Dublin Zoo is the largest zoo in Ireland and one of the oldest in the world, having cared for rare and endangered species for 180 years. It is a centre of conservation and education, as well as a popular tourist attraction of Dublin with many different habitats exhibiting fascinating animals from around the world. It covers 70 acres in the heart of Dublin and holds the mission of protecting species through encouraged learning and breeding programmes, making it one of the most important charities in the city.
Dublin Zoo is home to endangered species under the EEP, a programme for the protection of animals in Europe, including Rodrigues fruit bats, which are vital animals for their rainforest ecosystem. Different habitats separate the wildlife, and one of the most popular areas is for Asian elephants called the Kaziranga Forest Trail, but others include reptile, primate and African enclosures. Visitors can experience a replicated Asian forest, with lions, tigers and Sulawesi crested macaques, or witness the performances of playful sea lions in their water cove. Some of the biggest attractions are in the South American house, where the rare Golden lion tamarins live, some of the most endangered primates in the world whose habitat is often destroyed for timber wood.
Situated in Phoenix Park in central Dublin, the zoo is accessible via many bus routes and only a 15-minute walk from the LUAS light rail station of Heuston. Bus and train links also have directions to the airport and greater Ireland via Dublin’s main central station.
Originally called the Zoological Gardens Dublin, the zoo opened in 1931 with only 118 animals, donated from London. The collection soon grew, a giraffe arrived in 1944 and two lions, Natal and Natalie, came in 1855. The zoo was targeted during the Easter Rising and World War II but survived both and is now home to over 650 animals from across the world.