Wilhelma (help·info), built as a royal palace, is now a 30-hectare (74-acre) zoo and botanical garden in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is Europe's only large combined zoological and botanical garden, and is home to over 8,000 animals representing more than 1,000 different species, as well as more than 5,000 species of plants.
The upper section of the zoo includes an impressive stand of sequoia trees.
The zoo immediately adjoins a public park to its west, laid out in the 'English landscape style' of rolling grass and informal groups of trees. In landscape terms this perfectly complements the landscape of the zoo.
History
The Wilhelma was originally a royal palace, in Moorish Revival style, and echoes such buildings as the Alhambra Palace. Besides animals and plants, the Wilhelma is therefore also worth visiting for its intact mid-19th century architecture.
After being closed to the public during World War II, Wilhelma was opened again in 1949 with an azalea show, followed by the "Great Aquarium Show." In 1951, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and penguins arrived as part of a special exhibition, but they were kept after the exhibition ended, which marks the beginning of the zoo. Elephants and tigers were added in 1952.
Exhibits
The zoo is famous for keeping all four kinds of great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas), all in families with offspring, as well as for its aquarium featuring animals and plants from all over the world. The botanical gardens contain Europe's biggest magnolia grove. It was also the home of the polar bear Wilbär.
As is common in many German zoos, barriers between spectators and animals are minimal. The bird enclosures let visitor enter and wander among the birds in a landscaped environment.
There is an extensive insectarium on the grounds. There are many types of insects grown and kept live for the public to see, including African colored scarab beetles, among many others. There are butterflies, spiders, millipedes, and several beetle species that are continually cultivated and kept living, by breeding generation after generation of the individual species of choice.
Breeding and conservation
A particularly unusual feature is the "hatchery" where chicks can be watched hatching and mother birds feed their chicks at very close quarters.
The zoo has become a center for raising motherless apes from all over Europe.
Stuttgart's unique zoological-botanical garden Wilhelma is one of the most beautiful of its kind in Europe. It was built from 1842 - 1853 for King Wilhelm I of Wuerttemberg as a Moorish garden. With around 9,000 animals of almost 1,000 species, important collections of orchids, an aquarium with crocodile hall and famous coral fish collection, bear facilities and much more, the Wilhelma is THE place to see for visitors of all ages. No wonder, that with ca. 1.8 million visitors a year, it is one of the most visited sights in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The Wilhelma Main Restaurant has room for 350 guests - outside you will even find 850 visitor chairs, tables and benches. The Café Belvedere is somewhat smaller, they have 32 or 150 spaces. In the restaurant at the demonstration farm, 100 or 200 guests have space
http://www.wilhelma.de
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