http://www.zoo.pt/
"Yesterday, was the inauguration of this Zoo, which surprised with the number of visitors that was hoping to have on a day in the middle of the week."
That's how an important Portuguese national newspaper described on May, the 28th of 1884, the first day of life the Lisbon Zoo. Over 130 years, generations of Portuguese had here the first contact with exotic species which were only known from books and, later, television.
Its first home, in São Sebastião da Pedreira, had a guided tour of an Australian camel which made several journeys with children and adults, and a tent where you could buy food to give to animals. The cages were elegant and comfortable, and among the animals of the Zoo, there were surprises as kangaroos, reindeer, toucans, bears and other animals. The ticket cost "100 reis".
Much has changed: today, among the 330 species of the Zoo there are some that were still unknown at the time and others at risk of extinction, which now are only found in Zoos as the Lisbon Zoo. But above all, its philosophy has changed a lot.
The Zoo has ceased to be a showcase of animals with cages and fences everywhere. It still has animals, which have not ceased to be in captivity, but the Zoo's mission is to protect endangered species, some already extinct in nature. In other words, the mission is educating for the nature sustainability.
At the same time, the Zoo became part of an international network with responsibility for the management and conservation of species. It is prohibited to buy animals or get them to nature. This does not happen. Gone are the times when the animals came by boat from the colonies and if they died others would come.
