Ankole-Watussi
Photo credit: (c) Huc Marian/zoo.sibiu.ro

In 2009, an Iberian wolf jumping over a fence was the protagonist of the year’s photo, which was considered the best wildlife and environment photo in the world. Iberian wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf and it lives in northern Spain.

“Sibiu is the first zoo in the country that bought a pair of zebras in 2010 and the only one in the country that has had Iberian wolves since 2011. Also, Sibiu Zoo is among the few zoos in the country that have, watusii cows, fishing pigs and jaguars, which they managed to reproduce.

Photo credit: (c) CRISTIAN NISTOR/AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Unique among the country’s zoos is also its relief: it is located in Dumbrava Sibiului Forest and has two lakes of 6 ha, one of which being a leisure lake, where tourists can rent boats and pedal boats,’ said Marius Lunca, the Sibiu Zoo director.

After entering Sibiu Zoo, you are greeted by an oak tree which is over six centuries old, a natural monument. The oldest zoo in the country was opened in 1929 and covers 20 ha.

The secular oak
Photo credit: (c) CRISTIAN NISTOR/AGERPRES ARCHIVE

The annual number of tourists increases there. Thus, the number of tourists increased from 80,000 in 2006 to 198,669 in 2013.

“Since the beginning of this year and until now we have had a number of 145,139 visitors, which makes me think that we will exceed 200,000 visitors until the year’s end,” added director Marius Lunca.

The collection of Sibiu Zoo numbers 224 animals of 53 species. As more special species are lions, tigers, jaguars, zebras, camels, yaks and white wolves.

Tigre
Photo credit: (c) Cosmin/Zoo Sibiu/zoo.sibiu.ro

Basically, Sibiu Zoo’s history began with some foxes. In 1929, the first zoo in in Romania was opened in Dumbrava Forest, by the Sibiu Electrical Plant, by the initiative of engineer Szekely who had this idea after finding some foxes while performing some repair works on the Sadu Dam.

After its establishment, the zoo received several animals and birds, such as a wild cat, a she-wolf donated by Obert von Spiess from the King, a wolf donated by the “Soimii” Association, an eagle, a Carpathian deer donated the hunters in Talmacel, boars, etc. In 1930, the Zoo received as donation its first bear.

The Sibiu City Hall invests heavily for the animals at the Zoo to have conditions to European standards. Thus, Piete SA will build shelter for the 15 grazing animals housed by Sibiu Zoo: deer, yaks, sheep, watussi, ponies and white buffaloes. The area for the said animals is 5,480 sqm. In the following 10 months, built on this area there will be five paddocks, each with its shelter of 40 sqm and each with a covered terrace of 25 sqm. Their roofs will be built of wood. The fencing space will consist in some fences of wooden horizontal balls. The contract also provides the building of a rainwater drainage system in this area. The works contract is worth 501,587 lei, VAT excluded.

The upgrading works on the shelter for monkeys is almost completed and it will be populated in October.

Monkeys
Photo credit: (c) Cosmin/Zoo Sibiu/zoo.sibiu.ro

Another finished work refers to the first stage of landscaping the irrigation system of green areas in the Zoo. In this stage, 1,200 meters of pipelines were put into place, the value of these works being 29,523 lei (VAT included). The project will continue with extending the network throughout the area of the Zoo. To save the water needed for this irrigation system, the list of next year’s investment will include the installation of some submersible pumps that will be installed in the lake.

The main tourist attraction of Sibiu Zoo this period is May, a jaguar cub aged over two months, which plays daily in its cage with its best friend, a puppy. The name of May was given by the Zoo staff. Its parents are the two jaguars at Sibiu Zoo (named Mowgly and Nadia). The jaguar cub is a true joy for Sibiu Zoo team because the jaguars’ reproduction in captivity is very rare. AGERPRES