Flamingos at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden.

In 1864 the French botanist founded the Saigon Zoo, one of the 8 oldest zoos in the world, and served as its director until 1877.

He brought many rare plants and animals from across Vietnam and the world to display at the zoo.

Within just a decade, Pierre transformed it into one of the leading institutions of its kind in the region.

The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden in HCM city now houses 2,500 trees and more than 2,000 animals.