The Extraordinary Story Of Warsaw Zoo And Its Keepers

In June 1927, the Town Hall of the city of Warsaw decided to establish an urban zoological garden in the Praga district. The first director was Wenanty Burdziński, co-founder and long-time head of the zoological garden in Kiev. The ceremonial opening of the garden took place on March 11, 1928. The inhabitants were animals handed over by already existing for several years smaller Warsaw zoological gardens and a biological study of Mieczysław Pągowski.

An Elephant (Narcyz Witczak-Witaczyński, 1933), User: https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/252606/ Licence: Public Domain

The newly-opened garden occupying 28 ha had several hundred animals, representatives of 22 species of domestic mammals, 31 exotic and 129 species of birds. Tickets cost 10 and 30 grosz - cents. The visitors' favourites were young leopards, a family of lions and a herd of tamed wolves. Few months after the opening of the zoo, director Burdziński suddenly died.

Garden Animals, Photo: @highonthehog

Żabiński Family, Photo: @highonthehog

On June 1, 1929, the scientific director, Jan Żabiński, became the new director. The 1930s was a period of intense development of the Garden. New objects were created; the monkey house, building for elephants, hippos, giraffes, fur animal pavilion and seal pool. The greatest success was the birth of an Indian elephant in 1937. To this day, it is the only elephant born in Polish zoological gardens.

This magnificent period of the garden was interrupted unexpectedly by the outbreak of war. The zoo was bombed in the first days of September 1939. The aviary and the monkey house burned, dozens of animals died from wounds, most of the predators were liquidated on the orders of the Nazi authorities. Many valuable animals were taken to German zoos.

An aerial view of Warsaw burning, September 1939, User: Bundesarchiv, Bild 141-0763 Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 de

During the occupation, several dozen people who were in danger of death or prison found shelter in the Zoo. Among them were many runaway Jews from the Warsaw ghetto, often led out from behind the wall by the Zoo director himself. Some of them spent several months there. Every day the Żabińskis risked their lives. For these activities, Antonina and Jan Żabiński were honoured in 1965 with the title Righteous Among the Nations.

A secret exit for Jews, User: Erko Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

Officially, the Warsaw Zoo did not exist during the occupation. Former employees were involved in running pig farms created for the needs of Varsovians. Director Jan Żabiński devoted himself to conspiratorial work. He lectured at the secret University of Warsaw, took part in Home Army (AK) subversive actions, organized the storage of explosives in the Garden. Severely injured during the Warsaw Uprising, he was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Delmenhorst. Without waiting for the official repatriation, he returned to Poland in October 1945 and immediately began to work on the reconstruction of the Warsaw Zoo. During the reconstruction of the Zoo, residents of the capital participated in large numbers. They have applied with their own equipment, selflessly donating work. Thanks to pre-war contacts with foreign gardens and efforts on the international forum, director Żabiński received the first exotic animals and the experienced employees from before the war returned to work.

Main avenue in the Zoo, User: Ala z Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

On May 15, 1948, the Warsaw Zoological Garden was reopened. Jan Żabiński managed the Garden until 1950. He left at his own request and devoted himself to scientific work. He recorded 1.5 thousand radio broadcasts that at this time all Poland has been listening to!

Photo: @highonthehog

The 50s were the period of reconstruction of objects destroyed during the war. The Zoo area was enlarged to 40 ha. In 1951, the construction of a swimming pool for white bears begun. In 1952 a catwalk of brown bears arose.

In 1956, the Scientific Council was appointed. Its members included eminent professors of Polish universities. Changing its composition over the years, the Council is still active today. It is an advisory and opinion-forming body of the Garden. In 1971 a giraffery was built making space for two giraffes coming from Kenya.

Giraffes, User: Wistula Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

In 1975 for the first time in Poland, polar bears Wars and Sawa were born in the garden - they lived in the Zoo for almost 30 years. After the untimely death of director Landowski, the new director was appointed. Zbigniew Woliński paid great attention to educational and popularizing activities.

Rhino, Photo: @highonthehog

Gorillas, Photo: @highonthehog

In 1981, the competition for the new director was won by a scientific employee of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Dr Maciej Rembiszewski. He managed the Garden for 27 years. He introduced the Warsaw Zoo to international, prestigious organizations. To Warsaw came valuable species of animals: among others, small pandas, cheetahs, African elephants, rhinoceroses, ant-eaters, apes.

Tukan, Photo: @highonthehog

In 1991, the foundation for the development of the Warsaw Zoological Garden "PANDA" was founded, supporting the Garden, modern, all-year expositions were built - herpetarium (1997), birdhouse (1998), elephant house (2004), a building for gorillas and chimpanzees (2008), Hippopotamiary (2010).

Hippo, User: Alina Zienowicz Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

Flamingos, Photo: @highonthehog

Lion, Photo: @highonthehog

Snow Leopard, Photo: @highonthehog

In 2009, known in Poland, reputable ornithologist and nature promoter dr Andrzej Kruszewicz was appointed as the director. A Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wild Birds National Centre and a CITES Centre for Reptiles and Amphibians (2013) was established. Many facilities were modernized in order to adapt them to EU requirements. In December 2012, for the first time in Poland, an armoured rhinoceros got born.

Snake, Photo: @highonthehog

Frog, Photo: @highonthehog

Official poster for The Zookeepers Wife, User:(WP:NFCC#4) Licence: Fair use

In 2007, American writer Diane Ackerman published The Zookeeper's Wife describing the heroic behaviour of the Żabińskis during the war. In 2017, the screening of the book titled The Zookeeper's Wife - The story of Jews hidden in the Warsaw zoo was premiered.

Authored by @highonthehog

***References*** Photos: @highonthehog Images: sources linked below * https://zoo.waw.pl * https://poland.pl/history/history-poland/warsaw-zoo-celebrates-90th-birthday/ * Frank Fox, Endangered species: Jews and buffaloes, victims of Nazi Pseudo‐science, East European Jewish Affairs, 2001 ## Click on the coin to join our Discord Chat ##

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