Snowleopard's 2022 Road Trip: Denmark, Sweden & Norway

[snowleopard]

Ah so this is the Scandinavian version of America roadside zoo?

Well, Jyllands Park Zoo is a masterpiece of a zoo in comparison to some of the things I've seen in roadside American zoos. Close your eyes, choose just about any state in the U.S., pick a location and you'll find something truly awful at a zoo. It's arguably one of the top nations for zoos and also probably the worst nation in the world for zoos. A remarkable place.

Here's a very tiny selection:

Tigers at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (California):

Amur Leopard exhibit at Cat Tales Zoological Park (Washington):

The entire exhibit for 'Syrian' Brown Bears at Special Memories Zoo (Wisconsin):

The entire exhibit for an American Black Bear at Clay Center Zoo (Kansas):

Chimpanzee cage at Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Zoo (Arkansas):

American Badger exhibit at Bear Den Zoo (Wisconsin):

Chimpanzee cage at Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo (West Virginia):

@TinoPup

And, of course, Beaver Springs Park Aquarium (Wisconsin):

 

[Fallax]

Well, Jyllands Park Zoo is a masterpiece of a zoo in comparison to some of the things I've seen in roadside American zoos. Close your eyes, choose just about any state in the U.S., pick a location and you'll find something truly awful at a zoo. It's arguably one of the top nations for zoos and also probably the worst nation in the world for zoos. A remarkable place.

Here's a very tiny selection:

Tigers at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (California):

Amur Leopard exhibit at Cat Tales Zoological Park (Washington):

The entire exhibit for 'Syrian' Brown Bears at Special Memories Zoo (Wisconsin):

The entire exhibit for an American Black Bear at Clay Center Zoo (Kansas):

Chimpanzee cage at Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Zoo (Arkansas):

American Badger exhibit at Bear Den Zoo (Wisconsin):

Chimpanzee cage at Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo (West Virginia):

@TinoPup

And, of course, Beaver Springs Park Aquarium (Wisconsin):

I've seen most of these before but that 'Syrian' brown bear enclosure is truly despicable... even for one bear but TWO!? Are such small enclosures not illegal?

 

[snowleopard]

I've seen most of these before but that 'Syrian' brown bear enclosure is truly despicable... even for one bear but TWO!? Are such small enclosures not illegal?

Anything goes in the United States. This is a country that elected a reality TV star as a President. Here is the American Black Bear exhibit at the same zoo (the recently closed Special Memories Zoo in Wisconsin):

My worst pet peeve with roadside American zoos are the corn crib cages. I remember talking to a couple of zoo professionals about them years ago and they summarized their feelings by saying that the cement floors were freezing in winter, scalding hot in summer, and the metal roofs created a horrible noise whenever it rained. These corn crib hellhole cages are everywhere at junky American zoos, often with large animals in them.

Bobcat exhibit at Spring River Park & Zoo (New Mexico):

Raccoon exhibit at the same zoo:

I've now visited 121 European zoos and other than perhaps a couple of them, nothing comes close to the atrocities in the USA. There's no legislation there to prevent zoos from keeping animals in tiny, subpar enclosures.

When I first visited the famous Dallas World Aquarium in 2010, I saw a young Orinoco Crocodile in a puny exhibit where the croc was about as long as the land area, with only a little pool. Here's the photo:

Burmese Python 'exhibit' at Alligator Alley (Wisconsin):

The sad fact of the matter is that there are literally hundreds of examples...and you simply do not see that in the vast majority of European nations.

 

[aardvark250]

Yeah, i know. it's just "lol Scandinavia worst zoo vs america best roadside zoo"
I mean from what i know (photos, reviews, just the general consense) Jyllands is probably on the lower end of Scandinavian zoo and especially the "whole zoo run by two couple" part reminds me of some smaller zoo you have been.

 

[Lafone]

Well, Jyllands Park Zoo is a masterpiece of a zoo in comparison to some of the things I've seen in roadside American zoos. Close your eyes, choose just about any state in the U.S., pick a location and you'll find something truly awful at a zoo. It's arguably one of the top nations for zoos and also probably the worst nation in the world for zoos. A remarkable place.

