Sea lions are in fact pinnipeds.
Snowleopard's 2022 Road Trip: Denmark, Sweden & Norway
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
Oh thank you, I’m not great with my taxonomy.
@snowleopard Really interesting thread to follow and great reviews. As a swede it’s interesting to read what someone from abroad thinks about the parks here.
When I visited earlier this year they closed the house for visitors when the lions were inside when the keepers put food in the outdoor enclosure. It then reopened after a while when the lions were let outside again.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
Zoo/Aquarium # 20: Nordens Ark (Hunnebostrand, SE)
After our morning at Boras Zoo, Konstantin and I drove two hours northwest to Nordens Ark. This is a specialist facility, focusing on animals that live in a ‘Nordic climate region’, with 100,000 annual visitors and the zoo takes up a portion of a 383 hectare/946-acre estate. Even though the manor dates back hundreds of years, a breeding centre was founded in 1988. It was formally inaugurated in 1989 and now more than 30 years have flown by and Nordens Ark is a zoo filled with very impressive exhibits. Like a number of zoos that I’ve visited on this trip, the zoo has its own hotel, and it appears to be a very popular starting point for many guests.
Zoo Map (you start at the bottom and the zoo is essentially a big loop with side trails):
Konstantin and I spent two hours at this zoo, walking up steep hills and down scenic valleys. Nordens Ark is situated in a thickly wooded Swedish forest, with the exhibits often set into a slice of woodland or in many memorable cases up against sheer cliffs of rock. The most astonishing part of the zoo are the feline enclosures, which must be up there with the best in the world. I specifically planned to visit this Swedish zoo just to see the cats on their rocky ledges and they didn't disappoint. There is a 1.7-acre Amur Tiger habitat that is like a mountain, surrounded by forest, and containing a single male tiger which we did not see. The gorgeous, stunning scenery almost made up for that fact! There are two smaller tiger enclosures and we saw a mother and cub and so we still had a great view of captive tigers.
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Sticking with felines, and beyond the trio of tiger habitats, there are a series of cat exhibits that are all world-class. Two Amur Leopard exhibits are densely wooded, then there are two Snow Leopard habitats that are vertiginous to look at because there are sheer cliffs inside the cat’s domain. The next two exhibits are for Persian Leopards, again with staggeringly steep cliffside enclosures. The photos don't even do the exhibits justice. On a smaller scale are two Pallas’ Cat exhibits that are perhaps the largest I’ve seen for that species. Add in Scottish Wildcat (two exhibits) and European Lynx (two exhibits), a third Pallas's Cat exhibit, and that adds up to 7 species of feline in 16 exhibits. Wow! What is stunning, once you see photos of the enclosures, is that only the lynx went unsighted by us. With two veteran zoo nerds on the prowl, it was possible to see the other 6 feline species and when we saw a cat in what appeared to be the wild, our jaws hit the floor.
Amur Leopard exhibit:
Snow Leopard exhibits:
Persian Leopard exhibit (a very steep enclosure on the side of a mountain that descends far below the wooden boardwalk):
Persian Leopard exhibit (illustrating how high the boardwalk is in the air):
Pallas's Cat exhibit (open-topped and with a glass barrier):
Scottish Wildcat exhibit:
The other 11 mammal species listed on the zoo’s website are Chinese Dhole, European Wolf, Maned Wolf, Wolverine, Red Panda, European Ground Squirrel, Przewalski’s Horse, Reindeer, Bukhara Urial, Wisent and Tadjik Markhor. A couple of those are seen from a distance in a large paddock, but the rest are mainly in dense forest. The European Wolf exhibit is ridiculously large and probably a good 5 acres in size, which I was commenting on when Konstantin pointed out a glimpse of a wolf in the darkness of the woods. He’s been to Nordens Ark on 6 occasions and he’s an expert at locating the animals. The zoo also has an exhibit for European Otters, but it was under construction during our visit and presumably they are out of otters for now.
Chinese Dhole exhibit:
Wolf exhibit (many acres in size):
Maned Wolf exhibit:
Red Panda exhibit:
Of course, this is another mammal heavy Scandinavian zoo, but there are a few birds here as well. The rarely exhibited White-backed Woodpecker (two aviaries), along with Eurasian Eagle Owl and Great Grey Owl, have shadowy enclosures deep in the forest. An open field has been turned into a Wetlands Zone, and here in the sunlight are White-naped Cranes, Red-crowned Cranes, White Storks and Lesser White-fronted Geese. There’s a Wetlands House, with an aviary for Northern Bald Ibis at one end, that is currently under construction as it is being expanded in size. The plan is to reopen the building by the summer of 2023, and it will be home to a dozen or more different species of reptiles and amphibians. The zoo's website mentions having 15 different turtle species in the building, although some will be off-show for breeding conservation purposes.
White-backed Woodpecker Aviary:
Northern Bald Ibis aviary:
Wetlands Zone (cranes & storks) with Wisent and Przewalski's Horses across the street:
Reptile & Amphibian Wetlands House:
Nordens Ark is a zoo with an admirable focus on ‘Nordic climate region species', all in superb exhibits. The 7 types of wild cats in 16 exhibits is an astonishing highlight, but in fact the entire zoo is well worth visiting and made for an amazing combination with Boras Zoo. Nordens Ark is very specific in its focus, but the zoo has done an admirable job of not only having felines but also branching out into other mammals, the Wetlands Zone with various large birds, and the upcoming expansion of the existing Reptile & Amphibian House (June 2023) will show the diversity available at this excellent zoo.
I included 18 photos of Nordens Ark in this detailed review, but in fact I uploaded approximately 60 photos into the ZooChat gallery for those who want to delve deeper into the visual record.
Konstantin and I spent approximately 3 hours at Boras Zoo, had a two hour drive, then spent just over two hours at Nordens Ark. At that point I drove north to drop off Konstantin at his home in Norway, after a remarkable day spent with him in Sweden, and I continued on for many more hours to begin my short but sweet Norwegian adventure. The next review can only be Kristiansand Zoo, which will follow in a day or two.
Zoo/Aquarium # 20: Nordens Ark (Hunnebostrand, SE)
After our morning at Boras Zoo, Konstantin and I drove two hours northwest to Nordens Ark. This is a specialist facility, focusing on animals that live in a ‘Nordic climate region’, with 100,000 annual visitors and the zoo takes up a portion of a 383 hectare/946-acre estate. Even though the manor dates back hundreds of years, a breeding centre was founded in 1988. It was formally inaugurated in 1989 and now more than 30 years have flown by and Nordens Ark is a zoo filled with very impressive exhibits. Like a number of zoos that I’ve visited on this trip, the zoo has its own hotel, and it appears to be a very popular starting point for many guests.
Zoo Map (you start at the bottom and the zoo is essentially a big loop with side trails):
Konstantin and I spent two hours at this zoo, walking up steep hills and down scenic valleys. Nordens Ark is situated in a thickly wooded Swedish forest, with the exhibits often set into a slice of woodland or in many memorable cases up against sheer cliffs of rock. The most astonishing part of the zoo are the feline enclosures, which must be up there with the best in the world. I specifically planned to visit this Swedish zoo just to see the cats on their rocky ledges and they didn't disappoint. There is a 1.7-acre Amur Tiger habitat that is like a mountain, surrounded by forest, and containing a single male tiger which we did not see. The gorgeous, stunning scenery almost made up for that fact! There are two smaller tiger enclosures and we saw a mother and cub and so we still had a great view of captive tigers.
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Sticking with felines, and beyond the trio of tiger habitats, there are a series of cat exhibits that are all world-class. Two Amur Leopard exhibits are densely wooded, then there are two Snow Leopard habitats that are vertiginous to look at because there are sheer cliffs inside the cat’s domain. The next two exhibits are for Persian Leopards, again with staggeringly steep cliffside enclosures. The photos don't even do the exhibits justice. On a smaller scale are two Pallas’ Cat exhibits that are perhaps the largest I’ve seen for that species. Add in Scottish Wildcat (two exhibits) and European Lynx (two exhibits), a third Pallas's Cat exhibit, and that adds up to 7 species of feline in 16 exhibits. Wow! What is stunning, once you see photos of the enclosures, is that only the lynx went unsighted by us. With two veteran zoo nerds on the prowl, it was possible to see the other 6 feline species and when we saw a cat in what appeared to be the wild, our jaws hit the floor.
