Well that’s the thing. You wouldn’t call Pairi Daiza world class but many would, including my the vast majority of the public who visit. Let’s think about their shortcomings: their enclosures are too small and inadequate in places. Well a normal visitor wouldn’t, for example, notice that the Javan leopard exhibit is too small for two reasons. Firstly, there is a temple to one side of it, and the visitor’s mind is immediately inclined to think that if they can afford to build a temple there, the leopard exhibit must be big enough. And secondly, because there are two viewpoints into the exhibit, and so you can never see the entirety of the exhibit at once, which in turn means people assume it is larger than it is or imagine that there are other sections to it. Even if they were to realise its actual size, would they then remember it as a particularly inadequate enclosure? Probably not.
Similarly, the reptile exhibits on the Mersus Emergo are not going to be shocking to an average visitor because of the setting and excessive theming. So Pairi will, in all likelihood, get away with most of its poor exhibits.
And beyond that, what are its flaws? Many of its exhibits are excellent, some even world class to use your wording. The theming, while we know it can get in the way of animal welfare, is perceived by visitors to be adding to the exhibits rather than taking away from them. The myriad of different perspectives Pairi offers on each exhibit (particularly in Land of the Cold) will appeal to the average visitor. The species list doesn’t really matter as long as the zoo has a few big cats, apes and elephants (beyond that, only the size of the zoo is all that really matters) and Pairi undoubtedly and repeatedly leaves visitors happily stunned.
However, the only thing that raises the question of whether it should be in the big five or not is whether or not it gets enough attention to be considered as a major European zoo, and I would say it probably does given the volume of photos on social media posted there and the number of visitors every year.
(Adding the caveat that I haven’t actually been to Pairi Daiza...
)
Last edited:
