Snowleopard's 2022 Road Trip: Denmark, Sweden & Norway

[snowleopard]

Wednesday, August 10th, 2022

After posting my longest review of the trip (3,200 words on Norwegian driving and the spectacular Kristiansand Zoo), here is my shortest review:

Zoo/Aquarium # 22: Den Lille Dyrehage/The Small Zoo (Sundebru, NO)

After my visit to big, popular Kristiansand Zoo, I then drove an hour north to The Small Zoo. Clever name, right? This place is located alongside a string of stores in a shopping area. I could see some captive animals and grab a whopper combo at Burger King right afterwards! The zoo is made up of two buildings and a small outdoor area. The first building is the entrance, a gift shop and a small restaurant. Outside consists of a Meerkat exhibit, a walk-through yard for Bennett’s Wallabies and Grey Kangaroos, plus an Emu enclosure. There’s also a big walk-through yard with domestic goats and pigs and a couple of playgrounds, which I avoided. By now, I’d purchased my ticket and seen the entire zoo in the space of approximately 10 minutes. It was $22 Canadian, as Norway is an expensive nation. But wait, just when I thought I was done everything, I went to check out the second building…

Zoo Entrance:

On the zoo map, the three outdoor exhibits are # 5, 8 and 9. Then there's the big Tropical House (#10):

Meerkat exhibit (here's a side view of the 'tree-trunk' exterior):

Australian walk-through exhibit:

The Tropical Rainforest is a nice little gem of a structure. It’s basically a big greenhouse, hot as hell during my visit, but I spent almost half an hour inside and my body adjusted to the blistering temperature on what was already a scorching day. Right off the bat, there’s a pool for a big Cuban Crocodile. The free ranging primates are incredibly bold here, with White-faced Sakis crashing around, Pygmy Marmosets hunting insects, and Goeldi’s Monkeys coming so close that I could have easily touched their tails…but I didn’t. I saw a Sunbittern with a brood of chicks and Red-footed Tortoises, both wandering around in the dirt. There’s a nice Green Anaconda exhibit, with an adjacent murky pool for giant Amazon fish such as Arapaima and Red-tailed Catfish. There’s a Boa Constrictor exhibit, free ranging Douroucoulis (although I didn’t see those nocturnal primates), a half-dozen free ranging Flying Foxes, and a pool for Dwarf Caiman and turtles. Free ranging Poison Dart Frogs are here, along with a sign for Basilisks, but there are very few birds in the canopy. There's a side area called the 'Snake Jungle', which is like Randers and contains a walk-through area with big pythons and loads of butterflies. In truth, I only saw two Carpet Pythons, but even so, this is something that would never be seen in North America and it's a little thrill to have seen two walk-through python exhibits in Scandinavia. At the back of the jungle is a hut that has a sign saying: “the world’s most poisonous snakes”. It initially looks like an employee area, but I entered and was delighted to see a series of terrariums with the following 7 species: Black-headed Bushmaster, Russell’s Viper, West African Gaboon Viper, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Mangrove Snake, Spectacled Cobra and Eastern Copperhead. That’s certainly a part of the zoo that was unexpected, and at least it wasn’t a walk-through!

Tropical House Map:

Cuban Crocodile exhibit:

Goeldi's Monkeys and other free-ranging primates are extremely bold here:

Green Anaconda exhibit:

Giant Amazon Fish exhibit (with a very wet visitor area):

Dwarf Caiman exhibit:

Venomous Snake House:

After Kristiansand and Den Lille Dyrehage, I had an 8-hour drive through 3 nations!

It will be sad when my 10th ZooChat road trip thread comes to an end. I have two facilities in Copenhagen left and after that I'll wrap things up with a few posts discussing the entire journey.

 

[Newzooboy]

Looking forward to your perspectives on the last two - these are the only facilities on this trip that I have visited myself (May this year). If you get the chance, the small aquarium in the Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen) is also worth a look.

 

[Batto]

the world’s most poisonous snakes”. It initially looks like an employee area, but I entered and was delighted to see a series of terrariums with the following 7 species: Black-headed Bushmaster, Russell’s Viper, West African Gaboon Viper, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Mangrove Snake, Spectacled Cobra and Eastern Copperhead. That’s certainly a part of the zoo that was unexpected, and at least it wasn’t a walk-through!

Neat setting and a lovely species selection, but no taipans, brown snakes, mambas etc. in the "most venomous" section, and not even a tiger keelback to represent for that "poisonous snake" statement? Oh my...

 

[twilighter]

Neat setting and a lovely species selection, but no taipans, brown snakes, mambas etc. in the "most venomous" section, and not even a tiger keelback to represent for that "poisonous snake" statement? Oh my...

The guys are new in the "Gift" business and this area is freshly opened. Give them some time

 

[Batto]

The guys are new in the "Gift" business and this area is freshly opened. Give them some time

With such species, they're already in my good books..

 

[snowleopard]

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

My 8th and final zoo day saw me visit the big two facilities in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Zoo/Aquarium # 23: Den Bla Planet Aquarium/The Blue Planet Aquarium (Kastrup, Copenhagen, DK)

The Blue Planet Aquarium advertises itself as “Northern Europe’s largest aquarium”, with a total of 7,000 liters (1.8 million gallons) of water. Judging from zoo nerd comments over the years, it seems that ‘Den Bla’ is arguably Europe’s 3rd best aquarium, after Valencia and Lisbon. Wherever it stands, the facility is a fantastic architectural achievement, and it resembles a whirlpool when seen from above. Everything is still new and shiny, as the aquarium only opened in 2013 and has yet to hit its decade milestone. I liked it a great deal, although all the hype had me thinking it would be larger than it is and a small part of me was a bit disappointed that there are only three zones and 53 tanks. For example, at 10,000 square meters, it is only slightly larger than The Deep Aquarium in England. Still, this is a noteworthy aquarium and well worth visiting. I’ll review the facility by each of the three zones, which are colour-coded blue, red and green by the entrance hub and each section leads back to that same central area. Think of it like an aquatic version of ZOOM Gelsenkirchen, although Georgia Aquarium is a more direct comparison.