Here's a very tiny selection:

Tigers at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (California):

Amur Leopard exhibit at Cat Tales Zoological Park (Washington):

The entire exhibit for 'Syrian' Brown Bears at Special Memories Zoo (Wisconsin):

The entire exhibit for an American Black Bear at Clay Center Zoo (Kansas):

Chimpanzee cage at Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Zoo (Arkansas):

American Badger exhibit at Bear Den Zoo (Wisconsin):

Chimpanzee cage at Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo (West Virginia):

@TinoPup

And, of course, Beaver Springs Park Aquarium (Wisconsin):

Some of those are beyond appalling - when you see the enclosure at Hamerton for their Syrian brown bears with inside private den space, outdoor paddock with climbing frames and concrete tubes for shelter and the big grassy area with a large pond it’s actually terrible to see such beautiful animals housed like at ‘special memories’. Ironic name if ever there was one. Lots of US zoos are fantastic but really those pictured look like the stuff of anti zoo campaigns. The shame is the harm those zoos do to zoos overall as well as the animals.

Some amazing photos from your trip - what a tour that must have been!

 

[Lota lota]

When I first visited the famous Dallas World Aquarium in 2010, I saw a young Orinoco Crocodile in a puny exhibit where the croc was about as long as the land area, with only a little pool. Here's the photo:

That made me really disappointed and pretty confused.I thought this facility was rather reputable,and thus it would be strange if they had such bad husbandry,especially considering the state of the species.

 

[birdsandbats]

That made me really disappointed and pretty confused.I thought this facility was rather reputable,and thus it would be strange if they had such bad husbandry,especially considering the state the state of the species.

It's sort of reputable. It's certainly gotten far better in recent years. This largely negative article from 2015 may be of interest to you:

What Happened When One Man Built His Dream Zoo

 

[pachyderm pro]

It's sort of reputable. It's certainly gotten far better in recent years. This largely negative article from 2015 may be of interest to you:

What Happened When One Man Built His Dream Zoo

I was just about to link this exact same article. A fascinating read about an even more fascinating facility.

 

[snowleopard]

Saturday, August 6th, 2022

After my previous day’s final stop (Jyllands Park Zoo), I then drove up to the very tip of Jutland. In fact, the small seaside community of Hirtshals (pop. 5,000) is almost as far north as it is possible to go in Denmark, as I began at the top and headed south once again. Today would see me visit three hugely enjoyable establishments: North Sea Oceanarium, Aalborg Zoo and Randers Rainforest Tropical Zoo. They are totally different from one another and I would highly recommend visiting all three if you are ever in Denmark.

I uploaded 80 photos of the Nordsoen Oceanarium into the gallery.

Zoo/Aquarium # 9: Nordsoen Oceanarium/North Sea Oceanarium (Hirtshals, DK)

It was 1976 and at a Hirtshals Business Council meeting when the very first notion of an aquarium in the small town of Hirtshals was mentioned. It took until 1981 for financing to be agreed upon and construction began shortly thereafter. The 'North Sea Museum' opened in 1984, and then the vast Oceanarium building was added in 1998 and the aquarium’s attendance doubled. The Oceanarium tank, which is 4.5 million liters (1 million gallons) was probably the largest in Europe at that time and is still an immense size in the modern world of aquaria. In 2001, a spacious outdoor section was added to the facility, including a large seal pool. Tragically, in 2003 the Oceanarium building was badly hit by fire, prompting an 18-month rebuild and a 2005 grand reopening. Then, in 2010, the original North Sea building was completely renovated, meaning that in reality almost everything that a visitor sees at this facility has been built in the last couple of decades.

This aquarium exceeded my expectations. Situated at just about the northernmost tip of Denmark, receiving around 200,000 visitors per year in a community of 5,000, I wasn’t sure what my experience would be like. In truth, I was hugely impressed and there is a very high level of quality to all the exhibits here. There are three zones in the establishment. The original 1984 building is the North Sea section, there is an attached, newer building called the Oceanarium, and there is an outdoor area. It’s not like the Tennessee Aquarium in the USA, with its two completely separate buildings. Here, the transition from one building to another is seamless as they are connected. I’m sure that many visitors think they are inside one mammoth structure.

