Milestones

2024 - Not over yet

Győr Zoo does not stop and the journey continues. The zoo gives currently home to 124 animal species, the range of educational activities is expanding. Since last year, the zoo camp now accommodates children in three houses, doubling the number of campers.

The year had a difficult and sad start, as we had to say goodbye to Petra, our beloved old camel, and Malipo the chimp. But life goes on, and in the spring the zoo will be unveiling a new camel enclosure, a meerkat run and many more wonders for families who wish to have fun and learn while playing.

2021 - Bou-Bou

Old dreams came true once again during this period. In the 2020–21 season, African penguins arrived from Germany and Italy, and since then they have been telling visitors about the threats facing African penguins through the now highly popular Penguin Walk.

Shortly afterwards, a new area was completed, and with it we could already say that the zoo had truly outgrown itself. Today, only the guided historical tour recalls the challenging journey that led from the Bishop’s Forest to the Elephant House.

In that same year, on June 4th, Bou-Bou, a 15-year-old African bull elephant, walked into his new home, and from that moment on, the zoo faced an entirely new set of challenges.

2020 - The chimpanzee paradise of Pola and her friends

The second most important building, the new and modern chimpanzee house and outdoor enclosure, was completed by Euro Generál Ltd. The project was finished on schedule within the Modern Cities Programme. The project included the extension of the chimpanzee enclosure and the creation of an open runway with a climbing system adapted to the chimpanzees' needs. Where are the old bars that make you think of a prison! Of course, it doesn't matter to the animals what they are separated from the visitors, but it is still more aesthetically pleasing to have glass surfaces which are pleasant to the touch and visitors can wave to the chimpanzee family from across a pond, almost freely. The new house also has a strong focus on education: just look at the footprints of the man and the chimpanzee, or the educational panels! While admiring the animals, you can also meet the members of the chimpanzee family one by one.

2019 - Entrance to a European-standard zoo

It is the duty of a zoo to follow the trends of a changing world. As well as being a showcase for exotic animals, it is also an educational and recreational facility. The visitors, whose numbers had been increasing, driven by expanding animal exhibitions, developments and growing runs, simply could not comfortably enter through the old „Székely Gate”.

But one of the investments under the Modern Cities Programme between 2017-2021 has solved this problem: the huge and impressive new Main Entrance was completed. This is truly the entrance of a zoo of European standard. And the project did not end with the main entrance. The new buildings will be constructed using modern building materials, with energy-efficient insulation systems and a solar panel system on the roofs to meet the buildings' needs for electricity. Plans for this period included the renovation of the giraffe house, the addition of a rhinoceros house, the extension of the monkey house, the modernisation of the courtyard and the construction of an elephant house.

2017 - 50 years of the zoo!

The special anniversary moment was a really good occasion to celebrate. The zoo has gone through some really turbulent times over the last 50 years.  Threatened by destruction, closure, bankruptcy, but with a united effort, the zoo has always been given another chance. Finally it proved that it just needed time. The park wanted to celebrate its 50th anniversary together with the visitors, and the old pictures and stories they sent in, as well as the collection and research work, made it possible to produce a publication summarising the life of the zoo so far: 'Keep Zahira!'  In addition, a special idea was also presented as a gift: "Come 50 times instead of 5!", the zoo pass system, whereby a single payment allows the holder to enter the zoo every day of the year.

2016 - Pola became a mother

On the day after Christmas 2016, Pola, the most beloved resident in the history of our zoo, became a mother, instinctively very devoted and attentive to her little daughter Zahira /whose name means radiant-beautiful/. She was raised by humans, as her mother Paula was very old when she was born and died shortly afterwards. Paula's first meeting with Misi in Győr in 2002 is one of the most beautiful zoo stories of all time. Born in the wild, 47-year-old Paula was one of Europe's oldest chimpanzees at the time. Yet they instantly recognised each other with Misi, whom Paula had met a quarter of a century earlier in Czechoslovakia, and then they went their separate ways. The zookeepers afraid that if they were allowed to get together, the two leaders would fight. Instead, they immediately and happily embraced. The fruit of this "love" is Pola, our world-famous chimpanzee. And if Paula could see little Zahira, she would be very proud of her family. Pola, though never taught by anyone, has become a truly caring mother. She gave Zahira the best treats, lovingly cuddling her little girl, who won the hearts of the whole zoo.

2013 - Csövi, the alligator turtle

In the first half of 2013, Győr's sewer system dumped an interesting creature at the city's stormwater reservoir: an alligator turtle, named Csövi. The predator, native to Central and North America, retreated into its shell during the first feedings, which was explained by stress. He got fish, chicks and rats. After a medical examination, he could be released with his other zoo mates. He was adopted by the county government office, and even got a pizza named after Csövi on the menu of a pizzeria in Győr, where every slice of pizza eaten supports him keeping in the zoo.

