Through the construction of the Grzimek Camp, Frankfurt Zoological Society and Frankfurt Zoo have erected a memorial to honour the man who was so important for both institutions, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Grzimek. Alongside the small hut, which is built in the typical African style and houses the actual exhibition, there is also a Dornier 27 aeroplane and a zebra-striped Landover to complete the feeling of a real camp in the filed. The complete exhibition resembles camp situations from the late 1950’s that Michael and Bernhard Grzimek portrayed in their film “Serengeti Shall not Die”.

The Grzimek Camp: situated in the Zoo across from the Small Apes House (near the Zoo Entrance Rhönstr.) Open all year during regular Zoo visiting hours.

A zebra-striped Dornier 27 has been “hovering” over the roof of the Ape House since September 2004. The plane is a replica of the original flown by Bernhard Grzimek and is part of the Grzimek Camp exhibition.

Bernhard Grzimek lovingly named his Dornier 27 “the flying Zebra”, which he and his son Michael flew from Frankfurt to Africa in 1957. The, at the onset of their journey, novice pilots flew 10 000 km in the single-engine plane before finally reaching the Serengeti in Tanzania. The aircraft with its D-ENTE registration mark became famous due to the “Serengeti Shall not Die” film. The plane doesn’t exist today – Michael Grzimek was killed in a tragic accident in January 1959 whilst shooting scenes for the film.

The Do 27 on the roof of the Small Apes House in the Zoo was supplied by courtesy of Dornier-Fairchild and was the last aircraft of its type at the factory in Oberpfaffenhofen. Martin Rulffs completed the entire restoration and painting of the plane. Together with friends, the air traffic controller and Dornier 27 buff invested many hours after work and on weekends to transform the plane into an exact copy of the D- ENTE. The paintwork matches the original in even the smallest detail, although only normal paint was used and not special aircraft paint. Some parts had to be replaced by more robust components to ensure safekeeping. The plane is not able to fly because it doesn’t have a motor.

The Do 27 was the first aircraft to be mass-produced after the war. More than 600 planes were manufactured, 428 of them being delivered to the German Air Force. The last Do 27 was assembled in 1966 in the factory in Munich-Neuaubing. Ten years later, two civil aircraft were constructed from spare parts.