German Zoo Worlds Zoo Animal Report

[German Zoo World]

Inspired by @Aardwolf and his wonderful and interesting Thread i decided to share some of my Animal Encounters with you my fellow Zoo Chatters. I have never worked at a Zoo or Aquarium but i have had many wonderful, fascinating or even scary Encounters during my last 20+ Years of visiting 25+ Zoos and Aquariums in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Spain and Czechia.I will start with Domestics and native Wildlife and will of course also cover Exotic Species. Each Entry will list at how many Zoos or Aquariums i have seen the particular Animal, the Enclosures i have come across for the Animal and of course my personal Encounters or Reactions with the described Species or Breed. I will update this Thread regularly so stay tuned for my first Entry.

 

[German Zoo World]

Domestic Dog

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 2
Seen Breeds/Species: Border Collie, German Shepherd

Every Zoo has a Petting Zoo or a Section dedicated to Farm Animals sometimes also with common Pet Species tossed into the Mix and some Zoos even keep one of the most abundant of Pets, the Domestic Dog. I for myself have to admit Domestic Dogs are one of the very few Animals that have never interested me and i was never exited to see one, but for many normal Zoo Visitors this is the Animal they are mostly familiar with. Even if Domestic Dogs have never interested me i have to share some Zoo Encounters with you. I have seen two Breeds of Domestic Dog at two Zoos, the Border Collie and the German Shepherd. The Border Collies are kept in the Lifestock Presentation at Bad Mergentheim Wildlifepark one of Germanys best Wildparks. The Lifestock Presentation is both entertaining and educational showcasing Farm Animals doing their Work and the Border Collie was seen both guarding a Herd of Sheep and leading them to a new Paddock which was very entertaining to see and the Collie was also seen leading a flock of Ducks over a Bridge. I do not know if the Border Collies are stil at the Zoo as i have never seen them during my last Visits. Often if Domestic Dogs are kept in Zoos they are shown in Animal Presentations like at Bad Mergentheim but i have even seen one in a traditional Zoo Enclosure. This was one of my strangest Zoo Encounters as i have never expected to see a Enclosure for a single German Shepherd at Haustierfarm Leipzig a small private Zoo near the Connewitz Wildlife Park. I am not sure if this small rundown Zoo is stil open in 2025 as most of the Enclosures at the Zoo consist of small barren and cramped Cages and Paddocks. One of these Cages had a huge German Shepherd but the poor Thing wasnt realy able to turn arround in his tiny Cage. As i have seen the Dog i found it strange to see a Domestic Dog at a Zoo and i thought about why we need to keep a Animal at a Zoo most People see every single Day and why in such a cramped Cage. Since then i have never seen Domestic Dogs in another Zoo and if i come across them at other Zoos again i hope to see them in a Animal Presentation rather than a Exhibit Animal taking Space away from more interesting Breeds or Species.

 

[German Zoo World]

Budgerigar

Photo made by @German Zoo World Budgerigar Breedingform at Pfauengarten Zoo

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 12
Seen Breeds/Species: Breedingform, Wild Type

Today we take a closer Look at one of the most common Zoo Birds, the Budgerigar. They are common both in small free Zoos and larger Zoos. Often they are kept in small simple Aviarys like at Luisenpark Mannheim, Blühendes Barrock Ludwigsburg and Bodenseezoo Reuthemühle. All of the mentioned Zoos keep them in a large Flock of different Colours. Mannheim does not keep them anymore because of the Construction for the new African free flight Aviary. Ludwigsburg has them in a Row of Aviarys inside of the Mediterranean free flight Aviary and they keep them busy with lots of Enrichment like Seedsticks which was interesting to see how even small Birds can be enriched very well. Reuthemühle keeps a huge Flock of different colour morphs inside of a unfortunatley small Aviary considering the Size of the Flock held within the Aviary. Budgerigars are often mixed with other australian Parakeets, Finches, Chickens, Quails, larger Parrots and of course many other Birds. Budgerigars are even kept by small free Zoos like at the Aviary of Bad Buchau or at the Tiergehege im Hofgarten Öhringen. The Bad Buchau Aviary was formerly situated inside the outdoor Section of the local Spa and a few Years ago the Budgerigars shared the Aviary even with Quails, Pheasants, larger Parrots and some kind of Striped Squirrel. After the Spa decided to give a makeover of their outdoor section the Aviary was moved into the Kurpark and can now be seen for free. Unfortunatley many Species i stil remeber seeing in the Aviary have since been phased out but a small Flock of Budgies is stil there together with Zebra Finch, Red crowned Parakeet and Red rumped Parrot. Öhringen Tiergehege was completly rebuild for the Landesgartenschau 2016. They phased out many Crowd Favorites such as their Japanese Macaques and Patagonian Cavies but their Budgies moved over to a new Row of Aviarys and they share their Aviary with Cockatiel and Fishers Lovebird. Other Mixes with Birds inside of standard Aviarys include Scarlet chested Parrot at Pfauengarten Zoo and with Chicken and Cockatiel at Reptile Zoo Neu Ulm. A more unusual Mix can be found at Ulm Zoo, they are kept of course with Cockatiel but also with Hermanns Tortoise on the floor. Before the Budgerigars moved into the Tortoise Enclosure the Zoo held their small Flock of Budgies inside a small cramped Aviary inside of the Zoos Tropical House. Last Year i visited a small free Petting Zoo named Petting Zoo Kastanienhof Bodelshausen and i expected to only see standard Domestic Animals but when i walked through the Gardens Section of the Petting Zoo i heard some familiar chirping Noises and to my Surprise i found a Aviary for Budgies aswell as Canary, Zebra Finch and of course Cockatiel but i tought it was a bit overstocked for the Size of the Aviary. At Göppingen Zoo you can find a Aviary with Budgies and they share the Aviary with Cockatiel, Bourkes Parrot, Red crowned Parakeet, Plume headed Parakeet, Japanese Quail and King Quail. Every Zoo Bird Encounter is even more fascinating if you are inside of a free flight Aviary sharing the same Space as the Birds and this is no Exception with Budgerigars. The Australian free flight Aviary at Wilhelma Zoo is Home to a Flock of Budgies and its absolutley breathtaking to watch the lively Flock inside this nicely landscaped Aviary which is shared with Cockatiel, Masked Lapwing, Rosella, Australian Thick Knee, Galah, Crested Pigeon and several other Birds of Down Under. Most Zoos keep the colourfull Breedingforms and i think most Zoo Visitors think that blue, grey, white or yellow Budgies live in the Outback, but the green Wild type Budgie is rarley found in Zoos such as the Frankfurt Zoo which is where i have seen them last Year. Budgerigars are entertaining for Visitors espacialy if they are kept in a large Flock or together with other Australian Birds and Zoos can show how to keep Budgies and how to take care for them properly.

