Northern Ireland

Belfast Zoo's 85th birthday will be a roaring success

Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo in the 1940s
Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo in the 1940s Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo in the 1940s

BELFAST Zoo will host a huge treasure hunt this weekend as the attraction celebrates its 85th birthday.

Since officially opening its doors on March 28 1934, the zoo has been home to tigers, polar bears, baboons, kangaroos, camels, brown bears and leopards.

Today the scenic Cavehill site accommodates more than 120 species including elephants, lions, giraffes, Andean bears, penguins, sea lions and much more.

The story of the zoo began with changes to Belfast's public transport system.

Following the introduction of a new tram line in north Belfast in the early 1900s, Belfast Corporation decided to build a playground and pleasure gardens at the end of the route to encourage more people to use the service,

The attractions became popular with day trippers and in 1933, a collection of animals was added to Bellevue Pleasure Gardens.

A school child with lion cubs at Belfast Zoo
A school child with lion cubs at Belfast Zoo A school child with lion cubs at Belfast Zoo
1948 - Head keeper John Mitchell holds young monkeys
1948 - Head keeper John Mitchell holds young monkeys 1948 - Head keeper John Mitchell holds young monkeys

During the first summer season, more than 200,000 tickets were sold.

A decision was then taken to open a zoo at a cost of £10,000 and in its first nine months, almost 290,000 people visited.

Daisy, Belfast Zoo's first elephant, arrived on the Heysham steamer the day before it opened and walked the six miles from the docks to her new home.

During the Second World War, the Ministry of Security ordered the zoo to destroy 33 animals for public safety in case they escaped during air raids.

1940s - Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo
1940s - Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo 1940s - Sheila the elephant at Belfast Zoo

A baby elephant called Sheila was famously protected by a zookeeper who walked her to her backyard each evening to keep her safe.

In 1967, the zoo welcomed 18-month-old elephant Tina from Birmingham, who went on to be its longest resident, passing away in 2017.

An education centre opened in the 1970s to allow children to learn more about animal biology first hand and the zoo was redeveloped at a cost of £250,000.

1950 - Feeding the polar bear at Belfast Zoo
1950 - Feeding the polar bear at Belfast Zoo 1950 - Feeding the polar bear at Belfast Zoo

In 2008, a rainforest house was opened which provides a warm environment for a range of species including Rodrigues fruit bats.

Three years ago, the zoo introduced visitor experiences to give people the chance to feed giraffes, lemurs and penguins.

The attraction will celebrate its 85th birthday on Saturday with a range of activities including live history tales, animal feeding times, juggling workshops, garden games and street entertainment, as well as a treasure hunt with 85 prizes.

1980s - A keeper with a baby gorilla
1980s - A keeper with a baby gorilla 1980s - A keeper with a baby gorilla

Deirdre Hargey, Belfast Lord Mayor, said: "Most people I am sure will have their own memories of Belfast Zoo to share and this is a great occasion to do it.

"The older generation will have fond memories of climbing the steps that used to lead to Bellevue and these can still be glimpsed as visitors now drive past towards the new entrance.

"The zoo has evolved so much over the years, it has become very much a conservation and education facility, taking part in more than 60 collaborative breeding programmes and providing a home to rescued animals.

"However birthdays are for celebrating the past and the future and it’s a day for all ages to come together."