A beautiful summer day for an aquarium visit:

The three main galleries are accessed by a central hub that looks like something out of Star Trek:

The first zone is called Northern Lakes and Seas and there’s a lot of flounders, plaice, soles, European Eels, lobsters, a big touch tank and many species found in freezing cold water in the northern hemisphere. There are Wolf Eels, a big tank full of plastic bags and all sorts of fish in every direction. An eye-catching exhibit, called Faroese Bird Rock, is a seabird one with a backdrop that reminded me of Ireland’s Giant Causeway geographical formations. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Red-legged Kittiwakes and Atlantic Puffins are the birds inside, with bream, salmon, wrasse, saithe and seabass as the fish species.

Northern Lakes and Seas:

Faroese Bird Rock (similar to Copenhagen Zoo's Seabird Aviary, and the zoo's bizarre Hamadryas Baboon exhibit!):

Faroese Bird Rock and Sea Otter exhibit:

The most famous animals here are the Sea Otters, as almost no one else has this species in Europe. I’m fortunate as I’ll see 5 or 6 Sea Otters in one visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, but in Europe they are one of the Holy Grail species. The Blue Planet Aquarium has a decent underwater viewing area, with kelp and a nicely designed habitat for the diving otters. Unfortunately, the outdoor exhibit (which is the only outdoor section of the aquarium and was originally for California Sea Lions) suffers from an extraordinary amount of glare and from certain angles it’s basically impossible to see anything inside the exhibit.

Sea Otter exhibit underwater viewing:

Sea Otter exhibit (everyone lines up to look into the little window on the right-hand side, as the big main window is all glare when you are there in person):

The second zone is called Tropical Lakes and Rivers and I was in awe at some of the landscaping in many of these tanks. The first impression is a favourable one, with a looping arc of three very large tanks all connected that resembles the Berlin Zoo’s Aquarium. Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Endangered Species represent a trio of ecosystems, and they are stunning. There’s also a tank for Blind Cave Fish, an Electric Eel exhibit (sadly not open-topped like the one at Kolmarden Tropicarium), and then visitors plunge into a two-level tropical jungle environment. Seba’s Short-tailed Bats are up in the canopy, Pig-nosed Turtles, Arapaima and Arowana are in various tanks, and the room is hot and humid. The real treasures are beneath the surface, as going down a flight of stairs reveals some massive, beautiful exhibits that are arguably the highlight of the entire aquarium. Arapaima and others are swimming around up close, with one of the world’s largest Piranha tanks a great sight, and there are many types of stingrays, a dozen Payara, Mata Matas, several Arowana species, and some terrariums with various Poison Dart Frogs, tarantulas, geckos and a huge Asian Forest Scorpion.

Tropical Lakes and Rivers (3 separate tanks):

Tropical Jungle:

Red-bellied Piranha exhibit:

Giant Amazon Fish exhibit (with an exquisite riverbank backdrop):

Coming up for air, and re-entering the main floor, there is a gorgeous tank for South American Lungfish and a dozen other species, including more freshwater stingrays. There’s Electric Catfish and probably 5 more types of catfish elsewhere, a Stream Aquarium with several kinds of rainbowfish and various catfish I’d never heard of before, a stunning tank that looks like it’s all seagrass and was made in a Japanese aquatic facility, Alligator Snapping Turtles, Alligator Gar, more Payara and a stunning Archerfish tank with 10 more species (like chameleons and turtles) along with the fish.

South American Lungfish and a dozen other species are in this tank:

Plants in the River tank:

Archerfish, chameleons and a dozen different species in yet another well-designed and aesthetically pleasing tank:

The third and final zone is called The Ocean and there is the obligatory short but very nice shark tunnel, and there is currently a special exhibition called ‘The Sea Long Ago’ that is amazing. It has life-size models of “the most spectacular sea creatures that have ever lived”. That includes huge, realistic looking replicas of a Megalodon, King Turtle, Tylosaurus, Cameroceras, Elasmosaurus, the fierce looking Dunkleosteus, Ambulocetus, Swordfin, Sea Centipede Anomalocaris and Ichthyosaurus. It’s a real pity that this section is only temporary, as the giant ‘monsters’ dominate the room and galvanize visitors to approach them for photos.

Shark Tunnel:

The Sea Long Ago:

Elsewhere is a long and narrow coral reef tank, splendidly designed and it’s an exhibit that slides under the radar but perhaps deserves more attention. There are two very large touch tanks that were crowded on my visit, with many hands plunged into the pools. Several eel species are found farther along, and all streams lead to the mighty Ocean tank. This thing is around a million gallons and one of those mega-tanks that was unthinkable decades ago and now has become more common around the world. There are many schools of fish inside and the largest and most notable inhabitants are Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Blacktip Reef Shark, Zebra Shark, Spotted Wobbegong, Bow-mouthed Guitarfish and Loggerhead Sea Turtle. It’s a huge tank and the main viewing window has some spectacular views, but I was expecting a bit more in terms of angles and levels.

A stunning Coral Reef exhibit:

Ocean Tank:

Ocean Tank:

Of course, I feel the need to compare Den Bla Planet Aquarium to Nordsoen Oceanarium, because that’s what zoo nerds do. The Oceanarium, up on the tip of Denmark’s northern coast, has a much better mega-tank and would “win” that category. Nordsoen and Den Bla Planet both have massive, approximately one-million-gallon ocean tanks, but the one at Nordsoen has 15 viewing windows and can be seen over 4 levels, which creates a much more immersive experience. Also, Nordsoen has the better outdoor area, with a beautiful seal pool, many play areas and a cool Whale Researcher’s Hut that is like a mini museum. Den Bla Planet has only Sea Otters, which are great, but it’s difficult to even see them with the glare and tall windows. However, Den Bla Planet’s total of 53 tanks, many of them larger than an average aquarium exhibit, give it an indoor edge as Nordsoen has a lot of empty space inside its two buildings. Plus, the numbered tanks and quality of signage at Den Bla Planet might be up there with the best aquariums on the planet. The signs are touch screens but easily the best I've seen. Overall, I would give the slight edge to Den Bla Planet, but Nordsoen Oceanarium isn’t too far behind. For sure, Denmark is host to two of Europe’s 10 best aquariums.

