Inside dark past of ‘world’s oldest’ zoo where visitors saw jaguar fatally maul keeper & elephant crush handler to death

NESTLED within the sprawling grounds of an opulent palace lies a living piece of history: Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the world’s oldest continuously operating zoo.

But the 272-year-old zoo in Vienna has a dark past where its visitors saw a jaguar fatally maul its keeper, and an elephant crush a handler to death.

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Established in 1752, the origins of Tiergarten Schönbrunn are steeped in the grandeur of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria.

In the mid-18th century, Emperor Francis I, sought to create a menagerie that would rival those of other European courts.

He commissioned the construction of the zoo within the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace, which was then the summer residence of the imperial family.

What started as an exclusive collection of exotic animals soon became a symbol of power and prestige, showcasing creatures from across the globe in an era when such sights were a rare privilege.

The layout of the zoo,…