Snowleopard's 2019 Road Trip: Netherlands, Belgium, France & Germany

[Arizona Docent]

It is interesting that Tierpark seems closer to a wildlife park and Zoo is closer to a traditional zoo. There are several places in USA and Europe that have similar arrangements (one organization runs a traditional zoo - usually the older facility - and also runs a newer and larger wildlife park). Of the three such situations I have personally visited, I invariably prefer the wildlife park to the zoo (though I enjoyed the zoos as well). These are San Diego Safari Park (over San Diego Zoo), Northwest Trek (over Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium), Highland Wildlife Park (over Edinburgh Zoo). It is interesting that some people here seem to also prefer Berlin Tierpark over Berlin Zoo (though not our esteemed thread starter).

 

[Andrew Swales]

I believe that - unlike Zoo Berlin, which does attract a lot of tourists - the vast majority of visitors to Tierpark Berlin are local to Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg, so I suspect that a good percentage of these visitors might well avail themselves of the annual pass, which currently costs €55, and visit casually throughout the year as I suggested above. Moreover, even the family annual pass is pretty affordable at €66 for a one-adult family and €111 for a two-adult family (with no limit stated on number of children).

The single-day ticket currently costs €14.50, so compared to the vast majority of UK collections it is remarkably cheap - especially considering the size of the collection. Until a few years ago, the single-ticket was only €12.



For comparison, as you referred to the entry prices at Chester......

Single day ticket - £28.00
Annual pass - £105.00
Single-adult family annual pass (assuming two children) - £193.00
Two-adult family annual pass (assuming two children) - £269.00

So yes, I think that Tierpark Berlin is eminently affordable even as a two-day zoo.

Some interesting figures and comparisons - thank you TLD. The concept of a zoo too large for a day trip, has always been an interesting one. B-Tpk offers fantastic gate value, especially for families...

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Of the three such situations I have personally visited, I invariably prefer the wildlife park to the zoo (though I enjoyed the zoos as well). These are San Diego Safari Park (over San Diego Zoo), Northwest Trek (over Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium), Highland Wildlife Park (over Edinburgh Zoo). It is interesting that some people here seem to also prefer Berlin Tierpark over Berlin Zoo (though not our esteemed thread starter).

....although when faced with a similar situation at Antwerp and Planckendael he *did* prefer the wildlife park style collection

B-Tpk offers fantastic gate value, especially for families...

It is also worth noting that the entry costs and annual ticket prices for Zoo Berlin are similarly excellent, and that a combined annual ticket covering Zoo Berlin, the onsite Aquarium and Tierpark Berlin is available.

 

[sooty mangabey]

If this is the case, then do you think that 99% of the visitors are purchasing some sort of season ticket, so are not casual day trippers, or are they staying overnight as tourists and buying two tickets for repeated days? Does the entry price allow for this? I ask because one of our shop staff visited Chester last week on a general family outing, staying in a hotel locally so they could visit over two days and see they whole place, as it 'was too big for just one day'. If fact because Chester wanted the same entry fee for the second day, making it very expensive; and because there 'wasn't actually much to see' (his quotes, not mine!) they ended up doing something completely different on the second day. Does B/Tpk offer a two day ticket? Do really such a huge number of casual visitors want to 'do it' over two days...

In addition to what has already been posted in reply, I would imagine tat 99% of visitors do look at the Polar Bears, Elephants and so on - but that considerably fewer ever make it to the far reaches of the Pheasantry or the Mountain Animals area.... hence their being consistently quiet, even on busy days.

 

[ANyhuis]

DAY 27: Friday, August 9th (1 zoo)
Zoo/Aquarium # 81: Berlin Tierpark (Berlin, DE)

Excellent review of this massive zoo, and I totally agree with TLDave's point that you probably would have enjoyed it much more if you weren't touring it at the very end of an exhausting month-long trip. The only thing I might add about the Tierpark is its interesting history. Back in the mid-1950s, when the communist East German government was stopping its citizens from going to West Berlin (and soon building the infamous Berlin Wall), the citizens of East Germany suddenly were losing access to their beloved Berlin Zoo. Thus the communist government quickly built the huge Tierpark to accommodate this loss. This is why the Tierpark (opened in 1955) is much more modern than the old (1844) Berlin Zoo.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Back in the mid-1950s, when the communist East German government was stopping its citizens from going to West Berlin (and soon building the infamous Berlin Wall), the citizens of East Germany suddenly were losing access to their beloved Berlin Zoo. Thus the communist government quickly built the huge Tierpark to accommodate this loss. This is why the Tierpark (opened in 1955) is much more modern than the old (1844) Berlin Zoo.

