Zoo Basel

Listen for a moment before you look at anything. Under the trees you can hear birds that do not belong to Switzerland, a distant hoot from somewhere deeper in the park, and, just beyond the fence, the low rumble of trains. The paths are shaded and green, and the air smells of damp earth, cut grass and animals. This is Zoo Basel, and it sits almost in the shadow of the city's main railway station. Few zoos in Europe feel so woven into ordinary city life.

The people of Basel rarely call it Zoo Basel. They call it the Zolli, a soft, affectionate nickname you will hear from parents, students and pensioners alike. That name tells you something. For many families here, this is not a once-in-a-lifetime attraction. It is a place they return to every season, often with a membership card, the way other people return to a favourite park. Many locals remember their first visit as children, and they now bring their own children.

The Zolli opened in 1874, which makes it the oldest zoo in Switzerland. Its beginnings were modest. In the early years, the founders focused mainly on animals from Switzerland and the surrounding regions of Europe — deer, bears, birds and other familiar creatures. Over the following decades, the collection grew to include animals from Africa, Asia and South America. As you walk, you are moving through a place that has changed its idea of what a zoo should be many times.

Notice how the zoo follows the shape of the land. It lies along a small valley, close to the little river Birsig, and the paths dip, curve and rise again with the ground. Big old trees give much of the park a forest feeling. There is no grand central boulevard here. Instead, you discover enclosures one by one, often after turning a corner. This compact, winding layout is part of the zoo's character, and it makes the park feel larger than it is.

Now for a story that most visitors do not know. In 1959, a baby gorilla named Goma was born here. She is widely recorded as the first gorilla born in a European zoo. Her mother could not care for her, so the zoo director, Ernst Lang, and his family raised her at their home. Photographs of a young gorilla in a family household travelled far beyond Basel. Goma helped turn the Zolli into a famous name in gorilla care.

That early success started a long tradition. Over the decades, the zoo has bred many gorillas and other great apes, and its keepers built up deep experience with them. When you stand at the ape enclosures, take your time. Watch how the animals look back at the people on the glass side. Watch how the older ones move slowly while the young ones climb and tumble. These are family groups, and their small social dramas often hold visitors for a long time.

The Zolli is also known in the zoo world for its work with the greater one-horned rhinoceros, the large Indian rhino with skin that looks like folded armour. The zoo has a long record of breeding these animals and sharing them with other institutions. Look closely at the deep folds of the skin, at the knobbly surface on the shoulders and thighs. Up close, the animal looks almost prehistoric, and its size is difficult to judge until it moves.

Here is a second surprise, and it depends on the season. In the colder months, the zoo has a tradition of letting its king penguins out of their enclosure for a short walk along the paths. The birds waddle in a loose line, while keepers walk beside them and visitors step aside. It is a slow, slightly comic procession, and it is one of the moments locals talk about most. If you visit in winter, it is worth asking staff whether a walk is planned.

Much of the zoo's more recent building work tries to show animals in the setting of a particular landscape. One house takes its theme from the Etosha region of Namibia, in southern Africa. It brings together different species from that dry environment and explains how they depend on each other. Other areas focus on elephants, big cats and smaller animals of the savanna. As you walk, read the signs. They often explain how the animals in front of you live in the wild.

The Vivarium is the indoor heart of the Zolli. It holds fish, reptiles, amphibians and other small animals in tanks that range from tiny to wall-sized. On a rainy day, this is where many families end up. Inside, the light is dim and blue-green, and the noise of the city disappears. Stand still in front of the larger tanks. Fish that seemed hidden at first slowly appear among the rocks and plants.

The zoo's future has also been a matter of public debate. Some years ago, the zoo proposed a large new aquarium in the city centre, known as the Ozeanium. The project went to a public vote, as many big decisions do in Switzerland, and voters rejected it in 2019. Switzerland uses direct democracy, which means citizens vote directly on many local questions. So even the Zolli's plans pass through the hands of the people of Basel.

Take a moment to think about the location again. Few European cities have a zoo this close to the main station. A traveller can step off a train and be among flamingos within minutes. The park also works as a green corridor for the city. Wild birds, squirrels and insects live in its trees alongside the zoo animals. Many Basel residents simply come for a walk, a coffee and some quiet time under the leaves.

Before you leave, stop at a bench and listen once more. The sounds have not changed much — the birds, the voices of children, the faint trains beyond the trees. But now you know a little of what lies behind them: a park from 1874, a baby gorilla raised in a family home, a winter line of penguins. As you walk back towards the city, look at the old trees above the path. Many of them have watched generations of visitors pass beneath them.