Ogród Zoologiczny im. Stefana Milera w Zamościu

The story of Zamość Zoo began in 1918 with a school nature garden. Stefan Miler, a teacher at the Jan Zamoyski secondary school, wanted pupils to learn about nature through direct contact with plants and animals. The first garden measured just 20 by 12 metres. A former guard hut became a home for squirrels, and later years brought more animals, an aviary and a pond. Pupils helped create the place.

In time, the school initiative became a municipal zoo. The move to land between Szczebrzeska and Dzieci Zamojszczyzny streets began in 1980. The new zoo opened on 1 June 1982. Today it covers about 16 hectares, and its full name preserves Stefan Miler’s memory. A botanical section was also established in 2002.

An encounter with Rothschild’s giraffe leads to acacia leaves, one with a gibbon to tropical treetops, and one with a Chinese alligator to the Yangtze wetlands. The pygmy hippo reveals a forest way of life, the sloth an economy of energy, and the flamingo the connection between feather colour and food. Animals differ in their active hours, body structure and diet. Observing just one feature, such as a binturong’s grasping tail or the webbing between a capybara’s toes, explains how their everyday world works.