The first zoo in Rio was founded in 1870 by João Batista Viana Drummond, Baron of Drummond, in his estate at
Vila Isabel neighborhood, with the permission of
Emperor Pedro II. To fund his enterprise, he promoted a raffle, selling tickets with pictures of each one of the 25 animals. The baron would select randomly one animal at the closing of the zoo. The winning ticket would get a prize in cash. That game of chance eventually got copied by gamblers, becoming the illegal lottery called
jogo do bicho. The Vila Isabel zoo closed its doors in the 1940s. It was relocated to
Quinta da Boa Vista, in 18 March 1945. On 2019, more than 30,000 pieces of the Imperial Family's past are found during archaeological works on Zoo. Among the finds are many items such as fragments of
crockery,
cups,
plates,
cutlery,
horseshoes and even
buttons and
brooches with imperial coat of arms from military clothing. The pieces would belong to
National Museum ==Gallery==