Europe's 100 must see exhibits

[willem]

This thread is amazing Lintworm! Unfortunately I couldn't attend your lecture in Burgers' Zoo last week, because I would have thanked you in person for this excellent overview. Once this list is completed, I can't wait to plot all 50 in Google Maps and decide where my next road trip will go.

As a last attempt of getting something of Blijdorp/Rotterdam in your list, you might consider the Asian swamp area for your last free space. I love that area (and you sort of gave away the Oceanium is excluded). Other exhibits I would like to suggest:

- Giant pandas at Ouwehands/Rhenen
- Old aquarium of Artis/Amsterdam (currently closed due to renovation work)
- Kamchatka brown bears at Zoom/Gelsenkirchen
- Killer whales in Antibes/ Loro Parc (just because of the killer whales )

I expect that Yukon Bay (Hannover), the Alfred Brehm Hause (Tierpark Berlin), Rio Negro (Duisburg) and the historical centre of Schonbrunn will fill up some of the last gaps.

 

[aardvark250]

87. Underground zoo
Zoo Osnabrück, Germany
Opened: 2009
Size: 500 square metres
Inhabitants: European hamster, naked mole rat, black rat, bumblebee, Pallas’ long-tongued bat and more

Most zoos mostly ignore the life beneath our feet, not so in Osnabrück where arguably its star attraction takes visitors underground. In a maze of pathways modelled after mine shafts and more natural tunnels there are scattered enclosures for mostly burrowing mammals. While it is a pity that the collection isn’t focused more on non-mammals living underground, that is hardly avoidable, given the fact so few zoos focus on the fossorial. But with bumblebees and ants some interesting insects are kept here too. It is the mammals that are the star here and a varied collection is displayed, including rarities like Mechow’s mole rat and coruro. The enclosure style mostly resembles that of the typical naked mole rat enclosure with pipes and boxes. Here these are however well integrated in the tunnel walls, making for an attractive display. Larger species like the black rats and the bats have more space though, the latter species was added relatively recently and took over a former visitor tunnel. Interestingly there is no fixed route, although the lanterns are numbered, and people are urged to explore the underground maze by themselves. Given the success of this exhibit, one hopes soils and their inhabitants will get the attention they deserve in more places.

Unfortunately this exhibit is not represented in the zoochat gallery, but there are several pictures available in this news article: Osnabrück: Osnabrück – Deutschlands erster unterirdischer Zoo - Bilder & Fotos - WELT


Similar exhibits: Osnabrücks predecessor stands in Zoo Dresden, Germany, but its “Zoo beneath the earth” from 1997 is a small and by now significantly aged exhibit. Zoo Plzen, Czechia has converted the tunnels of a former air raid shelter into an exhibit, which focuses partly on species from caves and on other ectotherms. It is somewhat claustrophobic, but an interesting use of a historic structure.

Zoo Dresden

@lintworm

Zoo Plzen

@LaughingDove

@twilighter

Feel like they would benefit from keeping real moles!(Not just mole rats)

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I expect that Yukon Bay (Hannover), the Alfred Brehm Hause (Tierpark Berlin), Rio Negro (Duisburg) and the historical centre of Schonbrunn will fill up some of the last gaps.

Not exactly a must-visit anymore!

 

[willem]

Not exactly a must-visit anymore!

And currently temporarily closed... Forget about this one..!

 

[snowleopard]

I'm thrilled to see the Underground Zoo at Osnabruck make the list. It is one of my most memorable experiences of my visits to 520+ zoos. I was stumbling around in the dark as the first visitor of the day and had the tunnel to myself.

The species list on August 12th, 2019, included Black-tailed Prairie Dog (also seen later above-ground), Naked Mole Rat, Mechow’s Mole Rat, Common Rat, Coruro (an obscure Chilean rodent), Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec, Mongolian Gerbil, Siberian Hamster, Leaf-nosed Bat, Domestic Mouse and Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Here is a map of the Underground Zoo:

 

[Hvedekorn]

I expect that Yukon Bay (Hannover), the Alfred Brehm Hause (Tierpark Berlin), Rio Negro (Duisburg) and the historical centre of Schonbrunn will fill up some of the last gaps.

Now that Zoochat's equivalent to Helen of Troy is no longer around, I'm not sure there's much of a "must see" factor to Rio Negro which is otherwise a fairly run-of-the-mill tropical house in my eyes - not bad for its inhabitants, just not standing out in any way. It'll be more interesting when (if?) the manatees come, but the pool will actually be fairly small compared to most of the current manatee pools in Europe (unless they have a way to expand it).

 

[birdsandbats]

coruro

It's not everyday I get to hear about a species of mammal I've never heard of!

 

[twilighter]

It's not everyday I get to hear about a species of mammal I've never heard of!

They are quite rare in Europe. ZTl shows 6 zoos, but realistically Osnabruck, Tierpark Göppingen and Berlin zoo since February are the only places, where they can be seen.

 

[lintworm]

This thread is amazing Lintworm! Unfortunately I couldn't attend your lecture in Burgers' Zoo last week, because I would have thanked you in person for this excellent overview. Once this list is completed, I can't wait to plot all 50 in Google Maps and decide where my next road trip will go.

As a last attempt of getting something of Blijdorp/Rotterdam in your list, you might consider the Asian swamp area for your last free space. I love that area (and you sort of gave away the Oceanium is excluded). Other exhibits I would like to suggest:

- Giant pandas at Ouwehands/Rhenen
- Old aquarium of Artis/Amsterdam (currently closed due to renovation work)
- Kamchatka brown bears at Zoom/Gelsenkirchen
- Killer whales in Antibes/ Loro Parc (just because of the killer whales )

I expect that Yukon Bay (Hannover), the Alfred Brehm Hause (Tierpark Berlin), Rio Negro (Duisburg) and the historical centre of Schonbrunn will fill up some of the last gaps.

I never said Oceanium won't be here in it's current form, just that the old version would have been here without a doubt

There still are quite some big hitters missing that will appear on the thread, one will be next, but then it will be two quite unexpected ones again (at least I think so )

Feel like they would benefit from keeping real moles!(Not just mole rats)

They did actually keep 4 moles from 2010 to 2011, but they did not adapt well to captivity and all died quickly. Except Tama Zoo in Japan I am not sure any zoo has had some long term success with them.... But it would have been cool if it had worked.

Now that Zoochat's equivalent to Helen of Troy is no longer around, I'm not sure there's much of a "must see" factor to Rio Negro which is otherwise a fairly run-of-the-mill tropical house in my eyes - not bad for its inhabitants, just not standing out in any way. It'll be more interesting when (if?) the manatees come, but the pool will actually be fairly small compared to most of the current manatee pools in Europe (unless they have a way to expand it).

Rio Negro is indeed not much of a must see for this list, even when it will re-open soon with manatees. It is still a good exhibit, but lacks the wow. The pool is actually not much smaller than most of the larger manatee pools around. There is quite a bit that is invisible and the total volume (including the fish bit) is 650.000 litres, Nuremberg has 700.000 litres and the biggest European ones, as far as I know are in Beauval and Burgers' Zoo at 1 million litres.

 

[jwer]

Osbabrück’s “untererdischer zoo” was one of the first I noted down too. It’s one of those examples of being truly unique in the European Zoo world, and of which Osnabrück clearly shows that that fact is rediculous.

It’s an amazing set of exhibits and one can only hope another zoo finally picks up on and expands…

 

[lintworm]

88. Burgers’ Mangrove
Burgers’ Zoo, Arnhem, the Netherlands
Opened: 2017
Size: 3000 square metres
Inhabitants: Caribbean manatee, fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs and a large variety of butterflies, birds, fish and some reptiles.

As earlier projects have shown, a Burgers’ Zoo project tends to get better with age and nowhere is it as easy to see this process as in the Mangrove. Even though this is clearly one of the better zoo developments of the past 5 years, it is only now that it is really showing what it is set to become. With the vegetation slowly maturing, new species are slowly added to complete the system and some obvious cross viewing issues are slowly disappearing. It will still be years though before the building is in its prime. The Mangrove follows a journey through the ecosystems of the Shipstern Reserve in Belize, which Burgers’ Zoo bought together with Papiliorama, Kerzers, Switzerland 30 years ago. There are basically three areas in the building, each with their own star species: the Mangrove and its mudflat with fiddler crabs, a freshwater creek with manatees and the dry tropical forest with butterflies. While manatees and butterflies always fascinate regular zoo visitors, it is the fiddler crabs that are the real stars here. By keeping a large group on an even larger mudflat, there is always something going on and it is an exhibit most people spend a lot of time observing. It takes some guts to go all-in on such an obscure species, but with Europe’s first zoo breeding they are on the right track. Zoo nerds aren’t forgotten either, as a focus on Central American birds and fish has already brought in some rarities, most of which are breeding already. From a landscaping perspective, this might be Burgers’ weakest hall, but given the size and round shape that might be unavoidable. The walls are never far away from the visitor path, so there is always a reminder you are in the zoo. Ignoring the walls there is however so much to explore and to look forward to, that the only conclusion is that they did it again…

