The history of Tiergarten Schönbrunn goes back to Empress Maria Theresia and her husband Franz Stephan von Lothringen (Franz I).
In 1745, Franz I commissioned the architect Jean Nicholas Jadot der Ville-Issey, to design a menagerie in the park of Schönbrunn, the new Habsburg-Lothringen summer residence.
The facility consisted of 12 enclosures with equally sized animal houses. In the summer of 1752, after a one-year construction period, the animals were brought to the zoo and presented to the public.
The octagonal pavilion in the center of the facility, designed as a breakfast room and salon,was only completed in 1759. Even today, this pavilion remains the zoo’s historical centerpiece.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn is the oldest zoo in the world!
Official website: www.zoovienna.at
In 1991 the Austrian minister of economics, Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel, would like to see giant pandas in Vienna. He starts to talk about it with several chinese high-ranking diplomats.
On September 20, 2002 the chinese Primeminister Zhu Rongji visited Vienna. He was bringing good news to Bundeskanzler Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel and Zoo Director Dr. Helmut Pechlaner. Tiergarten Schönbrunn would receive a breeding couple of giant pandas.
On March 14, 2003 a young pair of pandas, Yang Yang & Long Hui, were transferred from China to Tiergarten Schönbrunn.
The animals were on loan to the Republic of Austria by the People’s Republic of China for a period of 10 years. This loan has been renewed in 2013.
Born: August 14, 2013
Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
Resident of Du Jiang Yan Base of CCRCGP
since November 7, 2015
Born: September 26, 2000
Place of birth: Wolong, China
Moved to Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria
on March 14, 2003.
Died on December 9, 2016.
Born: August 23, 2007
Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
Resident of Langzhong Panda Paradise
since March 23, 2013
Born: August 23, 2007
Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
Died on August 23, 2007
at Tiergarten Schönbrunn
Born: August 23, 2010
Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
Resident of Jinan Zoo
since January 30, 2013
Born: August 23, 2010
Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
Died on August 23, 2010
at Tiergarten Schönbrunn
Tiergarten Schönbrunn / Zoo Vienna is open daily from 9 a.m. – 365 days a year – also on public holidays. Closing time varies according to the seasons and is between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing time – this is also the latest entry time for the zoo.