"Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia" or Pistoia zoo is situated between Florence and Pisa and quite a way off the beaten track. We saw no advertising for the zoo in Italy but knew it was there from some research before the trip. The zoo can only be reached by taxi or bus as it is quite a way from the train station.
When the taxi pulled up outside the zoo entrance we were more than tempted to ask him to take us straight back to the train station. A delipidated wooden sign and empty dustbowl for a car park is all that greets you and if i were driving i would have gone straight past.
Entrance was cheap, about 12 euros. We set off into the park and the first exhibit we saw was a large lake home to black swans, pelicans, canada geese and other ducks and waterfowl, both ringed and wild. Next to this was a large construction site which was being developed as a bear exhibit.
There were lots of wild lizards running about as we made our way to the next enlosure which was a solitary reindeer on a steep hill. Followed by an enclosure which housed markhor goats with a large rock climbing structure.
Next were some very spacious glass fronted exhibits for wolves and lynx, both were well planted and shaded. After this was a domestic petting zoo home to a extensive collection of farm yard animals, pigs donkeys sheep goats cattle and horses. This then looped back to the front of the zoo near the cafetria and we thought we had seen nearly the whole zoo, and up until this point had not seen another person, the zoo is extremely quiet.
However, we continued exploring and then found ourselves amongst a truly impressive collection of animals. Small animal exhibits of gibbons, a variety of monkeys, banded mongose, crested porcupine, rhea, ring tailed lemur, rabbits, guinea pigs, peacocks and bacterian camels. A cirular reptile house that housed the usual collection of snakes, anacondas and boas etc but no venomous collection i can remember. Also exhibited were two crocodile pits. Horned frogs and day geckos.
The big cat enclosures were on the whole impressive and new. The lion and tiger exhibits were spacious, well planted and both had places for the animals to sit out of view. The jaguar exhibit conversely was very disappointing, it housed three jaguars in a cage that in my opinion was not big enough for one. Whilst watching through the glass viewing panel two jaguars were snarling at each other and the other was pacing back and forth over the same 3m area, quite disappointing considering their proximity to the other big cats.
Up until now we were very impressed with the zoo, but we were about to encounter the older part of the zoo, where the exhibits were very sub par. Their was a large concrete building (providing minimal shade) with paddock in the front, split in three sections, the floors of which were covered in a thin layer of sand and dirt. From left to right the exhibits held two nile hippos, two giraffes (unknown species, pictures in gallery) and two asian elephants, all in exhibits much much too small for them. The hippos had a pool they could barely lay in next to each other, the giraffes did have an elevated hay and browse holder, while the elephants were in a barron paddock. Alongside these are two equally small enclosures holding a single white rhino and a single zebra.
A sign said the elephants have access to fields behind the building when they arent on display but this area couldnt be viewed. Also the giraffe and elephant enclosure had feed boxes at the front where for 20 cents you got a handful of pellets (like those you would expect at a petting zoo) to feed them. The elephants however did not take kindly to being teased by a young lady pretending to have food, so they took their revenge by pelting her with stones from their enclosure.
Two more equally disappointing enclosures were the solitary male patagonian sea lion who was exhibited in what appaered to be a regular swimming pool with uneaten fish laying on the bottom, and the worst exhibit of all would have to be the polar bear exhibit, unlike nearly all other exhibits it had no shade at all and the polar bear was visibly panting. It had a pool but the rest of the enclosure was angular concrete and the bear just paced around the perimiter constantly, as it clearly had no where near enough space.
All in all i would reccomend visiting this zoo, because although there are some extrmely sub par exhibts, the new and redeveloped exhits are more than acceptable. The zoo is a testament to the phrase "appearances can be deceiving" as it was well stocked and educational with great multi language signs. Things appear to be improving and since my visit the zoo has opened its new brown bear exhibit which from the zoos website looks very impressive.
Also, well done for having the patience to read this far and I have added some photos to the gallery.
When the taxi pulled up outside the zoo entrance we were more than tempted to ask him to take us straight back to the train station. A delipidated wooden sign and empty dustbowl for a car park is all that greets you and if i were driving i would have gone straight past.
Entrance was cheap, about 12 euros. We set off into the park and the first exhibit we saw was a large lake home to black swans, pelicans, canada geese and other ducks and waterfowl, both ringed and wild. Next to this was a large construction site which was being developed as a bear exhibit.
There were lots of wild lizards running about as we made our way to the next enlosure which was a solitary reindeer on a steep hill. Followed by an enclosure which housed markhor goats with a large rock climbing structure.
Next were some very spacious glass fronted exhibits for wolves and lynx, both were well planted and shaded. After this was a domestic petting zoo home to a extensive collection of farm yard animals, pigs donkeys sheep goats cattle and horses. This then looped back to the front of the zoo near the cafetria and we thought we had seen nearly the whole zoo, and up until this point had not seen another person, the zoo is extremely quiet.
However, we continued exploring and then found ourselves amongst a truly impressive collection of animals. Small animal exhibits of gibbons, a variety of monkeys, banded mongose, crested porcupine, rhea, ring tailed lemur, rabbits, guinea pigs, peacocks and bacterian camels. A cirular reptile house that housed the usual collection of snakes, anacondas and boas etc but no venomous collection i can remember. Also exhibited were two crocodile pits. Horned frogs and day geckos.
The big cat enclosures were on the whole impressive and new. The lion and tiger exhibits were spacious, well planted and both had places for the animals to sit out of view. The jaguar exhibit conversely was very disappointing, it housed three jaguars in a cage that in my opinion was not big enough for one. Whilst watching through the glass viewing panel two jaguars were snarling at each other and the other was pacing back and forth over the same 3m area, quite disappointing considering their proximity to the other big cats.
Up until now we were very impressed with the zoo, but we were about to encounter the older part of the zoo, where the exhibits were very sub par. Their was a large concrete building (providing minimal shade) with paddock in the front, split in three sections, the floors of which were covered in a thin layer of sand and dirt. From left to right the exhibits held two nile hippos, two giraffes (unknown species, pictures in gallery) and two asian elephants, all in exhibits much much too small for them. The hippos had a pool they could barely lay in next to each other, the giraffes did have an elevated hay and browse holder, while the elephants were in a barron paddock. Alongside these are two equally small enclosures holding a single white rhino and a single zebra.
A sign said the elephants have access to fields behind the building when they arent on display but this area couldnt be viewed. Also the giraffe and elephant enclosure had feed boxes at the front where for 20 cents you got a handful of pellets (like those you would expect at a petting zoo) to feed them. The elephants however did not take kindly to being teased by a young lady pretending to have food, so they took their revenge by pelting her with stones from their enclosure.
Two more equally disappointing enclosures were the solitary male patagonian sea lion who was exhibited in what appaered to be a regular swimming pool with uneaten fish laying on the bottom, and the worst exhibit of all would have to be the polar bear exhibit, unlike nearly all other exhibits it had no shade at all and the polar bear was visibly panting. It had a pool but the rest of the enclosure was angular concrete and the bear just paced around the perimiter constantly, as it clearly had no where near enough space.
All in all i would reccomend visiting this zoo, because although there are some extrmely sub par exhibts, the new and redeveloped exhits are more than acceptable. The zoo is a testament to the phrase "appearances can be deceiving" as it was well stocked and educational with great multi language signs. Things appear to be improving and since my visit the zoo has opened its new brown bear exhibit which from the zoos website looks very impressive.
Also, well done for having the patience to read this far and I have added some photos to the gallery.