 

[FBBird]

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

My 8th and final zoo day saw me visit the big two facilities in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Zoo/Aquarium # 23: Den Bla Planet Aquarium/The Blue Planet Aquarium (Kastrup, Copenhagen, DK)

The Blue Planet Aquarium advertises itself as “Northern Europe’s largest aquarium”, with a total of 7,000 liters (1.8 million gallons) of water. Judging from zoo nerd comments over the years, it seems that ‘Den Bla’ is arguably Europe’s 3rd best aquarium, after Valencia and Lisbon. Wherever it stands, the facility is a fantastic architectural achievement, and it resembles a whirlpool when seen from above. Everything is still new and shiny, as the aquarium only opened in 2013 and has yet to hit its decade milestone. I liked it a great deal, although all the hype had me thinking it would be larger than it is and a small part of me was a bit disappointed that there are only three zones and 53 tanks. For example, at 10,000 square meters, it is only slightly larger than The Deep Aquarium in England. Still, this is a noteworthy aquarium and well worth visiting. I’ll review the facility by each of the three zones, which are colour-coded blue, red and green by the entrance hub and each section leads back to that same central area. Think of it like an aquatic version of ZOOM Gelsenkirchen, although Georgia Aquarium is a more direct comparison.

A beautiful summer day for an aquarium visit:

The three main galleries are accessed by a central hub that looks like something out of Star Trek:

The first zone is called Northern Lakes and Seas and there’s a lot of flounders, plaice, soles, European Eels, lobsters, a big touch tank and many species found in freezing cold water in the northern hemisphere. There are Wolf Eels, a big tank full of plastic bags and all sorts of fish in every direction. An eye-catching exhibit, called Faroese Bird Rock, is a seabird one with a backdrop that reminded me of Ireland’s Giant Causeway geographical formations. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Red-legged Kittiwakes and Atlantic Puffins are the birds inside, with bream, salmon, wrasse, saithe and seabass as the fish species.

Northern Lakes and Seas:

Faroese Bird Rock (similar to Copenhagen Zoo's Seabird Aviary, and the zoo's bizarre Hamadryas Baboon exhibit!):

Faroese Bird Rock and Sea Otter exhibit:

The most famous animals here are the Sea Otters, as almost no one else has this species in Europe. I’m fortunate as I’ll see 5 or 6 Sea Otters in one visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, but in Europe they are one of the Holy Grail species. The Blue Planet Aquarium has a decent underwater viewing area, with kelp and a nicely designed habitat for the diving otters. Unfortunately, the outdoor exhibit (which is the only outdoor section of the aquarium and was originally for California Sea Lions) suffers from an extraordinary amount of glare and from certain angles it’s basically impossible to see anything inside the exhibit.

Sea Otter exhibit underwater viewing:

Sea Otter exhibit (everyone lines up to look into the little window on the right-hand side, as the big main window is all glare when you are there in person):

The second zone is called Tropical Lakes and Rivers and I was in awe at some of the landscaping in many of these tanks. The first impression is a favourable one, with a looping arc of three very large tanks all connected that resembles the Berlin Zoo’s Aquarium. Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Endangered Species represent a trio of ecosystems, and they are stunning. There’s also a tank for Blind Cave Fish, an Electric Eel exhibit (sadly not open-topped like the one at Kolmarden Tropicarium), and then visitors plunge into a two-level tropical jungle environment. Seba’s Short-tailed Bats are up in the canopy, Pig-nosed Turtles, Arapaima and Arowana are in various tanks, and the room is hot and humid. The real treasures are beneath the surface, as going down a flight of stairs reveals some massive, beautiful exhibits that are arguably the highlight of the entire aquarium. Arapaima and others are swimming around up close, with one of the world’s largest Piranha tanks a great sight, and there are many types of stingrays, a dozen Payara, Mata Matas, several Arowana species, and some terrariums with various Poison Dart Frogs, tarantulas, geckos and a huge Asian Forest Scorpion.

Tropical Lakes and Rivers:

Tropical Jungle:

Red-bellied Piranha exhibit:

Giant Amazon Fish exhibit (with an exquisite riverbank backdrop):

Coming up for air, and re-entering the main floor, there is a gorgeous tank for South American Lungfish and a dozen other species, including more freshwater stingrays. There’s Electric Catfish and probably 5 more types of catfish elsewhere, a Stream Aquarium with several kinds of rainbowfish and various catfish I’d never heard of before, a stunning tank that looks like it’s all seagrass and was made in a Japanese aquatic facility, Alligator Snapping Turtles, Alligator Gar, more Payara and a stunning Archerfish tank with 10 more species (like chameleons and turtles) along with the fish.

South American Lungfish and a dozen other species are in this tank:

Plants in the River tank:

Archerfish, chameleons and a dozen different species in yet another well-designed and aesthetically pleasing tank:

The third and final zone is called The Ocean and there is the obligatory short but very nice shark tunnel, and there is currently a special exhibition called ‘The Sea Long Ago’ that is amazing. It has life-size models of “the most spectacular sea creatures that have ever lived”. That includes huge, realistic looking replicas of a Megalodon, King Turtle, Tylosaurus, Cameroceras, Elasmosaurus, the fierce looking Dunkleosteus, Ambulocetus, Swordfin, Sea Centipede Anomalocaris and Ichthyosaurus. It’s a real pity that this section is only temporary, as the giant ‘monsters’ dominate the room and galvanize visitors to approach them for photos.

Shark Tunnel:

The Sea Long Ago:

Elsewhere is a long and narrow coral reef tank, splendidly designed and it’s an exhibit that slides under the radar but perhaps deserves more attention. There are two very large touch tanks that were crowded on my visit, with many hands plunged into the pools. Several eel species are found farther along, and all streams lead to the mighty Ocean tank. This thing is around a million gallons and one of those mega-tanks that was unthinkable decades ago and now has become more common around the world. There are many schools of fish inside and the largest and most notable inhabitants are Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Blacktip Reef Shark, Zebra Shark, Spotted Wobbegong, Bow-mouthed Guitarfish and Loggerhead Sea Turtle. It’s a huge tank and the main viewing window has some spectacular views, but I was expecting a bit more in terms of angles and levels.

