Europe's 50 must see zoos

Spain - L'Oceanogràfic Valencia

Founded: 2002
Size: 8 hectares
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 6
Birds 31
Reptiles & amphibians 7
Fish 378

Though L'Oceanogràfic is mainly known as an aquarium it is much more than that. At first sight is does not even look like an aquarium but a mix between modern architecture, water and rock. All major aquaria are in these buildings or located underground. Aboveground it is the marine mammals and birds that are most eye-catching. A highlight is the 26 million liter dolphinarium, the biggest of it's kind in Europe. Where the Bottlenose dolphins have a lot of space, the Beluga and Walrus have a lot more to complain about, though the Walrus will soon leave for Pairi Daiza... Aboveground there are several enclosures for pinnipeds, a futuristic aviary, Penguin, Slender-snouted crocodiles; Steller's sea lions are planned too. Underground and inside are several large aquariums divided by theme. The largest is the shark tank with 7 million liters, which has a rather strange shape. Another highlight is the 700.000 liter Atlantic tank, which has a 70 meter long tunnel. The red sea tank is somewhat strangely just the background in an auditorium, so can't be seen from up close. In terms of species, all the aquarium stars like Sawfish, Sunfish, Sea dragon, Mobula ray and a good Shark collection are present. Overall this is more than just a good aquarium, with mostly very good enclosure for a wide range of aquatic animals.

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@Susan Humphreys , General view

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@Paradoxurus , Atlantic ocean tunnel

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@Bjoern.Jordan , Beluga viewing

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@dmwarren , Tropical tank

Zoochat gallery:
L`Oceanogràfic Valencia | ZooChat

www.oceanografic.org

Zoo map:
Park plane - Oceanografic Valencia Web Oficial – Evita la cola de taquillas
 
Sweden - Borås Djurpark

Founded: 1962
Size: 38 hectares
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 36
Birds 11
Reptiles & amphibians 4
Fish 15

African savanna enclosures are a staple in zoos and it is hard to find a mainstream zoo that doesn't combine some of Africa's larger mammals. The species used are often hardly inspiring and all follow the same trends, except in Borås. Not only are African buffalo part of the mix, but the highlight of their huge savanna is one of the few breeding groups of African elephant in Europe. That alone makes for one of the most iconic enclosures on the continent. Originally White rhino were also part of the mix, but they now have their separate enclosure shared with Cheetah. Though Borås is a 38 hectare zoo, the number of species kept is very limited, with a very strong focus on larger mammals. But on the other hand this means that enclosure sizes are extremely generous for the animals. This is maybe best shown in the native species sections where Gray seal have their own lake and Brown bear, Wolverine, European elk, Wolf and Lynx have large stretches of forest at their disposal. Apart from the savanna and Nordic complexes the zoo has a monkey house with Chimpanzee and Orangutan as stars, several large carnivores and Bongo. Birds and reptiles are almost absent, though there would be place for smaller aviaries dotted around... The lack of smaller animals is partly compensated by a small reptile zoo just next door though.

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@Toddy , Part of African savanna

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@Kwambeze , Wolf enclosure

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@Kwambeze , Lion enclosure

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@Swedish Zoo Fan , Primate islands

Zoochat gallery:
Borås Djurpark | ZooChat

www.borasdjurpark.se

Zoo map:
Zoomap - Borås Zoo
 
That savanna looks amazing. How do the elephants and buffalo get along with the other animals? You very rarely if ever see elephants sharing an enclosure with other large herbivores in the States, and I've never seen Cape buffalo share one either.
 
Sweden - Nordens Ark, Hunnebostrand

Founded: 1989 (open to the public since 1999)
Size: 350 hectares (including nature reserve)
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 32
Birds 19
Reptiles & amphibians 25
Fish 1

Nordens Ark started as a closed breeding centre and only opened to the public later. Breeding (locally) endangered species still forms an important component of this zoo. Local endangered species like White-backed woodpecker, Lesser white-fronted goose and and two endangered Longhorn beetles are bred for release here. The bulk of the collection consists of Nordic species with a focus on cats: Snow leopard, Persian leopard, Siberian tiger, Manul, Lynx and Scottish wild cat. Additionally there are several other carnivores like Dhole and Wolverine and some ungulates like Markhor and Urial. With the exception of Baer's pochard the bird collection is completely European, in terms of reptiles and amphibians there is a good mix of tropical and native species. The collection is thus interesting, but rather limited in terms of species. The real highlights are the enclosures and the location of the zoo. Located on a hill next to a Fiord, most is made of the rocky terrain and some of the most amazing cat enclosures have been created here. Most other enclosures are also of an extremely high standard, but the possibility to see Snow leopards on a huge cliff is hard to top. Such top-notch enclosures combined with a very strong focus on conservation, especially locally but also worldwide make for a unique zoo.