2012 - Joining the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)

In 2012, Győr Zoo joined the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and this alliance was immediately reflected in the fabulous white tiger that was introduced to the zoo. Nyíregyháza Zoo also participated in the breeding of this special colour variant. Raul was mated to Kama the Bengal tiger, their cub was born on 16 February 2013, inherited his mother's yellowish coat and was raised in Szabadka. At the beginning of 2014 a new tiger was moved to the Győr Zoo. Their relationship quickly became close and the mother has already given birth to cubs twice. In February 2015, two white tiger cubs were born to Raul and Jasmine. The second time, beautiful quadruplets were born.

2009 - Year of the aardvarks

The strangest looking animal in Győr is the aardvark. The founding couple came from Tanzania in 2009. Győr was the first Hungarian zoo to have this strange looking creature, which is widespread across Africa, with only 60 of them kept in captivity at the time.

The uniqueness of the species is that it can burrow underground in minutes, and with its bizarre head, it can access the inhabitants of ant burrows. With its 30-centimeter-long tongue, it adds to its comically long nose, which it uses to eat up to 50,000 termites in a single night. Sensationally, the first aardvark cub in Hungary was born in Győr at dawn on 24 February 2010.

2003 - Attack of the sloths

In 2003, three sloths arrived by popular demand, the slowest escapees of all time, as the sloth can reach a top speed of up to 5 kilometres per hour even when in a hurry. The Guinean animals lived near the reptile house and were protected by an electric fence on their island. A year later, in April, one of them escaped from the zoo. You need to know that no sloth has escaped from Europe's zoos. The sloth only comes down from the tree to defecate, so they thought it was enough to fence that part of the tree, put a collar around it to stop it climbing upwards, but the wind blew and it caught the branch. He advanced and reached the line of the outer fence twenty yards from him in three days. Finally, he was chaught in the neighboring guest house of the water authority.

2002 - Animal protection law and an old love

The new Animal Welfare Act at the time set out exactly what conditions were required to keep animals in zoos. The Győr zoo had to take steps not to lose any of its exotic animals. We successfully overcame this hurdle and even managed to help out the Budapest Zoo, who, after some difficult decisions, had to part with three of their chimpanzees. The chimpanzee trio that arrived were Lara, Bianka and a male. The male was Misi, Paula's old companion from whom she had said goodbye in 1983. Yet they instantly recognised each other through Misi, whom Paula had met a quarter of a century earlier in Czechoslovakia, before they parted ways. The zookeepers afraid that if they were allowed to get together, the two leaders would charge at each other. "However, the old pair reunited with a huge, warm embrace."

2000 - Rudi, the first giraffe at Zoo Győr

The star of the year 2000 was Rudi, the first giraffe of Győr, who arrived from St. Petersburg, coming from an old dynasty: even his great-grandparents were registered. He got his name from the company RudolphLogistik Kft., which covered the $2000 purchase price, but in the case of a giraffe, the main challenge lies in the care and transportation. Rudi was brought in a few months before the expected arrival of the African animals in spring because by then, he would have grown too large to be transported by truck. The animal was eventually lifted off the truck using cranes. His house is six and a half meters high, covers an area of 85 square meters, and is heated.

1999 - Jenny and Káma

The lion-tiger star duo is surely still remembered by many in Győr. Jenny, the lion cub, arrived in Győr at three months old, where visitors could even pet her. After Gyurci, she became the zoo’s newest star. Soon, she got a companion from Miskolc: a young tigress named Káma. The two cubs stayed together until they were a year and a half old, at which point they had to be separated as they belonged to different species. Jenny joined Gromek’s pride and later gave birth to several lion cubs that became crowd favorites. Káma’s partner, years later, became Raul, the first white tiger in Győr and the patriarch of the white tiger family currently on display.

1997 - Gyurci, the white-cheeked gibbon

In 1997, the zoo’s first true star was Gyurci, the crested gibbon. In the capital, his mother mistreated him, and Dr. György Andréka, who was working there as a veterinarian at the time, brought him to Győr. In exchange, he gave the gibbon mother two bananas and an orange. Gyurci even appeared on the popular Friderikusz Show, where “Fridi” became his honorary godfather. This is how the gibbon got his full name: Andréka (Friderikusz) Gyurci. The attention drawn to the Győr Zoo increased significantly, and Gyurci is also associated with the first major innovation under the new management that took over in April 1997: the gibbon island.