 

[German Zoo World]

Canary

Photo made by @German Zoo World Domestic Canary at Pfauengarten Zoo

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 6
Seen Breeds/Species: Domestic Canary, Wild Type Canary

Just like the Budgerigar the Canary is another common Zoo Bird. Canarys are also often mixed with other smaller Birds and they come in many different Colour Morphs thus making them popular even in small free Zoos like at the Voliere Bad Buchau. The Canarys at Buchau seem to be recent Newcomers having arrived after the Aviary was moved to the Kurpark and i have not seen them there previously. They are kept together with Zebra Finches, a Species that is often held together with Canarys. Canarys and Zebra Finches are held at Buchau in a smaller Side Aviary but i think the Space is stil good for these small Birds. The Tiergehege in Öhringen is yet another small free Zoo with Canarys, this Time they are kept together with Diamond Dove in a small Aviary inside the Zoos old Bird Greenhouse. Öhringen only keeps a Pair of Canarys but you can enjoy their Chirping very well by taking a Seat on the nearby Bench. At Petting Zoo Kastanienhof Bodelshausen a few Canarys are mixed with the Inhabitants of the already mentioned Aviary of the Budgie Entry which seemed to be a bit overstocked with Birds. Pfauengarten Zoo has Canarys in a simple Aviary together with Zebra Finch inside the Zoos Bird House. The strangest Canary Aviary was at Göppingen Zoo and the colourfull Passerines shared the Aviary of course with both Zebra Finch and Diamond Dove. The Birds have been kept inside a tiny barren Aviary which was build onto the Wallaby Barn, hanging from the Wall. Of course the Birds also had a indoor Aviary but the outdoor Aviary feels cramped even for three Species of small Birds. I noticed on my last Visit that this particular Aviary was empty of Birds and maybee they plan to enlarge their Aviary? Like the Budgie the same can also be said about the Canary, most Zoos tend to keep the Domestic Canary rather than the Wild Type Island Canary. I have only seen the Wild Type Canary inside of the Frankfurt Zoos Bird House. Canarys are lively and colourfull Zoo Birds and as such they are even found at some very small free Zoos like the Places i mentioned in this Entry but because of their Colours and of course the beautifull Song they sing, they are also popular with Zoo Visitors.

 

[German Zoo World]

House Mouse

Photo made by @German Zoo World Domestic Mouse at Bodenseezoo Reuthemühle

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 6
Seen Breeds/Species: Domestic Mouse, European House Mouse

