. In 1898, a building was constructed in the “marsh sector,” where heat-loving storks, pelicans, flamingos, and cranes were housed during the winter months. The following year, the garden’s sewage system was installed, which was extremely important for maintaining good hygiene. In 1902, the first lynxes were acquired, and a special enclosure was built for them next to the lion facilities. The Zoo also received snakes, lizards, and other reptiles from the Tyrol Zoo, marking the establishment of the terrarium.
In 1911, Adolf Schumann (1860–1941) was appointed Assistant Director and Chief Inspector of the Royal Zoological Garden. He achieved significant success in the breeding of many valuable and delicate bird species, some of which are difficult to keep and breed in captivity, including crowned pigeons, diamond finches, and many species of pheasants. His greatest breeding success was achieved with a pair of bearded vultures, which produced eight generations.
After his abdication, King Ferdinand I left Bulgaria on 3 October 1918. All Germans and Austrians were allowed to remain and work at the zoo on the condition that they became Bulgarian citizens. Dr Bernhard Kurtzius continued to serve as Director of the Royal Zoological Garden, which continued to develop and steadily expand its collection. The new Bulgarian government took care of the zoo, and all its employees were appointed as state officials.
In 1929, construction of the elephant house, designed by architect Stanislavov, was completed, and on 10 July the pair of Indian elephants was relocated from Vrana Park. The male elephant Nal was transported in a special steel cage on a cart pulled by four heavy draft horses. The female, Damayanti, who was gentle and tame, covered the 10-kilometre distance on foot.
The first Bulgarian to hold a senior management position at the Royal Zoological Garden was Pavel Patev (1889–1950). In 1934 he was appointed curator of the garden, and in 1939 he became its director. A distinguished ornithologist and author of the significant work “The Birds of Bulgaria,” he maintained the zoo collection very well, especially its bird department. The period during which Pavel Patev took over the management was one of the most difficult in the history of Sofia Zoo. These were the years before and during the Second World War, as well as the period immediately after it. In times of hardship and danger, Director Patev and his colleagues overcame great difficulties in order to protect the animals. During the bombings, the director and the on-duty staff remained steadfast at their posts, ready to do everything necessary and possible to save the animals and the property of the Zoo from destruction.
From 1 January 1947, the Zoo, together with the other Royal natural history institutions, came under the administration of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. After the retirement of Pavel Patev, Professor Dr Krastyo Tuleshkov (1901–1976) was appointed director as of 1 October 1948. He was an entomologist and a prominent scientist of international renown, with an interest in animal behaviour under zoo conditions and other scientific issues. Under his leadership, efforts continued to diversify and replenish the animal collection, which had been depleted during the war. In 1954, a young pair of Indian elephants, Savitan and Savitri, arrived. In 1955, the lions Sudan and Kenya were brought in; they later became the parents of many lion cubs. The collection was further enriched with other interesting species, including hooded vultures (urubu), marabou storks, addax antelopes, polar bears, spotted hyenas, and others. A major contribution to the development of the Zoo’s collection was also made by Academician Ivan Buresh, Director of the Institute of Zoology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and a founder of modern zoology in Bulgaria.
As of 1 January 1960, Sofia Zoo came under the funding and authority of Sofia Municipality. Jacques Benveniste was appointed director and remained in this position until 1971. The expansion of the zoo collection continued, with the acquisition of reindeer, moose, zebu cattle, and, in 1964, the arrival of the first chimpanzee from Guinea. Among birds, notable new additions included Humboldt penguins, crowned cranes, emus, and rheas.
From August 1971, the veterinarian Dr Stancho Matevski assumed leadership of Sofia Zoo. A decision had already been made to build a new zoo in the capital, with an area ten times larger than that of the existing one. The project was large-scale, and construction troops were involved in the building works. A particular challenge was the construction of the Large Aviary for birds of prey. It is a massive structure—50 metres long, 21 metres wide, and 16 metres high. Its overall shape consists of two different-sized reinforced concrete “horseshoes” nested within one another, intertwined with iron pipes over which a steel mesh is draped. Today, it remains one of the largest and most spacious enclosures for birds of prey in Europe.
The first stage of construction of the new zoo was completed in 1984. Preparations began at the old zoo for the relocation of the entire animal collection. For this purpose, special transport crates were produced from the beginning of the year, following a German model. The zoo’s consultant was the renowned German zoologist and Director of the Frankfurt Zoo, Bernhard Grzimek.
On 16 May 1983, a new Indian elephant arrived – the female Zita, from a circus in East Berlin, GDR. The elephant house in the new zoo was already completed, and she was accommodated there immediately. The operation to relocate the animals, led by Director Dr Stancho Matevski, began in early August 1984 and lasted for one month. Some animals had to be sedated, others captured using nets and special equipment. The crates were lifted by cranes and transported with heavy machinery. Everything was completed successfully, with no animals injured or harmed, which was a major achievement for the zoo’s team.
The new zoo was opened to visitors in 1984. It is spread over an area of 230 decares and boasts an impressive collection of more than 250 animal species from around the world. The animal exhibits are arranged according to a systematic principle: Reptiles, Birds, Herbivores, Primates, Carnivores – Cats, Dogs, Bears. There is also a large service area housing the Veterinary Clinic, Technical Workshop, Animal Kitchen, storage facilities, and more.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Sofia Zoo, in 1988 the fully completed “Big Cats, Terrarium and Aquarium” Hall was officially inaugurated. The Amur tigers and African lions were provided with spacious outdoor enclosures with moats, while the terrarium and aquarium were located inside the hall. To mark the anniversary, directors of zoos from the socialist bloc were invited, and Sofia Zoo received several interesting new animal species as gifts, including snowy owls, Japanese macaques, raccoon dogs, sloth bears, rhinoceroses, and others.
