Gdansk Zoo in Gdansk, Kashubia, Poland | Zoo

Gdansk Zoo is one of the biggest Zoological gardens in Poland. It is an attractive place for both recreation and education and it is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourist and Gdansk citizens every year.
The idea to establish a Zoological garden in Oliwa first appeared in late 1940s, and it was warmly supported by the citizens of  Gdansk. The enthusiasm of people was so great, that although the city's authorities were at first reluctant to support the project, the official permission to establish a Zoological park was given in 1953. The park and forest complex of 100 ha located near the centre of Oliwa in the Valley of the Forest Mill  was chosen for this purpose. This scenic area, with Rynaszewski stream flowing across, is also called the Valley of Bushy Mills  It is the very heart of the Tri-City Landscape Park, characterised by movie-like landscape. By the way, numerous Polish nature films have been shot in Gdansk Zoo.
Gdansk Zoo was formally opened on 1 May 1945. The first inhabitants of the Zoo were small animals donated by citizens of Tri-city,  rabbits, guinea pigs, foxes, little deer, pheasants, as well as monkeys and parrots,  presents from sailors.  In May 1954 Gdansk  Zoo welcomed its first European bison called Puszczan, and in June,  a gift from Warsaw Zoological garden,  a couple of wolfs called Misio and Łštka, parents of numerous offspring, which may be found in many animal collections all over the world.
The  arrangement of places for relaxation, new restaurants and snack bars, playgrounds for children, as well as new attractive visual setting of Gdansk Zoo attract more and more visitors, even out of season. They all find walking in the Zoo in Gdansk both relaxing and educating way of spending one's leisure time.