House Mice are often seen either as Pest Species by many Zoos as they often sneak into Zoo Enclosures and they are breeding fast because of the constant Food Source inside the Enclosures or as Feeder Animals, but some Zoos keep the House Mouse as Exhibit Animals as they can be entertaining to watch. Most Zoos keep Domestic Mice with various colour Morphs inside very simple Terrariums. Tier and Spielpark Bichlbach is a small private owned Zoo in Austria i have often visited as a Child and they have a simple Terrarium for Domestic Mice. Another simple Terrarium for Domestic Mice can be found at Göppingen Zoo. At Göppingen they keep the white colour Morph inside of a small free standing Terrarium titled as the "Mouse Hotel". Even larger Zoos like Hellabrunn Zoo Munich keep Domestic Mice, they are kept inside of a former Food stall and most Mice at Hellabrunn Zoo are of the dark colour Morph. Hellabrunn Zoo plans to phase out the Domestic Mouse and they want to replace them with the rare Bavarian pine Vole. Bodenseezoo Reuthemühle has a large Colony of Domestic Mice inside a huge Cage. The Mice can be seen running arround or digging in the Substrate but i remember that on my Visit several individual Mice came over and seemed to be very interested of the Zoo Visitors standing by the Mesh. Some Zoos desgin their Mouse Habitats after Food storage Rooms or Kitchens and yes i know many Zoo Chatters think this Type of Enclosure has no educational Value but i think Mice occasionally live in such Enviroments and if the Habitat is properly desgined for the Mice i have no Problem seeing them inside a artificial Habitat. Bad Mergentheim Wildlife Park has booth Domestic Mice and the wild type House Mouse inside a Storage Room Habitat titled as the "Mouse House". On every Visit it is entertaining again to look and find the small Rodents, one Visit they are inside of the large Bread on the Table, one Visit they race arround on the Shelf and on another Visit they jump into the Wardrobe. I do not know how many Mice are kept at Bad Mergentheim but this is one of the best Mice Enclosures i have personaly seen. Another good Contender for the best Mouse Habitat i have seen has to be Wildnispark Langenberg in Zurich Switzerland. This is a huge Wildpark with all Sorts of native European Species and the most amazing thing about this Zoo is that you can visit the whole Zoo for free including a Mouse House for Edible Dormouse, Brown Rat and of course wild type House Mice. Zurichs Enclosure is designed after a Kitchen and you can see a lot of Mice here, they are jumping from a Chair and you can see them almost guaranteed directly in Front ov the viewing Window. Mice are lively social Rodents and at my last Visit to Bad Mergentheim i have seen a lot of Visitors standing in front of the Mouse Habitat and searching for the Mice and if they found one they are watching the Mice for a view Minutes, i think this shows that even small active Zoo Animals can be quite popular for Zoo Visitors.

 

[German Zoo World]

Barn Swallow

Photo made by @KevinB

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 1

Swallows are seldom found in Zoos and i have only seen captive Barn Swallows once. If there is a Zoo with rarely kept native Birds it is of course the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck that comes to mind and this is where i have seen my thus far only captive Swallows. The Barn Swallows at Innsbruck are kept in the stunning Ripparian Forest free flight Aviary which is also Home to Green winged Teal, Little Grebe and Little Bittern, previously this Aviarys was also Home to Eurasian Wren and European Robin that have sadly been phased out of the Zoo or have unfortunatley passef away. Swallows need to be kept in a large spacious Aviary because they rarely sit on the Floor as they are mostly aerial. On my last Visit in 2023 they were very active, constantly flying arround there Aviary very fast. It was interesting to see these rare Birds but unfortunatley i am not sure if they are stil kept at Innsbruck, as Zootierliste lists them as stil signed but not seen. Lets hope the Swallows did just hide out of View and have not passed away or phased out. Swallows are for most Zoo Visitors only small Birds that are often overlooked but i think as they are highly active Flyers and if they are kept inside of a spacious free flight Aviary like at Innsbruck they can even be entertaining for the standard Zoo Visitor.

 

[German Zoo World]

European white Stork

Photo made by @German Zoo World European white Stork at Tripsdrill Wildlife

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 9

The White Stork is one of the few Zoo Birds thar are easily identified even by normal Zoo Visitors. Storks are stil often kept with clipped Wings on open topped Enclosures. Pfauengarten Zoo keeps them in a simple grassy Enclosure together with Northern Pintail. The Storks at Pfauengarten Zoo have a small Pond and some Nesting opportunitys. Even the famous Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg keeps White Storks on a simple Bird Meadow together with grey crowned Crane, yellow billed Stork and even the Reeves Muntjac is kept together with all the Birds. Storks often gather near Wetlands and Marshes so some Zoos can have a simple yet great Stork Enclosure if they just put a Fence arround a natural Body of Water like at Augsburg Zoo. At Augsburg the Storks are kept together with a lot of Waterfowls inside a very natural Pond Enclosure. Zurich Zoo in Switzerland kepps the White Stork inside their Selenga Wetlands walk through Enclosure which they share with a lot of other eurasian Birds such as Mandarin Duck, Northern Shoveler and even the Storks black Cousin, the Black Stork. You can get very close to the Zoos Storks as they are often found directly next to the Visitor Pathway. Even if such naturalistic open topped Enclosures like at Zurich do look very nice i prefer to see unclipped Storks in large free flight Aviarys. Affenberg Salem has a large wild breeding Colony situated on the Main Buildings Roof. I dont know why but for some Reason on my Visit they had some Storks inside a Aviary that paced back and forth flying from one Wall of the Aviary to the other. Lets hope for them they only lived temporarily inside of the Aviary because they seemed to be wild Birds and they sadly looked very stressed. Salems wild Colony even gets fed by the Zoo Staff to ensure there are at least some Storks to see. A much better and more spacious Aviary is found at the Blühendes Barrock in Ludwigsburg. Here the Storks are kept in the large Mediterranean fre flight Aviary which is themed like a mediterranean Garden. This Aviary is shared with various Water and Gamefowl like Red crested Pochard, Ring necked Pheasant and impressive breeding Colonys of booth African Spoonbill and black headed Ibis. There is also a small Group of Greater Flamingos in the Aviary which tend to stick arround a small Pond near the Exit and this is where i have seen the Storks chilling near the Flamingos. Some Zoos keep rescued Individuals that cannot be released back into the Wild because of a permanent Wing injury. Such Storks can be kept in open topped Enclosures and if they are injured Storks i have no Problem of seeing them in a open topped Enclosure. Both Opel Zoo Kronberg and Hellabrunn Zoo Munich keep Storks with injured Wings and they have Signage telling that these Birds are unreleasable and cannot fly by their own. Kronberg keeps them in a small grassy Enclosure with Nesting oportunitys. The injured Storks at Munich live inside the former Golden Jackal Enclosure which is very simple too but White Storks do not need much more than a small Pond and some nesting Plattforms that got added to the Enclosure. My most memeroble Zoo Encounter with a White Stork was at Tripsdrill Wildlife also with a unreleasable Individual. On the Zoo Grounds live many Breeding Pairs of wild White Storks but until a few years ago the Zoo stil kept a Pair inside a medium sized Aviary and ironically a wild Breeding Pair was nesting on Top of the Aviary for the captive Pair, and in the Zoos Bird of Prey Zone another White Stork was kept in a medium sized Aviary with some perching oportunitys. On my last Visit in 2025 the Storks inside the Aviarys have been phased out, the Aviary of the Breeding Pair is now Home to a nice Mix of Ringed Teal, Mandarin Duck, Ring necked Pheasant, Northern bald Ibis and Black crowned night Heron. The other Aviary is now Home to a Steppe Eagle. Currently i think the Zoo only keeps a non releasable Stork which has the Opportunity to walk arround freely on Zoo Grounds. Most of the Time the Bird stayed near the Bird of Prey Show Area and you can get very close to the Bird. I think i was never before that close to a European white Stork. The Stork is a tame Individual which is not bothered of Zoo Visitors at all, walking arround between the Visitors and i even saw him grabbing some Fries on the Floor near the Zoos main Restaurant. Storks are majestic Birds and seeing them upclose is a cool Zoo Experience. I look forward and hope that Zoos that are keeping White Storks would prefer to either keep unclipped Storks inside a spacious Aviary or non releasable Birds.

