Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden Budapest Zoo news 2025

I'm visiting for the first time later this month, wondered if anyone would be able to help me with locating some species? Their website is a little disappointing, not much information on exhibits. Does anyone have a link to a good guide of the zoo at all?

If anyone could help me with where these species (pulled from ZTL) would be located, if they are on show?
· Arabian spiny mouse (and various other mice/dormouse species listed? Is there a mouse house?)
· Brushtailed Possum
· Common vole
· European ground squirrel
· Golden bellied mangabey
· Kowari
· Echidna
· Steppe lemming
· Southern Bolivian night monkey
 
JamesB said:
I'm visiting for the first time later this month, wondered if anyone would be able to help me with locating some species? Their website is a little disappointing, not much information on exhibits. Does anyone have a link to a good guide of the zoo at all?

If anyone could help me with where these species (pulled from ZTL) would be located, if they are on show?
· Arabian spiny mouse (and various other mice/dormouse species listed? Is there a mouse house?)
· Brushtailed Possum
· Common vole
· European ground squirrel
· Golden bellied mangabey
· Kowari
· Echidna
· Steppe lemming
· Southern Bolivian night monkey
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Brushtail possum and kowari are in the house by the capybaras I believe the echidna should be around there but I believe they still aren’t on display right now.

Golden-bellied mangabey are in the Madagascar house, in case you can’t find them in their outdoor enclosure.

Most of the African mice could be seen in the indoor barn area of the rhinoceros enclosure.

The night monkey should be in the large South American house.

I don’t recall seeing steppe lemmings, voles, nor ground squirrels. Sorry.
 
Steppe lemmings should be in the India (lion) house in the first exhibit to the left kept together with Plum-headed parakeets if I remember correctly.

European ground squirrels are in one of the aviaries in the Owl castle, but are quite difficult to see.

I have never seen the Common voles, but if I had to guess they would be in the Wetlands house.

If you are interested in rodents, I would check out the Magic mountain as well;)
 
By chance, does anybody know if there are any restrictions due to foot and mouth disease currently at Budepest beside the petting zoo? (Especially if all animal houses are open)
 
Very enjoyable visit today even if it was wet for some of the day.

An update on the species I was looking for as life ticks:
  • Steppe Lemming - no longer in the Lion house so I presume they have left or are off show now
  • European Ground Squirrel - not signed but saw an enclosure that could have been home to them in the castle area
  • Brushtailed Possum and Kowari - neither were signed however there was an empty enclosure behind the Echidna house so they could have previously been there
  • Echidna - on show in its own house, asleep of course!
  • Golden Bellied Mangabey - seen and very active!
  • Various rodent species seen, thank you for the advice given above
Highlights:
  • Seeing four Giant Otters together and playing
  • Asian elephants doing training session with keepers
  • Australian nocturnal walkthrough exhibit
  • Very active Wombats both inside and outside. The Australian area is a treat
  • Magic Mountain - very easy to get lost in here though!
Other things to note/no shows:
  • Javan Langur exhibit had barriers up and both the indoor and outdoor sections seemed completely empty?
  • Orangutans no show all day - how many do they have? (Other no shows were Wolverine, Red River Hogs and Forest Buffalo)
  • Sad to see the single sea lion swimming alone, are there plans to procure more?
  • Original Elephant house was closed which was a shame as wanted to see inside the iconic building
  • Really enjoyed the animal hospital, nice to see the zoo really focus on local conservation
  • The new biodome exhibits were a bit disappointing, not a fan of the huge concrete walls and not all that large in area for the inhabitants
  • And to answer the question earlier, every house was open aside from the original Elephant house
Overall a really impressive collection and when the new biodome is finally finished I feel this zoo could be a contender for one of the best zoos in Europe with it's wide collection and strong focus on education and conservation.

I will upload photos when I'm back home. Could someone update ZTL with above information?
 
JamesB said:
Orangutans no show all day - how many do they have?
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They used to have 6, but 2 of them, Chuij and Moira passed away last September. Currently they have 2 females, mother and daughter Lia and Lone, I don’t know what happened to the other ones. The zoo is supposed to get a new male soon.
 
Sadly, the zoo’s oldest resident, Samu, in English Sam, the alligator has passed away in the beginning of May.:(
She arrived to the zoo in 1958 as an adult specimen, thus her real age was unknown. She was the second oldest captive alligator in the world for the last years of her life. At the time of her death, she was estimated to be 77 years old.
 
JamesB said:
Very enjoyable visit today even if it was wet for some of the day.

An update on the species I was looking for as life ticks:
  • Steppe Lemming - no longer in the Lion house so I presume they have left or are off show now
  • European Ground Squirrel - not signed but saw an enclosure that could have been home to them in the castle area
  • Brushtailed Possum and Kowari - neither were signed however there was an empty enclosure behind the Echidna house so they could have previously been there
Click to expand...
In the very rough stages of planning a trip (more of a sprint round due to time constraints) to Budapest Zoo. Was also interesting in the quoted species which are still current holdings on ZTL. Can any local/Hungarian Zoochatters confirm the status of this handful of species please? Thank you.
 
I am really sorry to answer this late, I’m guessing you have already visited the zoo, but in case not or you are still interested in the status of those species:
-Steppe lemmings are not visible, most likely left the collection
-European ground squirrels are signed in the Owl castle, right next to the Wetlands house, although I have never seen one
-Brushtail possums and Kowari (Sugar gliders as well) are kept in a nocturnal house within the Australian walkthrough enclosure. Possums are usually active, however I haven’t seen a Kowari on my last 3 visits
I hope this is helpful and that you enjoyed/will enjoy your visit to the zoo!
And again sorry for answering so late:(
 
The Jasmine Dragon said:
I am really sorry to answer this late, I’m guessing you have already visited the zoo, but in case not or you are still interested in the status of those species:
-Steppe lemmings are not visible, most likely left the collection
-European ground squirrels are signed in the Owl castle, right next to the Wetlands house, although I have never seen one
-Brushtail possums and Kowari (Sugar gliders as well) are kept in a nocturnal house within the Australian walkthrough enclosure. Possums are usually active, however I haven’t seen a Kowari on my last 3 visits
I hope this is helpful and that you enjoyed/will enjoy your visit to the zoo!
And again sorry for answering so late:(
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply, very helpful thank you. Looking at October visit so just pre planning, thanks again.
 
The Jasmine Dragon said:
They should have two, Noe and Jacques. They have an off-show indoor exhibit, one of them might have been there. The plan is to move them next to the biodome and keep a breeding group.
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Is Budapest Zoo still planning on moving the elephants and sharks over to the biodome? Hopefully they'll be able to obtain the other species that were originally planned as well, even if the theme had to be changed!
 
Yes, they still plan to move the elephants and the sharks as well.
I am unsure about the other planned species though (bonobos, pangolins, gharials, manatees…) as I doubt that the zoo has enough resources at the moment to obtain and keep them. The current plan is that the zoo will open the biodome this year, with some cost cutting adjustments so the biodome won’t be fully fulfilling its original purpose nor will be completely finished. It will act as a plant house, maybe with a few animals. Moving the elephants and sharks would only follow later. But hopefully in government/governments will support the zoo and then we can see the “finished” biodome as well.

Here’s a link to an interview about the topic with the zoo’s director (in Hungarian):
Megnyílik a fapados Biodóm, városi oázis lesz belőle
 
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