Case Study: Keeping Amsterdam's Oldest Zoo Moving

Background

Artis was founded in 1838 as the Natura Artis Magistra Zoological Society, with its full Latin name translating as "Nature is the teacher of art and science." The oldest zoo in the Netherlands, Artis is set within a large park in the picturesque Plantage district of Amsterdam and is home to some 500 animal species. In 2025, the zoo welcomed over 1.3 million visitors. More than 185 years after its founding, Artis remains one of the city's most beloved institutions and one of its most logistically complex operations.

The Problem

After 18 years of continuous service, Artis's forklift had reached the end of its working life. For a zoo of this scale, reliable handling equipment is not a convenience, it is a necessity. Every day involves the movement of food, enclosure materials, and supplies across a large and historically sensitive site. The timing added urgency: Artis was preparing to open its new aquarium on 13 June, a significant milestone requiring the transport of fish and marine life sourced from partners in Germany and Belgium. The zoo needed a capable, dependable replacement before the opening.

The Solution

As a fellow Amsterdam based company, Forkliftcenter was well positioned to respond quickly and practically. We worked closely with the Artis team to identify the right machine for the job, one suited to the daily demands of a busy zoo environment as well as the more specific requirements that come with handling live aquatic cargo.

Once delivered, we took the new forklift on a full tour of the grounds, moving through the animal areas to put the machine through its paces and ensure the Artis team felt confident operating it across every part of the site. The feedback from the team was straightforward: the machine does exactly what they need it to do.

With the aquarium now opening on schedule and the logistics operation back to full strength, Artis can focus on what it has always done best: bringing people and nature together in the heart of Amsterdam.

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