DierenPark Amersfoort
Encyclopedia
DierenPark Amersfoort is a 10 hectares (24.7 acre) zoo located on the West side of Amersfoort
, in the province of province of Utrecht
, on the edge of the bunch area Birkhoven, in the Netherlands
.
, a bear
, a camel
and some farm animals. In the years afterwards the first carnivore
arrived, and in 1956 the elephants Indra and Rani.
In 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Vis-Tertoolen, one of the zoo founder's daughters and her husband, took over the management of the zoo, and the first of the chimpanzee
s arrived.
In 1979, 2 white white lion
s were born, but while growing up they became normally colored. In 1982 seven cheetah
s were born. In 1988, the park got a savanna
area and "De Ark van Amersfoort
" (Amersfoort
's Arch) was opened. The zoo currently has an area of about 10 hectares (24.7 acre). It is home to more than 100 different kinds of animals and hosts about 650,000 visitors each year.
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, in the province of province of Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
, on the edge of the bunch area Birkhoven, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
The zoo was founded on 22 May 1948 by Mr. Tertoolen and Mr. Knoester. Initially it was a very small zoo with a monkeyMonkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
, a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
and some farm animals. In the years afterwards the first carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
arrived, and in 1956 the elephants Indra and Rani.
In 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Vis-Tertoolen, one of the zoo founder's daughters and her husband, took over the management of the zoo, and the first of the 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 arrived.
In 1979, 2 white white lion
White lion
The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion . It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world...
s were born, but while growing up they became normally colored. In 1982 seven cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s were born. In 1988, the park got a savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
area and "De Ark van Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
" (Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
's Arch) was opened. The zoo currently has an area of about 10 hectares (24.7 acre). It is home to more than 100 different kinds of animals and hosts about 650,000 visitors each year.