A stunning Coral Reef exhibit:

Ocean Tank:

Ocean Tank:

Of course, I feel the need to compare Den Bla Planet Aquarium to Nordsoen Oceanarium, because that’s what zoo nerds do. The Oceanarium, up on the tip of Denmark’s northern coast, has a much better mega-tank and would “win” that category. Nordsoen and Den Bla Planet both have massive, approximately one-million-gallon ocean tanks, but the one at Nordsoen has 15 viewing windows and can be seen over 4 levels, which creates a much more immersive experience. Also, Nordsoen has the better outdoor area, with a beautiful seal pool, many play areas and a cool Whale Researcher’s Hut that is like a mini museum. Den Bla Planet has only Sea Otters, which are great, but it’s difficult to even see them with the glare and tall windows. However, Den Bla Planet’s total of 53 tanks, many of them larger than an average aquarium exhibit, give it an indoor edge as Nordsoen has a lot of empty space inside its two buildings. Plus, the numbered tanks and quality of signage at Den Bla Planet might be up there with the best aquariums on the planet. The signs are works of art all on their own. Overall, I would give the slight edge to Den Bla Planet, but Nordsoen Oceanarium isn’t too far behind. For sure, Denmark is host to two of Europe’s 10 best aquariums.

Did some or all of those seabirds come from Living Coasts?

 

[snowleopard]

Did some or all of those seabirds come from Living Coasts?

I have no idea, but perhaps another zoo nerd will know that information.

 

[lintworm]

Did some or all of those seabirds come from Living Coasts?

The kittiwakes came from Living Coast, the other species were already present (though they might have restocked with Living Coast animals, no clue about that).

I really like Den Bla Planet, especially their small tanks are very good and the ones I liked least were the big tanks: sharks, sea otters and puffins. It arguably reaches a higher quality then Lisbon and has as advantage there is no fixed one-way route, but Lisbon also has some very smart design choices and its main tank is arguably more spectacular.

 

[carl the birder]

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.

you whare lycky to wisit wen you did. two days ago they announced that the whole back part of the zoo whare you got the wolf exibit and wolverines ect is clost for renvations until 2024. so ringth now about half the zoo is clost for renvation.

 

[snowleopard]

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

Zoo/Aquarium # 24: Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Copenhagen, DK)

I wasn’t a big fan of Copenhagen Zoo. I have a close friend who adores the facility and he's always raving about its qualities, but I feel that places like Givskud and Odense, with hardly any poor exhibits anywhere, represent the future of Danish zoos. Copenhagen has too many small enclosures, too little space for large mammals, and in the end instead of having 5 top-notch, world-class sections like both Givskud and Odense do, I’m not sure that Copenhagen has anything world-class. It sounds harsh, but I feel that Amsterdam and Antwerp, both urban zoos surrounded by bustling cities, blow Copenhagen out of the water in terms of overall quality. Hopefully I don't ruffle too many zoo nerd feathers with this review.

Zoo Entrance:

In some respects, Copenhagen drew the short straw by literally being the 24th and final zoo of an international trip. After stupendous tiger exhibits at Kolmarden, Kristiansand and Nordens Ark, I saw a small grotto at Copenhagen. I had seen Brown Bear exhibits at Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Boras Zoo and Kolmarden that were literally acres in size and magnificent, filled with foraging bears and staggering mountainsides. Then I toured Copenhagen and saw a trio of Brown Bears in one of the old 1950s grottos. Sure, there is some natural substrate, but I felt as if the bears were inside a shoebox.

Amur Tiger exhibit (easily the smallest of the trip):

Brown Bear exhibit (refurbished 1950s grotto):

The rest of The Arctic Ring consists of a Polar Bear exhibit that is way better for visitors than it is for bears. The views are exceptional, the underwater viewing is terrific, the short tunnel a wonderful touch, but the space for the bears to roam is simply not there. Compared to the 6-acre habitat for Polar Bears at Scandinavian Wildlife Park, or even Aalborg’s exhibit, Copenhagen is a disappointment. However, the Musk-Ox exhibit is tastefully designed, and the Seabird Aviary is nicely done and eerily similar to the one at Den Bla Planet Aquarium. The Reindeer and seals have okay, smallish enclosures and the wolves are gone from the collection. The Arctic Ring only opened in 2013 but I struggle to see how it will remain a vibrant exhibit in 5 years, let alone far into the future.

Polar Bear exhibit:

Seabird Aviary:

Chimpanzees. Holy smokes. Copenhagen has 10 chimps in a bedroom with zero outside access. Frans de Waal wrote in his 1982 classic Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes about how the chimps at Burgers’ Zoo, even though they had an amazing, huge outdoor exhibit, would fight and clash when kept inside during the snowy winter months. Copenhagen has a troop of great apes, the closest relative to humans, indoors for their entire lives. It’s inexcusable for a zoo with 1.6 million visitors and a rich history dating back to 1859. It begs the question: is this the worst Chimpanzee exhibit in Europe? And to think it’s at a hugely famous zoo in a capital city in a progressive nation!

Chimpanzee exhibit (showing 50% of their space and there's zero outdoor area):

The Primate House is almost as ghastly as the Chimpanzee indoor bedroom. Here, in enclosures dating from the 1920s, are Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Hamadryas Baboons, White-faced Sakis, rarely exhibited Northern Talapoins, Cotton-top Tamarins, Golden Lion Tamarins, Emperor Tamarins, Pygmy Marmosets, Tree Shrews and Radiated Tortoises. Downstairs is a darkened room with a big group of Egyptian Fruit Bats, but outside the lemur and baboon exhibits are particularly egregious. Nearby are White-handed Gibbons, directly next to a smoking section, so that the wafting odour of reeking cigarette smoke permeates gibbon nostrils and lungs every day. I couldn’t handle it for two minutes, let alone a lifetime.

