Europe's 100 must see exhibits

[snowleopard]

I haven't commented in a long time, but I'm still greatly enjoying this thread. Your last few selections have all been wonderful choices, each a diverse exhibit with unique attributes. I fondly recall touring Cologne Zoo's Primate House in 2019, seeing rarities such as a single Red-Shanked Douc Langur, a Javan Langur, plus Weddell's Tamarins and King Colobus (mixed with gorillas?) in immersive environments. Cologne is such a well-rounded, solid zoo.

I was glad to see Micropia on the list, even though technically it's a secondary attraction that requires an extra ticket at Artis Amsterdam. I spent a full hour inside that building, looking at facts about toothbrushes and finding out that I was walking around with 180 billion microbes on my body. I thought I only had a few billion or so!

The choice to include the amazing African Savanna at Boras Zoo was an obvious one, but it's truly fascinating that no other zoo has combined such a jaw-dropping collection of African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, plus assorted antelope all together. If it has worked in Sweden for decades, why not give it a shot?

Lastly, the enhancement in modern Polar Bear exhibits is tremendous and Europe is far ahead of North America in that regard. There is Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada, with its world-class Journey to Churchill complex. Detroit, Columbus and a few other zoos have notable Polar Bear exhibits in North America, but nothing on the enormous scale of what can be found in a number of European zoos. I shudder when I recall seeing Polar Bears on slabs of cement in Calgary Zoo or at Stanley Park Zoo (Vancouver) when I was a kid, but now there are zoos with big fields that contain the great white bears from the north. Amazing!

 

[lintworm]

I was glad to see Micropia on the list, even though technically it's a secondary attraction that requires an extra ticket at Artis Amsterdam. I spent a full hour inside that building, looking at facts about toothbrushes and finding out that I was walking around with 180 billion microbes on my body. I thought I only had a few billion or so!

I thought about that too, but technically it is no different from the Aquarium at Zoo Berlin, for which there would never be such a doubt. And I really could not leave it out, it is one of the most innovative pieces of zoo I have seen in recent years.

The choice to include the amazing African Savanna at Boras Zoo was an obvious one, but it's truly fascinating that no other zoo has combined such a jaw-dropping collection of African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, plus assorted antelope all together. If it has worked in Sweden for decades, why not give it a shot?

Aren't there more like these in the US. Obviously the Giants of the Savannah in Dallas which @twilighter has mentioned. But aren't there more zoos on your side of the pond that mix African elephants with other African animals?

Lastly, the enhancement in modern Polar Bear exhibits is tremendous and Europe is far ahead of North America in that regard. There is Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada, with its world-class Journey to Churchill complex. Detroit, Columbus and a few other zoos have notable Polar Bear exhibits in North America, but nothing on the enormous scale of what can be found in a number of European zoos. I shudder when I recall seeing Polar Bears on slabs of cement in Calgary Zoo or at Stanley Park Zoo (Vancouver) when I was a kid, but now there are zoos with big fields that contain the great white bears from the north. Amazing!

Even the polar bear enclosures of my childhood are nightmares compared to what is possible now. Imagine polar bears being brought back in their original enclosures in Amsterdam (now mandrill), Rotterdam (1/2 of the current Sumatran tiger enclosure) or Leipzig (now a playground). None had natural substrate and they were all positively tiny.... Fortunately these really bad enclosures have almost been phased out, only Budapest in Northern/Western/Central Europe still offers the full concrete prison experience. But even more recent developments like in Blijdorp, Amneville, Karlsruhe or Hagenbeck are already in need of a make-over giving recent developments...

The Assiniboine Park Zoo complex should still be the largest of its kind worldwide and your pictures+review of it make me wish it was located somewhat closer to home

 

[lintworm]

73. Wisent enclosure
Tierfreigelände I des Nationalparks Bayerischer Wald, Grafenau, Germany
Opened: 1975 (?)
Size: 10 hectares
Inhabitants: Wisent (European bison)

Wildparks are a staple of European zoos and this type of zoo, focusing specifically on European species in large simple enclosures, is particularly common in Germany. In most places large is simply large and simple, really means simple. At the Tierfreigelände this simple and large is taken to another level. Multiple enclosures here are the size of a small city zoo and due to its location in the Bavarian Forest National Park the landscape is amazing too. The wisents here live in a hilly mosaic of fir forest and grassland, with plenty of natural rocks. There are multiple viewpoints overlooking the enclosure, so while the herd might be out of sight from some points, there is generally always a place to observe them. This is Europe’s largest land mammal, but in an enclosure this size, even they are dwarfed by the surroundings and can remain almost completely hidden in the understory. Therefore this park can offer an experience unlike any other in Europe, by creating circumstances as close to nature as is possible in a captive setting. This also makes for active wisents that are much more interesting to observe than in a standard square paddock.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

Similar exhibits: Although plenty of wisent have a lot of space in European zoos, I am not aware of anything quite like it.