For similar reasons, comparing the various species held at the Zoo and Tierpark respectively throughout the Cold War is quite an enjoyable and informative exercise in noticing the effect geopolitical alliances and diplomacy has on the species available to a collection.

The Tierpark always produced excellent guidebooks from the very outset - continuing to do so on a near-annual basis until the current director axed them immediately upon entering his post - and as a result it is quite easy to track the development and growth of the collection both during the Cold War and in the years subsequent to German reunification. Given both my love of this collection, and the fact that (although I don't work in the field) my university degree was in history, it is perhaps unsurprising that I have obtained a full set of these valuable primary sources!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I have obtained a full set of these valuable primary sources!

And just for visual reference.....



Note that when taking this photo some time ago, I placed the guide with the Maned Wolf cover in the incorrect chronological point; it should be located between the Gibbon and Snow Leopard guides.

 

[snowleopard]

The discussions, comments and analysis on this thread has been a wonder to behold. I always have so many things to respond to, and I don't mind at all as it's been terrific having annual summer zoo trips to many establishments that ZooChatters have actually visited in droves. I've been to exactly 368 zoos and aquariums in the USA, but a good chunk of those have never even been heard of from a European perspective. Now that I finally crossed the Atlantic, tons and tons of zoo nerds have been to places like Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Antwerp, etc. I wish that I had the money to travel around Europe every summer, but I have a feeling that 2022 is going to be my next big zoo trip. This year's edition cost more than I could have predicted, with my motel nights making a significant difference from my other summers of this equation: van + mattress = . In Europe, the equation only worked for two nights: rental car + no sleep =

I wanted to bring up something that @Tim May mentioned a couple of days ago, and that was his thought (and @CGSwans echoed this opinion) that I would like Burgers' Zoo more than any other on the trip. I have always been honest with my reviews and I thoroughly enjoyed both Burgers' Zoo and Berlin, but it's obvious which was my favourite and Berlin is really an amazing zoo with mainly good exhibits, a lot of ongoing modernization, and of course a splendid animal collection.

However, what I wanted to briefly discuss was the word expectations, as I've found that with some zoos I've been able to predict my thoughts with clarity and accuracy, while with other zoos I've been somewhat surprised with my own views. I wouldn't have guessed that Berlin Zoo would be such a fantastic day, although going through some of my old guidebooks I remember stuff like the 65 aviaries crammed into the Eagle Canyon zone...and now that area is a modern section with fewer species and a much higher level of exhibit quality. Frankfurt Zoo is one that I genuinely enjoyed, with the Nocturnal House and Great Ape House both amidst my favourite exhibits of the entire trip, and I was expecting Frankfurt to be a dud. There's been so many really good visits (Pairi Daiza, Planckendael, Artis, Apenheul, Cologne, etc, etc, etc.) but naturally a few disappointments as well.

Krefeld has character to burn, but some brutally small and sterile exhibits for elephants, Chimpanzees, orangutans, Siamangs and Hamadryas Baboons that unfortunately drag down the entire zoo in my recollection as there isn't really many good excuses for those five particular exhibits. Perhaps one or two make sense from the responses from fellow zoo nerds, but having that many truly awful exhibits isn't a good sign. The Sea Life Aquariums are mainly forgettable, but we all know I'm only going to them to boost my all-time numbers...although in truth I still get a little thrill of excitement at any new zoological facility. Even a Sea Life!

I like being surprised, and sometimes individual exhibits stick out in my memory. Seeing Polar Bears in a forested environment at Safari Parc Monde Sauvage was totally bizarre, or Chacoan Mara for the first time in my life at Zoo Neuwied in the brand-new South American House, or 12 Steller's Sea Eagle aviaries at a zoo (Veldhoven) I didn't really enjoy, or how Tierpark Bochum had very high quality exhibits and the star attractions were Meerkats, Coatis, Ring-tailed Lemurs and Harbour Seals. Even with boring species, a zoo can become pretty cool...what a journey this has been!

@TeaLovingDave You have been a tremendous resource on this thread, and now that you mention it I did know about the Snake Farm at Berlin Tierpark. If the Crocodile House will be gone within another year or so, then that will be a major blow in my opinion. One of my issues with the Tierpark was that there weren't enough animal houses to break up the constant stream of ungulate paddocks and aviaries all over the grounds.