Hamadryas Baboon 'Giant's Causeway' 1920s exhibit:

A slightly more controversial complaint would be the Elephant House. It’s an architect’s wet dream, like a lot of architectural work inside the zoo, and the house itself is magnificent. The indoor quarters are light and airy, the viewing area is substantial, there are enormous piles of sand everywhere, and it’s probably one of Europe’s better elephant houses. However, the entire outdoor area is maybe an acre in size for 6 Asian Elephants, shockingly small by modern standards. The two males are shunted off to the side in a paltry amount of space, and the hilly outdoor main yard is nowhere near large enough. The exhibit debuted 14 years ago, and I already looked up several ZooChat comments and every single person mentions the lack of space. The world has moved on from these small, outdated yards, as these are the zoos with constant issues with elephant’s feet, leading to a multitude of health concerns for the animals. Not having an appropriate amount of space for Asian Elephants, Chimpanzees, Polar Bears, Brown Bears, African Lions and Amur Tigers highlights animal welfare concerns at this famous old zoo.

The small main elephant paddock has some decent viewing areas, but also this:

The bull yard essentially has male elephants in a tiny, high-walled cement box:

On the flip side, the Elephant House is spectacular:

Then there’s the African Savanna, seemingly without a blade of grass anywhere. I thought that I was in central California, or some Spanish dust bowl, as the whole disjointed mess is missing an essential ingredient called grass. Also, where’s the grand vista when there are side yards for rhinos and hippos and buildings in the way? If you think I’m being harsh and picking on Copenhagen, look at the photos I uploaded from the African Savannas at Givskud Zoo, Ree Park Safari, Aalborg Zoo, Odense Zoo, Kolmarden Wildlife Park, Boras Zoo and Kristiansand Zoo. Of those 7 African Savannas, every single one of them is better than Copenhagen’s savanna. The big zoo in the capital city with huge visitor numbers and government funding has, without a shadow of a doubt, the 8th best African Savanna out of the 8 that I saw on this trip.

African Savanna dust bowl:

Take a look at the 10 Chimpanzees kept entirely indoors, or the Polar Bear and Brown Bear enclosures that are obviously not up to modern standards, or the sandbox African Savanna, or the awful Primate House, or the one-acre elephant yard, or the 1980s tiger and leopard exhibits that are the smallest I saw on the whole trip, or the tiny tiny lion yard, or the equally bland pinniped and penguin pools, or the 1872 Camel House that has a couple of Bactrian Camels sitting in a space that hasn’t changed in 150 years, and it's all disappointing. Charles Darwin could be resurrected, and he would nod with approval at Europe’s smallest camel shoebox, not knowing that the zoo world has moved on from these type of eyesores.

I think that even if I hadn’t seen all those huge, multi-acre, astounding exhibits on this trip, I would still be raging at Copenhagen Zoo. (And I've had weeks to tone down this review so it's not so inflammatory ) The frustration is that this is a zoo that could be so much better. The fact that around 50 million British pounds (60 million Euros!) was spent on bears and elephants in small yards, when the Scandinavian Wildlife Park and Kristiansand Zoo have bear exhibits that are 20% the size of the entire Copenhagen Zoo, is shocking.

Moving on, I didn’t hate all of Copenhagen Zoo and there are some good things amidst the cramped animal enclosures. The iconic black tower at the entrance is eye-catching, the Squirrel Monkey island is nicely done, the walk-through Giant Aviary for flamingos and other water-based birds is excellent. The Australian zone is superb, with a walk-through macropod exhibit, a Tasmanian Wombat enclosure on the side, and a Tasmanian Devil area that is superb. I had clear views of the wombat and the two devils and thoroughly enjoyed seeing both species. The old South American Pampas (Capybara, Mara, Giant Anteater, Rhea) is all gone, now being replaced by a spacious walk-through aviary for Australian birds. It looks as if it doesn’t have long to go before it is finished.

The walk-through Flamingo Aviary is a highlight:

Future walk-through Australian Aviary:

Macropod walk-through area:

Tasmanian Devil exhibit:

Of course, seeing a couple of Giant Pandas at a zoo is an extremely rare occurrence and I had that thrill here. Unfortunately, the architecture has again dominated proceedings, with the yin and yang design of the two enclosures meaning that visitors are looking down on the pandas. Leaning over an oval-shaped wall brought up images of similar design flaws in 1800’s bear pits. It is possible to view the Giant Pandas from ground level, but most of that is via a restaurant and it’s awkward taking photos in there with visitors in a fine dining environment.

Giant Panda exhibit:

One of the Giant Panda exhibits (via the restaurant):

Aside from the god-awful Chimpanzee exhibit, the zoo’s Tropical House is really very pleasant and at times superb. There’s an aviary for Trumpeter Hornbills and then a walk-through jungle environment with Two-toed Sloths and signs for 16 bird species up in the canopy. There’s a splendid exhibit for Green Anacondas, plus the following species in a more traditional Tropical House hallway: Lesser Mousedeer, Golden Lion Tamarin, West African Crocodile, Lace Monitor, Lau Banded Iguana, Panther Chameleon, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Pink-tongued Skink, Northern Caiman Lizard, Red-footed Tortoise, Pig-nosed Turtle, Yellow-margined Box Turtle, Red-eyed Tree Frog, Tomato Frog, various Poison Dart Frogs, Brazilian Salmon Tarantula, Orb-web Spider, Emperor Scorpion, Tailless Whip Scorpion, Giant African Millipede, African Flower Beetle, Sun Beetle, Death’s Head Cockroach, African Lined Mantis, Malaysian Stick Insect, Golden-eyed Stick Insect, Cave Cricket, West Atlantic Crab, Giant African Land Snail and another dozen or so bird species.

This exhibit inside the Tropical House has the following species: Lesser Mousedeer, Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, White-rumped Shama, Crested Partridge, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Mindanao Lorikeet and West Atlantic Crab.

The Tropical House contains many excellent exhibits, including this amazing one for Northern Caiman Lizards:

Copenhagen Zoo was obviously a mixed bag for me. I did mention some of the excellent exhibits at the zoo, plus there are two shady paddocks for Okapis and Natal Red Duikers that are perfect, and a Hippo House (with green algae windows) that is remarkably like the one at Berlin Zoo. It wouldn’t take a lot to fix some of the issues at the facility. The zoo could tweak the sightlines and plant more foliage in the African Savanna so that it doesn’t resemble a Qatari sand dune. Send the Brown Bears away to somewhere with acres of space and turn that exhibit into one for Raccoons or Pikas. Ha! There’s room on either side of the elephant complex if the zoo is willing to expand into flat ground (on the right) or demolish the junky big cat exhibits (on the left). Find a home for the Chimpanzees, admittedly easier said than done but anything is better than the current accommodation. As for the Polar Bears, the zoo has committed to those guys. I realize that it’s a struggle for an urban zoo to maintain large animals in a constricted space, but with all due respect I cannot see how any zoo nerd would be that supportive of Copenhagen Zoo over other modern, expansive facilities that meet animal welfare standards for space. Copenhagen is a relic that has been opening new exhibits that are outdated as soon as the ribbon is cut. What a shame.