@vogelcommando

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

Similar exhibits: That manatees and butterflies make an excellent combination was already shown in the Tiergarten Nuremberg manatee house. This house has an Amazonian focus, but is also a very neat tropical hall with manatees, butterflies together with a whole range of birds, reptiles and other creatures. Butterfly houses is something the Dutch seem to be really good at, with other good houses in Wildlands Emmen, Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam and Artis, Amsterdam. A reliable source did however whisper that the best butterfly house in the country is the Orchideeenhoeve in Luttelgeest. In the rest of Europe it is the Kerzers Papiliorama that has a high quality butterfly dome. They also have a tropical hall, Jungle Trek, based on the Belize Shipstern Reserve, but it is not the most impressive in terms of landscaping, but has a good collection.


Tiergarten Nuremberg

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

De Orchideeënhoeve

@vogelcommando

@vogelcommando

Papiliorama Kerzers

@lintworm

@Toddy

 

[jwer]

Similar exhibits: That manatees and butterflies make an excellent combination was already shown in the Tiergarten Nuremberg manatee house. This house has an Amazonian focus, but is also a very neat tropical hall with manatees, butterflies together with a whole range of birds, reptiles and other creatures. Butterfly houses is something the Dutch seem to be really good at, with other good houses in Wildlands Emmen, Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam and Artis, Amsterdam. A reliable source did however whisper that the best butterfly house in the country is the Orchideeenhoeve in Luttelgeest.

Some remarks… Burgers’ mangrove is an odd one. When you’re in the zoo, the hall itself doesn’t stand out at all and in my eyes falls very much short of the other three must-see exhibits that are now all covered. But in the wider zoo-spectrum, it is pretty unique and the fiddler crabs make me think of Nurnberg scarabee-house in making a puny animal the star of the show and making it work.

I never saw Burgers’ mangrove as a “butterfly house”, although I don’t know why. For me, it has always been a manatee exhibit with butterflies in it. I was therefore a bit surprised to see butterfly houses as alternatives.

Orchideeënhoeve’s butterfly house as the countries best? You meet some odd people but in seriousness, the pictures of that exhibit that are shown here, really don’t show that hall in all it’s glory. I think they were made right after opening, because the vegetation has gone right up since. And because the Orchideeëenhoeve is a working Orchid nursery the hall is always full of flowering orchids. I love visiting that place and that hall is always a highlight.

I also enjoyed the butterfly house at Mainau Island in lake Constance. Not very large, but densely planted and well maintained.

Am I correct that Nurnbergs manatee house no longer contains manatees? There are none in there after the lagoon finished right?

Anyways, I guess Burgers mangrove belongs here. I also reluctantly put it on my list.

 

[amur leopard]

Thoroughly enjoying the thread so far, fantastic work and a good few exhibits I hadn't heard of.

Probably a bit late to the 'missing spot' discussion, but I'd nominate Lyon's new Asian aviary exhibit, which @Gavial posted photos of in the gallery earlier today. A very interesting mix in a lovely exhibit with a massive pool for Malayan tapirs, Binturong, Wrinkled hornbills, Red junglefowl, Black-headed ibis, Edwards's pheasant and Baer's pochard. Even if it eventually isn't notable enough to make the list, it's a very interesting exhibit with a lovely mix and great use of space by the looks.

 

[lintworm]

Some remarks… Burgers’ mangrove is an odd one. When you’re in the zoo, the hall itself doesn’t stand out at all and in my eyes falls very much short of the other three must-see exhibits that are now all covered. But in the wider zoo-spectrum, it is pretty unique and the fiddler crabs make me think of Nurnberg scarabee-house in making a puny animal the star of the show and making it work.

I never saw Burgers’ mangrove as a “butterfly house”, although I don’t know why. For me, it has always been a manatee exhibit with butterflies in it. I was therefore a bit surprised to see butterfly houses as alternatives.

Orchideeënhoeve’s butterfly house as the countries best? You meet some odd people but in seriousness, the pictures of that exhibit that are shown here, really don’t show that hall in all it’s glory. I think they were made right after opening, because the vegetation has gone right up since. And because the Orchideeëenhoeve is a working Orchid nursery the hall is always full of flowering orchids. I love visiting that place and that hall is always a highlight.