All visitors enter the same door, which leads into the dimly lit original 1984 building. There isn’t really a lot to see here in terms of a wide-ranging group of exhibits, but there are 4 big tanks that are all splendid. The 2010 renovation makes the vast room seem fresh and innovative, including an enormous hull of a ship as there is the theme of being inside a boat on the open sea. Visitors are on a ‘North Sea Expedition’, with exhibit names such as Hirtshals Pier, Jutland Reef, Dogger Bank and Norwegian Trench. There are some creepy mannequins dressed up like sailors that I’m not sure are needed, as in the dark areas it is easy to assume that a visitor is standing there when in reality it’s not a real person. An intriguing fact is that the North Sea, which makes up only 0.16% of the world’s oceans, has 2% of all the captured fish by vessels. The whole room is full of terrific graphics, eye-popping large tanks and there’s a second-floor that is primarily a children’s section. It’s quality over quantity here, with not a lot of tanks but what is there is expertly done. Along a hallway are a series of exhibits that are set up to look like portals containing the likes of these species: Common Cuttlefish, Norway Lobster and numerous native fish. There’s also an interactive shark area with no live animals and everything showcased at this aquarium is found in the waters of the North Sea.

Aquarium Map showing the three main areas:

The first thing visitors see...a huge boat!

A mannequin next to another large tank:

Heading into the Oceanarium building, it’s easy to remark on the fact that the facility only maintains North Atlantic species, and yet the huge Oceanarium is truly a spectacular tank. It holds 4.5 million liters (1 million gallons) of water, which must make it one of the largest tanks in Europe. The initial impression is of an amazing tank with a main viewing area, much like the big tanks at Hagenbeck or Burgers’ Zoo. An apt comparison would be the one-million-gallon Open Sea tank at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, but the North Sea Oceanarium takes things to the next level. Literally. I counted approximately 15 different viewing windows for this magnificent exhibit. There’s the huge main one, with an appropriately large seating area, but side angle views as well. There is a second level viewing area where you look at the tank from a higher elevation, then an overhead series of windows to see the top of the tank, and then finally the almost hidden ‘Seabed Room’ at the bottom where visitors have a place to eat snacks and look up at the enormous tank. With 15 different windows and 4 levels of viewing, this exhibit must be a contender for one of Europe’s truly great exhibits. There are anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 fish at any one time in the tank, a shipwreck was added in 2015, and there are species such as: Ocean Sunfish (there are two that have recently arrived as posters were declaring “the sunfish are back!”), Conger Eel, Thornback Ray, Smooth Hound Shark, Starry Smooth Hound Shark, Nursehound Shark, Tope Shark and plenty of smaller species.

Elsewhere in the big Oceanarium building can be found an open-topped tank for Brill, a Shoaling tank with Herring, an open-topped Moon Jellyfish exhibit, a cool display on plastic in the water, a touch tank crawling with crabs, and a series of smaller tanks against a wall. There’s a Seabird Display with no live animals, and many interactive graphics and games. Again, there really isn’t a lot of exhibits in the building, but what is there is of a very high quality.

Moon Jellyfish open-topped tank:

Ocean Sunfish display:

Lastly, the outdoor section is also a delight. There’s a touch tank area and a spacious pool for Harbour and Grey Seals that has underwater viewing via a big seal tunnel. The bottom of the pool is not scraped clean, so there is an interesting bed of green algae almost like a lawn of grass in the pool. I saw a Grey Seal resting there and it must be nice and soft on the seals' bellies in comparison to stark concrete. The outdoor zone has a really cool children’s play area, with a Sperm Whale slide and many other neat playground items.

Grey + Harbour Seal exhibit:

Seal tunnel:

Seal exhibit 'grass bed':

Sperm Whale slide:

The Whale Researcher’s Hut, also called a Whale Museum, was added in 2016 and I really enjoyed this long and narrow building. There are no live animals, but nearby is a 17-meter-long Fin Whale skeleton. Inside the structure are skeletons of Sperm and Pilot Whales, along with a lot of information and museum-like displays. There’s even a dozen or so toy whales in a case, and the building has a wooden boardwalk and lots of sand everywhere.