Amur Leopard exhibit:
Snow Leopard exhibits:
Persian Leopard exhibit (a very steep enclosure on the side of a mountain that descends far below the wooden boardwalk):
Persian Leopard exhibit (illustrating how high the boardwalk is in the air):
Pallas's Cat exhibit (open-topped and with a glass barrier):
Scottish Wildcat exhibit:
The other 11 mammal species listed on the zoo’s website are Chinese Dhole, European Wolf, Maned Wolf, Wolverine, Red Panda, European Ground Squirrel, Przewalski’s Horse, Reindeer, Bukhara Urial, Wisent and Tadjik Markhor. A couple of those are seen from a distance in a large paddock, but the rest are mainly in dense forest. The European Wolf exhibit is ridiculously large and probably a good 5 acres in size, which I was commenting on when Konstantin pointed out a glimpse of a wolf in the darkness of the woods. He’s been to Nordens Ark on 6 occasions and he’s an expert at locating the animals. The zoo also has an exhibit for European Otters, but it was under construction during our visit and presumably they are out of otters for now.
Chinese Dhole exhibit:
Wolf exhibit (many acres in size):
Maned Wolf exhibit:
Red Panda exhibit:
Of course, this is another mammal heavy Scandinavian zoo, but there are a few birds here as well. The rarely exhibited White-backed Woodpecker (two aviaries), along with Eurasian Eagle Owl and Great Grey Owl, have shadowy enclosures deep in the forest. An open field has been turned into a Wetlands Zone, and here in the sunlight are White-naped Cranes, Red-crowned Cranes, White Storks and Lesser White-fronted Geese. There’s a Wetlands House, with an aviary for Northern Bald Ibis at one end, that is currently under construction as it is being expanded in size. The plan is to reopen the building by the summer of 2023, and it will be home to a dozen or more different species of reptiles and amphibians. The zoo's website mentions having 15 different turtle species in the building, although some will be off-show for breeding conservation purposes.
White-backed Woodpecker Aviary:
Northern Bald Ibis aviary:
Wetlands Zone (cranes & storks) with Wisent and Przewalski's Horses across the street:
Reptile & Amphibian Wetlands House:
Nordens Ark is a zoo with an admirable focus on ‘Nordic climate region species', all in superb exhibits. The 7 types of wild cats in 16 exhibits is an astonishing highlight, but in fact the entire zoo is well worth visiting and made for an amazing combination with Boras Zoo. Nordens Ark is very specific in its focus, but the zoo has done an admirable job of not only having felines but also branching out into other mammals, the Wetlands Zone with various large birds, and the upcoming expansion of the existing Reptile & Amphibian House (June 2023) will show the diversity available at this excellent zoo.
I included 18 photos of Nordens Ark in this detailed review, but in fact I uploaded approximately 60 photos into the ZooChat gallery for those who want to delve deeper into the visual record.
Konstantin and I spent approximately 3 hours at Boras Zoo, had a two hour drive, then spent just over two hours at Nordens Ark. At that point I drove north to drop off Konstantin at his home in Norway, after a remarkable day spent with him in Sweden, and I continued on for many more hours to begin my short but sweet Norwegian adventure. The next review can only be Kristiansand Zoo, which will follow in a day or two.
Fact check: The Beatles formed in 1960, not 1962.
He may be referring to the Rolling Stones...
but he may gather no moss
The trip reviews are not done.
So far, I have reviewed and reported on 14 zoos in Denmark and 6 zoos in Sweden. There are still two days left and a total of 4 more zoo reviews: Kristiansand Zoo and Den Lille Dyrehage ('The Small Zoo') in Norway, plus The Blue Planet Aquarium and Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark.
The final tally will be 16 Danish zoos, 6 Swedish zoos and 2 Norwegian zoos.
I had no idea my hometown was in Denmark
Jokes aside, looking forward to the rest of the reviews. Especially the Norwegian ones, I know next to nothing about Norwegian zoos.
I had no idea my hometown was in Denmark
That's a good joke, as it's genuinely confusing (especially when doing a Google search) to have TWO big European aquariums with the same name. One in England that opened in 1998, and then Denmark copied the name in 2013. Surely the Danes could have come up with something else? Everything there is red-and-white, just like their flag, and so 'The Red Planet Aquarium' would have been a better title. Then there could have been some fish from Mars.
I mean, its actual Danish name "Den Blå Planet" isn't similar to any other aquarium name. We couldn't have predicted that those pesky anglophones wanted to translate everything into their own language.
We couldn't have predicted that those pesky anglophones wanted to translate everything into their own language.
You're an Internet user. You absolutely knew we would do this.
Those cliffside exhibits look absolutely superb! thoroughly enjoying these reviews so far @snowleopard!Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
Zoo/Aquarium # 20: Nordens Ark (Hunnebostrand, SE)
After our morning at Boras Zoo, Konstantin and I drove two hours northwest to Nordens Ark. This is a specialist facility, focusing on animals that live in a ‘Nordic climate region’, with 100,000 annual visitors and the zoo takes up a portion of a 383 hectare/946-acre estate. Even though the manor dates back hundreds of years, a breeding centre was founded in 1988. It was formally inaugurated in 1989 and now more than 30 years have flown by and Nordens Ark is a zoo filled with very impressive exhibits. Like a number of zoos that I’ve visited on this trip, the zoo has its own hotel, and it appears to be a very popular starting point for many guests.
Zoo Map (you start at the bottom and the zoo is essentially a big loop with side trails):
Konstantin and I spent two hours at this zoo, walking up steep hills and down scenic valleys. Nordens Ark is situated in a thickly wooded Swedish forest, with the exhibits often set into a slice of woodland or in many memorable cases up against sheer cliffs of rock. The most astonishing part of the zoo are the feline enclosures, which must be up there with the best in the world. I specifically planned to visit this Swedish zoo just to see the cats on their rocky ledges and they didn't disappoint. There is a 1.7-acre Amur Tiger habitat that is like a mountain, surrounded by forest, and containing a single male tiger which we did not see. The gorgeous, stunning scenery almost made up for that fact! There are two smaller tiger enclosures and we saw a mother and cub and so we still had a great view of captive tigers.
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Amur Tiger exhibit:
Sticking with felines, and beyond the trio of tiger habitats, there are a series of cat exhibits that are all world-class. Two Amur Leopard exhibits are densely wooded, then there are two Snow Leopard habitats that are vertiginous to look at because there are sheer cliffs inside the cat’s domain. The next two exhibits are for Persian Leopards, again with staggeringly steep cliffside enclosures. The photos don't even do the exhibits justice. On a smaller scale are two Pallas’ Cat exhibits that are perhaps the largest I’ve seen for that species. Add in Scottish Wildcat (two exhibits) and European Lynx (two exhibits), a third Pallas's Cat exhibit, and that adds up to 7 species of feline in 16 exhibits. Wow! What is stunning, once you see photos of the enclosures, is that only the lynx went unsighted by us. With two veteran zoo nerds on the prowl, it was possible to see the other 6 feline species and when we saw a cat in what appeared to be the wild, our jaws hit the floor.
Amur Leopard exhibit:
Snow Leopard exhibits:
Persian Leopard exhibit (a very steep enclosure on the side of a mountain that descends far below the wooden boardwalk):
Persian Leopard exhibit (illustrating how high the boardwalk is in the air):
Pallas's Cat exhibit (open-topped and with a glass barrier):
Scottish Wildcat exhibit:
The other 11 mammal species listed on the zoo’s website are Chinese Dhole, European Wolf, Maned Wolf, Wolverine, Red Panda, European Ground Squirrel, Przewalski’s Horse, Reindeer, Bukhara Urial, Wisent and Tadjik Markhor. A couple of those are seen from a distance in a large paddock, but the rest are mainly in dense forest. The European Wolf exhibit is ridiculously large and probably a good 5 acres in size, which I was commenting on when Konstantin pointed out a glimpse of a wolf in the darkness of the woods. He’s been to Nordens Ark on 6 occasions and he’s an expert at locating the animals. The zoo also has an exhibit for European Otters, but it was under construction during our visit and presumably they are out of otters for now.
Chinese Dhole exhibit:
Wolf exhibit (many acres in size):
Maned Wolf exhibit:
Red Panda exhibit:
Of course, this is another mammal heavy Scandinavian zoo, but there are a few birds here as well. The rarely exhibited White-backed Woodpecker (two aviaries), along with Eurasian Eagle Owl and Great Grey Owl, have shadowy enclosures deep in the forest. An open field has been turned into a Wetlands Zone, and here in the sunlight are White-naped Cranes, Red-crowned Cranes, White Storks and Lesser White-fronted Geese. There’s a Wetlands House, with an aviary for Northern Bald Ibis at one end, that is currently under construction as it is being expanded in size. The plan is to reopen the building by the summer of 2023, and it will be home to a dozen or more different species of reptiles and amphibians. The zoo's website mentions having 15 different turtle species in the building, although some will be off-show for breeding conservation purposes.