I uploaded approximately 80 photos of Copenhagen Zoo into the gallery.

The 24 reviews are done and they took me a long time to write but it was hugely enjoyable at the same time. I saw a plethora of world-class animal habitats, as well as a few duds but that's all part of the fun! I always have several posts at the end of each trip that summarize my overall thoughts and reflections. This time around, some of the Scandinavian mammal exhibits were certainly contenders for any list of the best in the world. Stay tuned for more thoughts over the coming days...

 

[Fallax]

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

Zoo/Aquarium # 24: Kobenhavn Zoo/Copenhagen Zoo (Copenhagen, DK)

I wasn’t a big fan of Copenhagen Zoo. I have a close friend who adores the facility and he's always raving about its qualities, but I feel that places like Givskud and Odense, with hardly any poor exhibits anywhere, represent the future of Danish zoos. Copenhagen has too many small enclosures, too little space for large mammals, and in the end instead of having 5 top-notch, world-class sections like both Givskud and Odense do, I’m not sure that Copenhagen has anything world-class. It sounds harsh, but I feel that Amsterdam and Antwerp, both urban zoos surrounded by bustling cities, blow Copenhagen out of the water in terms of overall quality. Hopefully I don't ruffle too many zoo nerd feathers with this review.

Zoo Entrance:

In some respects, Copenhagen drew the short straw by literally being the 24th and final zoo of an international trip. After stupendous tiger exhibits at Kolmarden, Kristiansand and Nordens Ark, I saw a small grotto at Copenhagen. I had seen Brown Bear exhibits at Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Boras Zoo and Kolmarden that were literally acres in size and magnificent, filled with foraging bears and staggering mountainsides. Then I toured Copenhagen and saw a trio of Brown Bears in one of the old 1950s grottos. Sure, there is some natural substrate, but I felt as if the bears were inside a shoebox.

Amur Tiger exhibit (easily the smallest of the trip):

Brown Bear exhibit (refurbished 1950s grotto):

The rest of The Arctic Ring consists of a Polar Bear exhibit that is way better for visitors than it is for bears. The views are exceptional, the underwater viewing is terrific, the short tunnel a wonderful touch, but the space for the bears to roam is simply not there. Compared to the 6-acre habitat for Polar Bears at Scandinavian Wildlife Park, or even Aalborg’s exhibit, Copenhagen is a disappointment. However, the Musk-Ox exhibit is tastefully designed, and the Seabird Aviary is nicely done and eerily similar to the one at Den Bla Planet Aquarium. The Reindeer and seals have okay, smallish enclosures and the wolves are gone from the collection. The Arctic Ring only opened in 2013 but I struggle to see how it will remain a vibrant exhibit in 5 years, let alone far into the future.

Polar Bear exhibit:

Seabird Aviary:

Chimpanzees. Holy smokes. Copenhagen has 10 chimps in a bedroom with zero outside access. Frans de Waal wrote in his 1982 classic Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes about how the chimps at Burgers’ Zoo, even though they had an amazing, huge outdoor exhibit, would fight and clash when kept inside during the snowy winter months. Copenhagen has a troop of great apes, the closest relative to humans, indoors for their entire lives. It’s inexcusable for a zoo with 1.6 million visitors and a rich history dating back to 1859. It begs the question: is this the worst Chimpanzee exhibit in Europe? And to think it’s at a hugely famous zoo in a capital city in a progressive nation!

Chimpanzee exhibit (showing 50% of their space and there's zero outdoor area):

The Primate House is almost as ghastly as the Chimpanzee indoor bedroom. Here, in enclosures dating from the 1920s, are Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Hamadryas Baboons, White-faced Sakis, rarely exhibited Northern Talapoins, Cotton-top Tamarins, Golden Lion Tamarins, Emperor Tamarins, Pygmy Marmosets, Tree Shrews and Radiated Tortoises. Downstairs is a darkened room with a big group of Egyptian Fruit Bats, but outside the lemur and baboon exhibits are particularly egregious. Nearby are White-handed Gibbons, directly next to a smoking section, so that the wafting odour of reeking cigarette smoke permeates gibbon nostrils and lungs every day. I couldn’t handle it for two minutes, let alone a lifetime.

Hamadryas Baboon 'Giant's Causeway' 1920s exhibit:

A slightly more controversial complaint would be the Elephant House. It’s an architect’s wet dream, like a lot of architectural work inside the zoo, and the house itself is magnificent. The indoor quarters are light and airy, the viewing area is substantial, there are enormous piles of sand everywhere, and it’s probably one of Europe’s better elephant houses. However, the entire outdoor area is maybe an acre in size for 6 Asian Elephants, shockingly small by modern standards. The two males are shunted off to the side in a paltry amount of space, and the hilly outdoor main yard is nowhere near large enough. The exhibit debuted 14 years ago, and I already looked up several ZooChat comments and every single person mentions the lack of space. The world has moved on from these small, outdated yards, as these are the zoos with constant issues with elephant’s feet, leading to a multitude of health concerns for the animals. Not having an appropriate amount of space for Asian Elephants, Chimpanzees, Polar Bears, Brown Bears, African Lions and Amur Tigers highlights animal welfare concerns at this famous old zoo.

The small main elephant paddock has some decent viewing areas, but also this:

The bull yard essentially has male elephants in a tiny, high-walled cement box:

On the flip side, the Elephant House is spectacular:

Then there’s the African Savanna, seemingly without a blade of grass anywhere. I thought that I was in central California, or some Spanish dust bowl, as the whole disjointed mess is missing an essential ingredient called grass. Also, where’s the grand vista when there are side yards for rhinos and hippos and buildings in the way? If you think I’m being harsh and picking on Copenhagen, look at the photos I uploaded from the African Savannas at Givskud Zoo, Ree Park Safari, Aalborg Zoo, Odense Zoo, Kolmarden Wildlife Park, Boras Zoo and Kristiansand Zoo. Of those 7 African Savannas, every single one of them is better than Copenhagen’s savanna. The big zoo in the capital city with huge visitor numbers and government funding has, without a shadow of a doubt, the 8th best African Savanna out of the 8 that I saw on this trip.

