Laid out just outside the city walls in the mid-19th century, Antwerp Zoo is now at the heart of town next to the central station. The zoo houses more than 6000 animals of 750 species in modern open-plan enclosures.
Recent additions have given the zoo modern attractions to go with its old-fashioned charm. Freezeland, a habitat for sea otters and penguins, has joined the Nocturama (for the creatures of the night), a planetarium, a winter garden and an aquarium.
The passage of time and the extensive landscaping have turned Antwerp Zoo into a green oasis in the very centre of the modern city. The scientific side of zoo operation has not been neglected and the Royal Zoological Society has embarked on breeding programmes to sustain populations of endangered species.