Stunning Drone Photos of the Abandoned Belle Isle Zoo: Detroit

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

When a zoo on Detroit's Belle Isle kicked off in 1895 all they had was a handful of deer and a bear; more of a children's petting zoo than a legit one.

In 1910, the Detroit Zoo made Belle Isle its home. Soon, the deer and bear were joined by elephants, monkeys, seals, tigers, and more beasts. Thanks to the acceptance by the public, it didn't take long for the Belle Isle Zoo animal population to grow to approximately 150 animals.

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The Detroit Zoo finally made its move to Royal Oak in 1956, and the zoo on Belle Isle did indeed turn into more of a children's zoo. In 1980, they implemented an “African Safari” theme to attract more customers. The huts and boardwalks you see in the photos were all part of 'Safariland'.

In 2002, Detroit was reeling with budget problems and sagging attendance. Therefore, mayor Kwame Kilpatrick shut down the zoo.....permanently.

Three years later, the Belle Isle Nature Center opened to the public – it didn't have the same allure or excitement as the zoo, but at least it kept up interest.

In the 2020s, the former Belle Isle Zoo has become a favorite place for trespassers to enter, explore....and spray paint. The images in the gallery below show some truly spectacular drone footage of the zoo, and you get a much more superior view of what the zoo was like – more so than if you were on the ground with a hand-held camera or phone (Thanks to Steven Strauss for the images).