Edinburgh Zoo - 100 years

One hundred years ago, on 12th July 1913, a consignment of animals arrived by train at Corstorphine Train Station in preparation for Edinburgh Zoo's opening on 22nd July. The animals to be housed at Edinburgh's new zoo included lions, camels and wolves.
Penguins are famous residents at Edinburgh Zoo and their time at the zoo dates back almost to the beginning. In 1914, shipping company, Christian Salvesen gifted several penguins, starting with 4 kings, 1 gentoo and 1 macaroni penguin. The first penguin birth outside the southern hemisphere took place at Edinburgh Zoo in 1919. It was in 1951 that the penguin parade began, started by a curious gentoo who ventured out of his enclosure when a gate had been left open.
As the outbreak of World War Two loomed, an unfounded and vigorously denied rumour started to circulate in the city that the animals at the zoo would be put down in the case of war. The fear was that air raids on the city could lead to wild animals escaping from the park. During the war two bombs fell inside the park killing some of the budgerigars. When hay became scarce during war times, grass cuttings collected by gardeners within the zoo were used as a substitute food.
The Children's Farm was opened in 1958 and the Camel House in 1965. In 1972, the west restaurant went self-service and in 1976, the Education Centre was opened by HRH Duke of Edinburgh. To mark the zoo's 75th anniversary, the Queen visited and opened the Orientation Centre. A polar bear cub was born in the zoo in 1989 and was named Minty. It was sponsored by Fox's Glacier Mints.
From 2004, Edinburgh Zoo welcomed several new species to the zoological park including a sea eagle, gelada baboon, Malayan tapir and painted hunting dogs. In 2006, koalas arrived and in 2011, Edinburgh Zoo became guardians of perhaps its most famous residents, two giant pandas from China. Their arrival has been a huge economic boost for the zoo, with a £5 million increase in turnover reported in May 2013. In the zoo's centenary year, we have conducted a survey of the site and have some wonderful images to bring our archive up to date. Look out for the famous penguin parade and the captivating pandas!
Visit Our Town Stories to see some of our special zoo centenary Then and Now pictures and to read the story of Edinburgh Zoo.