Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park
Along with the Masoala Rainforest, Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park is the new focal point in the eastern area of Zoo Zurich. It is home to Asiatic elephants and various other species. The underwater view is a particular highlight.
Eelephants may not be visible at all times on the live webcam.
Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park is home to these Asiatic elephants (Elephas maximus):
- Thai (m), *11.2004 at Tierpark Hagenbeck (Hamburg), in Zurich since 12.8.2014
- Ceyla-Himali (f), *7.1975 in Sri Lanka, in Zurich since 24.3.1976
- Indi (f), *28.2.1986 in Burma, in Zurich since 8.10.1999
- Panang (f), *13.2.1989 at Zoo Zurich, back in Zurich since 21.11.2023 (1996–2023 in Munich's Zoo Hellabrunn)
- Chandra (f), *13.5.2002 at Zoo Zurich, parents: Indi & Maxi
- Farha (f), *3.5.2005 at Zoo Zurich, parents: Ceyla-Himali & Maxi
Zoo Zurich keeps and breeds Asiatic elephants within the framework of the European Endangered Species Program, EEP.
Other species living at the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park: Bali myna, black-breasted leaf turtle, blackbuck, Indian giant forest scorpion, Java mousedeer and red-crested wood partridge.
Find information on all these animal species in our animal lexicon:
One of the most striking architectural features of the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park is the curved roof of its indoor enclosure, measuring 6,800 square meters. It was designed as a flat, free-form wooden shell and is equipped with 271 skylights made from UV-permeable ETFE film. It has a web-like, transparent, organic structure to blend into its surrounding forest environment. The indoor enclosure has a diameter of 80 meters. Its wooden roof does not feature any columns or other supporting elements on the inside.
Sustainability was a high priority during the construction of the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park. Its main building material is wood. The structure is heated via a district heating system using Zoo Zurich's central woodchip heater. Rainwater is collected on the roof and used for ground-level irrigation, moistening the sand, dusting the plants, and for the basin system. A sophisticated control system ensures that the air conditioning of the indoor enclosure is as resource efficient as possible.
Some figures
- Area of the building: 5,400 square meters
- Volume of the building: 56,000 cubic meters
- Water volume of the indoor basin: 239 cubic meters
- Water volume of the outdoor basin: 615 cubic meters
- Roof area (including edge): 6,800 square meters
- Type of wood: Spruce/European fir
- Number of skylights: 271
- Number of 3-ply panels: 600
- Number of edge girders: 10,200
- Number of blocks: 1,800
- Number of screws: 500,000
- Nails: 500,000
Construction of the Elephant Park
Time-lapse video of the construction of Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park.
Areal view of the construction site.
Videos from Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park (Youtube-Playlist).
Webcams looking onto the indoor and outdoor spaces:
Panoramic views of the indoor and outdoor spaces:
Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park at Google:
