Europe's 100 must see exhibits
- Thread starter lintworm
- Start date
Glad to see this thread back on track! I've been missing the daily posts.
Leipzig sure loves their carnivore mixed species enclosures, don't they. The rhino and cheetah mix is super interesting and I'm pleased to see it has been working out, although it's not something I would risk if I were the one in charge of that decision. A brave cheetah and startled rhino is a deadly combo. No idea what they were thinking with the patas monkeys, as they weren't just planned, but an actual part of the exhibit for a little while before the zoo quickly learned that it was a very bad idea.
As an aside, I love when zoos provide a teasing view of an exhibit from outside the park like this. It's a nice way to build anticipation before one enters the grounds. The Amsterdam savanna looks to do an amazing job at that. Is that restaurant part of or independent from the zoo?
Leipzig sure loves their carnivore mixed species enclosures, don't they. The rhino and cheetah mix is super interesting and I'm pleased to see it has been working out, although it's not something I would risk if I were the one in charge of that decision. A brave cheetah and startled rhino is a deadly combo. No idea what they were thinking with the patas monkeys, as they weren't just planned, but an actual part of the exhibit for a little while before the zoo quickly learned that it was a very bad idea.
As an aside, I love when zoos provide a teasing view of an exhibit from outside the park like this. It's a nice way to build anticipation before one enters the grounds. The Amsterdam savanna looks to do an amazing job at that. Is that restaurant part of or independent from the zoo?
Regarding the patas monkeys, I remember watching "Elefant Tiger & Co", a succesfull and first of its kind, atleast in Germany, tv show documenting the keepers and their work with the animals. In this very episode i watched, the first attempt on having the cheetahs and monkeys on the paddock at the same time was shown and it led to the male patas monkey being chased by one of the cheetahs. He ended up jumping into the water moat out of which the keeper were able to fish him with a landing net. Luckily he was fine, except the shock he must have had. This shows how bad of an idea it was to keep these species together from the start on.
Though i could imagine an exhibit inhabited by both monkeys and rhinos, just not the cheetahs.
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
This place looks pretty impressive!!! Patas monkeys and cheetahs, though? Not so sure about that one. Does anybody know where the mole rats are in this exhibit?
In the indoor giraffe exhibit
Thank you. You will have to be patient soon enough. By the end of the week I will be traveling to Kenya for 1.5 weeks...
It is a surprisingly common combination. Ree Park in Denmark also mixes black rhino with cheetah. White rhinos are mixed with cheetah in Zoo Schmiding, Austria, Attica Zoo, Greece and Zoo Boras in Sweden and I could be missing one. Zoo Basel even has an option to add cheetah to their (adjacent) African elephant enclosure, but I don't think they ever tried to mix them.
I really like that too, though in the Leipzig case the entrance is at the other side of the zoo, so it is not really anticipation building, as much as connecting zoo and city. The Asian elephants in Copenhagen (a few posts up) are also visible from a public park.
The restaurant in Amsterdam is part of the zoo.
64. Kingdom of Ganesha
Pairi Daiza, Cambron-Casteau, Belgium
Opened: 2009 (with extensions in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Size: 4.3 hectares
Inhabitants: Sumatran orangutan, Javan leopard, Asian elephant, white tiger, Celebes crested macaque and more.
This area is everything that Pairi Daiza aims to be in combining culture and nature and is (therefore) ludicrously overthemed. Though named after the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, this is not just a hindu temple, but architecture from throughout Southeast Asia has been carefully replicated by indigenous craftsmen and there is an uncountable number of elephant statues in this place. There is a Thai wooden house, Khmer inspired temples with tigers and leopards and a Timor village. The Centrepiece is the Balinese Hindu temple of flowers. A non publicly accessible area is actually a consecrated Hindu temple, which is used for worship. For zoo visitors it is the all-marble indoor orangutan enclosure in the heart of the building that is the main bizarre draw. Approaching this temple via the rice paddies feels like the real thing and I have heard from multiple people who have been to Java that they likened it to visiting the famous Borobudur. With all these resources spent on theming it is a shame that the animals are almost forgotten. The tigers and the leopard, in particular, have many reasons to complain about their enclosures which have been badly outdated since day 1. When it comes to cultural theming, there is however nothing that comes even close, making this one of the most bizarre zoo experiences around.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@snowleopard
@snowleopard
@KevinB
@lintworm
Similar exhibits: (fortunately) nothing comes even close.
