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Krakow's
Zoological Garden
Krakow’s
compact zoo – "Krakowski Ogrod Zoologiczny" in Polish – is
situated amidst the vast 500-hectare Las Wolski forest, turned
to municipal park in 1917, some ten kilometers west of the
city’s central Old Town historic district and 126 meters
higher, i.e. 345 m above sea level, near the top of the
Pustelnik hill.
Krakow
Zoo’s seventeen hectares accommodate over 1400 animals, in
that number some 600 birds and 400 mammals, representing 285
species, 32 of them on the verge of extinction and 88
endangered. Its most prized possessions include herds of pygmy
hippopotamus and Przewalski horses, Somali wild ass, Pere
David's deer, barasingha, South American tapir, white camel,
South American sea lions, several species of wild cats, rare
antelopes, such as addax, eastern bongo and waterbuck.
The
Reptile House on the zoo’s premises features dwarf caimans,
lizards, turtles, snakes, amphibians, invertebrates and exotic
fish.
Krakow’s
zoological garden has succeeded in breeding in captivity –
among others – Andean condor, the maned wolf, snow leopards,
Chinese leopards, jaguars, fennec foxes, caracal lynxes,
European wild cats, northern lynxes, ground cuscuses, black
mangabeys, chimpanzees, lar gibbons, and common marmosets. It
can boast regular hatches of steppe eagles, white cockatoo,
blue-and-yellow macaw, and Grey parrot.
Krakow
Zoo was opened in 1929.
Public
transport
City bus line 134 links Krakow Zoo with the downtown. Buses
leave from the stop at Kaluzy street next to the Hotel
Cracovia every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on
summer Sundays and holidays.
Krakow
Zoo’s opening hours:
Winter
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Spring and autumn 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Postal
address: Krakowski Ogrod Zoologiczny, al. Kasy
Oszczednosciowej Miasta Krakowa 14, 30-232 Krakow,
Poland.
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With its mere 21.5 sq. km it may be the
smallest of Poland’s twenty national parks, but
the Ojcow National Park ranks among the most
attractive recreational areas in Europe, and it
is just a 15 minutes’ drive–i.e. 24
km–northwest of Krakow.
Downtown
green oasis boasts some 5,000 plant species.
Krakow's
Parks
Krakow's
Blonia Commons
A
vast expanse of grassland in downtown Krakow, called Blonia,
is protected by law as the national heritage.
Krakow's
Wildlife
Krakow
Geography
Krakow
Environment
Krakow
Weather
Strolls
The best way to enjoy
Krakow is on foot.
Krakow
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