The emergence of the Grodno Zoo is inextricably linked with the name of a great lover and connoisseur of nature, a gymnasium teacher Jan Kohanovsky. It was on his initiative that in 1926, in the northeastern part of the city park adjacent to the gymnasium building, an educational botanical garden was laid. On an area of 0.3 hectares, high school students laid out beds and flower beds with plants, the selection and cultivation of which were carried out in accordance with the curriculum of the gymnasium. In the first year of its existence, 309 plant species grew in the botanical garden. In 1928, there were more than 800 of them. The plants were cared for by students – members of the circle of nature lovers.
By 1936, the Grodno Zoo had about 400 exhibits, among which were such rare animals as lion, leopard, bear, bison.  
The unification of Western Belarus with the BSSR in the autumn of 1939 was a new impetus in the history of the Grodno Zoo. It was recognized by the state and transferred to the full maintenance of the state. 
During the Great Patriotic War, the zoo suffered enormous damage, it was looted and ruined.
The Grodno Executive Committee, in turn, on December 12 of the same year decided to restore the zoo in the city.
By the end of 1946, the collection of the Grodno Zoo included: brown bears, foxes, wolves, raccoon dogs, deer, donkeys, goats, rabbits, wild Australian dog, badger, wild boar, camel, owl, ostriches, partridges and peacock.
On August 30, 1955, an Indian elephant entered the Grodno Zoo from Vietnam for the first time.
The modern stage of development of the Grodno Zoo began in 2002 with the decision of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee on the reconstruction of the zoo. The zoo area increased by 1.9 hectares and amounted to 5.35 hectares.
By 2008, the following were built and put into operation: a hoof house, a bear house, rooms for small predatory mammals, aviaries for mountain ungulates, birds of prey, wolves, lynxes.
In 2009, at the EARAZA reporting conference held in Kiev, the Grodno Zoological Park was accepted as a full member of the Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Contacts:
tel.: +375 152 62 29 14 (cash register), +375 152 62 29 12 (reception of the director)

www.grodnozoo.by

zoogrodno@tut.by

Opening hours: the zoo ticket office is open daily from 9.30 to 17.30. After closing the ticket office, the zoo is open for 1 hour.