Pairi Daiza, Cambron-Casteau, Belgium
Opened: 2009 (with extensions in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Size: 4.3 hectares
Inhabitants: Sumatran orangutan, Javan leopard, Asian elephant, white tiger, Celebes crested macaque and more.
This area is everything that Pairi Daiza aims to be in combining culture and nature and is (therefore) ludicrously overthemed. Though named after the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, this is not just a hindu temple, but architecture from throughout Southeast Asia has been carefully replicated by indigenous craftsmen and there is an uncountable number of elephant statues in this place. There is a Thai wooden house, Khmer inspired temples with tigers and leopards and a Timor village. The Centrepiece is the Balinese Hindu temple of flowers. A non publicly accessible area is actually a consecrated Hindu temple, which is used for worship. For zoo visitors it is the all-marble indoor orangutan enclosure in the heart of the building that is the main bizarre draw. Approaching this temple via the rice paddies feels like the real thing and I have heard from multiple people who have been to Java that they likened it to visiting the famous Borobudur. With all these resources spent on theming it is a shame that the animals are almost forgotten. The tigers and the leopard, in particular, have many reasons to complain about their enclosures which have been badly outdated since day 1. When it comes to cultural theming, there is however nothing that comes even close, making this one of the most bizarre zoo experiences around.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@snowleopard
@snowleopard
@KevinB
@lintworm
Similar exhibits: (fortunately) nothing comes even close.
64. Kingdom of Ganesha
Pairi Daiza, Cambron-Casteau, Belgium
Opened: 2009 (with extensions in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Size: 4.3 hectares
Inhabitants: Sumatran orangutan, Javan leopard, Asian elephant, white tiger, Celebes crested macaque and more.
This area is everything that Pairi Daiza aims to be in combining culture and nature and is (therefore) ludicrously overthemed. Though named after the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, this is not just a hindu temple, but architecture from throughout Southeast Asia has been carefully replicated by indigenous craftsmen and there is an uncountable number of elephant statues in this place. There is a Thai wooden house, Khmer inspired temples with tigers and leopards and a Timor village. The Centrepiece is the Balinese Hindu temple of flowers. A non publicly accessible area is actually a consecrated Hindu temple, which is used for worship. For zoo visitors it is the all-marble indoor orangutan enclosure in the heart of the building that is the main bizarre draw. Approaching this temple via the rice paddies feels like the real thing and I have heard from multiple people who have been to Java that they likened it to visiting the famous Borobudur. With all these resources spent on theming it is a shame that the animals are almost forgotten. The tigers and the leopard, in particular, have many reasons to complain about their enclosures which have been badly outdated since day 1. When it comes to cultural theming, there is however nothing that comes even close, making this one of the most bizarre zoo experiences around.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@snowleopard
@snowleopard
@KevinB
@lintworm
Similar exhibits: (fortunately) nothing comes even close.
The Kingdom of Ganesha is in my opinion the prime example of over-the-top, counterproductive and excessive theming, in several instances at the expense of animal habitats and animal welfare, that exists at Pairi Daiza. It is easily my least favorite area of Pairi Daiza, and one that I would like to see some serious changes to.
That said, I do actually like the landscape of the rice field with the Tana-Toraja house, that area I don't find excessive. My dislike mostly centers on the tiger and leopard temples and the elephant areas. But I would like it even more if for example they had an aviary over some of the rice terraces, which I think could be interesting to house some wetland and/or songbirds.