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@Thesweham , Wetland with Crane enclosures

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@Jodea, part of Tiger enclosure

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@Thesweham , Wolverine enclosure

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@Jodea , Snow leopard enclosure

Zoochat gallery:
Nordens Ark | ZooChat

www.nordensark.se

Zoo map:
Park map
 
Okapipako said:
That savanna looks amazing. How do the elephants and buffalo get along with the other animals? You very rarely if ever see elephants sharing an enclosure with other large herbivores in the States, and I've never seen Cape buffalo share one either.
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I assume they are getting along well, this mix has been in existence here for several decades now ;)

Brum said:
Now that was an unexpected inclusion, I expected (predicted! :p) Boras but not Nordens.
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pipaluk said:
Me too, I thought one would make it, not necessarily both.
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I am afraid I shall surprise you again :p
 
Switzerland - Tierpark Dählhölzli, Bern

Founded: 1937
Size: 15 hectares
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 39
Birds 29
Reptiles & amphibians 41
Fish 68

European themed areas in zoos are often quite small or boring, as if to say that the native wildlife doesn’t really deserve its place among all the exotic animals. The Tierpark in Bern shows however that with the right species and presentation, one can have a proper zoo. The outdoor sections of this zoo solely consist of European species, the obligatory Lynx, Wisent, Otter, Wolf and Deer are present, but also more interesting species such as Puffin, Persian leopard, Souslik and Musk ox make an appearance. The bird collection is relatively small but has a good selection of European grouse species. It is however not only the species line-up that makes this zoo attractive, most enclosures are very generous in size and set in natural forest or on the river bank. The Otter, Beaver and Pelican enclosures are directly connected to the river Aare, so have natural prey and fluctuating water levels. Apart from the outdoor section, there is a spacious Vivarium, a mix of well landscaped terraria, aquaria, enclosures for small monkeys and a mixed savannah and rainforest aviary. The savannah aviary is especially interesting as the termite colony provides enrichment for the Lizards and Elephant shrews. This is not the biggest zoo, but it is one of the very few without any mediocre enclosure and many enclosures belong to the biggest of their kind in Europe. Plans for the future include a Malagasy extension of the vivarium and an enclosure for Barbary macaque, Europe’s only “wild” monkey. The historic bear "pit" in the city centre of Bern is also managed by the zoo and is the city's most popular attraction.

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@lintworm , Wisent and European red deer forest

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@lintworm , European otter enclosure

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@lintworm , Part of the Vivarium

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@lintworm , Persian leopard enclosure

Zoochat gallery:
Tierpark Dählhölzli | ZooChat

www.tierpark-bern.ch

Zoo map:
Tierpark-Bern - Anreise & Zooplan
 
The Otter, Beaver and Pelican enclosures are directly connected to the river Aare, so have natural prey and fluctuating water levels.
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This is earnestly the coolest aspect of an exhibit I've read about in this thread thus far. That's brilliant. I can't get enough of enclosures that make the most of the existing natural landscape.
 
Switzerland - Zoo Zürich

Founded: 1929
Size: 28 hectares
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 60
Birds 100
Reptiles & amphibians 46
Fish 102

What started with a superb Spectacled bear complex, an ambitious masterplan and a sea of concrete, is now one of the top zoos in Europe. Zurich has a reputation for naturalistic enclosures and if something is done, it is generally done extremely well. This zoo has some of the most spectacular enclosures for Gelada, Snow leopards and arguably Europe’s best elephant house. The Masoala rainforest hall might be the smallest of the four main "zoo rainforests" in Europe, but it is without a doubt the one which has best succeeded at replicating an actual rainforest. The Masoala has the additional handicap, compared to the Bush, Gondwanaland and Jungola, in that it is completely focused on Madagascar and 2/3rds of its plant actually occur on the island as does the vast majority of the animals. Except the Aldabran giant tortoises all animals roam free and Masoala is thus the best Lemur or Parrot enclosure in the world. If it would not be so hot any zoo enthusiast could spend an hour on two on top of the canopy viewing platform in the hall. An additional strength of the zoo is that every complex has a very strong conservation component, often supporting a project connected to the complex’s theme. Some of the better zoo education departments are also very clear in bringing these messages across. Zurich is however not a perfect zoo, its collection is relatively limited, with surprisingly little highlights in the mammal collection, next to the ABC’s. Additionally it sports some of the worst Great ape outdoor enclosures in Europe. It is somewhat of a miracle that this house has survived this long, though all apes live in well-functioning family groups. Change is on the horizon though, but first a multi-million savanna complex needs to be completed.