 

[German Zoo World]

Hermanns Tortoise

Photo made by @KevinB

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 6
Seen Breeds/Species: boettgeri, hermanni

One of the most common Reptiles both in the private Pet trade and in Zoos is the Hermanns Tortoise. They are also one of the very few Reptiles in european Zoos that are often held in outdoor Enclosures. Herpetarium Landau a large Reptile Zoo keeps their Tortoises both boettgeri and hermanni outdoors, in a Section for native european Herps. The Tortoises are held in naturalistic Enclosures with only a small wall of large Rocks used as a natural Barrier. Each Tortoise Enclosure at Landau has a small attached Greenhouse to retreat into if it Rains. At Neu Ulm Reptile Zoo the hermanni subspecies is kept inside a Enclosure looking like a vegetable patch and also with a small wooden Barrier as Tortoises do not need a huge Fence. The Hermanns Tortoises at Opel Zoo Kronberg are kept together with Greek, Russian and Marginated Tortoises in simple natural looking Enclosure. I think it was very interesting to see all european Tortoise species right next to each other inside one Enclosure. A very nice natural Enclosure with mediterranean Plants and sandy Substrate can be found at Wilhelma Zoo, Wilhelma keeps the boettgeri subspecies toether with Marginated Tortoises and previously the Enclosure was also shared with European legless Lizard which unfortunatley passed away or have been phased out. Hermanns Tortoises can not only be kept together with several european Herps they can also be kept with Birds and even some Mammals. At Ulm Zoo they are held in a small Aviary already mentioned in my Budgie entry together with Budgerigar and Cockatiel. Last but not least one of the largest Enclosures for Hermanns Tortoise is found at Heidelberg Zoo and it is shared with Tufted Deer and Red Panda. The Tortoises inside of the Red Panda Enclosure were not bothered at all by the Presence of the Red Pand and they were roaming arround the spacious grassy Enclosure very active, i think i have never seen Hermanns Tortoises that active before. Zoos can show how to keep Hermanns Tortoises propely and even if they are only munching down on their Lettuce they are fascinating too look at.

 

[German Zoo World]

Common Toad

Photo made by @German Zoo World Common Toad at Hellabrunn Zoo Munich

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 1

Other than maybee Poison dart Frogs and Axolots, Amphibians are rare to find in Zoos. Other than the above mentioned Species i have seen very few other Species of Amphibians and one of them is the Common Toad. I have only seen the Common Toad at one Zoo, at Hellabrunn Zoo Munich. At Munich they are kept in a spacious naturalistic outdoor Terrarium together with Sand Lizards.The Terrarium is situated in the Zoos Village section which is mostly Home to Domestic Animals but there can also a few Outdoor Terrariums, a Turtle Pond and the Trout Breeding Centre which also includes several small Aquariums and Terrariums be found. The Terrarium of the Toads and Lizards is lush planted and the floors Substrate is made out of small rock Pebbles. On my last Visit in 2024 i looked for the Toad and i could not find the native Amphibian until other Visitors pointed the Toad out to me. The Common Toad was so well hidden and camouflaged i almost couldnt find it hiding between the Pebbles. I have photographed the individual Toad and tell me if you can find the Toad immediatly? Toads can get very old in Zoos and i think they are very interesting Animals but unfortunatley there are only few Species found in Zoos as they are no crowd favorites but i stil hope to see more Species of Toads in Zoos.