I did not mention Arabian Striped Hyena, Bobcat and Yellow-throated Marten in my review of Berlin Tierpark because I definitely did not see any of those species. I'm actually not even that surprised, as I know that @sooty mangabey wrote several pages in the magazine Zoo Grapevine & International Zoo News several years ago and he mentioned how he once stumbled upon the Heron House for the first time ever. How can such an experienced guy like him miss a large aviary at the Tierpark? Or how can a methodical visitor such as myself miss a trio of carnivores? You know why? The Tierpark is too damn big! On a side note, I think out of more than 80 zoos reviewed so far, I've only ever seen a Bobcat at Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem. It is clearly a species that is practically unheard of in European zoos. How many zoos on the continent even have Bobcats?

Also, @TeaLovingDave and @Arizona Docent were involved in a conversation about zoo/wildlife park 'sister' facilities. I would choose San Diego Zoo over San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Berlin Zoo over Berlin Tierpark, Point Defiance Zoo over Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, and Planckendael Zoo over Antwerp Zoo. Those are actually all fairly obvious, popular choices, except for the last one. Although, amongst zoo nerds (less than 0.001% of the zoo visiting public) there have been many people who prefer San Diego Zoo Safari Park or Berlin Tierpark over their much more popular, illustrious neighbours. I think that starting a couple of threads on ZooChat would be a great idea for someone...a Berlin v Tierpark thread and a San Diego Zoo v Safari Park thread. Comments wouldn't necessarily even be needed, just a straight-up vote as to one's favourite. I'd be intrigued at the final outcome.

I think that these attendance numbers are fairly accurate:

San Diego Zoo has 4 million annual visitors and San Diego ZSP has 1.5 million annual visitors.
Berlin Zoo has 3.5 million and Berlin Tiepark has 1.5 million.
Point Defiance Zoo hit 1 million last year and Northwest Trek is at around 240,000
Planckendael is at around 1 million and Antwerp is also around 1 milllion

Lastly, nice photo of your 49 Berlin Tierpark guidebooks @TeaLovingDave I love the image, and I have 17 of those....and I'm not sure if any more will be produced in the future.

There will still be many more reviews to come over the next week...stay tuned.

 

[robmv]

For similar reasons, comparing the various species held at the Zoo and Tierpark respectively throughout the Cold War is quite an enjoyable and informative exercise in noticing the effect geopolitical alliances and diplomacy has on the species available to a collection

A book on this fascinating subject is due for publication (in English) this November: "Zookeepers' War: An Incredible True Story from the Cold War"

 

[Andrew Swales]

In addition to what has already been posted in reply, I would imagine tat 99% of visitors do look at the Polar Bears, Elephants and so on - but that considerably fewer ever make it to the far reaches of the Pheasantry or the Mountain Animals area.... hence their being consistently quiet, even on busy days.

The one recent example I had (of Chester) felt short-changed by being charged full price, but not being able to see the full zoo, and then facing the prospect of a total of almost £60 to do so. I guess a much lower entry fee, as at the Berlins, would have not been so much of an issue. Given the huge visitor numbers these enormous 2-day zoos get, as posted here, it looks as though he must be very much in the minority...

 

[Philipine eagle]

How many zoos on the continent even have Bobcats?

25 according to ZTL so bobcats are not that rare.

As I'm slowly preparing a USA-trip myself, I've got to ask you : were you not tempted to visit non zoo attractions on your european trip? You've passed a lot of good art museums, medieval towns and squares and other interesting land marks.

When starting in Chicago it will be almost unthinkable for me not to visit the Art Institute to watch Hopper's Nighthawks.

 

[Batto]

the vast majority of visitors to Tierpark Berlin are local to Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg, so I suspect that a good percentage of these visitors might well avail themselves of the annual pass, which currently costs €55, and visit casually throughout the year as I suggested above.

TLD is correct. Tourists from abroad are relatively rare visitors of the Tierpark in comparison to the Zoo, which lies pretty much in the touristic centre of Berlin. "Normal" Berlin tourists probably even know that there is a second zoo in Berlin. Furthermore, as I've described in older threads, there's still an "East vs. West" mindset present in the local population. East Berliners are less likely to visit the Zoo, while inhabitants of former West Berlin neighbourhoods only occasionally go to the Tierpark.

 

[Tim May]

Then the afternoon became a bit of a slog, with the zoo arguably too big, if such a thing can be said about a zoological garden.

The only aspect of Berlin Tierpark that I would describe as "too big" is that it's too big to cover comfortably in a single day. To me, though, that is one of its most attractive features and why I always allow at least two (preferably three) days for the Tierpark whenever I'm in Berlin.