African Savanna dust bowl:

Take a look at the 10 Chimpanzees kept entirely indoors, or the Polar Bear and Brown Bear enclosures that are obviously not up to modern standards, or the sandbox African Savanna, or the awful Primate House, or the one-acre elephant yard, or the 1980s tiger and leopard exhibits that are the smallest I saw on the whole trip, or the tiny tiny lion yard, or the equally bland pinniped and penguin pools, or the 1872 Camel House that has a couple of Bactrian Camels sitting in a space that hasn’t changed in 150 years, and it's all disappointing. Charles Darwin could be resurrected, and he would nod with approval at Europe’s smallest camel shoebox, not knowing that the zoo world has moved on from these type of eyesores.

I think that even if I hadn’t seen all those huge, multi-acre, astounding exhibits on this trip, I would still be raging at Copenhagen Zoo. (And I've had weeks to tone down this review so it's not so inflammatory ) The frustration is that this is a zoo that could be so much better. The fact that around 50 million British pounds (60 million Euros!) was spent on bears and elephants in small yards, when the Scandinavian Wildlife Park and Kristiansand Zoo have bear exhibits that are 20% the size of the entire Copenhagen Zoo, is shocking.

Moving on, I didn’t hate all of Copenhagen Zoo and there are some good things amidst the cramped animal enclosures. The iconic black tower at the entrance is eye-catching, the Squirrel Monkey island is nicely done, the walk-through Giant Aviary for flamingos and other water-based birds is excellent. The Australian zone is superb, with a walk-through macropod exhibit, a Tasmanian Wombat enclosure on the side, and a Tasmanian Devil area that is superb. I had clear views of the wombat and the two devils and thoroughly enjoyed seeing both species. The old South American Pampas (Capybara, Mara, Giant Anteater, Rhea) is all gone, now being replaced by a spacious walk-through aviary for Australian birds. It looks as if it doesn’t have long to go before it is finished.

The walk-through Flamingo Aviary is a highlight:

Future walk-through Australian Aviary:

Macropod walk-through area:

Tasmanian Devil exhibit:

Of course, seeing a couple of Giant Pandas at a zoo is an extremely rare occurrence and I had that thrill here. Unfortunately, the architecture has again dominated proceedings, with the yin and yang design of the two enclosures meaning that visitors are looking down on the pandas. Leaning over an oval-shaped wall brought up images of similar design flaws in 1800’s bear pits. It is possible to view the Giant Pandas from ground level, but most of that is via a restaurant and it’s awkward taking photos in there with visitors in a fine dining environment.

Giant Panda exhibit:

One of the Giant Panda exhibits (via the restaurant):

Aside from the god-awful Chimpanzee exhibit, the zoo’s Tropical House is really very pleasant and at times superb. There’s an aviary for Trumpeter Hornbills and then a walk-through jungle environment with Two-toed Sloths and signs for 16 bird species up in the canopy. There’s a splendid exhibit for Green Anacondas, plus the following species in a more traditional Tropical House hallway: Lesser Mousedeer, Golden Lion Tamarin, West African Crocodile, Lace Monitor, Lau Banded Iguana, Panther Chameleon, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Pink-tongued Skink, Northern Caiman Lizard, Red-footed Tortoise, Pig-nosed Turtle, Yellow-margined Box Turtle, Red-eyed Tree Frog, Tomato Frog, various Poison Dart Frogs, Brazilian Salmon Tarantula, Orb-web Spider, Emperor Scorpion, Tailless Whip Scorpion, Giant African Millipede, African Flower Beetle, Sun Beetle, Death’s Head Cockroach, African Lined Mantis, Malaysian Stick Insect, Golden-eyed Stick Insect, Cave Cricket, West Atlantic Crab, Giant African Land Snail and another dozen or so bird species.

This exhibit inside the Tropical House has the following species: Lesser Mousedeer, Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, White-rumped Shama, Crested Partridge, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Mindanao Lorikeet and West Atlantic Crab.

The Tropical House contains many excellent exhibits, including this amazing one for Northern Caiman Lizards:

Copenhagen Zoo was obviously a mixed bag for me. I did mention some of the excellent exhibits at the zoo, plus there are two shady paddocks for Okapis and Natal Red Duikers that are perfect, and a Hippo House (with green algae windows) that is remarkably like the one at Berlin Zoo. It wouldn’t take a lot to fix some of the issues at the facility. The zoo could tweak the sightlines and plant more foliage in the African Savanna so that it doesn’t resemble a Qatari sand dune. Send the Brown Bears away to somewhere with acres of space and turn that exhibit into one for Raccoons or Pikas. Ha! There’s room on either side of the elephant complex if the zoo is willing to expand into flat ground (on the right) or demolish the junky big cat exhibits (on the left). Find a home for the Chimpanzees, admittedly easier said than done but anything is better than the current accommodation. As for the Polar Bears, the zoo has committed to those guys. I realize that it’s a struggle for an urban zoo to maintain large animals in a constricted space, but with all due respect I cannot see how any zoo nerd would be that supportive of Copenhagen Zoo over other modern, expansive facilities that meet animal welfare standards for space. Copenhagen is a relic that has been opening new exhibits that are outdated as soon as the ribbon is cut. What a shame.

I uploaded approximately 80 photos of Copenhagen Zoo into the gallery.

The 24 reviews are done and they took me a long time to write but it was hugely enjoyable at the same time. I saw a plethora of world-class animal habitats, as well as a few duds but that's all part of the fun! I always have several posts at the end of each trip that summarize my overall thoughts and reflections. This time around, some of the Scandinavian mammal exhibits were certainly contenders for any list of the best in the world. Stay tuned for more thoughts over the coming days...

