Sarajevo Zoo is most memorable from the war was the suffering of the animals. The image of the Bear in the Zoo starving to death slowly, day by day was and remains the most memorable part about the Sarajevo zoo. It is mostly non discript and has never recovered from the war. The Zoo was on the frontlines and literally divided the Bosnians in the city and the Serbs besieging the city. The animals were left in a no mans land in the middle (contrary to the Serb media reports that the Bosnians were feeding Serbian children to the lions). The animals either starved to death, were killed by the fighting or in some cases put out of their suffering.
The Zoo is not a place I would recommend taking anyone to see in Sarajevo. Even for children the Zoo animals are few and far between. On the upside, kids really don't care, they just like to see the animals and like everything else in Bosnia, it is affordable. There are some rides and concessions as well, which offer some distraction. A children's playground holds my favorite attraction at the Zoo. A simple four sided sign on a post that says "May peace prevail on Earth" in four different languages, the fact that it is located in the playground is just a reminder that children are our future and our hope. I liked it so much I framed a picture of me with it and gave it to my wife and it sits in our living room. I share this same hope with all the people of Bosnia.
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