White-backed Woodpecker Aviary:
Northern Bald Ibis aviary:
Wetlands Zone (cranes & storks) with Wisent and Przewalski's Horses across the street:
Reptile & Amphibian Wetlands House:
Nordens Ark is a zoo with an admirable focus on ‘Nordic climate region species', all in superb exhibits. The 7 types of wild cats in 16 exhibits is an astonishing highlight, but in fact the entire zoo is well worth visiting and made for an amazing combination with Boras Zoo. Nordens Ark is very specific in its focus, but the zoo has done an admirable job of not only having felines but also branching out into other mammals, the Wetlands Zone with various large birds, and the upcoming expansion of the existing Reptile & Amphibian House (June 2023) will show the diversity available at this excellent zoo.
I included 18 photos of Nordens Ark in this detailed review, but in fact I uploaded approximately 60 photos into the ZooChat gallery for those who want to delve deeper into the visual record.
Konstantin and I spent approximately 3 hours at Boras Zoo, had a two hour drive, then spent just over two hours at Nordens Ark. At that point I drove north to drop off Konstantin at his home in Norway, after a remarkable day spent with him in Sweden, and I continued on for many more hours to begin my short but sweet Norwegian adventure. The next review can only be Kristiansand Zoo, which will follow in a day or two.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2022
Here’s my story about Norway and this review contains more than 3,200 words...
Norway was a conundrum for me when planning this trip. I knew that apart from traveling to Europe and back, which is essentially two days there and one day back due to the time zone changes, I’d have 8 full zoo days to play around with. I began to meticulously plot my trip, working out all the opening and closing times of the zoos, figuring out a driving schedule, checking for any possible closures or special events, etc. I knew that I’d spend the bulk of my time in Denmark, but of course I wanted to go beyond that nation. The usual approach is to see a bunch of zoos in northern Germany, then head towards Copenhagen and that’s about as far north as an enthusiast generally goes. I wanted to push beyond that and see a lot of zoos in the northern region of Denmark (Jutland), but I was also determined to add on Sweden as well. But what to do about Norway?
At first, I had another day in Denmark added on to drive through the Knuthenoborg Safaripark and also the Krokodille Zoo, and perhaps a bird park. There was also a possible day in Sweden near Helsingborg, with a trio of smaller zoos. The second draft of my road trip was to go out of my way to drive into Norway and maybe stop off somewhere for gas or lunch just to say that I’d been to Norway and add another nation to my all-time list. In the end, I went all out and decided that I was already so close to Kristiansand Zoo, a major zoological facility, and I might never have that opportunity again. I added on a day for the zoo, but it was a struggle to get there.
First, there was a really long day on Monday of Kolmarden Wildlife Park, then Kolmarden Tropicarium, then driving two hours, then Parken Zoo, then driving 4 hours, then meeting Konstantin at 10:30 p.m. and staying up chatting past midnight. Next up was Tuesday when we went to Boras Zoo, then drove two hours, toured Nordens Ark, then I had a 5-hour drive that included dropping off Konstantin and heading to the Drobak Tunnel. Unfortunately, there had been some kind of vehicle crash near the entrance and police were turning everyone away. I followed a small group of cars and ended up at a ferry, where I patiently waited as it gradually got darker outside. A very tiny ferry showed up, we all drove on and didn’t pay anything up front as the ferry worker took photos of everyone’s license plates instead, and it was a short 20-minute experience. I still had a very long drive ahead of me and after a crazy long day (Konstantin and I were up at 5 a.m.) I didn’t pull into my hotel in Arendal, Norway, until 19 hours later at midnight! The kind-hearted receptionist let me park directly in front of the hotel, in the manager’s spot, to avoid paying $30 Canadian in parking in the underground garage. I gratefully accepted, provided that I was gone by 7:00 a.m. before the manager arrived. I was showered and in bed by 1:00 a.m. and I set my alarm for 6:15 a.m. to ensure that I had plenty of time to be out the door.
Later on, after I toured two zoos in Norway, including the famous Kristiansand Zoo which I’ve reviewed below, I then had an EIGHT-HOUR drive back through Norway, through Sweden and all the way down to within an hour and a half of Copenhagen in Denmark! This time around, the Drobak tunnel was open but there was ANOTHER accident and I sat, without moving, for almost an hour in the middle of the dark tunnel while emergency crews escorted a tow truck into the abyss. Guys were leaving their vehicles to stretch and take a leak, which seemed dangerous as traffic was still approaching from the opposite direction while our lane didn't move at all, and I thought that in hindsight it would have been much faster and probably cheaper to have got on a plane and flown to Norway instead of all the crazy driving. But who would have guessed that I'd need a ferry and be stuck in a freaking tunnel? Much later, and for the second consecutive night, I didn’t check into my hotel until midnight. In truth, I wasn't even that tired because the adrenaline of being somewhere new and having amazing zoos to visit kept me alert and occupied. So, there’s my Norway story and it illustrates how adding on another country to the trip was a huge undertaking. I can look back and be happy I did it, because Kristiansand Zoo is a lock for any list of Europe’s best zoos due to its geographical setting, its excellent animal exhibits and its popularity. It is a major European zoo that is well worth visiting. If anyone reading this decides to venture that far north in the world, then please just trust me and hop on an airplane.
Zoo/Aquarium # 21: Kristiansand Zoo (Kristiansand, NO)
The city of Kristiansand is nowhere near Norway's capital city of Oslo, and in fact is several hours to the south. It’s a city by the sea and with not much more than 100,000 citizens. And yet, somewhat incredibly for such a remote destination, the Kristiansand Zoo is immensely popular and pre-Covid it was regularly hitting one million visitors every year. That puts it in an elite group of around 35 European zoos, which is an astonishing fact because the zoo is 3.5 hours south of Oslo or else a 3.5-hour ferry to Hirtshals, Denmark. Why is the zoo so popular? Well, for one thing it has an amusement waterpark attached to it, and it’s also a high caliber facility filled with fantastic exhibits.
The zoo has been around since 1966, and it’s not a static facility but instead a vibrant, evolving zoo that has added a lot of attractions in the past 20 years. One of Europe’s very best tiger exhibits opened in 2002, a big African Savanna (2001) and Lion complex were added (2007), an impressive farmyard zone opened in 2009, a non-animal area (‘Badeland’) was added to the existing waterpark in 2010, a brand-new orangutan complex opened in 2020 and in 2022 the African Savanna doubled in size. The entire zoo is 66 hectares/163 acres, and the establishment is neatly divided in two, with the left-hand side of the map showing the zoo, while the right-hand side has the big pirate-themed park. If one is on the zoo side and strolls down to the shoreline of the lake, it is possible to behold a huge island filled with water-based aquatic fun like swimming pools, pirate boats and rides, plus all sorts of typical amusement park attractions. There is a wide variety of overnight accommodation here, including a large, boat-shaped hotel that opened in 2001 with 160 rooms. There’s also a pirate area called ‘Abra Havn’ with 171 pirate shacks and 750 beds. There are even 40 cabins, all built on stilts and looking like rustic treehouses, in a forested area of the park. There’s Dyreparken Safaricamp, with 42 tents in a mini campground. And finally, there are 31 themed houses in the mock city of Kardemomme, with 8 of the homes available to be rented out for families who wish to experience “life in a humble Norwegian village”. This zoo is a Scandinavian destination on an epic scale.
One thing that I really enjoyed about Kristiansand Zoo, is that basically all the rides and attractions that would fall into the amusement park category are in a separate area. One of my biggest issues with places like Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that there is too often a confluence of rollercoasters and scream-inducing rides with animals. Years ago, I recall being at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, which has some fantastic animal enclosures for species like Gorillas and Chimpanzees, and I was standing near the Asian Elephants. There’s a rollercoaster off in the background, some other crazy ride nearby, stereo speakers hooked up directly outside the elephant habitat that were blaring pop music, and the whole thing made me want to gag. At Kristiansand, a zoo ‘purist’ will be thrilled to know that the zoo part of things is far away from the one-legged ‘Captain Sabertooth’ pirates and water shows in packed stadiums. Logically, it’s the best of both worlds. Kristiansand has 117 species, and 650 total animals that are all separate from the rest of the noise.