I also enjoyed the butterfly house at Mainau Island in lake Constance. Not very large, but densely planted and well maintained.

Am I correct that Nurnbergs manatee house no longer contains manatees? There are none in there after the lagoon finished right?

Anyways, I guess Burgers mangrove belongs here. I also reluctantly put it on my list.

I wouldn't have guessed you would put Burgers' Mangrove only reluctantly on the list. It is one of my favourite parts of my home zoo, so while I might be somewhat biased, I have heard a zoochatter describe it as the best enclosure they have ever seen. When it comes to displaying invertebrates (excluding aquariums) this is easily the best we have on the continent, even before Nurembergs desert house I would say. The fiddler crab mudflat in itself would have been enough to make the list, as it is an unexpectedly intriguing exhibit, just ask @Rayane . What really is its strong suit, is that it is an exhibit with multiple layers of complexity (more on that later). The average zoo visitor is drawn in by the butterflies, but explores so much more along the way and most leave with being impressed by manatees ("walruses"....) and crabs. So for me it is one of the most successful exhibits that give average zoo visitors a better appreciation of unusual animals.

 

[aardvark250]

Yeah fiddler crabs can be quite fun to watch. Here's a suggestion, how about having mudskipper as well? They are active and interesting, fit the exhibit well too.

 

[lintworm]

89. Tibetan village
Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz, Germany
Opened: 2006-2010
Size: 8000 square metres (roughly)
Inhabitants: Yak, Bactrian camel, corsac fox, Persian goitered gazelle, Himalayan crossbill and more

Tierpark Görlitz shows that you do not have to be a big zoo to create innovative exhibits with high level cultural theming. Being small does however mean taking things slowly, so the village, which really is basically a couple of houses with interspersed enclosures, was built up one house per year. Taking things slowly here, did also mean doing it well. Multiple study trips to Tibet did pay off here, as the theming is spot on, without overdoing all the Tibetan flags. The village is centred around a main paddock for domestics: yak, Bactrian camel and Kashmir goat. By back-crossing Chinese meishan pigs with wild boar, imitation Tibetan pigs roam nearby too. The wildlife is found more around the edges of the village and here the very strong collection planning of Görlitz stands out. Spotted laughingthrush, Persian goitered gazelle and Chinese crocodile lizard are not exactly the species one expects in such a small zoo, but they are managed well here. The enclosures might look relatively simple sometimes, but they are all furnished well with an eye for detail. Tierpark Görlitz offers so many lessons for other small zoos and their Tibetan village would not look out-of-place in many larger zoos with much higher budgets. Even though not all need to copy the somewhat weird porcupine plateau, even though it is great for getting up-close (and personal) with them.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@LegoOwl

@lintworm

Similar exhibits: none

 

[pachyderm pro]

89. Tibetan village
Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz, Germany
Opened: 2006-2010
Size: 8000 square metres (roughly)
Inhabitants: Yak, Bactrian camel, corsac fox, Persian goitered gazelle, Himalayan crossbill and more

Tierpark Görlitz shows that you do not have to be a big zoo to create innovative exhibits with high level cultural theming. Being small does however mean taking things slowly, so the village, which really is basically a couple of houses with interspersed enclosures, was built up one house per year. Taking things slowly here, did also mean doing it well. Multiple study trips to Tibet did pay off here, as the theming is spot on, without overdoing all the Tibetan flags. The village is centred around a main paddock for domestics: yak, Bactrian camel and Kashmir goat. By back-crossing Chinese meishan pigs with wild boar, imitation Tibetan pigs roam nearby too. The wildlife is found more around the edges of the village and here the very strong collection planning of Görlitz stands out. Spotted laughingthrush, Persian goitered gazelle and Chinese crocodile lizard are not exactly the species one expects in such a small zoo, but they are managed well here. The enclosures might look relatively simple sometimes, but they are all furnished well with an eye for detail. Tierpark Görlitz offers so many lessons for other small zoos and their Tibetan village would not look out-of-place in many larger zoos with much higher budgets. Even though not all need to copy the somewhat weird porcupine plateau, even though it is great for getting up-close (and personal) with them.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm

@LegoOwl

@lintworm

Similar exhibits: none

This is a super neat looking display. Also a prime example of a small zoo being creative and building an exhibit that fills a very under-appreciated niche. Based on these photos, couldn’t the Asian domestics area at Zurich constitute as a similar exhibit? I was actually anticipating that one, as they both seem to have the same general concept. Somewhat surprisingly, the one at Görlitz looks much more comprehensive, and a small zoo doing something better than Zurich is certainly worth noting.

