Germany: A Piece of South America in Cologne Zoo
© ©Rolf Schlosser
After the start of the refurbishment work on the former “South America House“ in April 2019, Cologne Zoo has recently celebrated the official reopening of the modernized “Arnulf and Elizabeth Reichert House“, which was originally constructed in 1899 and is thus one of the oldest buildings from the founding time of the zoo. The renovation, which cost around 12 million euros, was financed by the City of Cologne, funds from the NRW Foundation and donations by the Zoo Society. Now, visitors are able to experience the flora and fauna of South America again – inhabitants of the house are sloths, Geoffroy’s cats as well as tukans amongst others.
Dr. Ralf Heinen,mayor of Cologne, said: “The ‘Arnulf and Elizabeth Reichert House‘ sets new standards for zoo experiences beyond the borders of Cologne. The house connects a spectacular visitor experience with an optimal animal housing. Additionally, it offers an exciting and contemporary zoo education, which has an lasting impact on visitors and creates awareness for endangered nature paradises. […]“
Prof. Theo B. Pagel and Christopher Landsberg, both chairman of Cologne Zoo, commented: “With the renovation of the historical monument and the new utilization of the house we can now close one of our large-scale projects and transfer it to the public hand. […]“