Other areas and the more recent developments at Pairi Daiza are luckily a fair bit better, but not without some issues in places either.
That said, nonetheless I do really like Pairi Daiza and love visiting the place. And it certainly is a must-see place for zoo enthusiasts.
They don't, actually. The cheetahs live alone in their exhibit complex, and the black rhinos live on the multi-species savanna (but keeping black rhinos with antelopes and giraffes is also quite unusual).
You are naturally right... I am not sure where I got that idea. The only reference to a mix of black rhino and cheetah apart from Leipzig is Port Lympne, but not sure whether that mix is still extant.
Knowing Damian ASSpinall, they're probably on the next flight to Africa.
In some ways it resembles London's 'Land of the Lions'
I like Leipzig rhino-cheetah mix.
But, please, any urban or zoo planners, do NOT emulate Leipzig or Amsterdam African savannahs! Zoo visitors see fake African rocks and animals together with an urban city park or a row of tall Dutch buildings. The two do not fit together at all. They are textbook mistakes of landscape design.
There are better examples of zoos reaching to the outside landscape, or 'teasers' visible from outside the zoo:
- Brown bears outside Warsaw Zoo. This exhibit is in a public park near the major tram station used by visitors to the zoo, 5 min on foot from the zoo gates. This exhibit is old but unexpectedly well designed: spacious, much soft ground substrate hidden from view, and laid back from the street noise, at least as much as the exhibits inside the zoo. It is also a very beloved cultural icon of Warsaw. It looks like zoos in the region had a small fashion of outward-facing bear exhibits (Berlin Tierpark, Dresden) but other examples are much less successful.
- Berlin zoo has a number of exhibits seen very well from the canal boat ride and walkways outside the zoo: antelope, zebra, an aviary etc. Without much cross-viewing. And Berlin aquarium nearby has one big aquarium set in the wall, visible only from from outside.
- Lisbon zoo has a monkey island on a lake in the public park outside the zoo.
65. Planet Penguin
Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
Opened: 1999
Size: 1800 square metres (for the whole building)
Inhabitants: King penguin, gentoo penguin, rockhopper, chinstrap penguin
Europe’s largest indoor penguin enclosure is located in the European zoo that is closest to the tropics. Although I am not sure whether the claim of the “world’s biggest penguinarium” is correct, this exhibit for sub-antarctic penguins is impressive. Home to over 200 penguins even the large land and water area can feel quite crowded. While the rockwork and fake ice did not age very well, the 12 tons of snow that fall everyday are still an impressive feat. Winter visitors are in luck here, as this exhibit follows the Antarctic light cycle, which means a lot of darkness during the European summer months. Viewing is done from three sides, though the hill in the centre of the exhibit limits cross viewing and for convenience there is a moving walkway, a big rarity in European zoos. While tourist friendly, this exhibit also works for the penguins, with regular breeding results for all species kept here.
@kiang
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Other good indoor fridges exist for sub-antarctic penguins, though many others are on the small side. Edinburgh Zoo, UK, does however have a >2000 square metre large outdoor penguin enclosure for gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins, with excellent breeding results for especially the gentoos. This might well be Europe’s largest penguin enclosure and especially the gentoo penguin colony is impressive.
@MagpieGoose
@Macaw16
@felis silvestris
Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
Opened: 1999
Size: 1800 square metres (for the whole building)
Inhabitants: King penguin, gentoo penguin, rockhopper, chinstrap penguin
Europe’s largest indoor penguin enclosure is located in the European zoo that is closest to the tropics. Although I am not sure whether the claim of the “world’s biggest penguinarium” is correct, this exhibit for sub-antarctic penguins is impressive. Home to over 200 penguins even the large land and water area can feel quite crowded. While the rockwork and fake ice did not age very well, the 12 tons of snow that fall everyday are still an impressive feat. Winter visitors are in luck here, as this exhibit follows the Antarctic light cycle, which means a lot of darkness during the European summer months. Viewing is done from three sides, though the hill in the centre of the exhibit limits cross viewing and for convenience there is a moving walkway, a big rarity in European zoos. While tourist friendly, this exhibit also works for the penguins, with regular breeding results for all species kept here.
