Audit faults Schönbrunn Zoo over costly, uncoordinated projects

Austria’s Court of Audit has criticised costly construction projects at Schönbrunn Zoo, saying plans for an elephant enclosure expansion and a new aquarium were not coordinated and led to 1.42 million euros in avoidable costs, ORF reported.

The audit also noted that the zoo had changed from a business reliant on subsidies to a profitable company. But it said management and control measures had been neglected during that transition, with no permanent internal audit function and room for improvement in staff administration.

The share of animals on display fell from about 69 per cent to 40 per cent between 2020 and 2024, partly because of the planned aquarium construction. Some animals were transferred to another zoo or housed where visitors could not see them.

The report also found shortcomings in fire safety. Although the zoo, as a limited liability company, is not subject to fire safety requirements under Austria’s Trade Regulation Act, its fire insurance requires compliance with Technical Guidelines for Preventive Fire Protection. The audit said those standards were only partly in place: the zoo had no fire safety regulations, had not appointed fire safety officers or wardens, and kept no fire safety logbook. Measures to address the issues had already begun during the audit, the report said.