Whale Researcher's Hut:

Whale Researcher's Hut:

The North Sea Oceanarium is terrific and I think that the only reason it hasn’t received a lot of attention on ZooChat is that it’s in a remote, northern Danish town that doesn’t attract many zoo enthusiasts. The fact that almost 200,000 visitors show up every year is impressive, considering the location. Quite often it’s pointed out that a lot of European zoos have aquariums within their grounds, and so Europe lacks the aquatic behemoths that are found in North America and Japan. If Valencia is surely the #1 rated aquarium in Europe, with perhaps Lisbon and Copenhagen next in line, and maybe Moscow and Genoa and others after that…where would the Nordsoen Oceanarium be on the list? I don’t know enough about European aquariums to decide, but is it possible that Denmark has TWO of Europe’s top 10 aquariums?

 

[twilighter]

It's sort of reputable. It's certainly gotten far better in recent years. This largely negative article from 2015 may be of interest to you:

What Happened When One Man Built His Dream Zoo

Just couldn't stop reading !

Saturday, August 6th, 2022

After my previous day’s final stop (Jyllands Park Zoo), I then drove up to the very tip of Jutland. In fact, the small seaside community of Hirtshals (pop. 5,000) is almost as far north as it is possible to go in Denmark, as I began at the top and headed south once again. Today would see me visit three hugely enjoyable establishments: North Sea Oceanarium, Aalborg Zoo and Randers Rainforest Tropical Zoo. They are totally different from one another and I would highly recommend visiting all three if you are ever in Denmark.

I uploaded 80 photos of the Nordsoen Oceanarium into the gallery.

Zoo/Aquarium # 9: Nordsoen Oceanarium/North Sea Oceanarium (Hirtshals, DK)

It was 1976 and at a Hirtshals Business Council meeting when the very first notion of an aquarium in the small town of Hirtshals was mentioned. It took until 1981 for financing to be agreed upon and construction began shortly thereafter. The 'North Sea Museum' opened in 1984, and then the vast Oceanarium building was added in 1998 and the aquarium’s attendance doubled. The Oceanarium tank, which is 4.5 million liters (1 million gallons) was probably the largest in Europe at that time and is still an immense size in the modern world of aquaria. In 2001, a spacious outdoor section was added to the facility, including a large seal pool. Tragically, in 2003 the Oceanarium building was badly hit by fire, prompting an 18-month rebuild and a 2005 grand reopening. Then, in 2010, the original North Sea building was completely renovated, meaning that in reality almost everything that a visitor sees at this facility has been built in the last couple of decades.

This aquarium exceeded my expectations. Situated at just about the northernmost tip of Denmark, receiving around 200,000 visitors per year in a community of 5,000, I wasn’t sure what my experience would be like. In truth, I was hugely impressed and there is a very high level of quality to all the exhibits here. There are three zones in the establishment. The original 1984 building is the North Sea section, there is an attached, newer building called the Oceanarium, and there is an outdoor area. It’s not like the Tennessee Aquarium in the USA, with its two completely separate buildings. Here, the transition from one building to another is seamless as they are connected. I’m sure that many visitors think they are inside one mammoth structure.

All visitors enter the same door, which leads into the dimly lit original 1984 building. There isn’t really a lot to see here in terms of a wide-ranging group of exhibits, but there are 4 big tanks that are all splendid. The 2010 renovation makes the vast room seem fresh and innovative, including an enormous hull of a ship as there is the theme of being inside a boat on the open sea. Visitors are on a ‘North Sea Expedition’, with exhibit names such as Hirtshals Pier, Jutland Reef, Dogger Bank and Norwegian Trench. There are some creepy mannequins dressed up like sailors that I’m not sure are needed, as in the dark areas it is easy to assume that a visitor is standing there when in reality it’s not a real person. An intriguing fact is that the North Sea, which makes up only 0.16% of the world’s oceans, has 2% of all the captured fish by vessels. The whole room is full of terrific graphics, eye-popping large tanks and there’s a second-floor that is primarily a children’s section. It’s quality over quantity here, with not a lot of tanks but what is there is expertly done. Along a hallway are a series of exhibits that are set up to look like portals containing the likes of these species: Common Cuttlefish, Norway Lobster and numerous native fish. There’s also an interactive shark area with no live animals and everything showcased at this aquarium is found in the waters of the North Sea.

