Budapest Zoo: The oldest zoological garden in Hungary

Budapest Zoo, opened in 1866, is the oldest zoological garden in Hungary and one of the oldest in the world. It has become home to animals from all over the world.

Budapest Zoo, or Budapesti Állatkert, is one of 13 zoological gardens in Hungary. It has been traditionally working on the rescue of sick, injured or orphaned birds, and is an accredited member of the European (EAZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

Planning to visit Budapest soon? In this article, you will find useful information about the Budapest Zoo: from interesting facts to opening hours, entry fee and more.

Where is the Budapest Zoo?

The zoo is situated in the City Park (Városliget), in the neighborhood of the Heroes’ Square (Hősök there), the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum), the Vajdahunyad Castle and the Szechenyi Spa Baths.

How to get there

The site is quite convenient to get to using the metro. Take the yellow M1 line to “Széchenyi Fürdő” stop. It is only a 2 minutes walk.

Useful information

Opening times & Ticket prices

Interesting facts about the Budapest Zoo

• It was opened to the general public on 9 August 1866.
• It covers 18 hectares (44 acres).
• It is home to over 10,500 animals representing nearly 1,100 different species.
• It attracts over 1 million visitors each year.
• The oldest animal born and living here is Tücsök, the aging female hippo; she was born in the spring of 1973.

The top 15 cutest animals at the Budapest Zoo

With a wide variety of both native and exotic animals, there is something for everyone. Here are my top 15 cutest animals at the Budapest Zoo.

Malaysian leaf katydid

The Malaysian leaf katydid (Ancylecha fenestrata) is a rather large species of insects from Malaysia with leaf-like thickened fore wings that are characterized by two crescent-like markings. They take about 4–6 months to mature and as adults live for 6 months or more.

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African scarab beetle

The African scarab beetle (Pachnoda aemula) is a relatively small (length of up to 20–25 mm) species of insect native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It lives in varied habitats, mainly in tropical forests.

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Thorny devil stick insect

The Thorny devil stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata) is a large species (about 12 cm in length) of ground-dwelling stick insect native to New Guinea, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands. Both sexes are wingless. Because of their superior camouflage, they can sit in the open and remain unseen.

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Shingleback lizard

The Shingleback lizard (Trachydosaurus rugosus) is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink found in Australia. It has a very large head and large rough scales. Mature adults typically have snout-vent lengths of 40 to 47 centimeters (16 to 18 inches).

A bite from an adult Shingleback lizard can cause pain, but there is no venom and hence no long-term ill effect.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern. In Western Australia, Tiliqua rugosa konowi is listed as Vulnerable.

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Ringed teal

The Ringed teal (Callonetta leucophrys) is a small duck of central South America, preferring wet forests and swamps in Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and southern Brazil. They occur in marshes and swamps with abundant vegetation and can be even seen perched on fences or low trees.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Amazonian motmot

The Amazonian motmot (Momotus momota) is a medium-sized colorful near-passerine bird found in the Amazonian forests from eastern Colombia east across southern Venezuela to the Guianas, south to northwestern Argentina, and east across most of Brazil.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Large hairy armadillo

The Large hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) is a New World placental mammal found in South America. An adult weighs approximately 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), with a snout to a tail length varying from 31 to 57 centimeters (12–22 inches). The natural range of the species extends from Bolivia, Paraguay to Patagonia (Argentina) and Magallanes (Chile).

They are powerful and fast diggers, due to the long sharp claws on their forefeet. Individuals are known to live for 20 years.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Black-tailed prairie dog

The Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is a stout, short-legged rodent native to the Great Planes of North America. They are the most social of the ground-dwelling sciurids.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Giant anteater

The Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is an insectivorous edentate mammal native to Central and South America. The species can reach 2 meters (7 feet) long from the tip of its snout to the end of its tail.

A specialized tongue allows them to eat up to 35,000 ants and termites each day. These animals are not immune to ant bites, so they feed at an ant or termite colony for just a minute or so before moving on.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. It is protected as a national heritage species in some provinces in Argentina. 

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Patagonian mara

The Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum) is a relatively large diurnal herbivorous rodent found in the arid central and southern regions of Argentina, including large parts of Patagonia. Individuals are known to live for 14 years.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Near Threatened. It is categorized as Vulnerable in the Red Book of Mammals of Argentina.

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Red-necked wallaby

The Red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) is common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania, and lives in wet and dry sclerophyll forests, as well as woodland with adjoining grassy areas.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Squirrel monkey

The Squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) is a New World primate species found in the tropical rainforests of South America, except in the southeastern coastal forests of Brazil. In their native habitat, they live in a group of 20 or more individuals of all ages.

The species’ status on the IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

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Sumatran orangutan

The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) is one of the three species of orangutans. Historically, it was distributed over the entire island of Sumatra and further south into Java. The species’ range is now restricted to the north of the island with a majority in the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh.

With only around 14,600 remaining in the wild, the species is classified as Critically Endangered. Indonesia has the fastest deforestation rate in the world and vast areas of its rainforests are being replaced with rows and rows of a single type of tree – the oil palm. Wildlife cannot survive in these plantations.

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If you are interested in supporting the Orangutan Foundation International, please visit their site at https://orangutan.org/

Visiting the Budapest Zoo

I like only those zoological gardens that are accredited members of the European and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums as one of the most important functions of these zoos is supporting international breeding programs, particularly for endangered species.

When my friend and I came to Budapest we already knew we wanted to visit the oldest zoological garden in Hungary so allocated a full day to it since we had read it is so big. The zoo is well marked and divided into many different pavilions and areas. It contains a large variety of animals that seem to be treated well. The black-tailed prairie dogs, Sumatran orangutans, and giant anteaters were particular highlights for us but there is something for everyone and I would highly recommend visiting if you are in the city for a stay.

I hope you enjoyed my guide to visiting Budapest Zoo! Please share it with your friends on your social media. Here are a few more informative and interesting articles that I recommend you read next:

• Gdańsk Zoo: The largest zoological garden in Poland
• Barcelona Aquarium: The largest Mediterranean aquarium in the world
• In pictures: The trams and streets of Budapest

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Have you been to Budapest? Have you visited the Budapest Zoo recently? If so, what did you think of the experience? Feel free to post a comment below.