Zoo Map:
Before even entering the zoo, one can gaze at yet another excellent African Savanna in Scandinavia. I have marveled at vast savannas at zoos such as Kolmarden, Boras, Ree Park Safari, Odense and Aalborg on this trip. Here, the large expanse was doubled as of this year, meaning that there is a lot of green, lush grass for the animals to graze on. Giraffes, Grant’s Zebras, Common Eland, Blesbok and at least 8 Ostriches have acres of space in a fine introduction to the zoo. One doesn’t even need an admission ticket to see the savanna, as it now takes up space that was once part of the parking lot. I think back to my visit to Calgary Zoo earlier this summer, in the Province of Alberta, Canada. There were three giraffes, a zebra and a couple of crowned cranes on the ‘African Savanna’. That makes 6 animals to go along with the 8 animals at Woodland Park Zoo’s similar exhibit, but compared to these Danish, Swedish and Norwegian zoos, those small savannas are boring and devoid of life.
African Savanna:
Africa continues with a large area for only three species. There’s a superb Lion complex, with one spacious habitat and a smaller side yard, along with indoor viewing. A long visitor tunnel goes through the largest space and in total I saw 5 lions. Then there’s three exhibits for Meerkats, allowing the zoo a lot of flexibility with mixing and matching of animals. Not to be outdone, there are three Cheetah exhibits up next, again with indoor viewing and the whole setup is superb. The indoor area is spacious and full of natural substrate, and the trio of outdoor enclosures are long, grassy and viewed over scenic waterways. Between the savanna, Meerkats, Lions and Cheetahs, it’s a splendid African-themed hour in the zoo. You see very few species, but the exhibits are terrific.
The zoo has 3 Meerkat exhibits, all near each other. This one is incredibly long and it includes tall trees:
Here's one of the zoo's 3 Cheetah exhibits:
There is a very long visitor tunnel through the largest of the African Lion exhibits. Could someone poke the tips of their fingers through the metal? Of course!
The high quality of Africa continues with Asia. Again, this isn’t Berlin and there’s not many species, but what is there is truly excellent. Things begin with indoor and outdoor viewing of Red Pandas, which includes a tank containing endangered Pool Frogs (Pelophylax lessonae) in the back. Then there is the big 2020 development, which is an orangutan complex that consists of three outdoor island exhibits and three houses. One island has Bornean Orangutans, the next one has Bornean Orangutans and Javan Langurs together, and the third is possibly my favourite because it has Yellow-cheeked Gibbons brachiating in mature conifer trees and that is a surreal sight. The main building is accessible by visitors, while the other two houses are look-in only, but overall, I was impressed.
Bornean Orangutan/Javan Langur exhibit:
Orangutan/Langur House:
A splendid island for Yellow-cheeked Gibbons, and seeing them climb into the highest points of the trees was a highlight:
Asia also contains a rocky habitat for at least a dozen Alpine Ibex, plus a world-class feline exhibit. Amur Tigers prowl a beautiful slice of Norwegian forest, with the viewing areas ranging from fencing to windows to a tiger tunnel that bisects the habitat. The tiger tunnel (which is like an old WWII concrete bunker) isn’t labeled on the zoo’s map and I almost walked by the small sign that leads a visitor down some steep stairs that are slick and probably as dangerous in wintertime as an escaped big cat. Nordic zoos build huge tiger forests but keep them well stocked with cats, as I saw 5 Amur Tigers in this exhibit.
Between Kolmarden, Nordens Ark and Kristiansand, I was blessed with seeing some superb tiger habitats. Amur Tiger exhibit:
How is it possible to see a tiger? I saw 5 of them in this one stunning habitat:
Amur Tiger exhibit with visitor tunnel:
There is then a path that leads to the upper regions of the park where there is a large stretch of land called Nordic Wilderness. Here, in truth, things went too far in terms of naturalism. I know at least two zoo nerds that think Nordic Wilderness is the best part of Kristiansand Zoo, but here the enclosures are arguably too big. On another day, perhaps this area would be as world-class as the rest of the zoo, but I only saw fleeting glimpses of two out of the region’s 6 species. It was a beastly hot day, which meant the animals were likely all panting in the shade, but I felt a sense of frustration wandering around an endless wooden boardwalk that stretches into deep woodland. I spied an Arctic Fox because its white fur stood out to me, and a couple of Moose off in the distance, but I had no sign of any Wolverines (I went 0-3 for this species on the trip) because their exhibit is acres in size. There might well have been loads of Wolverines in there, but the sheer scale of the habitat is daunting for visitors. European Lynx, European Otters and European Wolves were all no-shows, but the wolf exhibit must be something crazy like 10 acres. It might even contain interconnected habitats, each the size of a small zoo, but whatever the case, I saw nothing. The Danes and Swedes have many enormous mammal habitats, but the Norwegians have an ocean of a forest for 6 species and even though I’m obviously a fan of mega-sized enclosures, it is a step too far in my opinion. This area opened in stages between 1992 and 1998 and is a whopping 40 acres in size!
Moose exhibit:
Wolverine exhibit:
Wolf exhibit:
European Otter exhibit:
Let's pause for a quick recap: Africa = 8 species, Asia = 7 species, Nordic Wilderness = 6 species on exhibit. Time spent at zoo so far = 3 hours for 21 species
In the center of the zoo is The Jungle and many zoo enthusiasts will be delighted to see a much more zoo-like atmosphere and even a big Tropical House to explore. There’s a boisterous group of Chimpanzees on a lush, narrow island that surprisingly has huge netting on the visitor side that obscures viewing in only one section. Perhaps the chimps were throwing items at people? Or the other way around? Besides Chimpanzees, including a lot of huge signs about the zoo’s iconic male chimp named 'Julius', there are primate islands with Colombian Black Spider Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys and Ring-tailed Lemurs. Golden Lion Tamarins have an outdoor cage as well.
Even the Chimpanzees have a mini forest on their island home:
Colombian Black Spider Monkey exhibit:
Inside the ‘Jungle House’, which opened in 1994, there is indoor viewing for the Chimpanzees, Ring-tailed Lemurs and Golden Lion Tamarins, a walk-through rainforest room with free-flying birds in the canopy, and a really nice, tightly squeezed hallway with reptiles and amphibians that opens up into a dark, almost Nocturnal-like room with two crocodilian pools. I saw some reptiles here that I'd not seen anywhere else on the trip. The arc of the experience, from the light, airy and open primate areas to the slightly darker reptile hall to the extremely dark croc zone is a really nice observation of captive wildlife.
Chimpanzee indoor exhibit:
West African Crocodile exhibit:
Jungle House free-flying birds: Red-crested Turaco, Red-crested Cardinal, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Diamond Dove, Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove, Speckled Mousebird, Victoria Crowned Pigeon and Indian Peafowl.
Jungle House species list: Chimpanzee, Golden Lion Tamarin, Pygmy Marmoset, Greater Flamingo (indoor viewing), West African Crocodile, Reticulated Python, Asian Rock Python, Carpet Python, Boa Constrictor, Emerald Tree Boa, Western Hognose Snake, Radiated Tortoise, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Lace Monitor, Blue Tree Monitor, Spencer’s Monitor, Club-tailed Iguana, Ocellated Lizard, Madagascar Ground Gecko, New Caledonia Giant Gecko, Prickly Knob-tailed Gecko, Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko, English Crested Gecko, Chacoan Horned Frog, Red-bellied Piranha and Land Hermit Crab.
That’s almost the entire zoo, in 4 major sections, but for the sake of completeness I should mention that there is a South American area that includes an enclosure for Lowland Tapirs and Capybaras that is beautifully landscaped, with a small Tapir House that allows visitors to go inside. There is a massive exhibit that’s a walk-through with a herd of Fallow Deer, plus elsewhere is a small paddock for Bactrian Camels. A major section is called ‘Ku Toppen’, which basically means Cattle Hill and it is a farmyard zone based on a TV series. This is honestly a spectacular domestic animal area, with a wide range of barnyard critters and I can easily see families spending an hour here even though I walked through it in minutes. There’s also a spacious domestic goat petting area near the African zone.
Lowland Tapir/Capybara House:
Kristiansand Zoo is a very good establishment, especially for families. On my way out the exit gate, I stopped to chat with a staff member, and he told me that it’s quite common for families to spend three days in the park. The zoo is many hours away from any major city, and he said that people make it worth their while if they are going to see the sights. He was shocked that I didn't actually stay on the zoo's grounds, but I told him about my late night crazy driving story. Apparently it is normal to stay at the hotel or any of the many other overnight accommodation options on-site, then have a day on the zoo side, a day on the pirate-themed waterpark side, and then a third day to repeat highlights of the park. There are so many shows and presentations and restaurants that many families are probably tempted to never leave!
Even ignoring all the amusement park glitz (which is far more sedated than similar parks) and focusing on the zoo exhibits, this is a wonderful facility for a zoo nerd to spend many hours at and I’m glad I made the effort. With a million visitors each year, hopefully there will continue to be new exhibits added as there has been in the recent past. This is one of Europe's most popular zoos and yet very few zoo nerds have visited because of its remote location. It's a remote zoo even by Norwegian standards!
I included 20 photos in this detailed review, but I uploaded a grand total of 140 photos to the ZooChat gallery for those that wish to dive deeper into the visual record. Enjoy!
Here’s my story about Norway and this review contains more than 3,200 words...
Norway was a conundrum for me when planning this trip. I knew that apart from traveling to Europe and back, which is essentially two days there and one day back due to the time zone changes, I’d have 8 full zoo days to play around with. I began to meticulously plot my trip, working out all the opening and closing times of the zoos, figuring out a driving schedule, checking for any possible closures or special events, etc. I knew that I’d spend the bulk of my time in Denmark, but of course I wanted to go beyond that nation. The usual approach is to see a bunch of zoos in northern Germany, then head towards Copenhagen and that’s about as far north as an enthusiast generally goes. I wanted to push beyond that and see a lot of zoos in the northern region of Denmark (Jutland), but I was also determined to add on Sweden as well. But what to do about Norway?
At first, I had another day in Denmark added on to drive through the Knuthenoborg Safaripark and also the Krokodille Zoo, and perhaps a bird park. There was also a possible day in Sweden near Helsingborg, with a trio of smaller zoos. The second draft of my road trip was to go out of my way to drive into Norway and maybe stop off somewhere for gas or lunch just to say that I’d been to Norway and add another nation to my all-time list. In the end, I went all out and decided that I was already so close to Kristiansand Zoo, a major zoological facility, and I might never have that opportunity again. I added on a day for the zoo, but it was a struggle to get there.
First, there was a really long day on Monday of Kolmarden Wildlife Park, then Kolmarden Tropicarium, then driving two hours, then Parken Zoo, then driving 4 hours, then meeting Konstantin at 10:30 p.m. and staying up chatting past midnight. Next up was Tuesday when we went to Boras Zoo, then drove two hours, toured Nordens Ark, then I had a 5-hour drive that included dropping off Konstantin and heading to the Drobak Tunnel. Unfortunately, there had been some kind of vehicle crash near the entrance and police were turning everyone away. I followed a small group of cars and ended up at a ferry, where I patiently waited as it gradually got darker outside. A very tiny ferry showed up, we all drove on and didn’t pay anything up front as the ferry worker took photos of everyone’s license plates instead, and it was a short 20-minute experience. I still had a very long drive ahead of me and after a crazy long day (Konstantin and I were up at 5 a.m.) I didn’t pull into my hotel in Arendal, Norway, until 19 hours later at midnight! The kind-hearted receptionist let me park directly in front of the hotel, in the manager’s spot, to avoid paying $30 Canadian in parking in the underground garage. I gratefully accepted, provided that I was gone by 7:00 a.m. before the manager arrived. I was showered and in bed by 1:00 a.m. and I set my alarm for 6:15 a.m. to ensure that I had plenty of time to be out the door.
Later on, after I toured two zoos in Norway, including the famous Kristiansand Zoo which I’ve reviewed below, I then had an EIGHT-HOUR drive back through Norway, through Sweden and all the way down to within an hour and a half of Copenhagen in Denmark! This time around, the Drobak tunnel was open but there was ANOTHER accident and I sat, without moving, for almost an hour in the middle of the dark tunnel while emergency crews escorted a tow truck into the abyss. Guys were leaving their vehicles to stretch and take a leak, which seemed dangerous as traffic was still approaching from the opposite direction while our lane didn't move at all, and I thought that in hindsight it would have been much faster and probably cheaper to have got on a plane and flown to Norway instead of all the crazy driving. But who would have guessed that I'd need a ferry and be stuck in a freaking tunnel?
Much later, and for the second consecutive night, I didn’t check into my hotel until midnight. In truth, I wasn't even that tired because the adrenaline of being somewhere new and having amazing zoos to visit kept me alert and occupied. So, there’s my Norway story and it illustrates how adding on another country to the trip was a huge undertaking. I can look back and be happy I did it, because Kristiansand Zoo is a lock for any list of Europe’s best zoos due to its geographical setting, its excellent animal exhibits and its popularity. It is a major European zoo that is well worth visiting. If anyone reading this decides to venture that far north in the world, then please just trust me and hop on an airplane.Zoo/Aquarium # 21: Kristiansand Zoo (Kristiansand, NO)
The city of Kristiansand is nowhere near Norway's capital city of Oslo, and in fact is several hours to the south. It’s a city by the sea and with not much more than 100,000 citizens. And yet, somewhat incredibly for such a remote destination, the Kristiansand Zoo is immensely popular and pre-Covid it was regularly hitting one million visitors every year. That puts it in an elite group of around 35 European zoos, which is an astonishing fact because the zoo is 3.5 hours south of Oslo or else a 3.5-hour ferry to Hirtshals, Denmark. Why is the zoo so popular? Well, for one thing it has an amusement waterpark attached to it, and it’s also a high caliber facility filled with fantastic exhibits.
The zoo has been around since 1966, and it’s not a static facility but instead a vibrant, evolving zoo that has added a lot of attractions in the past 20 years. One of Europe’s very best tiger exhibits opened in 2002, a big African Savanna (2001) and Lion complex were added (2007), an impressive farmyard zone opened in 2009, a non-animal area (‘Badeland’) was added to the existing waterpark in 2010, a brand-new orangutan complex opened in 2020 and in 2022 the African Savanna doubled in size. The entire zoo is 66 hectares/163 acres, and the establishment is neatly divided in two, with the left-hand side of the map showing the zoo, while the right-hand side has the big pirate-themed park. If one is on the zoo side and strolls down to the shoreline of the lake, it is possible to behold a huge island filled with water-based aquatic fun like swimming pools, pirate boats and rides, plus all sorts of typical amusement park attractions. There is a wide variety of overnight accommodation here, including a large, boat-shaped hotel that opened in 2001 with 160 rooms. There’s also a pirate area called ‘Abra Havn’ with 171 pirate shacks and 750 beds. There are even 40 cabins, all built on stilts and looking like rustic treehouses, in a forested area of the park. There’s Dyreparken Safaricamp, with 42 tents in a mini campground. And finally, there are 31 themed houses in the mock city of Kardemomme, with 8 of the homes available to be rented out for families who wish to experience “life in a humble Norwegian village”. This zoo is a Scandinavian destination on an epic scale.
One thing that I really enjoyed about Kristiansand Zoo, is that basically all the rides and attractions that would fall into the amusement park category are in a separate area. One of my biggest issues with places like Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that there is too often a confluence of rollercoasters and scream-inducing rides with animals. Years ago, I recall being at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, which has some fantastic animal enclosures for species like Gorillas and Chimpanzees, and I was standing near the Asian Elephants. There’s a rollercoaster off in the background, some other crazy ride nearby, stereo speakers hooked up directly outside the elephant habitat that were blaring pop music, and the whole thing made me want to gag. At Kristiansand, a zoo ‘purist’ will be thrilled to know that the zoo part of things is far away from the one-legged ‘Captain Sabertooth’ pirates and water shows in packed stadiums. Logically, it’s the best of both worlds. Kristiansand has 117 species, and 650 total animals that are all separate from the rest of the noise.
Zoo Map:
Before even entering the zoo, one can gaze at yet another excellent African Savanna in Scandinavia. I have marveled at vast savannas at zoos such as Kolmarden, Boras, Ree Park Safari, Odense and Aalborg on this trip. Here, the large expanse was doubled as of this year, meaning that there is a lot of green, lush grass for the animals to graze on. Giraffes, Grant’s Zebras, Common Eland, Blesbok and at least 8 Ostriches have acres of space in a fine introduction to the zoo. One doesn’t even need an admission ticket to see the savanna, as it now takes up space that was once part of the parking lot. I think back to my visit to Calgary Zoo earlier this summer, in the Province of Alberta, Canada. There were three giraffes, a zebra and a couple of crowned cranes on the ‘African Savanna’. That makes 6 animals to go along with the 8 animals at Woodland Park Zoo’s similar exhibit, but compared to these Danish, Swedish and Norwegian zoos, those small savannas are boring and devoid of life.
