Zoologischer Garten Berlin

What Zoologischer Garten Berlin does

Zoologischer Garten Berlin (also operating as "Zoo Berlin") is a zoological garden located in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1844 and described in source materials as the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. The institution serves a diversified consumer audience including general public visitors and families, students and educational groups, and international tourists, operating as a single physical visitor destination in Berlin's Tiergarten district. Its core offering is in-person access to exotic animal exhibits, conservation education programming, and species preservation initiatives, with no disclosed digital products, mobile applications, or technology platform components.

The business model is primarily transactional consumer revenue: visitors purchase admission tickets directly at the zoo entrance (one-time license revenue stream), supplemented by donations tied to conservation initiatives leveraging notable animals such as Fatou, the Guinness World Record-holding oldest captive gorilla (affiliate/donation stream). Specific ticket pricing is not disclosed. The zoo employs between 251 and 500 staff, distributes educational content through its official @zooberlin X account and earned media, and has no disclosed B2B contracts, partnerships, parent company, or investment funding history.

Operationally, the zoo has demonstrated exceptional long-horizon animal care capabilities — maintaining Fatou for 69 years, more than double the typical 35-40 year wild gorilla lifespan. However, the organization has also faced a significant reputational and operational event: on June 23, 2026, the zoo fatally shot Fatou after a four-year-old child fell into her enclosure, prompting an internal review and announcement of enhanced western lowland gorilla conservation initiatives. Ownership is unconfirmed in source data but likely affiliated with Berlin municipal authorities; no stock listing, parent company, or investor structure is disclosed.

Name

Zoologischer Garten Berlin

Website

https://zoo-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zoologischer Garten Berlin is a historic zoological garden in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1844, operating as a single-site consumer visitor attraction serving families, educational groups, and tourists via ticket admission and conservation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Garden

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Zoological garden operations
• Wildlife conservation programs
• Animal exhibit management
• Visitor admission services
• Zoological education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Visitor Admission Fees: Zoologischer Garten Berlin generates primary revenue through admission fees charged to visitors attending the zoo.
2. Conservation Initiatives and Donations: The zoo leverages its animal collection, including record-holding specimens like Fatou, to generate donations and support for conservation initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zoologischer Garten Berlin operates a zoological garden offering public access to animal exhibits, conservation education, and species preservation programs. Visitors purchase admission to experience the zoo's animal collection, including world-record-holding specimens such as Fatou, the world's oldest captive gorilla. The zoo also supports conservation initiatives through donations and educational programming for students, families, and international tourists.

Product overview

Zoologischer Garten Berlin (Berlin Zoo) is a zoological garden offering visitor experiences with animal exhibits, conservation programs, and educational initiatives. Based on the provided source data, no specific named product modules, digital products, or service offerings have been identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful long-term animal care resulting in more than doubling typical wild gorilla lifespan (35-40 years to 69 years)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Bronx Zoo (WCS): Bronx Zoo is one of the world's largest and oldest metropolitan zoos, operating the same urban zoological garden model with ticketed admissions, conservation programs, and educational programming. Strongly comparable in scale and mission.
• Prague Zoo: Prague Zoo is a major Central European urban zoological park with a comparable mix of historic animal collection, conservation breeding programs, and family/educational programming serving tourists and locals. Direct model comparison.
• Copenhagen Zoo: Copenhagen Zoo is one of Northern Europe's leading zoological gardens, operating a similar model of urban zoo, ticketed admissions, conservation breeding, and modern exhibit design (e.g., the redesigned elephant house). Comparable scale and visitor mix.
• Tierpark Hellabrunn (Munich Zoo): Munich's Hellabrunn is Germany's second-oldest zoo and operates essentially the same model as Berlin Zoo — historic urban zoological garden in a major German city, family/education programming, conservation focus, and admission-based revenue.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: San Diego Zoo is a global benchmark zoological park with similar urban zoological garden operations, conservation and breeding programs, and broad educational reach. Strong overlap in operating model and target visitors.
• Zoological Society of London (London Zoo): London Zoo is one of the world's oldest scientific zoos and a direct peer to Berlin Zoo — both are historic urban zoos serving as major tourist attractions in European capital cities, with comparable conservation, education, and admission-based revenue models.
• Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo): Vienna Zoo is the world's oldest zoo and operates an identical model to Berlin Zoo — historic urban zoological park in a European capital, ticketed admissions, conservation breeding, and family/educational programming. Direct business model overlap.
• Leipzig Zoo: Leipzig Zoo is another major German zoological garden with a comparable operating model: ticketed admissions, themed enclosures (e.g., Gondwanaland), conservation breeding, and strong educational programming. Same German regulatory and cultural context as Berlin Zoo.

Regional players

• Tierpark Berlin: Tierpark Berlin is the second major zoological park in Berlin, run by the same parent entity context. It is the closest geographic competitor, drawing on the same resident and tourist population with a similar animal-exhibit and admission-based offering.
• Hagenbeck Zoo (Hamburg): Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg is a major German zoo with similar offerings — animal exhibits, admission-based access, and conservation/education focus — but located in northern Germany rather than competing directly in Berlin's catchment area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zooberlin
• Facebookfacebook.com/zooberlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zoologischer Garten Berlin