 

[lintworm]

Yeah fiddler crabs can be quite fun to watch. Here's a suggestion, how about having mudskipper as well? They are active and interesting, fit the exhibit well too.

Mudskippers aren't native to the America's, so would be out of place here.

This is a super neat looking display. Also a prime example of a small zoo being creative and building an exhibit that fills a very under-appreciated niche. Based on these photos, couldn’t the Asian domestics area at Zurich constitute as a similar exhibit? I was actually anticipating that one, as they both seem to have the same general concept. Somewhat surprisingly, the one at Görlitz looks much more comprehensive, and a small zoo doing something better than Zurich is certainly worth noting.

Neat indeed! The Mongolian area in Zürich could probably count as a similar exhibit, but I find it rather underwhelming. It is basically a large paddock for domestics and a couple of yurts, one including an exhibition on biodiversity (of cheese....). It feels a bit as a waste of space to me, even though the theming is of a high level.

 

[Rayane]

I wouldn't have guessed you would put Burgers' Mangrove only reluctantly on the list. It is one of my favourite parts of my home zoo, so while I might be somewhat biased, I have heard a zoochatter describe it as the best enclosure they have ever seen. When it comes to displaying invertebrates (excluding aquariums) this is easily the best we have on the continent, even before Nurembergs desert house I would say. The fiddler crab mudflat in itself would have been enough to make the list, as it is an unexpectedly intriguing exhibit, just ask @Rayane . What really is its strong suit, is that it is an exhibit with multiple layers of complexity (more on that later). The average zoo visitor is drawn in by the butterflies, but explores so much more along the way and most leave with being impressed by manatees ("walruses"....) and crabs. So for me it is one of the most successful exhibits that give average zoo visitors a better appreciation of unusual animals.

Funny coincidence the Mangrove appears on the thread today, as I visited the zoo yesterday in good company.
I enjoyed the Bush and the Desert way more than the Mangrove, but given the relatively young age of the exhibit it is not surprising and it definitely belongs on this list. The theming is on point, and the balance between crowd pleasers such as butterflies and manatees, and weirder things like crabs or upside-down jellyfishes is just right.
The exhibit feels a bit small however, especially when compared to the other highlights of the zoo.
It will probably only get better as time passes, I can't wait to visit again sooner or later to see the evolution of the exhibit and the species selection.

I read somewhere before on this thread that Burgers savannah was probably its weakest part, so I had very little expectations. I have to say that from what I've seen, it qualifies as one of the best african savannah exhibit I've encountered in a zoo. Safari parks are another story, but if I compare it to Leipzig, Prague or Beauval, it's the one I enjoyed the most.

 

[snowleopard]

Funny coincidence the Mangrove appears on the thread today, as I visited the zoo yesterday in good company. I enjoyed the Bush and the Desert way more than the Mangrove, but given the relatively young age of the exhibit it is not surprising and it definitely belongs on this list. The theming is on point, and the balance between crowd pleasers such as butterflies and manatees, and weirder things like crabs or upside-down jellyfishes is just right.
The exhibit feels a bit small however, especially when compared to the other highlights of the zoo.
It will probably only get better as time passes, I can't wait to visit again sooner or later to see the evolution of the exhibit and the species selection.

I read somewhere before on this thread that Burgers savannah was probably its weakest part, so I had very little expectations. I have to say that from what I've seen, it qualifies as one of the best african savannah exhibit I've encountered in a zoo. Safari parks are another story, but if I compare it to Leipzig, Prague or Beauval, it's the one I enjoyed the most.

Burgers' Zoo is so impressive that it's savannah (regarded by some as a "weakness") is indeed superb. The whole giraffe/antelope/rhino/cheetah/lion/gorilla/chimpanzee area has only a handful of enclosures, but the quality is extremely high. That pretty much sums up the zoo.

Burgers now has 5 exhibits on this thread, more than any other establishment. There are two zoos with 4 selections (Berlin and Zurich), which in some people's minds would be the top trio of zoos in Europe!

By my count, Gorlitz is now the 17th different German zoo on @lintworm's thread. That is an impressive statistic and showcases the incredible diversity found in that nation of endless zoos. France, with 9 zoos, is next but far behind Germany.