African Savanna:
Africa continues with a large area for only three species. There’s a superb Lion complex, with one spacious habitat and a smaller side yard, along with indoor viewing. A long visitor tunnel goes through the largest space and in total I saw 5 lions. Then there’s three exhibits for Meerkats, allowing the zoo a lot of flexibility with mixing and matching of animals. Not to be outdone, there are three Cheetah exhibits up next, again with indoor viewing and the whole setup is superb. The indoor area is spacious and full of natural substrate, and the trio of outdoor enclosures are long, grassy and viewed over scenic waterways. Between the savanna, Meerkats, Lions and Cheetahs, it’s a splendid African-themed hour in the zoo. You see very few species, but the exhibits are terrific.
The zoo has 3 Meerkat exhibits, all near each other. This one is incredibly long and it includes tall trees:
Here's one of the zoo's 3 Cheetah exhibits:
There is a very long visitor tunnel through the largest of the African Lion exhibits. Could someone poke the tips of their fingers through the metal? Of course!
The high quality of Africa continues with Asia. Again, this isn’t Berlin and there’s not many species, but what is there is truly excellent. Things begin with indoor and outdoor viewing of Red Pandas, which includes a tank containing endangered Pool Frogs (Pelophylax lessonae) in the back. Then there is the big 2020 development, which is an orangutan complex that consists of three outdoor island exhibits and three houses. One island has Bornean Orangutans, the next one has Bornean Orangutans and Javan Langurs together, and the third is possibly my favourite because it has Yellow-cheeked Gibbons brachiating in mature conifer trees and that is a surreal sight. The main building is accessible by visitors, while the other two houses are look-in only, but overall, I was impressed.
Bornean Orangutan/Javan Langur exhibit:
Orangutan/Langur House:
A splendid island for Yellow-cheeked Gibbons, and seeing them climb into the highest points of the trees was a highlight:
Asia also contains a rocky habitat for at least a dozen Alpine Ibex, plus a world-class feline exhibit. Amur Tigers prowl a beautiful slice of Norwegian forest, with the viewing areas ranging from fencing to windows to a tiger tunnel that bisects the habitat. The tiger tunnel (which is like an old WWII concrete bunker) isn’t labeled on the zoo’s map and I almost walked by the small sign that leads a visitor down some steep stairs that are slick and probably as dangerous in wintertime as an escaped big cat. Nordic zoos build huge tiger forests but keep them well stocked with cats, as I saw 5 Amur Tigers in this exhibit.
Between Kolmarden, Nordens Ark and Kristiansand, I was blessed with seeing some superb tiger habitats. Amur Tiger exhibit:
How is it possible to see a tiger? I saw 5 of them in this one stunning habitat:
Amur Tiger exhibit with visitor tunnel:
There is then a path that leads to the upper regions of the park where there is a large stretch of land called Nordic Wilderness. Here, in truth, things went too far in terms of naturalism. I know at least two zoo nerds that think Nordic Wilderness is the best part of Kristiansand Zoo, but here the enclosures are arguably too big. On another day, perhaps this area would be as world-class as the rest of the zoo, but I only saw fleeting glimpses of two out of the region’s 6 species. It was a beastly hot day, which meant the animals were likely all panting in the shade, but I felt a sense of frustration wandering around an endless wooden boardwalk that stretches into deep woodland. I spied an Arctic Fox because its white fur stood out to me, and a couple of Moose off in the distance, but I had no sign of any Wolverines (I went 0-3 for this species on the trip) because their exhibit is acres in size. There might well have been loads of Wolverines in there, but the sheer scale of the habitat is daunting for visitors. European Lynx, European Otters and European Wolves were all no-shows, but the wolf exhibit must be something crazy like 10 acres. It might even contain interconnected habitats, each the size of a small zoo, but whatever the case, I saw nothing. The Danes and Swedes have many enormous mammal habitats, but the Norwegians have an ocean of a forest for 6 species and even though I’m obviously a fan of mega-sized enclosures, it is a step too far in my opinion. This area opened in stages between 1992 and 1998 and is a whopping 40 acres in size!
Moose exhibit:
Wolverine exhibit:
Wolf exhibit:
European Otter exhibit:
Let's pause for a quick recap: Africa = 8 species, Asia = 7 species, Nordic Wilderness = 6 species on exhibit. Time spent at zoo so far = 3 hours for 21 species
In the center of the zoo is The Jungle and many zoo enthusiasts will be delighted to see a much more zoo-like atmosphere and even a big Tropical House to explore. There’s a boisterous group of Chimpanzees on a lush, narrow island that surprisingly has huge netting on the visitor side that obscures viewing in only one section. Perhaps the chimps were throwing items at people? Or the other way around? Besides Chimpanzees, including a lot of huge signs about the zoo’s iconic male chimp named 'Julius', there are primate islands with Colombian Black Spider Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys and Ring-tailed Lemurs. Golden Lion Tamarins have an outdoor cage as well.
Even the Chimpanzees have a mini forest on their island home:
Colombian Black Spider Monkey exhibit:
Inside the ‘Jungle House’, which opened in 1994, there is indoor viewing for the Chimpanzees, Ring-tailed Lemurs and Golden Lion Tamarins, a walk-through rainforest room with free-flying birds in the canopy, and a really nice, tightly squeezed hallway with reptiles and amphibians that opens up into a dark, almost Nocturnal-like room with two crocodilian pools. I saw some reptiles here that I'd not seen anywhere else on the trip. The arc of the experience, from the light, airy and open primate areas to the slightly darker reptile hall to the extremely dark croc zone is a really nice observation of captive wildlife.
Chimpanzee indoor exhibit:
West African Crocodile exhibit:
Jungle House free-flying birds: Red-crested Turaco, Red-crested Cardinal, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Diamond Dove, Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove, Speckled Mousebird, Victoria Crowned Pigeon and Indian Peafowl.
Jungle House species list: Chimpanzee, Golden Lion Tamarin, Pygmy Marmoset, Greater Flamingo (indoor viewing), West African Crocodile, Reticulated Python, Asian Rock Python, Carpet Python, Boa Constrictor, Emerald Tree Boa, Western Hognose Snake, Radiated Tortoise, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Lace Monitor, Blue Tree Monitor, Spencer’s Monitor, Club-tailed Iguana, Ocellated Lizard, Madagascar Ground Gecko, New Caledonia Giant Gecko, Prickly Knob-tailed Gecko, Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko, English Crested Gecko, Chacoan Horned Frog, Red-bellied Piranha and Land Hermit Crab.
That’s almost the entire zoo, in 4 major sections, but for the sake of completeness I should mention that there is a South American area that includes an enclosure for Lowland Tapirs and Capybaras that is beautifully landscaped, with a small Tapir House that allows visitors to go inside. There is a massive exhibit that’s a walk-through with a herd of Fallow Deer, plus elsewhere is a small paddock for Bactrian Camels. A major section is called ‘Ku Toppen’, which basically means Cattle Hill and it is a farmyard zone based on a TV series. This is honestly a spectacular domestic animal area, with a wide range of barnyard critters and I can easily see families spending an hour here even though I walked through it in minutes. There’s also a spacious domestic goat petting area near the African zone.
Lowland Tapir/Capybara House:
Kristiansand Zoo is a very good establishment, especially for families. On my way out the exit gate, I stopped to chat with a staff member, and he told me that it’s quite common for families to spend three days in the park. The zoo is many hours away from any major city, and he said that people make it worth their while if they are going to see the sights. He was shocked that I didn't actually stay on the zoo's grounds, but I told him about my late night crazy driving story. Apparently it is normal to stay at the hotel or any of the many other overnight accommodation options on-site, then have a day on the zoo side, a day on the pirate-themed waterpark side, and then a third day to repeat highlights of the park. There are so many shows and presentations and restaurants that many families are probably tempted to never leave!
Even ignoring all the amusement park glitz (which is far more sedated than similar parks) and focusing on the zoo exhibits, this is a wonderful facility for a zoo nerd to spend many hours at and I’m glad I made the effort. With a million visitors each year, hopefully there will continue to be new exhibits added as there has been in the recent past. This is one of Europe's most popular zoos and yet very few zoo nerds have visited because of its remote location. It's a remote zoo even by Norwegian standards!
I included 20 photos in this detailed review, but I uploaded a grand total of 140 photos to the ZooChat gallery for those that wish to dive deeper into the visual record. Enjoy!
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I had only barely heard of Kiristiansand before, and considering there was never much talk about it I had always assumed it was probably a small zoo and Norway just didn't have any proper big zoo but clearly I was very, very wrong! Kristiansand looks absolutely excellent!Wednesday, August 10th, 2022
Here’s my story about Norway and this review contains more than 3,200 words...