 

[German Zoo World]

Honey Bee

Photo made by @JigerofLemuria Honey Bee at Heidelberg Zoo

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 3

Insects are sadly not popular among standard Zoo Visitors, but there are some exceptions like large, colourfull or active social Species like the Honey Bee. A large Colony of Honey Bees is fascinating to watch and so some Zoos keep Honey Bees and some even produce their own Zoo Honey. I have seen the social Insects at three Zoos. One of them is Wilhelma Zoo where they are kept inside of the Zoos Insectarium. Wilhelma only keeps a Honey Bee Colony during the warmer Months and in the Winter the Terrarium is empty. The Terrarium is freestanding in the Room titled as "Humans and Insects" but the most interesting thing about the Bees at Wilhelma is that they are able to crawl through a Tube towards the Exit of the Insectarium and they can fly across the whole Zoo to collect their Pollen and Nectar. A very similar Terrarium can be found at Heidelberg Zoo where the Bees can also access the whole Zoo through a Tube. At Alpine Zoo Innsbruck the Bees are kept inside a very educational Exhibition about Honey Bees and of course you can also watch the Bees inside of their Beehive/Terrarium and like at Wilhelma and Heidelberg the Bees are also able to access the whole Zoo. Honey Bees are very important for our daily Life and so i think it is important that Zoos educate Zoo Visitors about Honey Bees and why they are so important for us Humans. Bees are also fascinating to look at and so they are one of the few Insects that are not entirely overlooked by Zoo Visitors.

 

[German Zoo World]

Eurasian harvest Mouse

Photo made by @German Zoo World Eurasian harvest Mouse at Alpine Zoo Innsbruck

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 4

Small active Mammals are popular in Zoos because there is always something going on inside the Enclosure. One of Europes smallest Mammals is increasing in many Zoos booth small and large ones, i am talking about the Harvest Mouse which i have seen in 4 Zoos. Karlsruhe Zoo keeps the Mice inside of their old fashioned Primate House in a small standard small Mammal Terrarium . Three large connected Terrariums are found at Alpine Zoo Innsbruck. Innsbrucks Enclosures are very lush, are full of climbing opportunitys and they are Home to a large Colony of Eurasian harvest Mice. They are constantly on the Move chasing each other arround the Enclosures, climbing arround, building a Nest or eating inside of the Food bowl. The Mice make full Use of their spacious Terrariums. You can find the Mice at Innsbruck directly next to the Aqua Terrarium Building. Another spacious and similar Terrarium is found at Opel Zoo Kronberg inside the House for european Rodents. Last but not least they are also kept at Ulm Zoo where you can see them inside of the former African pygmy Mouse Terrarium.
Ulms Terrarium is a lot smaller than the two former Terrariums but it works for a small Colony of Harvest Mice. Eurasian harvest Mice are a great Species for Zoos as they are very entertaing and take even less Space than for Example Meerkats.

 

[German Zoo World]

Common Buzzard

Photo made by @KevinB

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 1
Seen Breeds/Species: Central european Buzzard

Native Birds of Prey are often when they are found in Zoos kept as unreleasable Individuals with a permanent wing Injury. This was most likely the Case with the only Common Buzzard i have seen in Captivity at Wildpark Oberreith. I am not even 100% sure if the Bird of the central european Subspecies is kept there because of its Wing injury or if the Bird is instead fully flighted and used in the Zoos Bird of Prey Show. I unfortunatley have not seen the Bird of Prey Show as i have visited the Zoo during Covid and all Shows were cancelled on my Visit. Oberreith held the Common Buzzard in a spacious naturalistic Aviary with many Perches to sit on. Common Buzzards are one of the most common native Bird of Prey Species but stil i think they are impressive Birds and i would like them more often even in larger Zoos.

 

[German Zoo World]

Domestic Cattle

Photo made by @German Zoo World Murnau werdenfels Cattle at Hellabrunn Zoo Munich

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 8
Seen Breeds/Species: Dahomey dwarf Cattle, Hinterwälder Cattle, Limpurg Cattle, Murnau werdenfels Cattle, Scottish highland Cattle, Tirole grey Cattle

