ZoológicodeVilaIsabel

On the day of its opening, on January 6, 1888, the zoo conceived by the baron of Drummond welcomed "809 people on foot and 15 on horseback," a true "crowd" for the time. The baron was also responsible for creating the neighborhood of Vila Isabel and the tram service that connected the region to Constituição square (present-day Tiradentes).

Image description: The image is a black-and-white postcard showing a garden with trees and rocks. On the left side, there is a white building with balconies. In the center, there is a large tree with dense foliage. In the background, there is another building similar to the first. At the bottom, there is text in Portuguese, mentioning "Jardin Zoologique III" and "Rio de Janeiro - Brésil".

Next to the zoo, there was also a hotel and a restaurant. Among the attractions on display were two seriemas donated by Rui Barbosa and a llama donated by "Her Highness the Princess Regent," in addition to elephants, giraffes, tigers, and many other animals. With the Proclamation of the Republic, state subsidies began to dwindle, and the baron came up with the idea of creating the "jogo do bicho" (animal game) to finance his activities. The game worked as follows: the baron would choose an animal, and its name was placed inside a box that would be opened at the end of the afternoon. Visitors would buy tickets and receive a ticket with a drawing of an animal on it. If it matched the "boxed" animal, they would win the equivalent of 25 times the value of the ticket.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white engraving. In the center, there is a drawing of a sheep with a human face. Above it is written "OVELHA" in large, bold letters. On the left, there is a vertical column with the number "N°" and the text "ENTRADA NO JARDIM ZOOLOGICO". Below that, "UM MIL REIS" is written, also in large letters. The phrase "ESTA ENTRADA NÃO PODE SOFRER A MÍNIMA ALTERAÇÃO" is written at the bottom of the image.

The success was so great that the zoo decided to sell tickets featuring the animal images outside the park as well. The results began to be reported in the newspapers and bet on by people from all social classes. In 1895, with the wave of bans on games of chance, the venture fell into a new crisis, and the baron decided to pass it on, changing hands several times until it returned to the family. Carlos Drummond Franklin, the baron's nephew, tried to restore the zoo's prestige and invested in infrastructure for physical activities. Athletic tournaments and shows alternated in the programming schedule.

In the late 1930s, the venture entered a new crisis, sold off the animals, and closed its doors. The site of the former Zoológico de Vila Isabel was turned into a park in 1957 (Parque Recanto do Trovador). Like so many other public assets, it now stands in a state of total abandonment.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a zoo. On the left side, there is a building with a sloped roof and a series of decorative arches. In front of this building, three people are sitting on the ground. In the center, there is a large entrance with a sign that reads "JARDIM ZOOLÓGICO." The entrance is closed off by metal gates. On the right, there is a small building with a sloped roof and a round window. In the background, there are tall trees and a hill.

On March 18, 1945, the Quinta da Boa Vista Zoological Garden was inaugurated; in 2016, it was granted to private management. The reopening of the renovated park, renamed BioParque, took place on March 18, 2021, when the former zoo turned 76 years old.

Image description: This is a photograph of a zoo located in Vila Isabel. The image shows a monumental entrance with an arch of yellow columns and golden details. On the left, there is a white building with a red roof. On the right, there is a white stall. In the center, there are tall, green palm trees. The sky is blue with some white clouds.