Tygerberg Zoo

Tygerberg Zoo
A suni at the Tygerberg Zoo in 2007
Map
33°49′11″S 18°46′40″E / 33.819703°S 18.777825°E / -33.819703; 18.777825
Date opened1979
Date closed2012
LocationApprox. 40 mi (64 km) from Cape Town, South Africa[1]
Land area24 ha (59 acres)

Tygerberg Zoo was a 24-hectare (59-acre) zoo near Stellenbosch, South Africa, which was the only zoo in the Western Cape province and the closest to Cape Town. Established in 1979, it was privately run, operated for 33 years, and closed in 2012.[2] It was "once a major tourist attraction and a hot spot for school educational outings" according to Cape Times coverage of its closure.[3] Featured animals included chimpanzees and tigers, lions, and cheetahs. The zoo had 160 bird species and 63 reptile species, and "specialised in breeding rare and endangered animals."[1]

The zoo was notable for its breeding successes, including the 1998 birth of "the world's tiniest tortoise", a baby Namaqua speckled.[2]

  1. ^ a b Western Cape Extended, 2012
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference lostzoo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference capetimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).