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    • Cottbus Zoo opened its doors for the first time on 1 June 1954. In a beautiful location between the River Spree and Branitz Park, a home zoo was created in a very short space of time with the help of the National Development Programme and civic commitment.

      Mr Stender and Mr Kruse planned the stilt bird meadow.
      Under the management of Dipl.-Biol. Erhard Frommhold (1956-1963), the Cottbus zoo became a state-recognised zoo - one of initially eight in the GDR. Dipl.-Biol. Kunz Rauschert (1963-1966) was succeeded as director by Dipl.-Biol. Klaus Jacob (1966-2002), who had a decisive influence on the park in the following decades.

      With the opening of the Predator House in 1968, lions, tigers and bears moved in, and a year later, in 1969, the first elephant (Sundali) arrived in Cottbus. An extensive collection of geese, ducks, storks and other waterfowl soon gathered, and Cottbus Zoo quickly became known for its successful keeping and breeding.

      First breeds from this period were the Chilean flamingo in 1977 and the West African crowned crane in 1979.

      A milestone in German zoo history was the first conference of the reunified Association of German Zoo Directors in East Germany, which was organised by Cottbus Zoo in 1993. Subsequently, new buildings were constructed with the support of the city of Cottbus, various companies and the Tierpark-Förderverein founded in 1994, such as the administration and social building (1991), penguin rock (1993), house for porcupines and meerkats (1993), extension of the stilt bird house (1999), gibbon house (1997), parrot aviary and snack bar (2011), cow shed (2011), new extension to the predator house and spacious outdoor tiger enclosure financed with funds from the INTERREG IV a funding programme and the city of Cottbus 2014/2015), poultry house (2014) and, in 2017, the silver monkey house with the support of the Cottbus Chamber of Crafts.

      When the long-standing zoo director, biologist Klaus-Jürgen Jacob, retired in 2002, Dr Jens Kämmerling was appointed as his successor.