Cattlea are one of the most important and numerous Farm Animals but they are also found in many Zoos. Today we take a closer Look at 6 Breeds of Domestic Cattle, some of them are rare old Breeds that even have their own Breeding Programm just like many Species of rare Wildlife. The most common Cattle Breed in Zoos for me is the Dahomey dwarf Cattle, a breed from Africa. On my Visit to Zoo Leipzig in 2012 i stil remeber a Series of old fashioned and simple Enclosures on the Space of todays South American Section and one of these Enclosures was Home to Dahomey dwarf Cattles and Boer Goats until 2013, the Zoo phased out booth the Cattles and the Goats. At Zurich Zoo the Dwarf Cattles are kept inside of a simple and spacious Enclosure in the Zoos Lewa Savannah section. Another simple yet good Enclosure can be found at Hellabrunn Zoo Munichs Village section. This Enclosure is shared with Girgentana Goat, on my last Visit in 2024 i saw two little Calves of the Dahomey dwarf Cattle sleeping in the Hay right next to the Adults. I sadly do remember some sorry to say that dumb Zoo Visitors saying they would like to see the Dwarf Cattle on a Meadow instead of a Zoo and they even thought the Cattles looked sad but i think Cattles in Zoos have a much nicer Life than on many Cattle farms. Some very tame Individuals of Dahomey dwarf Cattle can be found at Bad Mergentheim Wildlife Park. At Bad Mergentheim they have their own sepperate, simple Enclosure inside of the Zoos Petting Zoo. You can go in the Barn and here you can see the interior Enclosures of the Cattles aswell as of African dwarf Goats and Ouessant Sheep, formerly you could also find Girgentana Goat here but unfortunatley they either passed away or they have been phased out. The Dwarf Cattles of Bad Mergentheim often come to the Fence and can be petted by the Visitors, the Cattles are not even bothered at all when a Goat or Sheep enters their Enclosure because the Dwarf Cattle Enclosure is also used as a retreat Enclosure for the smaller Petting Zoo Species. I stil remember the former Demonstration Farm area at Wilhelma Zoo very well, the Zoo had a simple Enclosure and Barn for two rare Breeds of Domestic Cattle the Hinterwälder and Limpurg Cattle. Hinterwälder are a small Breed of spotted Cattle and Limpurg Cattles are larger and brown. The Hinterwälder Cattles have been phased out until 2020 and the Limpurg Cattles stayed until 2023 they have been phased out by the Zoo to make Room for the much needed new Elephant House. Limpurg Cattles have also been kept at Bad Mergentheim, the Zoo had 2 very impressive Bulls inside of a very simple Enclosure at the Zoos Farm section. Bad Mergentheim phased them out or they passed away in 2022 and they replaced them with two Calves of Scottish highland Cattles. I am not sure if you can count the Hohenloher Open air Museum as a Zoo but they also had a small breeding Herd of Limpurg Cattles on my Visits. Similar looking like the Limpurg Cattle, the Murnau Werdenfels Cattle is another rare Breed of Domestic Cattle. Their name suggests they are of course found at Hellabrunn Zoos Village area. They held 2 Individuals on my last Visit in 2024 and the Cows did come over to the Fence to be petted by Zoo Visitors. A very common Breed in Zoos is the very impressive Scottish Highland Cattle. Nuremburg Zoo is best known for his huge Ungulate Enclosures, including one for a small breeding Herd of Highland Cattles, i remeber you can get very close to the Cattles at Nuremburg and you can see them up close even the mighty Bull. Already mentioned above, Bad Mergentheim keeps two younger Highland Cattles since 2022, on my last Visit in 2025 they have grown a lot larger and they got huge Horns. The last Cattle Breed i am going to talk about is the Tirole grey Cattle which i have only seen at Alpine Zoo Innsbrucks small, simple yet adequat Tirolean Farm. Old and rare Breeds of domestic Animals need to be saved from Extinction too like many Species of Wildlife and i think it is important that Zoos teach the Zoo Visitors which Animal gives us Milk and Beef.

 

[antonmuster]

Even if such naturalistic open topped Enclosures like at Zurich do look very nice i prefer to see unclipped Storks in large free flight Aviarys.

Just a short comment: Zurich houses an entire breeding colony with over 25 eyries / breeding pairs. The colony is not limited to 'Selenga' but dispersed across much of the zoo, the birds are wild / semi-wild and most definitely not pinioned. Storks soaring overhead is part of the zoo's ambient charm on visits outside winter. In fact, the Zurich Zoo colony (and also a similar colony at Zoo Basel) has been a part of a concerted and successful effort in reestablishing the formerly extinct stork in Switzerland.

 

[German Zoo World]

Just a short comment: Zurich houses an entire breeding colony with over 25 eyries / breeding pairs. The colony is not limited to 'Selenga' but dispersed across much of the zoo, the birds are wild / semi-wild and most definitely not pinioned. Storks soaring overhead is part of the zoo's ambient charm on visits outside winter. In fact, the Zurich Zoo colony (and also a similar colony at Zoo Basel) has been a part of a concerted and successful effort in reestablishing the formerly extinct stork in Switzerland.

Sorry i did not know that but thanks for the Information.

 

[German Zoo World]

Domestic Goose

Photo made by @KevinB

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 5
Seen Breeds/Species: Diepholz Goose, Emden Goose, Pomeranian Goose