 

[KevinB]

73. Wisent enclosure
Tierfreigelände I des Nationalparks Bayerischer Wald, Grafenau, Germany
Opened: 1975 (?)
Size: 10 hectares
Inhabitants: Wisent (European bison)

Wildparks are a staple of European zoos and this type of zoo, focusing specifically on European species in large simple enclosures, is particularly common in Germany. In most places large is simply large and simple, really means simple. At the Tierfreigelände this simple and large is taken to another level. Multiple enclosures here are the size of a small city zoo and due to its location in the Bavarian Forest National Park the landscape is amazing too. The wisents here live in a hilly mosaic of fir forest and grassland, with plenty of natural rocks. There are multiple viewpoints overlooking the enclosure, so while the herd might be out of sight from some points, there is generally always a place to observe them. This is Europe’s largest land mammal, but in an enclosure this size, even they are dwarfed by the surroundings and can remain almost completely hidden in the understory. Therefore this park can offer an experience unlike any other in Europe, by creating circumstances as close to nature as is possible in a captive setting. This also makes for active wisents that are much more interesting to observe than in a standard square paddock.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

Similar exhibits: Although plenty of wisent have a lot of space in European zoos, I am not aware of anything quite like it.

The closest to this I can think of is the multi-hectare mixed paddock in the Lesse Valley at the Caves of Han Wildlife Park, which houses wisents as well as other species.

 

[pachyderm pro]

Aren't there more like these in the US. Obviously the Giants of the Savannah in Dallas which @twilighter has mentioned. But aren't there more zoos on your side of the pond that mix African elephants with other African animals?

Not as many as you may think. Omaha mixes elephants with plains zebra, Tampa mixes elephants with impala and nile lechwe, and in the past Birmingham has mixed elephants with rhino and hippo (although this has not been done at all recently to my knowledge). Besides Dallas that's about it which is pretty surprising considering how well it's been done in Europe. San Diego once had a plan to allow tapir, capybara, guanaco and pronghorn to share the same space as the elephants to resemble a scene from Pleistocene era California, but this never came to fruition.

 

[birdsandbats]

Not as many as you may think. Omaha mixes elephants with plains zebra

I'm pretty sure this one has been discontinued.

 

[Shirokuma]

Similar exhibits: Although plenty of wisent have a lot of space in European zoos, I am not aware of anything quite like it.

Large wooded enclosures that spring to mind in a zoo setting are Dählhölzli in Bern and Lycksele Zoo in northern Sweden.

 

[pachyderm pro]

I'm pretty sure this one has been discontinued.

On the contrary, the zoo just recently installed a fence to allow the zebras access to a private area separate from the elephants. They are still very much keeping the mix in place.

 

[snowleopard]

The only 3 zoos in the United States that mix elephants with anything else are Dallas, Omaha and Tampa...a paltry amount compared to Europe. On a side note, there are only a handful of zoos that allow visitors in with primates in North American zoos, while in Europe it's rare to find a zoo that doesn't allow one to mingle with lemurs or monkeys!

I like your choice of Wisent paddock, @lintworm, although I enjoyed my visit to the Dutch facility Natuurpark Lelystad, because there is an opportunity for visitors to wander through the Wisent/Przewalski's Horse enclosure. The chance of being gored to death elevates the quality of the habitat in my opinion. Here's a photo of the multi-acre exhibit:

As for Polar Bear exhibits, I never tire of showcasing Canada's Assiniboine Park Zoo:

 

[aardvark250]

The only 3 zoos in the United States that mix elephants with anything else are Dallas, Omaha and Tampa...a paltry amount compared to Europe. On a side note, there are only a handful of zoos that allow visitors in with primates in North American zoos, while in Europe it's rare to find a zoo that doesn't allow one to mingle with lemurs or monkeys!

I like your choice of Wisent paddock, @lintworm, although I enjoyed my visit to the Dutch facility Natuurpark Lelystad, because there is an opportunity for visitors to wander through the Wisent/Przewalski's Horse enclosure. The chance of being gored to death elevates the quality of the habitat in my opinion. Here's a photo of the multi-acre exhibit:

As for Polar Bear exhibits, I never tire of showcasing Canada's Assiniboine Park Zoo:

As in my last time checking, Manitoba is not inside Europe.

 

[snowleopard]

As in my last time checking, Manitoba is not inside Europe.

Of course not. There was an earlier reference to North American Polar Bear exhibits in the conversation with @lintworm and myself.

 

[twilighter]

Well, this prediction might be stymied by the fact you've not visited the collection in question and hence it might have slipped the cracks.... but the first exhibit that jumps to mind is Exmoor.

I am very curious, about the @lintworm choice and also thinking, about Exmoor. On one side there are good examples of spacious Sitatunga exhibits in Europe and on the other side there are some pieces of art, like Prague and Valencia. Exmoor is probably the only "spacious piece of art" dedicated to this species.

 

[lintworm]

The closest to this I can think of is the multi-hectare mixed paddock in the Lesse Valley at the Caves of Han Wildlife Park, which houses wisents as well as other species.

I hadn't seen the pictures of this one, just heard of it, it indeed looks good

Large wooded enclosures that spring to mind in a zoo setting are Dählhölzli in Bern and Lycksele Zoo in northern Sweden.

Bern also came to mind immediately, but is just a quarter of the size . Lycksele is a new one for me...

