4174 - Riga, Latvia

Riga is home to the Riga Zoo. It was opened in 1912 and sits on 16.4 hectares of land on the western bank of Ķīšezers lake. There are around 4000 animals of nearly 500 species. About 300 000 people visit the zoo annually. 

The zoo closed in August 1917 when the German army occupied Riga. After the war, the site was established as a camp for children of low income families. The zoo was reopened in 1933. Development stalled during World War II. The animals and buildings were preserved and in November 1944, the zoo was opened to the public again. After the war, the zoo rapidly grew and was considered the best zoo in the Soviet Union. An aquarium was created in 1950. 

In 1991, Latvia regained its independence and the zoo experienced a hard time as visitors only averaged about 110 000 a year. Development projects and public relations helped get the zoo back to 300 000 a year.