@kiang
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Other good indoor fridges exist for sub-antarctic penguins, though many others are on the small side. Edinburgh Zoo, UK, does however have a >2000 square metre large outdoor penguin enclosure for gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins, with excellent breeding results for especially the gentoos. This might well be Europe’s largest penguin enclosure and especially the gentoo penguin colony is impressive.
@MagpieGoose
@Macaw16
@felis silvestris
I mean, is there any area in Pairi Daiza which does not have over-the-top excessive theming?
Personally I don't think the theming is excessive in (most of) The Land of the Cold and The Last Frontier and the old Cambron Abbey. Personally I also like The Middle Kingdom far better than The Kingdom of Ganesha, even though that area is also heavily themed.
When I visited last year I also remember seeing a decent puffin enclosure in this section and although I did not see it, there should still be a rescued (green?) sea turtle mixed with (humboldt?) penguins, a pretty unique mix I think!65. Planet Penguin
Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
Opened: 1999
Size: 1800 square metres (for the whole building)
Inhabitants: King penguin, gentoo penguin, rockhopper, chinstrap penguin
Europe’s largest indoor penguin enclosure is located in the European zoo that is closest to the tropics. Although I am not sure whether the claim of the “world’s biggest penguinarium” is correct, this exhibit for sub-antarctic penguins is impressive. Home to over 200 penguins even the large land and water area can feel quite crowded. While the rockwork and fake ice did not age very well, the 12 tons of snow that fall everyday are still an impressive feat. Winter visitors are in luck here, as this exhibit follows the Antarctic light cycle, which means a lot of darkness during the European summer months. Viewing is done from three sides, though the hill in the centre of the exhibit limits cross viewing and for convenience there is a moving walkway, a big rarity in European zoos. While tourist friendly, this exhibit also works for the penguins, with regular breeding results for all species kept here.
@kiang
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Other good indoor fridges exist for sub-antarctic penguins, though many others are on the small side. Edinburgh Zoo, UK, does however have a >2000 square metre large outdoor penguin enclosure for gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins, with excellent breeding results for especially the gentoos. This might well be Europe’s largest penguin enclosure and especially the gentoo penguin colony is impressive.
@MagpieGoose
@Macaw16
@felis silvestris
For me, the Kingdom of Ganesha is another too loose interpretation of the word “exhibit”, so it would not make my list.
I also assumed the exhibits that are contained within this complex were too bad for you to include it. I’m always disappointed at the quality of many of them, specially the tigers, javan leopard and orang indoors are appaling. But it is one of those things that you have to have seen it to believe it.
I had Planet Pinguin scribbled down pretty quick. I haven’t seen it myself just yet, but from pictures it looks like the best arctic penguin enclosure. I’m not a huge fan of Edinburgh’s one, I rather like Antwerp’s Vriesland better.
I also assumed the exhibits that are contained within this complex were too bad for you to include it. I’m always disappointed at the quality of many of them, specially the tigers, javan leopard and orang indoors are appaling. But it is one of those things that you have to have seen it to believe it.
I had Planet Pinguin scribbled down pretty quick. I haven’t seen it myself just yet, but from pictures it looks like the best arctic penguin enclosure. I’m not a huge fan of Edinburgh’s one, I rather like Antwerp’s Vriesland better.
Those two exhibits should still be present, but aren't much more than decent (and the rockwork looks ugly), so that's why I chose not to include them in the list.