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@antonmuster , Snow leopard enclosure

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@FunkyGibbon, Masoala hall

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@antonmuster , Part of Spectacled bear and Coati enclosure

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@lintworm , Elephant house

Zoochat gallery:
Zürich Zoo | ZooChat

www.zoo.ch

Zoo map:
https://zoo.ch/sites/default/files/file/Zoobesuch/Zooplan_2018_d_e.pdf
 
United Kingdom - Howletts Wild Animal Park, Bekesbourne

Founded: 1975
Size: 36 hectares
Species and subspecies (including domestics):
Mammals 52
Birds 2
Reptiles & amphibians 0
Fish 0

Though zoos are often said to be for the visitors and not for the animals, there are certain zoos that seem to have it as their job to make it as difficult as possible to actually see the animals. Howletts is such a zoo and many animals live in cages, often set away from the path, putting the animals before the visitors. Attempts at creating a "natural" environment are also often lacking, which is most clearly visible in the Gorilla enclosures. These enclosures are completely functional, giving its inhabitants all the stimuli they need, but for visitors they can look extremely ugly with an overload of fencing and lack of "natural" structures. Howletts collection is extremely narrow, as almost only mammals are kept and most mammals are either Carnivores, Primates or Hoofstock, with the exception of African elephant, Giant anteater and Capybara. Multiple species can be found in multiple enclosures throughout the park and together with the other Aspinall collection, Port Lympne, this zoo has played a large role in the establishment of species as Moloch gibbon and Clouded leopard. Howletts has been actively involved in keeping and breeding rare species in captivity and still plays this role. Under the new director several rare species were simply discarded and both Aspinall collections now seem to be past their prime. The concept is however still unique and many functional enclosures built long ago, are still very much functional even by today's standards.

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@Chris79 , Gorilla cage

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@zoogiraffe , Bongo enclosure

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@zoogiraffe , General view

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@LaughingDove , Moloch gibbon cage

Zoochat gallery:
Howletts Wild Animal Park | ZooChat

www.aspinallfoundation.org/howletts

Zoo map:
https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/media/2405/howletts_map.pdf
 
I am fairly pleased that Howletts has made the list (and I named it as a possibility) , but not sure what to make of the description, it almost seems like an apology and pretty harsh . I see nothing wrong with a zoo with mainly mammals, I often see this as a criticism of zoos, yet bird/reptile specialist collections or aquariums are considered great even if they have no or very few mammals ! Doesn't add up to me.
( I would rate both Howletts & Port Lympne in my top 10 UK zoos comfortably and I love Yorkshire Wildlife Park, all mammal focused !)
 
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pipaluk said:
but not sure what to make of the description, it almost seems like an apology and pretty harsh
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It was certainly not meant to be harsh and I didn't mean to judge the zoo by the collection as being good or bad, but I think it is something worth highlighting as this is a major zoo with more than enough space, so it would not have been strange to have some birds or reptiles. That it hasn't is certainly quite unique, though other zoos in especially France and the UK can be similarly mammal focused.
 
lintworm said:
It was certainly not meant to be harsh and I didn't mean to judge the zoo by the collection as being good or bad, but I think it is something worth highlighting as this is a major zoo with more than enough space, so it would not have been strange to have some birds or reptiles. That it hasn't is certainly quite unique, though other zoos in especially France and the UK can be similarly mammal focused.
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Please don't take my observations on your assessment of Howletts as a criticism . I just found it interesting that several of the points you made would be reasons some people wouldn't include Howletts in the list.
 
pipaluk said:
I think there were Helmeted Guinea Fowl and Peafowl in the deer park, but not sure they're still there and ZTL doesn't list them as current holdings.
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I got the information from the International Zoo Yearbook, which was last updated in 2015 though for Howletts. I don't know whether they are still around as especially English zoos seem to be susceptible to trolls in Zootierliste....
 
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