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History of Płock zoo
1921 Maria Macieszyna, a cultural and educational activist and a teacher of biology, puts forward a plan for the setting up of a school zoological and botanical garden, to be used for educational purposes. X 1948
As part of an agricultural and horticultural exhibition run by the Peasants’ Self-Help organization, the manager of the City Horticultural Enterprise, Tadeusz Borkowski, puts on a display of cultivated plants at the gardens at 3, Kościuszki Street. To liven up the display he also includes some representatives of the animal kingdom: a tortoise, a mole, a hedgehog, white mice and several birds. Residents of Płock throng to the exhibition, especially the young. 5.III.1949 A botanical garden is opened at the site of the agricultural and horticultural exhibition, enlivened with more animals, such as a roe deer, a pair of foxes, pheasants and peacocks. The garden is so popular that the city authorities introduce admission tickets, mainly in order to limit the number of visitors. 1950 – 1951
An initiative to set up a regional zoo on the Vistula escarpment is launched by Tadeusz Borkowski. The collection of animals is already impressive for that period, and the number of visitors to the garden reaches 60 000. The Chief Inspector of Polish Zoos, Dr Jan Żabiński, takes part in planning work. The presidium of the city council sets aside an area of 7 hectares for the new zoo.
1.V.1951
The zoo is opened, with animals native to Poland on display - deer, bears, wolves, foxes, birds, reptiles and fish.
1956 The zoo acquires some exotic animals, including monkeys, llamas and ponies.
The 1960s “Operation Crocodile”, initiated by the zoo’s director Tadeusz Taworski, collects 6000 books for Polish emigrants in Argentina, in exchange for which the zoo receives animals then worth 250 000 zloty, including anteaters, armadillos, snakes and opossums. Animals from other Polish zoos are added to the collection, and animal exchanges take place with zoos in Prague, Havana, and Rosario in Argentina. An aquarium and herpetarium are built, as well as aviaries, a monkey house, elephant house and giraffe house, and enclosures for hoofed mammals. 15.IX.1964
The first elephant arrives —18-month-old Petra from the Netherlands.
1965
1970
1971
1977 – 1978 The zoo has the first Andean condor to be hatched in Poland and raised by both parents. It also records the birth of Poland’s first giant anteater, and the Mazovia region’s first giraffe. 20.VII.1979
The 1980s New species arrive at the zoo: Nile hippos, tufted capuchins, Dalmatian and eastern white pelicans, Salmon-crested cockatoo, and many species of fish, amphibians and reptiles. Breeding animals include kulans, tapirs, mandrills, capuchins, Nile hippos, emus, monocled cobras, horned vipers, puff adders, false water cobras and green-crested basilisks. A tapir house is built. 1992 – 1996 The zoo acquires more animals, including mountain zebra, Japanese macaques, and rhea. 1997 – 2008 Intensive modernization and development of the zoo takes place. Many valuable and rare species of animal are acquired and bred. The zoo becomes a member of the international organizations WAZA, EAZA, ISIS and IZE, and cooperates with many zoos in Europe and throughout the world. Important facilities built or modernized include enclosures and stables for hoofed mammals, a giraffe house, a seal pool, an elephant house and enclosure, a bird house, aviaries for birds of prey and gallinaceous birds, a red panda enclosure, new displays of invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, ponds for water birds breeding, a gibbon island, enclosures for Japanese macaques, kangaroos and African penguins, a tamarin and marmoset pavilion, a pavilion and enclosure for lions and Persian leopards, and a children’s zoo. The zoo takes part in many EEP and ESB programmes for rare and endangered species. The zoo’s director is a member of the EAZA Amphibian and Reptile Taxon Advisory Group, and keeps studbooks for two Asian turtle species: the black marsh turtle (Siebenrockiella crassicollis) and the Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis). The zoo’s educational functions are developed, with a greater number of exhibitions, competitions, special events, regular school and pre-school activities based on teaching programmes, and modernization of the design of exhibits and accompanying educational information. The zoo’s vegetation is enriched with the planting of many trees, shrubs and flowers, creating varied botanical compositions. 2009 The City of Płock grants the zoo a further 4.55 hectares of land on the eastern side. Initial plans for the use of the new land are drawn up. 2009 – 2010 The Aquarium - Herpetarium Pavilon is renovated, the display is modernized, and a new aquarium is designed. 2010 – 2011 A tropical forest display is opened, as well as a seasonal exhibition of tropical butterflies. 2012 – 2013 Opening of the galliformes aviary. Renovation and modernization of the giraffe house. 2014 Modernizing of Birds Pavilon. In September Mr. Krzysztof Kelman assumed the position of the director of the Plock ZOO. 2015 Beginning the building the new aquarium exhibits. Modernizing of the waterfowl enclosure. Construction of the new exhibits for snow leopards and Siberian tigers. Opening of the winter trail for visitors. 2016 The opening of the new aquarium exhibits (December). 2017 A new exhibition of pheasants and Southern twotoed sloths. Arrival of the only Malayan tapir in Poland. 2018 A new exhibition of pigmy mermosets and inver tebrates. 2019 – 2020 New exhibition of woodland dormouse. Arrival of the prairie dogs.
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