I like many parts of Ganesha (basically the original set up), but many exhibits are indeed appalling, but in terms of (excessive) theming it is something else. If they would just replace the leopard with a binturong and net over the tiger pit and put Hanuman langurs in, this would be already a so much better place. Get rid of some elephants and put Indian rhino in the original palace thing after some remodifications and you have a pretty good generic SE-Asia area. I don't even think the orang enclosures are bad, though they clearly miss any fission-fusion opportunities. Looking past the theming, both enclosures are quite well-structured, full of enrichment and have a pretty good height...
I think Vriesland is nice, but one of those that is too small. My personal favourites are Rotterdam and Oceanopolis, Brest, which are equally well landscaped, but offer a lot more space and in Blijdorp's case: a deep pool too.
66. Le Grand Parc
Parc de Clères, France
Opened: 1919
Size: 9 hectares
Inhabitants: Blackbuck, red-necked wallaby, flamingos, cranes, a wide variety of waterfowl and more.
When the famous French naturalist Jean Delacour bought a chateau with an English garden he set out to make his own version of paradise. Paradise comes from the Persian “Pairi Daiza” which means walled garden and that is exactly what this is and shows what could have become of the zoo Pairi Daiza if it would have taken the low-key approach. This is basically a set of walkthrough two enclosures, the first is right in front of the chateau where between the immaculate gardens walk a range of waterfowl, flamingo, demoiselle crane and ibis. The second is the main English garden and has large amounts of free-ranging birds, including Himalayan monal, as well as blackbuck, Chinese water deer, axis deer and red-necked wallaby. To see all these exotic creatures on perfect lawns in a wonderful garden setting, must be one of the most European zoo sights of them all. If one can look past all the pinioning/clipping of birds, of which the future is doubtful, this is a fascinating sight. The large group of blackbuck and the huge flamingo colony and their lake are clear highlights here. Completely unpretentious this is a place where one can quietly stroll and observe the animals.
@lintworm
@lintworm
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Parc de Branféré, le Guerno, France, also has a modest chateau, with a wide variety of free-ranging animals on the lawns and woodlands surrounding it, but the views aren’t as great as in Cleres. Other major zoos that still have free-ranging species include Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg, Germany and the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, UK. One of the most iconic zoo sights however has to be the white rhinos grazing in front of the manor house at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, UK.
Parc de Branféré
@Maxime
@lintworm
Cotswold Wildlife Park
@ro6ca66
Parc de Clères, France
Opened: 1919
Size: 9 hectares
Inhabitants: Blackbuck, red-necked wallaby, flamingos, cranes, a wide variety of waterfowl and more.
When the famous French naturalist Jean Delacour bought a chateau with an English garden he set out to make his own version of paradise. Paradise comes from the Persian “Pairi Daiza” which means walled garden and that is exactly what this is and shows what could have become of the zoo Pairi Daiza if it would have taken the low-key approach. This is basically a set of walkthrough two enclosures, the first is right in front of the chateau where between the immaculate gardens walk a range of waterfowl, flamingo, demoiselle crane and ibis. The second is the main English garden and has large amounts of free-ranging birds, including Himalayan monal, as well as blackbuck, Chinese water deer, axis deer and red-necked wallaby. To see all these exotic creatures on perfect lawns in a wonderful garden setting, must be one of the most European zoo sights of them all. If one can look past all the pinioning/clipping of birds, of which the future is doubtful, this is a fascinating sight. The large group of blackbuck and the huge flamingo colony and their lake are clear highlights here. Completely unpretentious this is a place where one can quietly stroll and observe the animals.
@lintworm
@lintworm
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Parc de Branféré, le Guerno, France, also has a modest chateau, with a wide variety of free-ranging animals on the lawns and woodlands surrounding it, but the views aren’t as great as in Cleres. Other major zoos that still have free-ranging species include Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg, Germany and the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, UK. One of the most iconic zoo sights however has to be the white rhinos grazing in front of the manor house at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford, UK.
Parc de Branféré
@Maxime
@lintworm
Cotswold Wildlife Park
@ro6ca66