Aquarium Map showing the three main areas:

The first thing visitors see...a huge boat!

A mannequin next to another large tank:

Heading into the Oceanarium building, it’s easy to remark on the fact that the facility only maintains North Atlantic species, and yet the huge Oceanarium is truly a spectacular tank. It holds 4.5 million liters (1 million gallons) of water, which must make it one of the largest tanks in Europe. The initial impression is of an amazing tank with a main viewing area, much like the big tanks at Hagenbeck or Burgers’ Zoo. An apt comparison would be the one-million-gallon Open Sea tank at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, but the North Sea Oceanarium takes things to the next level. Literally. I counted approximately 15 different viewing windows for this magnificent exhibit. There’s the huge main one, with an appropriately large seating area, but side angle views as well. There is a second level viewing area where you look at the tank from a higher elevation, then an overhead series of windows to see the top of the tank, and then finally the almost hidden ‘Seabed Room’ at the bottom where visitors have a place to eat snacks and look up at the enormous tank. With 15 different windows and 4 levels of viewing, this exhibit must be a contender for one of Europe’s truly great exhibits. There are anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 fish at any one time in the tank, a shipwreck was added in 2015, and there are species such as: Ocean Sunfish (there are two that have recently arrived as posters were declaring “the sunfish are back!”), Conger Eel, Thornback Ray, Smooth Hound Shark, Starry Smooth Hound Shark, Nursehound Shark, Tope Shark and plenty of smaller species.

Elsewhere in the big Oceanarium building can be found an open-topped tank for Brill, a Shoaling tank with Herring, an open-topped Moon Jellyfish exhibit, a cool display on plastic in the water, a touch tank crawling with crabs, and a series of smaller tanks against a wall. There’s a Seabird Display with no live animals, and many interactive graphics and games. Again, there really isn’t a lot of exhibits in the building, but what is there is of a very high quality.

Moon Jellyfish open-topped tank:

Ocean Sunfish display:

Lastly, the outdoor section is also a delight. There’s a touch tank area and a spacious pool for Harbour and Grey Seals that has underwater viewing via a big seal tunnel. The bottom of the pool is not scraped clean, so there is an interesting bed of green algae almost like a lawn of grass in the pool. I saw a Grey Seal resting there and it must be nice and soft on the seals' bellies in comparison to stark concrete. The outdoor zone has a really cool children’s play area, with a Sperm Whale slide and many other neat playground items.

Grey + Harbour Seal exhibit:

Seal tunnel:

Seal exhibit 'grass bed':

Sperm Whale slide:

The Whale Researcher’s Hut, also called a Whale Museum, was added in 2016 and I really enjoyed this long and narrow building. There are no live animals, but nearby is a 17-meter-long Fin Whale skeleton. Inside the structure are skeletons of Sperm and Pilot Whales, along with a lot of information and museum-like displays. There’s even a dozen or so toy whales in a case, and the building has a wooden boardwalk and lots of sand everywhere.

Whale Researcher's Hut:

Whale Researcher's Hut:

The North Sea Oceanarium is terrific and I think that the only reason it hasn’t received a lot of attention on ZooChat is that it’s in a remote, northern Danish town that doesn’t attract many zoo enthusiasts. The fact that almost 200,000 visitors show up every year is impressive, considering the location. Quite often it’s pointed out that a lot of European zoos have aquariums within their grounds, and so Europe lacks the aquatic behemoths that are found in North America and Japan. If Valencia is surely the #1 rated aquarium in Europe, with perhaps Lisbon and Copenhagen next in line, and maybe Moscow and Genoa and others after that…where would the Nordsoen Oceanarium be on the list? I don’t know enough about European aquariums to decide, but is it possible that Denmark has TWO of Europe’s top 10 aquariums?