I disagree slightly with "Sooty" and "TLD" in that I wouldn't rank Berlin Tierpark as my personal favoutite animal collection; I would place it as number two, slightly behind Berlin Zoo. Nevertheless the two together make Berlin the most exciting European city for a zoo enthusiast.

 

[Maguari]

to watch Hopper's Nighthawks.

It took me far longer than it should to realise that 'Hopper's Nighthawks' referred to the famous artwork, and not to a population of Caprimulgidae..!

 

[Maguari]

I stuck very closely to my itinerary on the first part of this trek, other than a few bits and bobs and an afternoon in France, but here are the 8 zoos that I cut from my schedule in order to veer far away to the land of ‘monster zoos’.

Vlinderparadijs Papiliorama (Havelte, NL)
Zoo Bizar (Orvelte, NL)
Orchideeenhoeve (Luttelgeest, NL)
Dierenpark Taman Indonesia (Kallenkote, NL)
Vogelpark Ruinen (Ruinen, NL)
Vogelpark de Lorkeershoeve (Lutten, NL)
Sanjes Zoo (Feanwalden, NL)
AquaZoo Friesland (Leeuwarden, NL) – the only legitimate downside was missing this one

In the end I won’t surpass 50 Dutch zoos, but I will visit 43 Dutch zoos and that’s enough for this lifetime. The Berlin giants were calling my name, and since they are regarded as near the apex of zoological wonders it would have been silly for me to drive within a few hours and then ignore them just so I could add on a whole bunch of small zoos in the Netherlands.

No disrespect intended to those collections, none of which I have visited, but should the question ever be asked of me, I now know the answer to the question: 'What was the best decision ever taken?'

 

[Philipine eagle]

It took me far longer than it should to realise that 'Hopper's Nighthawks' referred to the famous artwork, and not to a population of Caprimulgidae..!

For a reason that I cannot explain, this artwork fascinates me for a long time.

So I'm wondering if Snowleopard has other interests than zoos (I presume he does) and if he's struggling with other 'must sees' given the limited time he got on such an epic road trip.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

@snowleopard With regards to Krefeld, I would assume that the 'good reason' the enclosures you cite still exist in their current form is that the zoo can't afford to build new ones that quickly. In most cases the animals held are elderly and so presumably are less attractive to other zoos, don't need so much space anyway, and wouldn't necessarily respond well to a transfer process. The elephant exhibit, at least on my visit, was not sterile at all, but in fact had much enrichment. It's still tiny of course.

 

[snowleopard]

@Philipine eagle I've thought about the whole museum/art gallery question on a number of occasions and I'm glad that I didn't give up any zoos in order to visit a different kind of attraction. For example, the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam was advertised heavily throughout the Netherlands, but I had zero desire to drop in for a couple of hours. There is the Museum Island in Berlin, with a group of famous institutions there, but I once again had no willingness to give up a day of zoos in order to see some museums. I fully admit that visiting 95 zoos in a month, and literally no art galleries or museums, is a bit on the strange side.

Yes, I understand the reasons behind Krefeld Zoo's holding of geriatric animals, @FunkyGibbon , although I find it difficult that it is not only a couple of Asian Elephants in one of the tiniest elephant paddocks I've ever seen in my life, but also the old Siamang, plus the Chimpanzees and orangutans. How did it get to the point where there are so many big mammals that have to be maintained in what really are subpar conditions? There's also the pair of old Lowland Gorillas, but those guys are really old. I know that zoos have to hold onto senior citizen inhabitants all the time, for lack of other options or money or no one else willing to take such creatures or the risk of moving animals, but to have so many poor exhibits all at once is a clear lack of foresight. Some animals should have been moved many years ago. Also, the Hamadryas Baboon exhibit is ghastly and on animal welfare grounds there shouldn't be baboons in that little rocky island ever again. I've been to quite a few European zoos that have 80+ baboons and any one of them could easily integrate a few more into their collection. My guess is that a decade from now there will still be baboons at Krefeld, which really is inexcusable.

 

[TNT]

Having spent most of the day reading this thread, I must say I'm a little amazed. What you've accomplished @snowleopard is VERY impressive... And I would like to take the time to thank you for writing all of these splendid reviews - they'll be a great point of reference for when I visit mainland Europe myself.
Small factoid for you all, on a school trip when I was younger, we were given only 2 hours (or so) to visit Berlin Zoo... So imagine my frustration (I shall hopefully return very soon)!
That said, thanks again!

 

[Arizona Docent]

...I would choose...Point Defiance Zoo over Northwest Trek Wildlife Park...

Ok, now you have completely lost your mind! I think you are still suffering heat stroke from the heat wave you were experiencing in Europe!