Knies Kinderzoo in Switzerland

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Knies Kinderzoo




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Typezoo
Size4.2 hectares
Total nrs348
Founded1962
First elephant arrived1962
Opened for public1962
Number of species42
Number of animals348
Address Oberseestrasse 36
Zip-code 8640
Place Rapperswil
Province Kanton St. Gallen
StateDeutschschweiz
Region Ostschweiz
Country Switzerland
Website Website
FacebookFacebook
Instagramknieskinderzoo
Related persons
Owner1962-now: National-Circus AG


Directors 2016-now: Franco Knie Jr.
1962-1992: Fredy Knie Sr.
1992: Franco Knie


Assistant Directors 1983: Ruppert Bemmerl

Zoological department

Veterinarians 2011-2015: Hanspeter Steinmetz
Elephant department
Elephant managementFree Contact, since

Head keepers
of elephants


Elephant keepers

1981-1985: Georges Frei

Record history
History of updates2025-03-17:

Latest document update2025-03-17 13:56:44
Google map
Description

Knies Kinderzoo, located at Oberseestrasse 36 , in Rapperswil, Deutschschweiz, Switzerland , was founded in 1962, opened for public in 1962 and the first elephant arrived in 1962

Knies Kinderzoo elephants are managed in Free Contact .

Living elephants

At the Knies Kinderzoo lives 9 elephants with records in this database: (detail list)
  1. Ceylon II born 1970
  2. Kalaya born 2013-11-01
  3. Kamon born 2022-05-07
  4. Mapalay born 1986
  5. Mekong born ~1982
  6. Rani born 1982
  7. Sabu born 1984
  8. Sandry born 1999-11-27
  9. Thisiam born 1998-05-04

Comments / pictures1955: A famous elephant trainer who worked for Knie was Ruppert Bemmerl, born 1931 in Steinach, Germany, who left Billy Smart’s Circus and joined Circus Knie in 1955.

Knies Kinderzoo in Switzerland Switzerland
In the seventies Bemmerl presented three bulls in the ring, the african Tembo and the two asians Mohti and Siam. Rupert Bemmerl was later responsible for the Rappersville Kinderzoo.

2014-2016: the zoo renewed and expanded its facilities. The Himmapan elephant park was the largest project in the zoo\'s history, and comprises 6,500 square metres (69,965 sq ft), including dining facilities on a rock construction for 300 guests operating all over the year. Launched during the 2103 season, it was completed in March 2015. The old elephant facilities have been rebuilt as habitats specially designed for the particular needs of the zoo\'s cheetah and penguin Species. Himmapan even have its own website at https://www.himmapan.ch/

2020-05-20: The elephant bull Mekong arrived from Zoo Emmen.

References for records about Knies Kinderzoo

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Knies Kinderzoo, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=2613. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:



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