Norway was a conundrum for me when planning this trip. I knew that apart from traveling to Europe and back, which is essentially two days there and one day back due to the time zone changes, I’d have 8 full zoo days to play around with. I began to meticulously plot my trip, working out all the opening and closing times of the zoos, figuring out a driving schedule, checking for any possible closures or special events, etc. I knew that I’d spend the bulk of my time in Denmark, but of course I wanted to go beyond that nation. The usual approach is to see a bunch of zoos in northern Germany, then head towards Copenhagen and that’s about as far north as an enthusiast generally goes. I wanted to push beyond that and see a lot of zoos in the northern region of Denmark (Jutland), but I was also determined to add on Sweden as well. But what to do about Norway?
At first, I had another day in Denmark added on to drive through the Knuthenoborg Safaripark and also the Krokodille Zoo, and perhaps a bird park. There was also a possible day in Sweden near Helsingborg, with a trio of smaller zoos. The second draft of my road trip was to go out of my way to drive into Norway and maybe stop off somewhere for gas or lunch just to say that I’d been to Norway and add another nation to my all-time list. In the end, I went all out and decided that I was already so close to Kristiansand Zoo, a major zoological facility, and I might never have that opportunity again. I added on a day for the zoo, but it was a struggle to get there.
First, there was a really long day on Monday of Kolmarden Wildlife Park, then Kolmarden Tropicarium, then driving two hours, then Parken Zoo, then driving 4 hours, then meeting Konstantin at 10:30 p.m. and staying up chatting past midnight. Next up was Tuesday when we went to Boras Zoo, then drove two hours, toured Nordens Ark, then I had a 5-hour drive that included dropping off Konstantin and heading to the Drobak Tunnel. Unfortunately, there had been some kind of vehicle crash near the entrance and police were turning everyone away. I followed a small group of cars and ended up at a ferry, where I patiently waited as it gradually got darker outside. A very tiny ferry showed up, we all drove on and didn’t pay anything up front as the ferry worker took photos of everyone’s license plates instead, and it was a short 20-minute experience. I still had a very long drive ahead of me and after a crazy long day (Konstantin and I were up at 5 a.m.) I didn’t pull into my hotel in Arendal, Norway, until 19 hours later at midnight! The kind-hearted receptionist let me park directly in front of the hotel, in the manager’s spot, to avoid paying $30 Canadian in parking in the underground garage. I gratefully accepted, provided that I was gone by 7:00 a.m. before the manager arrived. I was showered and in bed by 1:00 a.m. and I set my alarm for 6:15 a.m. to ensure that I had plenty of time to be out the door.
Later on, after I toured two zoos in Norway, including the famous Kristiansand Zoo which I’ve reviewed below, I then had an EIGHT-HOUR drive back through Norway, through Sweden and all the way down to within an hour and a half of Copenhagen in Denmark! This time around, the Drobak tunnel was open but there was ANOTHER accident and I sat, without moving, for almost an hour in the middle of the dark tunnel while emergency crews escorted a tow truck into the abyss. Guys were leaving their vehicles to stretch and take a leak, which seemed dangerous as traffic was still approaching from the opposite direction while our lane didn't move at all, and I thought that in hindsight it would have been much faster and probably cheaper to have got on a plane and flown to Norway instead of all the crazy driving. But who would have guessed that I'd need a ferry and be stuck in a freaking tunnel?
Zoo/Aquarium # 21: Kristiansand Zoo (Kristiansand, NO)
The city of Kristiansand is nowhere near Norway's capital city of Oslo, and in fact is several hours to the south. It’s a city by the sea and with not much more than 100,000 citizens. And yet, somewhat incredibly for such a remote destination, the Kristiansand Zoo is immensely popular and pre-Covid it was regularly hitting one million visitors every year. That puts it in an elite group of around 35 European zoos, which is an astonishing fact because the zoo is 3.5 hours south of Oslo or else a 3.5-hour ferry to Hirtshals, Denmark. Why is the zoo so popular? Well, for one thing it has an amusement waterpark attached to it, and it’s also a high caliber facility filled with fantastic exhibits.
The zoo has been around since 1966, and it’s not a static facility but instead a vibrant, evolving zoo that has added a lot of attractions in the past 20 years. One of Europe’s very best tiger exhibits opened in 2002, a big African Savanna (2001) and Lion complex were added (2007), an impressive farmyard zone opened in 2009, a non-animal area (‘Badeland’) was added to the existing waterpark in 2010, a brand-new orangutan complex opened in 2020 and in 2022 the African Savanna doubled in size. The entire zoo is 66 hectares/163 acres, and the establishment is neatly divided in two, with the left-hand side of the map showing the zoo, while the right-hand side has the big pirate-themed park. If one is on the zoo side and strolls down to the shoreline of the lake, it is possible to behold a huge island filled with water-based aquatic fun like swimming pools, pirate boats and rides, plus all sorts of typical amusement park attractions. There is a wide variety of overnight accommodation here, including a large, boat-shaped hotel that opened in 2001 with 160 rooms. There’s also a pirate area called ‘Abra Havn’ with 171 pirate shacks and 750 beds. There are even 40 cabins, all built on stilts and looking like rustic treehouses, in a forested area of the park. There’s Dyreparken Safaricamp, with 42 tents in a mini campground. And finally, there are 31 themed houses in the mock city of Kardemomme, with 8 of the homes available to be rented out for families who wish to experience “life in a humble Norwegian village”. This zoo is a Scandinavian destination on an epic scale.
One thing that I really enjoyed about Kristiansand Zoo, is that basically all the rides and attractions that would fall into the amusement park category are in a separate area. One of my biggest issues with places like Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that there is too often a confluence of rollercoasters and scream-inducing rides with animals. Years ago, I recall being at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, which has some fantastic animal enclosures for species like Gorillas and Chimpanzees, and I was standing near the Asian Elephants. There’s a rollercoaster off in the background, some other crazy ride nearby, stereo speakers hooked up directly outside the elephant habitat that were blaring pop music, and the whole thing made me want to gag. At Kristiansand, a zoo ‘purist’ will be thrilled to know that the zoo part of things is far away from the one-legged ‘Captain Sabertooth’ pirates and water shows in packed stadiums. Logically, it’s the best of both worlds. Kristiansand has 117 species, and 650 total animals that are all separate from the rest of the noise.
Zoo Map:
Before even entering the zoo, one can gaze at yet another excellent African Savanna in Scandinavia. I have marveled at vast savannas at zoos such as Kolmarden, Boras, Ree Park Safari, Odense and Aalborg on this trip. Here, the large expanse was doubled as of this year, meaning that there is a lot of green, lush grass for the animals to graze on. Giraffes, Grant’s Zebras, Common Eland, Blesbok and at least 8 Ostriches have acres of space in a fine introduction to the zoo. One doesn’t even need an admission ticket to see the savanna, as it now takes up space that was once part of the parking lot. I think back to my visit to Calgary Zoo earlier this summer, in the Province of Alberta, Canada. There were three giraffes, a zebra and a couple of crowned cranes on the ‘African Savanna’. That makes 6 animals to go along with the 8 animals at Woodland Park Zoo’s similar exhibit, but compared to these Danish, Swedish and Norwegian zoos, those small savannas are boring and devoid of life.
African Savanna:
Africa continues with a large area for only three species. There’s a superb Lion complex, with one spacious habitat and a smaller side yard, along with indoor viewing. A long visitor tunnel goes through the largest space and in total I saw 5 lions. Then there’s three exhibits for Meerkats, allowing the zoo a lot of flexibility with mixing and matching of animals. Not to be outdone, there are three Cheetah exhibits up next, again with indoor viewing and the whole setup is superb. The indoor area is spacious and full of natural substrate, and the trio of outdoor enclosures are long, grassy and viewed over scenic waterways. Between the savanna, Meerkats, Lions and Cheetahs, it’s a splendid African-themed hour in the zoo. You see very few species, but the exhibits are terrific.
The zoo has 3 Meerkat exhibits, all near each other. This one is incredibly long and it includes tall trees:
Here's one of the zoo's 3 Cheetah exhibits:
There is a very long visitor tunnel through the largest of the African Lion exhibits. Could someone poke the tips of their fingers through the metal? Of course!
The high quality of Africa continues with Asia. Again, this isn’t Berlin and there’s not many species, but what is there is truly excellent. Things begin with indoor and outdoor viewing of Red Pandas, which includes a tank containing endangered Pool Frogs (Pelophylax lessonae) in the back. Then there is the big 2020 development, which is an orangutan complex that consists of three outdoor island exhibits and three houses. One island has Bornean Orangutans, the next one has Bornean Orangutans and Javan Langurs together, and the third is possibly my favourite because it has Yellow-cheeked Gibbons brachiating in mature conifer trees and that is a surreal sight. The main building is accessible by visitors, while the other two houses are look-in only, but overall, I was impressed.
