North Korea's national zoo: Donkeys, dinosaurs and dogs

24.08.2016 20:00

Pyongyang's Central Zoo, home to elephants, turtles and a surprisingly large variety of dogs, re-opened its doors after some two years of renovations.

Thousands of visitors have flocked to the attraction on the outskirts of Pyongyang, according to the AP news agency.

The Central Zoo was first built in 1959, reportedly by order of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of present leader Kim Jong-un.

Some may find surprising that one of the zoo's main draws is its Dog Pavilion, which is home to dozens of varieties of dogs, including Schnauzers, German Shepherds, Shih tzus and Saint Bernards.

Kim Jong-un reportedly provided the zoo with its Schnauzers, Poodles, German Shepherds and a Chihuahua, according to a plaque above the dog pavilion

Signs above the animal habitats state where each "gift animal" came from. Its first was an elephant donated by Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary leader of Vietnam.

Renovation work at the zoo began in 2014, as part of efforts to modernise the capital. It reopened this July.

More than 40 animal pens have been built for reptiles, monkeys and other wild animals across the zoo to match the surrounding scenery, according to North Korean state news agency KCNA.

In the Lonely Planet guide for North Korea, the Central Zoo had been criticised for keeping animals in "woefully inadequate compounds".

The zoo also houses a Natural History Museum, with displays showing the origins of the solar system and the evolution of life on Earth.

(BBC)