Opole Zoo

Opole Zoo has opened three times: before the war, after the war, when the menagerie had to be rebuilt from scratch, and after the great flood of 1997, which nearly sealed its fate. Today more than 1,000 animals of over 200 species live on Bolko Island, between two arms of the Oder, including western lowland gorillas, Angolan lions and California sea lions. Most enclosures were built in the 21st century, and the zoo is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

History: from menagerie to zoo

It began as a private animal park on Bolko Island — according to the zoo, an area of about 1 ha that opened to the public in 1936, when the city took over its running costs. Before the war it housed mainly birds, including flamingos and pelicans, but also lions, pumas and monkeys. After the war the animals were taken away and the facility closed. In 1952 a committee for rebuilding the menagerie was set up, and on 22 July 1953 the zoo reopened on 2.4 ha — its cages and enclosures built by volunteers.

As early as the 1950s, Opole was the first zoo in Poland to breed Asiatic black bears. In 1980 the grounds grew to 19 ha. The 1997 flood damaged the zoo so badly that it faced closure, but in 1998 it opened for the third time — with its first giraffes, rhinos, red pandas and anteaters. Today the zoo covers about 30 ha.

What to see

• Western lowland gorillas — their enclosure was built in 2005, and feeding sessions take place daily at 12:30 and 15:30.
• California sea lions — their pool opened in 2007; at the time they were the only sea lions in Poland.
• Angolan lions in a modern enclosure and lemur islands in the new part of the zoo.
• "Water World" — the zoo's newest attraction.
• Giraffes, pygmy hippos, cheetahs, jaguars, anteaters and sloths, plus a large collection of tamarins and marmosets, which are a speciality here.

Did you know?

The zoo takes part in European breeding programmes for endangered species, including the Rothschild's giraffe, scimitar oryx, addax, pygmy hippo and tapir. Not everything has gone smoothly: in 2008 two of the zoo's three sea lions died, probably after swallowing objects thrown in by visitors. So by the enclosures, do take the ban on feeding and throwing anything into the water seriously.

Tripto tips

According to the zoo's website, it is open 9:00–18:00 from May to September, until 16:00 in March, April, October and November, and until 15:00 in winter; after the ticket office closes you can stay for another hour. A standard ticket costs PLN 46, a reduced one PLN 35 (as of October 2026). For a relaxed visit with children allow 3–4 hours and plan around the feeding sessions. The zoo is at ul. Spacerowa 10 on Bolko Island, close to the city centre, and the island itself is a large park, ideal for a picnic afterwards.