Bornean Orangutan/Javan Langur exhibit:
Orangutan/Langur House:
A splendid island for Yellow-cheeked Gibbons, and seeing them climb into the highest points of the trees was a highlight:
Asia also contains a rocky habitat for at least a dozen Alpine Ibex, plus a world-class feline exhibit. Amur Tigers prowl a beautiful slice of Norwegian forest, with the viewing areas ranging from fencing to windows to a tiger tunnel that bisects the habitat. The tiger tunnel (which is like an old WWII concrete bunker) isn’t labeled on the zoo’s map and I almost walked by the small sign that leads a visitor down some steep stairs that are slick and probably as dangerous in wintertime as an escaped big cat. Nordic zoos build huge tiger forests but keep them well stocked with cats, as I saw 5 Amur Tigers in this exhibit.
Between Kolmarden, Nordens Ark and Kristiansand, I was blessed with seeing some superb tiger habitats. Amur Tiger exhibit:
How is it possible to see a tiger? I saw 5 of them in this one stunning habitat:
Amur Tiger exhibit with visitor tunnel:
There is then a path that leads to the upper regions of the park where there is a large stretch of land called Nordic Wilderness. Here, in truth, things went too far in terms of naturalism. I know at least two zoo nerds that think Nordic Wilderness is the best part of Kristiansand Zoo, but here the enclosures are arguably too big. On another day, perhaps this area would be as world-class as the rest of the zoo, but I only saw fleeting glimpses of two out of the region’s 6 species. It was a beastly hot day, which meant the animals were likely all panting in the shade, but I felt a sense of frustration wandering around an endless wooden boardwalk that stretches into deep woodland. I spied an Arctic Fox because its white fur stood out to me, and a couple of Moose off in the distance, but I had no sign of any Wolverines (I went 0-3 for this species on the trip) because their exhibit is acres in size. There might well have been loads of Wolverines in there, but the sheer scale of the habitat is daunting for visitors. European Lynx, European Otters and European Wolves were all no-shows, but the wolf exhibit must be something crazy like 10 acres. It might even contain interconnected habitats, each the size of a small zoo, but whatever the case, I saw nothing. The Danes and Swedes have many enormous mammal habitats, but the Norwegians have an ocean of a forest for 6 species and even though I’m obviously a fan of mega-sized enclosures, it is a step too far in my opinion. This area opened in stages between 1992 and 1998 and is a whopping 40 acres in size!
Moose exhibit:
Wolverine exhibit:
Wolf exhibit:
European Otter exhibit:
Let's pause for a quick recap: Africa = 8 species, Asia = 7 species, Nordic Wilderness = 6 species on exhibit. Time spent at zoo so far = 3 hours for 21 species
In the center of the zoo is The Jungle and many zoo enthusiasts will be delighted to see a much more zoo-like atmosphere and even a big Tropical House to explore. There’s a boisterous group of Chimpanzees on a lush, narrow island that surprisingly has huge netting on the visitor side that obscures viewing in only one section. Perhaps the chimps were throwing items at people? Or the other way around? Besides Chimpanzees, including a lot of huge signs about the zoo’s iconic male chimp named 'Julius', there are primate islands with Colombian Black Spider Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys and Ring-tailed Lemurs. Golden Lion Tamarins have an outdoor cage as well.
Even the Chimpanzees have a mini forest on their island home:
Colombian Black Spider Monkey exhibit:
Inside the ‘Jungle House’, which opened in 1994, there is indoor viewing for the Chimpanzees, Ring-tailed Lemurs and Golden Lion Tamarins, a walk-through rainforest room with free-flying birds in the canopy, and a really nice, tightly squeezed hallway with reptiles and amphibians that opens up into a dark, almost Nocturnal-like room with two crocodilian pools. I saw some reptiles here that I'd not seen anywhere else on the trip. The arc of the experience, from the light, airy and open primate areas to the slightly darker reptile hall to the extremely dark croc zone is a really nice observation of captive wildlife.
Chimpanzee indoor exhibit:
West African Crocodile exhibit:
Jungle House free-flying birds: Red-crested Turaco, Red-crested Cardinal, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Diamond Dove, Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove, Speckled Mousebird, Victoria Crowned Pigeon and Indian Peafowl.
Jungle House species list: Chimpanzee, Golden Lion Tamarin, Pygmy Marmoset, Greater Flamingo (indoor viewing), West African Crocodile, Reticulated Python, Asian Rock Python, Carpet Python, Boa Constrictor, Emerald Tree Boa, Western Hognose Snake, Radiated Tortoise, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Lace Monitor, Blue Tree Monitor, Spencer’s Monitor, Club-tailed Iguana, Ocellated Lizard, Madagascar Ground Gecko, New Caledonia Giant Gecko, Prickly Knob-tailed Gecko, Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko, English Crested Gecko, Chacoan Horned Frog, Red-bellied Piranha and Land Hermit Crab.
That’s almost the entire zoo, in 4 major sections, but for the sake of completeness I should mention that there is a South American area that includes an enclosure for Lowland Tapirs and Capybaras that is beautifully landscaped, with a small Tapir House that allows visitors to go inside. There is a massive exhibit that’s a walk-through with a herd of Fallow Deer, plus elsewhere is a small paddock for Bactrian Camels. A major section is called ‘Ku Toppen’, which basically means Cattle Hill and it is a farmyard zone based on a TV series. This is honestly a spectacular domestic animal area, with a wide range of barnyard critters and I can easily see families spending an hour here even though I walked through it in minutes. There’s also a spacious domestic goat petting area near the African zone.
Lowland Tapir/Capybara House:
Kristiansand Zoo is a very good establishment, especially for families. On my way out the exit gate, I stopped to chat with a staff member, and he told me that it’s quite common for families to spend three days in the park. The zoo is many hours away from any major city, and he said that people make it worth their while if they are going to see the sights. He was shocked that I didn't actually stay on the zoo's grounds, but I told him about my late night crazy driving story. Apparently it is normal to stay at the hotel or any of the many other overnight accommodation options on-site, then have a day on the zoo side, a day on the pirate-themed waterpark side, and then a third day to repeat highlights of the park. There are so many shows and presentations and restaurants that many families are probably tempted to never leave!
Even ignoring all the amusement park glitz (which is far more sedated than similar parks) and focusing on the zoo exhibits, this is a wonderful facility for a zoo nerd to spend many hours at and I’m glad that I made the effort. With a million visitors each year, hopefully there will continue to be new exhibits added as there has been in the recent past. This is one of Europe's most popular zoos and yet very few zoo nerds have visited because of its remote location. It's a remote zoo even by Norwegian standards!
I included 20 photos in this detailed review, but I uploaded a grand total of 140 photos to the ZooChat gallery for those that wish to dive deeper into the visual record. Enjoy!
The similarities come from that the same architect, Tage Hedlund, designed both parks. Borås was first and opened in 1962 and served as inspiration when Kolmården was designed. Kolmården opened in 1965.
I agree with you, but unfortunately I don't think it will happen in the near future. The gorilla and chimpanzee exhibits were rebuilt in 2014-2015 and more than doubled in size. Earlier, they were just small islands, but then they removed parts of the moat so the islands became connected to the cliffs behind. The wooden fence was also built then.
Yes @Mayki, Kristiansand is a nice surprise for many folks on this site. It's a strange fact that it's one of Europe's most popular zoos, yet it's so remote that not many zoo nerds venture into Norway to see it.
That's interesting @Anton and thanks for the information. Having the same architect design both Boras and Kolmarden explains why the African Savannas at each zoo are remarkably similar. Boras has the clear edge because of the African Elephants and Cape Buffalo, but Kolmarden's actually has more species and animals overall.
Here is a review of the book Berggren's Beasts (1969) that I posted on ZooChat 5 years ago. It's a fascinating account of the first few years of Boras Zoo and well worth reading.
Berggren's Beasts - Book Review
That's interesting @Anton and thanks for the information. Having the same architect design both Boras and Kolmarden explains why the African Savannas at each zoo are remarkably similar. Boras has the clear edge because of the African Elephants and Cape Buffalo, but Kolmarden's actually has more species and animals overall.
Here is a review of the book Berggren's Beasts (1969) that I posted on ZooChat 5 years ago. It's a fascinating account of the first few years of Boras Zoo and well worth reading.
Berggren's Beasts - Book Review