I like your choice of Wisent paddock, @lintworm, although I enjoyed my visit to the Dutch facility Natuurpark Lelystad, because there is an opportunity for visitors to wander through the Wisent/Przewalski's Horse enclosure. The chance of being gored to death elevates the quality of the habitat in my opinion. Here's a photo of the multi-acre exhibit:

Not bad either, probably nothing will ever happen here, but it is still an interesting idea

I am very curious, about the @lintworm choice and also thinking, about Exmoor. On one side there are good examples of spacious Sitatunga exhibits in Europe and on the other side there are some pieces of art, like Prague and Valencia. Exmoor is probably the only "spacious piece of art" dedicated to this species.

 

[lintworm]

74. Hippo house
Zoo Berlin, Germany
Opened: 1997
Size: 4000 square metres (double dome 970 square metres)
Inhabitants: common hippo, pygmy hippo, nyala, warthog

This house, with its large double plexiglass dome, is one of the most stunning examples of modern architecture in the European zoo landscape. The house is seamlessly integrated in the landscape and pleasantly spacious and bright on the inside. Viewing is done through 2 large acrylic panels of 21 metres and 14 metres for the common hippos and pygmy hippos respectively. While the water for the common hippos is not as clear as in US zoos, this still makes for impressive viewing into the 550.000 litres tank. While both hippo species have spacious water areas, the land parts in the house are shamefully small, for which the spacious land parts in the outdoor enclosure can only partly make up, especially as they are unusable in winter. From an architectural and visitors perspective this house is a triumph though. Unfortunately the dumbing down of the Berlin zoos has reached this house too, as it has been recently renamed “Hippo Bay”.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@MagpieGoose

@FunkyGibbon

@Zebraduiker


Similar exhibits: the hippo house in Zoo Copenhagen, Denmark, looks extremely similar in design, though it is more a square than a dome. The Koelner Zoo, Germany, did also create a large hippo house, which is larger, but follows a more simple design. It also suffers from a lack of land area indoors.

Zoo Copenhagen

@lintworm

Koelner Zoo:

@Glutton

@Goura

 

[lintworm]

With 26 slots left, I now face the problem that I have only filled 25. During the process of writing up the thread one exhibit dropped out and I haven't replaced it yet. I could pick something myself, but although I think I have a pretty good overview of noteworthy exhibits on the continent, I must have missed something. So I am curious to hear any suggestions from you zoochatters on a relatively unknown exhibit that would be a worthy inclusion. It really can be anything from a single exhibit to an exhibit complex that is noteworthy because of its design/historical significance/excellence of exhibitry/etc.. There is no need to bring up an exhibit like Masoala, don't worry it is in there, but exhibits like Exmoor's sitatunga enclosure would fit the bill. Just note that collection only is not a selection criterion.

Please post your suggestions in this thread and maybe your exhibit will be picked for entry 99 .

 

[Dassie rat]

I liked Dresden's underground section for burrowing animals.

 

[nedpepper]

Hamerton’s Australian house because of the sheer number of birds flying around your head in a mixed exhibit with wombats and a selection of Australian species not kept anywhere else in Europe/outside Australia.

Longleat’s half mile lake, a mixed exhibit with common hippo and sea lion viewable from a boat ride with pelican, colobus and gorillas in the mix too - surely a must see.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s sea lion pool, surely one of the biggest man made sea lion pools ever and unique in how naturalistic it comes across. When first hearing of sea lions moving to YWP it was hard to imagine how they would fit in with their simplistic exhibited style, and yet when it opened it felt like it fit the park perfectly.

Perhaps not as little known as you were looking for in hindsight but there you go!

 

[snowleopard]

Here are a few options (forgive me if one has already been chosen):

Osnabruck Zoo - Underground Zoo (I think this is a brilliant exhibit)
Osnabruck Zoo - Takamanda
Hannover Zoo - Yukon Bay
Apenheul - Orangutan exhibit
Ouwehands - Brown Bear exhibit (rescued animals)
Lodz Zoo - Orientarium

 

[Tim Brown]

Its difficult to guess what might come,and ive not double-checked on what has been...but i will go for the Dolphin Lagoon at Harderwijk - a quantum leap from the old-style dolphinaria.
And just to add my ten-pennorth( as we say in the north of England)...Im no huge fan of big grassy meadows and brown Polar Bears(see previous),even though my friend Douglas Richardson was the man behind the two in Britain plus the concept of total ,removed, separation of female facilities for breeding purposes.Give me Copenhagen or Rostock any day.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I reckon that the Living Links exhibit and research complex at Edinburgh Zoo (which contains Common Squirrel Monkey and Brown Capuchin) definitely merits a shout; I have written about this fairly comprehensively in one of the Zoochat Cup threads some time ago, so I shall link the relevant posts here rather than quote or paraphrase myself:

British Isles Cup Redux - FINALS - Cotswold vs RZSS <<<< this post comprises a general introduction to the exhibit and discussion of the research papers produced as a result of the work there.

British Isles Cup Redux - FINALS - Cotswold vs RZSS <<<< this post includes an aerial shot of the exhibit complex, further discussion and several photographs showing enclosures and signage.