Domestic Geese are most well known for their Meat but they can also be used as Guard Animals and they are even popular Zoo Animals, espacialy rare Breeds . At Petting Zoo Kastanienhof Bodelshausen they are kept in a huge simple fenced in Meadow. Bodelshausen keeps a lot of Geese but i think most of them are used for the Zoos Farm Shop where you can buy fresh Goose meat among other regional Products produced by the Zoo. Tripsdrill Wildlife keeps some Domestic Geese in a simple Waterfowl Enclosure together with some Indian runner Ducks. Most larger Zoos keep some old and rare Breeds of Domestic Goose. Geese can be espacialy impressive if they are held at Shows like the Diepholz Gees at Bad Mergentheim Wildlife Parks Lifestock Presentation. At the Lifestock Presentation they are used as introduction Animals along with Bronze Turkeys and Domestic Rabbits, and it is very impressive if the Geese ran onto the Meadow spreading their Wings and they graze together with the other Animals. At Frankfurt Zoo the Zoos Emden Geese are kept freeroaming on the large Zoo Pond which they share with European pond Turtle, Pommern Duck and a small flock of Eastern white Pelicans. One of the largest and most impresive Breeds of Domestic Goose is the Pomeranian Goose which i have seen at two Zoos. Bad Mergentheim keeps them in the Zoos Farm section together with German Faverolles Chicken, Vorwerk Chicken, Peking Duck and Domestic Rabbit inside of a simple yet adequat Enclosure with a central Pond and some small Stables arround it to put the Animals inside at Night. A large flock of Pomeranian Goose is kept at Opel Zoo Kronbergs Waterfowl Pond.. The Geese are kept together with Domestic Duck, Northern Shoveler, Chinese Goose, Canada Goose, Bar headed Goose, Great Cormorant, Eastern white Pelican and even White handed Gibbons on a central Island which can also be used by all mentioned Species and Breeds of Waterfowl including of course the Pomeranian Geese. Of all the Birds inside the Enclosure the Pomeranian Geese were the most dominant Species chasing the other Waterfowl arround and even the much larger Pelicans mooved away if a Geese came by. Domestic Geese are very impressive Zoo Birds and i think they are a nice Animal to have in Farm sections at Zoos. .

 

[German Zoo World]

Domestic Donkey

Photo made by @German Zoo World Domestic Donkey at Tiergehege Öhringen

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 10
Seen Breeds/Species: Baroque Donkey, Poitou Donkey, Miniature Donkey

Domestic Donkeys are common in Zoos, as they are often held in Petting Zoos and Farm sections. Wildlife Park Bad Mergentheim keeps the Donkey smi offshow, that means you can only see them from a distance as they are kept behind the Lifestock Presentation Meadow. At Petting Zoo Kastanienhof Bodelshausen you can find a Donkey together with the Zoos huge Herd of Cameroon Sheep in a small and simple Petting Zoo Enclosure. Bodelshausen keeps of course more Donkeys that can either be seen in their Barn or in the spacious Retreat Enclosure for the Cameroon Sheep. At Tripsdrill Wildlife i am not sure if the Zoo stil keeps Domestic Donkeys because formerly they were kept together with Domestic Sheep and Ouessant Sheep on a huge simple Meadow Enclosure in the Front of the Zoos Entrance but on my last Visit in 2025 they build a new Path leading from the Parking Lot to the Zoos Entrance and i noticed that the Sheeps are now held in a smaller and longer simple Meadow Enclosure but the Donkeys were not signed or seen in the Enclosure or elsewhere in the Zoo. Göppingen Zoo has their Donkeys in two Enclosures, one is situated in front of the Zoos Entrance and the Donkeys share this simple Enclosure with Shetland and Miniature Ponys. The second Enclosure for Domestic Donkeys at Göppingen Zoo is another simple Enclosure, shared with four horned Sheep and the Zoos largest Animals, a Pair of Dromedary Camels. Domestic Donkeys are even kept at the large Opel Zoo Kronberg where you can see them in a simple yet spacious meadow Enclosure which was formerly Home to the rare Red necked Ostrich. Tiergehege im Hofgarten Öhringen keeps a single Domestic Donkey in a small simple side Enclosure of the Zoos Petting Zoo/walk through Enclosure for Cameroon Sheep and Alpaca. The Sheep can enter the Donkey Enclosure but the Donkey cannot enter the main Enclosure. At Tier and Spielpark Bichlbach in Austria, i remeber some cute Donkey Foals and of course some adult Donkeys in a spacious Meadow Enclosure again in front of the Zoos Entrance. Like with the Cattles and Geese some Zoos keep old and rare Donkey Breeds. Ulm Zoo keeps the white Baroque Donkeys inside their mixed Domestics Enclosure which was formerly a Petting Zoo but you cannot enter the Enclosure anymore. The Baroque Donkeys share the simple Enclosure with Augsburg Chicken, Domestic Goat, African dwarf Goat and a single Pony, sometimes even one of the freeroaming Peafowl enters the Enclosure and can be seen together with the Donkeys. Common in Zoos is the Breed of the Miniature Donkey which i have seen at Karlsruhe Zoo, where they share a spacious Meadow with Shetland Ponys. The large and impressive Poitou Donkey is a old Breed from France. I have seen them in 2 Zoos, including at Wilhelma Zoo which kept them in a domestic Equid Enclosure at the Zoos Demonstration Farm which was closed in 2023 to make Room for the new Elephant House. At Wildpark Bad Mergentheim they keep some Poitou Donkeys in a simple Enclosure and a Barn in the Zoos Farm section. Domestic Donkeys are often found in many Zoos but i think espacialy the huge Poitou Donkeys are a good Breed for Farm sections in Zoos.

 

[Paul.Haerle]

Ulm Zoo keeps the white Baroque Donkeys inside their mixed Domestics Enclosure which was formerly a Petting Zoo but you cannot enter the Enclosure anymore.

When about was this enclosure a walk-through?

 

[German Zoo World]

When about was this enclosure a walk-through?

I thought you could enter the Enclosure via a Ladder but i think this was at least 10 + Years ago.

