On Friday the 5th of August ZOO Antwerp and Pokémon Go België collaborated in organising the biggest Pokéhunt in the world at the Antwerp Zoo dubbed #PokemonZOO.

The ZOO organised this FREE event outside of the normal visiting hours to grant trainers the opportunity to catch Pokémon in a special setting, whilst discovering real animals and raising money for the ZOO’s conservation projects.

15 Pokéstops. 2 gyms. Lures everywhere.

Notwithstanding the short notice, this Pokéhunt succeeded in bringing together over 15.000 Pokémon trainers from across the country; making it the biggest single event in 173 years of ZOO Antwerp history. An impressive number considering Belgium has but 11 million inhabitants and Antwerp 503.000.

Madness!

True. Madness.

The entrance to the animal park and event was free, yet people were encouraged to give a small donation if they wanted to. A total of 12 000 EUR (approximately 13300 US dollars) was raised. Several conservation projects will benefit from this amount. More info here: http://www.zooantwerpen.be/en/conservation-projects

Our takeaway? Pokémon GO is an unprecedented hyperhype that creates very interesting opportunities for companies and organisations. While some people prefer to hate on Pokémon GO and its generation of players, the ZOO seized this opportunity and wrote history by doing so.

The admins of Pokémon Go België. Happy faces!

Video by the ZOO

Hyperlapse of the event

Pictures

More pictures click here. Question about this event? Tweet us at Pokemon Go België, send us a Facebook Message or well buy us a drink when you’re in Antwerp.