The story of Belfast Zoo begins with the
city’s public transport system. At the beginning of the 20th
century, passengers from Belfast were transported to the villages
of Whitewell and Glengormley by horse-drawn trams belonging to the
Belfast Street Tramway company and steam tramways from Cave Hill
and Whitewell. In 1911, the tram line was taken over by Belfast
Corporation, now Belfast City Council. The corporation decided to
build a playground and pleasure gardens at the end of the line to
encourage customers to use the service. The area was named Bellevue
Gardens, meaning good or pretty view. During the 1920s and 1930s,
the gardens were a popular destination for day trips. In 1933, the
corporation decided to install a zoological collection on the site.
Then, in 1934, 12 acres on either side of the Grand Floral
Staircase, a series of steps designed to reach the top of the
hillside, were laid out as Bellevue Zoo. It took 150 men to build
the site and the steps can still be seen from Antrim Road today.
The zoo was opened on 28 March 1934 by Sir Crawford McCullough, the
then Lord Mayor of Belfast.
Many of the animals in the zoos first collection arrived in
Belfast by boat. Daisy the elephant travelled on the Heysham
steamer and, after she was removed from her crate, she was walked
by zookeepers from the Belfast docks to Antrim Road, a distance of
between five and six miles! In 1941, the Ministry of Public
Security ordered the destruction of 33 animals after north Belfast
came under aerial attack during World War II. Several elephants
survived the attacks, and one baby elephant was cared for by an
elderly lady who lived on the nearby Whitewell Road.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the zoo went into decline. By the
time the corporation's parks committee took control of the site in
1962, restoration was badly needed and work began on the new zoo
site in 1974. Since then, the council has continued to support the
zoo, donating £1.5 million every year to help run and promote the
site. The zoo's 55 acre site is home to more than 1,200 animals and
140 species. The majority of the animals are in danger in their
natural habitat. The zoo also carries out important conservation
work and takes part in European and international breeding
programmes which help to ensure the survival of many species under
threat.
THE CACHE is not located in the zoo, but in the
Cavehill Country Park. Access is via the Hazelwood path, which runs
up the hill from the right of the Zoo entrance. Carparking is
available at the Zoo; Metro buses 1A-1H from Belfast City Centre
also stop at the Zoo. The path to the cache has many steps and is
not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Look out for or listen
for the lions from near the cache site!
If you want to visit The
Zoo afterwards, it's open 10-7 in Summer and 10-4 in
Winter.