Bloemfontein Zoo going strong
Abundance of animals … The Bloemfontein Zoo offers visitors the chance to view everything from ferocious predators to slithering reptiles up close and these learners received the opportunity to observe a snake.
The Bloemfontein Zoo remains a popular tourist attraction that draws visitors from near and far each year.
It was founded in August 1906 and will be celebrating its 106th birthday later this year. The zoo is one of only seven zoos in the country and has achieved a number of milestones in the past century.
It is revered for being a pioneer in the breeding of the liger, a cross between a lion and tiger. It is also infamous for its late chimpanzee Charlie who started smoking after he began mimicking visitors who flicked cigarettes at him.
The facility also houses a number of historic buildings such as the Canadian War Memorial and a portion of the very first tar road in Bloemfontein.
Being the only zoo in the province, it plays four critical roles, namely conservation, education, recreation, and research.
Senior education officer Lawrence Letshokgohla travels to schools in the province to educate people more about the animals.
He gives lessons on animal behaviour and takes a few of the animals with on his travels.
“Something which a lot of people are not aware of is that we are all connected to animals, especially African people. You find that people proudly declare their totems about animals. But they do not know the behaviour of those particular animals. We are all connected to nature through animals.”
Letshokgohla urged the public to make full use of the zoo, as it does not only belong to the municipality, but also to the public.
The zoo has a major conservation role. It hosts 16 top species that are either endangered or threatened. The aim of the zoo is to breed a genetically viable population of these endangered species and send them to other centres, rehabilitate them, and send them back to the wild.
The zoo also has 65 mammal species that provide the perfect opportunity for visitors to see both indigenous and exotic animals up close and personal.
Zoo manager Daryl Barnes said the zoo provides “a living classroom”.
“When you are at school you read about animals. Here you can come and actually stand next to an animal, see it, and you can have an educational officer give you information about the animals. You can take out an apple and give it to an elephant or touch a snake and see how it moves and slides.”
It was the first zoo in the country to have a lapa, offer night tours, as well as Zoo Snoozes where people can pitch a tent on the first Saturday of every month to spend a night with the animals.
“The Zoo Snooze is very popular in Bloemfontein. At some stage we had about 600 people sleeping over. People come in on a Friday and we put up fire places for braais.
There is a kids club which keeps the kids busy. They sleep over on a Friday and leave the following morning at 09:00. In the first of weekend July there is a Bibber Zoo Snooze, where people can also pitch tents and swim in the Swan Dam in the middle of winter. It is a worthwhile, unique experience to try out.”
According to Barnes, their main challenge is noise and air pollution from the city. The zoo animals are subjected to exhaust fumes and noise from the crowds during sports events at the adjacent stadia, as well as from concerts and festivals that are regularly held in the Loch Logan Waterfront area.
Barnes added that the zoo also needs more space. It cannot expand any further due to infrastructural developments around it. The zoo is relatively small and occupies only 15 000 square metres of land. Many of the cages were built many years ago and are not suitable for the animals anymore.
“At the moment the zoo manages these pressures quite well, but in order to keep the zoo thriving, the challenges will have to be addressed.” Entrance to the zoo costs R35 for adults, R18 for pensioners, R15 for learners, and R13 for pre-school learners. Children under the age of three enter free.
Ms. K Unrestricted
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