 Hagenbeck was born on June 10, 1844, to Claus Gottfried Carl Hagenbeck (1810–1887), a fishmonger who ran a side business buying, showing and selling exotic animals.When Hagenbeck was 14, his father gave him some seals and a polar bear.He took a more proactive role in the animal trade and his collection of animals grew until he needed large buildings to keep them.