Every year, more than 220,000 visitors come to Schwerin Zoo. What began in 1956 as a small local animal garden has grown into a full-fledged zoo with 1,800 animals today.

The area is divided into different sections. For example, in the farm area, there are still farm animals like goats, ponies, and others, but there are also entirely different animal worlds to explore. In the Eurasian section, visitors can marvel at Amur tigers, red wolves, red pandas, European wolves, and brown bears. Zebras and white rhinoceroses promise adventures in Africa. And for the South American section, Köhler's turtles, green iguanas, and two golden-headed lion tamarins share an enclosure. The two of them—Fridolin and Trude—are sometimes visited by sloth Alvin. But most of the time, he prefers to relax in the visitor area. There you can also find the black-capped capuchin monkeys.

The zoo features numerous aquariums, beautiful walkways, lots of greenery, play areas, and, of course, many more animals: anteaters, helmeted guineafowls, giraffes, African ostriches, wild boars, otters, Humboldt penguins, ring-tailed lemurs, white-handed gibbons, brush-tailed rat kangaroos, meerkats, pelicans, coatis, capybaras, and so on.

Some of these species are highly endangered or even facing extinction in the wild. The staff engages in a lot of educational work, informing visitors and encouraging them to think. In 2021, the Red List Center was opened for this purpose. Here, visitors can find mighty cats and small crawlers—such as the critically endangered Asian lion and a zoological rarity: the Moorea tree snail, which is already extinct in its natural habitat.

A look back at the beginnings of the Schwerin zoo

Actually, it all began at Franzosenweg with 17 animals and a caretaker. There are photos showing children affectionately and eagerly petting a few ponies. Just a year later, there were 530 animals and nine hectares of land. In 1973, the local animal garden became a state-recognized zoo. Later, more space was added, as well as the new entrance building. By the end of the 1980s, the zoo counted 800 animals of 150 different species. Today, the zoo covers 25 hectares and attracts even more, some rare, species and elaborate enclosures.

Discover, marry, celebrate, and sleep at the zoo

The zoo is an ideal destination for families, as well as for a leisurely stroll alone, with friends, or with a partner.

Special experiences for special occasions are also available. Those who wish can celebrate their birthday here with a "wild" party - featuring various themes or even animal feedings. Children aged 4 to 7 can interact with the domestic animals, while those aged 7 and above can enjoy a forest program, a treasure hunt, a discovery tour, and much more. The zoo also offers evening tours.

For those who are truly "wildly" in love, the Schwerin Zoo also offers the opportunity to get married. The Africa Lodge provides the bridal couple and up to 40 guests with an extraordinary ambiance.

And even spending a whole night at the zoo is possible. The treehouse offers 40 square meters of space for up to six people. It features a cozy kitchenette with a refrigerator, toaster, stove, and kettle. Three sleeping nooks for two people each have different themes: there is one for bookworms, one for children with dolls and teddy bears, and a romantic dovecote for lovers. After enjoying the view from the balcony of their animal neighbors, guests can return to the cozy treehouse and choose something fun from the game collection.

A tip: Indeed, there are couples known to have had a brief conversation with the stork on-site... he politely tilted his head, and for some, deliveries arrived about nine months later - truly!