 

[German Zoo World]

Domestic Chicken

Photo made by @German Zoo World Altsteirer Chickens at Alpine Zoo Innsbruck

Seen at how many Zoos/Aquariums: 9
Seen Breeds/Species: Altsteirer, Appenzeller crested Chicken, Augsburg Chicken, Brahma, German Faverolles, Sebright Chicken, Silky Chicken, Vorwerk Chicken

Another very popular Zoo Bird in Petting Zoo /Farm sections in Zoos is of course the Domestic Chicken. Petting Zoo Kastanienhof Bodelshausen keeps a huge Flock of Domestic Chicken but like with the Zoos Geese, the Chickens are mostly used for the Zoos Farm Shop where you can buy fresh Chicken meat and Eggs. At Göppingen Zoo they are kept in a very simple mixed Domestic Enclosure right after you have entered the Zoo and they are kept together with Brahma, Appenzeller crested Chicken, Silky Chicken, Indian runner Duck, Domestic Rabbit and a small Breeding herd of rare Peacock Goats. Wildpark Oberreith keeps their Domestic Chickens inside of the Zoos Petting Zoo which can of course be entered by the Zoo Visitors. The Chickens at Oberreith are kept together with Domestic Rabbit, African dwarf Goat and Indian Peafowl. One of the most interesting mixed species Domestic Chicken Enclosures was found at Wilhelma Zoos former young Animal rearing Centre. At the young Animal rearing Centre the Chickens were kept together with Mascha a female Red ruffed Lemur which lost her Male and she could not be socialised with other Lemurs, so the Zoo decided to mix her with some Domestic Chicken and Mascha liked her feathered Friends very much. I even remember a Sign by the Red ruffed Lemur Enclosure telling the Zoo Visitors about the Use of therapeuthic Chickens for Mascha. Mascha even moved to the former Great Ape House which was at the Time a South America House for mostly small Primates, Agoutis, Sloths and Tinamous and she lived there until she sadly passed away in 2020, i think with her the Domestic Chickens were also phased out by the Zoo. Many Zoos like to keep some rare or unusual Chicken Breeds to showcase how different Domestic Chickens can look like. Altsteirer Chickens a old Breed from Austria can be seen freeranging at Alpine Zoo Innsbrucks Tirolean Farm. The unusual Appenzeller crested Chicken was seen by myself at 2 Zoos, one of them is Göpingen Zoo where you can find them in the already mentioned Enclosure and i have also seen them last Year at Hellabrunn Zoo Munich where they are kept freeranging in the Zoos Village section, but the Chickens do also have a Aviary if needed. Augsburg Chickens are a old bavarian Breed that i have seen at 2 Zoos. At Ulm Zoo they are kept in the Enclosure mentioned in the Donkey entry. At Hellabrunn Zoo Munich they are kept excactly like the Appenzeller crested Chickens. Brahma Chickens are one of the largest Chicken Breeds. At Ulm Zoo they were only kept there for a special Exhibition about different Chicken Breeds and they were kept in a small Enclosure in the Zoos Entrance Building. Brahmas are also kept at Göppingen Zoo, in the same Enclosure already mentioned above. Bad Mergentheim Wildlife Park keeps the huge and rare Breed of the German Faverolles. They are seen in the Zoos Lifestock Presentation, a Keeper brings the Hens to the Meadow where you can watch the Show, but then another Keeper says "you forgot the Rooster" and now all Zoo Visitors are engaged to call Anton the Rooster over to his Hens. Anton runs from his Enclosure to the Presentation Meadow and the Chicken Keeper says "look now they laid an Egg" but in reality he just lays an Egg to the Ground. German Faverolles are also kept at two other Enclosures in the Zoos Farm section, first they are also kept in the Enclosure mentioned in the Geese entry and then they are also kept in a simple Enclosure together with some Boer Goats. In the Boer Goat Enclosure they have an actual Dung heap and it is nice to see some Chickens on a Dung heap as this is a rare sight nowadays. The small and brightly coloured Sebright Chickens are very active and i have seen them at Neu Ulm Reptile Zoo. At Neu Ulm they are kept in 2 Enclosures but i have also seen a freeroaming Sebright Chicken that jumped into the Enclosure of Star Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise and King Quail. The first real Enclosure for the Sebright Chicken is a small and dark Aviary which is shared with Domestic Chicken, Budgerigar and Cockatiel. A small group of Sebright Chickens is also kept in the Zoos main Tortoise Enclosure booth outside and inside. The Chickens share the Enclosure with an unusual Mix of African spurred Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise, Radiated Tortoise, a single Aldabra giant Tortoise and in the Indoor section even a freeroaming Veiled Chameleon. Silky Chickens are another unusual Chicken Breed from Asia and i remember them in a simple side Enclosure of the former young Animal rearing Centre at Wilhelma Zoo, but they were phased out to make Room for the new Kangaroo walkthrough Enclosure. Last but not least i have also seen the Vorwerk Chicken which is another old Breed at Bad Mergentheim Wildlifepark, on one Visit they could be seen freeroaming near the Lifestock Presentation Meadow but most of the Time they are kept inside the mixed Enclosure in the Farm section already mentioned above and in the Goose entry. Rare and unusual Chicken Breeds are interesting to see in Zoos and Chickens can either be kept in Aviarys, oppen topped Enclosures or even completly freeroaming in the Zoo which makes them a popular Animal booth in small and large Zoos.