1996 - The story of Leila the Bengal tiger

Leila, the Bengal tiger, was a groundbreaking animal, made famous by a cataract surgery in 1996. Despite the selfless intervention of the doctors—ophthalmologists Dr. Sándor Parcsami and Dr. Péter Jobbágyi—she later went blind. Leila was brought to the zoo in 1992 at the request of the local government from a family home in Lábatlan. At the time, the three- to four-year-old tiger of unknown origin had already been living there for two years. She even slept inside the house with the family. At the neighbors’ request, a cage was built for her, but she was often let out when no one was watching. On one occasion, she was sunbathing on the flat garage roof when a woman from the neighboring vegetable garden looked up and came face to face with Leila. Shocked, the woman ended up in the hospital, and this incident marked the breaking point for the people of Lábatlan.

1992 - Renewed monkey house

The most significant investment in the first thirty years of the zoo was the two-story, underfloor-heated monkey house, which was inaugurated in May 1992. During the winter months, it was home to five chimpanzees and about a dozen monkeys. The 15-16-year-old Charlie was the visitors' favorite, entertaining them with clapping and headstands.

1986 - From 1st of May Culture Park to Xantus János Wildlife Park

In 1986, the institution of the May 1st Cultural Park, which included the zoo, was dissolved. Starting in 1987, the Xantus János Zoo came under the Győr Leisure and Sports Center, and from October 1993 to April 1997, it was managed by the Győr City Sports Directorate. The merger brought many disadvantages and some peculiar situations. Vanyus Attila, the director of the leisure center, later recounted one such story: a bear brought from Jászberény shared its journey with world-class athlete Anikó Nagy, as the transportation of the wild animal and the signed player was combined for practical reasons. The bear woke up near the Erzsébet Bridge and began shaking the bars of the small truck.

1983 - Paula, the chimpanzee matriarch

In 1983, Paula arrived from Veszprém, becoming the "founding mother" of today's chimpanzee family in Győr. She became the mate of Charley, who was already a crowd favorite at the time. Without Paula, who was already past her prime, the history of the Xantus János Zoo would have unfolded quite differently.

1978 - The Gromeks

In Győr, four male lions were named Gromek, the first of whom was a playmate of Szilveszter in early 1978. The second Gromek and the white-colored fourth one were particularly famous. The second Gromek arrived from Duisburg in 1988. He was needed by the Hungarian zoo association because the bloodline of Hungarian lions at the time was entirely identical. "Gromek II" was able to move into the new enclosure in April 2001, where mating was no longer an issue. His nervous pacing ceased, he enjoyed lazy days, and he lived a very active sexual life.

1977 - Szilveszter, the lion cub

Szilveszter, the cub from Elza’s second litter, was born on December 28, 1977. Elza didn’t want to care for him either, but he survived. As a young cub, he lived on the top floor of an apartment building in Győr, and he was the first lion in Győr to undergo surgery. The animal had a swelling caused by elbow calluses removed from his paws by Dr. Sándor Parcsami.

1965 - 1975 - First 10 years

The first animal in Kiskút was a marsh turtle, which was relocated to the zoo that opened on May 1, 1967. We know that by February 1969, there were 26 different species, with a total of 104 animals living there. The initial conditions were not ideal, and revenue was low. After seven years of struggle, the director, János Major, finally succeeded in securing permission to keep exotic animals, even though the founding charter only mentioned native fauna, and the conditions were far from suitable. The first pair of lions, Elza and Cézár, arrived from Debrecen in August 1975.

1962 - Muki, Győr's First Bear

Muki was a circus bear, Győr's first bear, who arrived at the forest wildlife park on April 12, 1962. He was incredibly strong, often twisting the bars of the cage made by the waterworks company. However, when he heard music, he didn't deny his performance nature and would start dancing. Unfortunately, during the 1965 flood, he was one of the 2-3 more dangerous animals—similar to an adult wolf—that were shot. Many animals drowned, but those that could be saved were rescued, and eventually, 18 species of animals made it to Kiskút, including Muki’s companion, Brumi. Before the opening of Kiskút, the rescued wild animals were kept at the house of veterinarian Dr. Béla Órlik on Verseny Street and at the yard of István Brunovszky on Herman Ottó Street.

1960 - It All Started in Püspökerdő...

Győr's first wildlife population grazed beside the swimming pool from the late 1950s. At the confluence of the two rivers, the Kisalföld State Forest Management kept various species, primarily native to the area. These included a pair of deer, roe deer, mouflon, wild boar, and a buzzard and kite in wire cages. However, from 1960, they were raised for the new amusement park, which was to be located on the Pinnyéd side of Püspökerdő. The wildlife park was situated about half a kilometer from the blue Rábca Bridge and was the only part of the amusement park dream, managed by Imre Nagy, that was actually realized. The leader of the wildlife park was István Brunovszky.