For the period 1984–1995, the directors of Sofia Zoo were Dr Stancho Matevski, Adrian Stavrakiev, and Dr Nikolay Binev. From 1995 to 2014, the director was veterinarian Dr Ivan Ivanov. During this period, Sofia Zoo marked its 120th anniversary with several events, including a ceremonial concert on the zoo’s summer stage, a tropical butterfly exhibition, a philatelic exhibition, and the validation of commemorative stamps featuring images of six animal species from Sofia Zoo. The unique Japanese Garden was also completed, the result of three years of work by Japanese volunteer Suematsu Toro, who came to Sofia through the organisation JICA. Representatives of zoos from across Bulgaria and abroad were invited to the celebration. Donors and friends of Sofia Zoo were honoured; the zoo operates a popular Donation Programme and an Animal Adoption Programme, established by Director Dr Ivan Ivanov.
In 1998, the Ecological Scientific and Educational Centre at Sofia Zoo was established on the initiative of Diana Zlatanova, following her participation in specialised training at the famous Gerald Durrell Zoo on the island of Jersey. Since 2000, the centre has been housed in a modern building, created through the reconstruction of the zoo’s former Central Café. It was transformed into a single-storey facility with a lecture and projection hall, animal enclosures, and service rooms. Its team of ecologists and supporters develops a wide range of educational programmes and materials, fulfilling one of the zoo’s main functions and goals – to serve as a centre for environmental education and awareness. The building houses various animal species suitable for the centre’s educational activities.
In 2000, continuing the tradition of the “Young Zoologist” club, which existed until 1987, the Zoo Club “Noah” was established. The aim of the club is to attract pupils and students with a strong interest in zoology, biology, and the activities of the zoo. Club activities include lectures on environmental and conservation topics as well as practical sessions within the zoo. Since 2013, the head of the Ecological Scientific and Educational Centre has been ecologist Katerina Zareva-Simeonova.
During the period 2014–2016, the Acting Director of Sofia Zoo was Dr Manol Neykov. At that time, the first major reconstruction in the zoo’s recent history began – the renovation of the outdoor exhibits for big cats. From mid-June 2017, the big cats in the collection of Sofia Zoo have had access to outdoor enclosures more than ten times larger than the previous ones. The total area of the new outdoor enclosures for jaguars, pumas, leopards, and Amur tigers at Sofia Zoo is 3,755 m².
In addition to the increased space, the animals benefit from diverse and appropriate environmental enrichment in their new habitats. All existing trees within the enclosures have been preserved, complemented by newly planted low and tall shrubs, grass, and bamboo, which has already reached a height of 8 metres. The enclosures also include pools, shelters, and wooden platforms for the big cats, which spend much of their time sleeping and resting, especially during warm days. For the first time in a Bulgarian zoo, large glass barriers have been installed, allowing visitors to observe the animals up close and creating a direct “nose-to-nose” viewing experience.
Since 1 January 2017, the Director of Sofia Zoo has been landscape architect Dobromir Borislavov. In the summer of 2018, work began on the second major project for the expansion and modernisation of the outdoor areas for primates. Thirteen new exhibition zones were created, housing 12 species of primates.
The zoo’s collection continues to be enriched with new and rare animal species, such as sloth bears, Persian and snow leopards, jaguars, cinereous vultures, takins, scarlet ibises, siamangs, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and others. The zoo participates in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for the conservation of 17 rare species. This programme is a conservation tool of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), whose main goal is the preservation and breeding of rare and valuable species.
In 2023, Sofia Zoo became a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). This prestigious membership is a recognition of achieving world-class standards in zoo management and provides many new opportunities for zoo exchanges, sharing international expertise, participation in international programmes for the conservation and breeding of more than 400 rare and endangered animal species, state-of-the-art training and professional development for zoo specialists, and access to an online platform that allows members to collaborate and share knowledge.
On 20 September 2023, two female Indian elephants arrived via specialised transport from Augsburg Zoo in Germany. The two elephants, Frosya and Luiza, became part of Sofia Zoo’s collection following a decision by the European Studbook for Asian elephants. Sofia Zoo expressed its wish to receive new elephants after the death of the female elephant Artaida, who passed away at the age of 60 at the end of 2021. Sofia Zoo has a long-standing tradition of keeping Indian elephants since its establishment, which is why an elephant with a crown is depicted in its logo.
The development and modernisation of Sofia Zoo continue, following global trends in contemporary zoo management and striving to be an educational, cultural, conservation, and scientific centre. In 2023, Sofia Zoo became a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). This prestigious membership is a recognition of achieving world-class standards in zoo management and provides many new opportunities for zoo exchanges, sharing international expertise, participation in international programmes for the conservation and breeding of more than 400 rare and endangered animal species, state-of-the-art training and professional development for zoo specialists, and access to an online platform that enables members to collaborate and share knowledge.
On 20 September 2023, two female Indian elephants arrived via specialised transport from Augsburg Zoo in Germany. The two elephants, Frosya and Luiza, became part of Sofia Zoo’s animal collection following a decision by the European Studbook for Asian elephants. Sofia Zoo expressed its wish to receive new elephants after the death of the female elephant Artaida, who passed away at the age of 60 at the end of 2021. Sofia Zoo has a long-standing tradition of keeping Indian elephants since its establishment, which is why an elephant with a crown is depicted in its logo.