Zoological Department

The Zoological Department covers a broad range of activities in culture, education, and science. Its primary responsibilities include the preservation and management of zoological collections, mainly of national origin. Scientific evaluation and taxonomy are of primary importance in collection management.

The department's specialists cover a wide range of animal groups — butterflies, beetles, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, fish, molluscs, subterranean animals — and scientific disciplines including taxonomy, systematics, ecology, biodiversity conservation, GIS, and genetics.

Through the Museum, the department participates in numerous national and international research and conservation projects related to terrestrial and marine ecosystems, serving as a national centre for biodiversity. Museum experts are members of various national and international professional bodies (IUCN, UNEP, ACCOBAMS, EUROBATS, Butterfly Conservation Europe, etc.) and provide expert services in biology, ecology, and biodiversity conservation.

The Zoological Department of the Croatian Natural History Museum manages more than 60 collections containing approximately 2 million museum specimens, ranging from whole animals preserved dry or wet, exhibition specimens, and scientific collections to tissue samples for DNA analysis.

The zoological collections of the Croatian Natural History Museum have a long and distinguished history stretching back to the founding of the National Museum in the mid-19th century. The first zoological specimens were donated by patrons of Croatian science and culture during the period of the Croatian National Revival.

Among the most important figures in the early development of the collections was Spiridion Brusina, who served as curator for nearly four decades and built extensive collections of molluscs and other invertebrates. His work established the Museum as a significant institution for zoological research in Central Europe.

The department was formally constituted following the merger of three natural history museums in 1986. Since then, it has greatly expanded its collections and scientific programmes, participating in major national and international biodiversity projects.