I was looking forward to this review, Copenhagen seems to have always had a reputation of being a bit of an uninteresting ABC-focused but still good city zoo... However I must agree with you from these photos that there really is a lot of bad here.

That chimpanzee exhibit is absolutely shocking and I can't believe that exists in the capital of a developed country like Denmark. This review definitely surprised me with how much bad there is at Copenhagen which is extremely unfortunate.

Looking forward to seeing your final thoughts of the whole trip, I have really been enjoying this thread so far.

 

[LARTIS]

Apart from realy enjoying these review threads alone already, I was especialy curious to see some of the parks I have visited myself but less are less talked about than the german and dutch institutions.

I can not speak on what state these parks are in now tho I do try to follow all developments over the internet the in person experience is allways something different.

As mention not too many other accounts in english were found on here the time I used to go to some of these parks in denmark once a year for over half a decade. here the link to the husty review I have written
Danish summer, danish zoos

Since I was made aware how critical I had been as of lately I went back to see if my view used to be milder, but to my suprise my tone had been already pretty harsh before.

Especialy over time, when I look back a fecade and how little has changed, and I do not mean this in a sense of oh I am bored show me something new but genuinely unable to enjoy the visits when certain condition that meant limited quality of the inhabitants.

At first I equaly believed I would have been allowed an impression on where zoos could go, but I realized quickly that there had been compromises that were nor necessary.

Scandinavians zoos do not seem to be on the forefront of conersavtion rather than keep species other parks brought into captivity and bred.

As well as space alone does not do it for me.
They could have done a bit more.

 

[Batto]

It begs the question: is this the worst Chimpanzee exhibit in Europe?

In all fairness: it most certainly isn't. Unfortunately, there are far worse ones.
Any reason why you omitted the okapis?
In teeth of your harsh critique, you forgot to mention something positive about Copenhagen zoo: their main gift shop is quite nice. Maybe shopping there would have soothed your rant.

 

[pachyderm pro]

Copenhagen seems like a typical case of an urban zoo which tries to do too much with too little space. Having elephants, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, polar bears, pandas, lions, tigers, chimpanzees and several other large mammals all on less than 30 acres is ridiculous and it's inevitable something would have to give. None of these enclosures are particularly impressive and in some cases downright awful (that chimpanzee enclosure, woof ). The zoo would be far better off axing a few larger species to expand the accommodations for the ones they really want to continue with.

I do love the elephant house though. It's an architectural marvel and very good for the animals. I realize this is a bit of a generalization, but it seems Europe has a much more impressive standard for elephant houses while American zoos tend to have much better outdoor elephant yards. Also, even though it's not the greatest for the species it holds, I do find the panda exhibits absolutely fascinating from a design perspective. This type of modernistic architecture used with the elephant and panda areas is something I would be interested to see more of at other zoos, assuming it's done well.

 

[Fallax]

Unfortunately, there are far worse ones.

Out of curiosity, which would you say are worse?

 

[Batto]

Out of curiosity, which would you say are worse?

Bratislava and several smaller European zoos with outdated enclosures housing single or just a handful individuals, like Stralsund.

 

[snowleopard]

Actually @Batto, I did mention the Okapis and I included them in the second half of the review where I listed a lot of nice exhibits at the zoo. You must have missed my Okapi comments amidst my rant. And it is true that Copenhagen has a very nice giftshop, with some expensive wooden items catching my eye in particular. I was extremely tempted to purchase a couple of posters as the main giftshop has a large section devoted to posters with old-style images, but I didn't think that I had room in my suitcase.

As for the Chimpanzees, Copenhagen clearly has one of the most dreadful exhibits for the species on the continent. I'm not sure what's worse: a small handful of zoos with only a few individual chimps each, or Copenhagen's 10 apes entirely indoors. Either way, the Danish zoo should make that its next project ASAP. There are probably at least a half-dozen American zoos with only one or two Chimpanzees kept in tiny metal cages, so at least there isn't that going on here.

Yes, @pachyderm pro, Copenhagen certainly likes a good architect. The Elephant House, Polar Bear complex, Giant Panda exhibit and Flamingo Aviary are all fairly recent developments (all in the past 14 years) and each has architectural flourishes. But as you correctly point out, having all those megafauna species on 30 acres is much like the 22-acre Aalborg Zoo. Both facilities are tight on space, and in some cases have ghastly enclosures (chimps at Copenhagen, elephants at Aalborg). I'd rather visit Odense Zoo, with a very high quality range of animal habitats throughout the grounds. Or Kristiansand, with its 40-acre Nordic Wilderness having only 6 hard-to-find species.

 

[LARTIS]

I found the criticism perfectly reasonable especialy given the background, copenhagen should be compared to the best.
I am sorry if I might get the reaction wrong.
But just because there are worse I would call them off and the zoo shop comment might rather meant for snowleopards mood than claiming it could make up for unacceptable condition.

Without pulling my disability in, as I do not want to give an already marginalized group a bad reputation, but I feel luke my autism can be a blessing in the sense that I can not overlook certain things even if wanted to.

Tho I myself used to push some aspects of parks into the back of my mind because I wanted some recreational time and hardly any park was able to meet the standard I personaly grew to believe in. I try to be fair.

And in no way would I want to taint this gem of travel diary.

But I think every parks is for most only as good their relation to their worst exhibits.

København has done a horrible job building a new polar bear exhibited that was out dated before it was built, and then went on to built a panda enclsoure when other already existing animals were in desperate need for better conditions.

 

[DavidBrown]

As for the Chimpanzees, Copenhagen clearly has one of the most dreadful exhibits for the species on the continent. I'm not sure what's worse: a small handful of zoos with only a few individual chimps each, or Copenhagen's 10 apes entirely indoors. Either way, the Danish zoo should make that its next project ASAP. There are probably at least a half-dozen American zoos with only one or two Chimpanzees kept in tiny metal cages, so at least there isn't that going on here.

Are there any AZA-accredited zoos that have chimp exhibits that you would consider as poor as Copenhagen?

Preemptively, I know that you aren't a fan of Sacramento Zoo, Oakland Zoo, and San Francisco Zoo chimp exhibits and I'm not going to defend them as anything more than barely adequate, if that. If the new zoo develops in Sacramento then that exhibit at least will be gone in the next few years.