Thank you for the another eye-opening review @snowleopard ! The place is surpassingly easy to reach from Norway and I believe that serious part of the 200 000 visitors are Norwegians. The Northern Danish zoos are well advertised around Kristiansand and Larvik ferries, which travel directly to Hirtshals. I will be happy to pay this place a visit in near future and patiently wait to read, how you would compare it with Den Blå Planet

 

[Batto]

but is it possible that Denmark has TWO of Europe’s top 10 aquariums?

I dare to say yes. I walked out of Nordsøen with the very same positive impression as you did. Even the gift shop was neat; I got my wife a giant plush sunfish there as a surprise gift, which she still uses as a comfy pillow to this very day. If you are in the area @twilighter , you'd be foolish not to visit this aquarium.

 

[twilighter]

I dare to say yes. I walked out of Nordsøen with the very same positive impression as you did. Even the gift shop was neat; I got my wife a giant plush sunfish there as a surprise gift, which she still uses as a comfy pillow to this very day. If you are in the area @twilighter , you'd be foolish not to visit this aquarium.

I haven't been North of Hamlet's Castle in Denmark, but been in Kristiansand many times and will consider to take the ferry next time .

 

[snowleopard]

Saturday, August 6th, 2022

Zoo/Aquarium # 10: Aalborg Zoo (Aalborg, DK)

After visiting the excellent North Sea Oceanarium, I drove 45 minutes south to my next stop. That meant leaving behind the rural, green Danish countryside and heading to Denmark's 3rd largest city (but still only 140,000 urban population and 540,000 metropolitan population). I uploaded 127 photos into the ZooChat gallery for those who would like to see an extensive photographic overview of the zoo.

Aalborg Zoo is the first urban, city zoo that I’ve visited on this trip. Denmark has many rural zoos, a handful of aquariums, and big wildlife parks, but there are only three smaller zoos set in bustling cities. None of them are large, as both Aalborg and Odense are 9 hectares (22 acres) each, while Copenhagen is 12 hectares (30 acres). By comparison, London Zoo is 14.5 hectares (36 acres) and bigger than all the Danish city zoos. One thing I enjoyed about Aalborg is that it’s possible for visitors to go into many of the animal buildings. In North American zoos it is a great rarity to head inside something like an Antelope House, but at Aalborg one can go inside 8 houses: African Antelope House, African Elephant House, Giraffe House, Big Cat House (tigers and lions), Pygmy Hippo House, Bornean Orangutan House, Tropical House and South American House.

Zoo Entrance:

The thing with Aalborg is that it packs a lot of ABC animals into its 9 hectares. This is a zoo that has elephants, giraffes, pygmy hippos, two antelope species, lions, tigers, polar bears, chimpanzees, orangutans, sea lions, penguins and many other creatures. Aalborg Zoo has 125 species and approximately 2,300 animals in total. Copenhagen’s zoo and aquarium are the two most popular zoological attractions in Denmark, with Aalborg in 3rd place with 460,000 annual visitors.

Aalborg doesn’t contain many rarities or top-notch areas, but it’s a dependable, reliable, solid, middle-tier zoo that quite often has exhibits that are a bit on the small side. I watched three Polar Bears splash around in their pool and playfight on their land area, but it’s an enclosure that now looks a bit dated in terms of size when put up against the Scandinavian Wildlife Park. Asiatic Lions and Sumatran Tigers have decent exhibits, especially with the cool tiger tunnel, but both could be a tad larger. The exhibit for what appears to be only two or three Chimpanzees is downright poor and a bit of an embarrassment. The Ring-tailed Lemur aviary-style enclosure is just okay, but nothing like the big walk-through forests I’ve seen on my zoo travels over the years.

Chimpanzee exhibit:

Polar Bear exhibit (with 3 bears):

Sumatran Tiger exhibit:

One aspect of visiting 540+ zoos is that I see a wide range of exhibits, and here the California Sea Lions and Humboldt Penguins are in average pools that both have underwater viewing, but there are so many better examples out there. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed puttering around Aalborg Zoo, seeing exotic animals up close, and it was a nice sunny day, and I had a high level of enjoyment for almost 3 hours. However, for the purpose of my ZooChat reviews I also analyze each zoo and Aalborg is a facility that I worry about. What will those lion, tiger, bear and chimp enclosures be like in 20 years if they are already a bit tight now? The worst exhibit in the zoo, other than the mock-rock blob for Hamadryas Baboons, is without a doubt the one for African Elephants. It's such a small outdoor pair of paddocks that I think replacing the elephants with rhinos wouldn’t even work as the space is too small even for rhinos. The zoo has a trio of female African Elephants, all born in South Africa in 1982 and all having lived together in Aalborg since 1985. I cannot see anyone moving the 40-year-old pachyderms, so they can live out their lives in a subpar exhibit. Even the Elephant House is badly outdated, with old-school cement floors and cramped spaces. There are a couple of little exhibits for Northeast African Spiny Mice and Striped Grass Mice.

African Elephant exhibit (the photo makes it appear larger than it is):

African Elephant House:

Now onto the genuine highlights. The zoo has a green, lush African Savanna that is at the farthest end of the grounds, with a forest as a backdrop, viewed from an outdoor eating area and many other vantage points. There are 5 species (Rothschild’s Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Greater Kudu, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Ostrich) and it is spectacular. Adjacent to the big savanna is an excellent Pygmy Hippo exhibit, with rocky boulders and a deep pool. Even more delightful is a Pygmy Hippo House, all steamy and humid and with two indoor exhibits for three of the animals. The whole African zone, including Warthogs and Banded Mongooses, is very nice.

African Savanna:

Pygmy Hippo exhibit:

Pygmy Hippo House - two indoor exhibits for 3 hippos (1.1.1):

There is a brand-new Bornean Orangutan exhibit that just opened a couple of months ago. It’s essentially two tall black metal cages, but when I saw an orangutan brachiating near the top of the first enclosure it was a thrill. The zoo still has the older indoor quarters for its 4 orangs, but the outdoor area is a worthy addition to the zoo, and it allows the apes a lot of climbing opportunities.

Bornean Orangutan exhibit (New in 2022):

Bornean Orangutan exhibit (orang up high):

I quite liked the small yet congested Tropical House. There’s at least three Black Caiman inside, including one that is so massive that it might be the largest caiman I’ve ever seen. There are two pools that are well furnished, and the underwater viewing is impressive. There are signs that tell visitors about these free-ranging species: Spotted House Gecko, Mourning Gecko, Tokay Gecko, and Asian Common Toad. Also in this building (in exhibits) are the following species: Emperor Tamarin, Golden Lion Tamarin, Goeldi’s Monkey, Rhinoceros Ratsnake, Emerald Tree Boa, Dumeril’s Boa, Emerald Monitor, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Yellow-footed Tortoise, Asian Black-spinned Toad, Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog, Green and Black Poison Frog, East African Land Snail, and fish such as Giant Gourami, Midas Cichlid, Jaguar Cichlid, Rio Grande Cichlid, Green Terror Cichlid, Pearl Cichlid, Redtail Catfish, Bushymouth Catfish, Common Pleco, Sailfin Pleco and Endler’s Livebearer.

Tropical House (an industrial looking facility):

Tropical House - here is the smaller of the two Black Caiman exhibits:

The zoo has an extensive collection of South American animals all in one section of the grounds. There’s an old-fashioned South American House, with woodchips on the floor and a jungle-smell, with 5 species (Lowland Tapir, Giant Anteater, Colombian Black Spider Monkey, Two-toed Sloth, Six-banded Armadillo) and the first three all have outdoor exhibits attached to the building. Nearby are Vicunas, Capybaras, Maras, White-nosed Coatis, Coypus, Rheas, Great Curassows, plus both Caribbean and Chilean Flamingos. To have 14 South American species in close proximity creates a very nice geographical zone.

South American House (with thick mulch on floor):

South American Pampas (with South American House in background):

Aalborg Zoo is a good zoo, without a doubt. Other than some of the free-ranging animals in the Tropical House, I saw 99% of every species in every exhibit. This is not a zoo where you need binoculars to view animals from a distance, nor a zoo that has anything world-class, but I had an enjoyable time walking around and seeing what the citizens of Aalborg have come to know and love. There is an issue with a few of the exhibits (elephants and chimps in particular), but overall this is a solid, mid-tier zoo.

 

[Fallax]

Saturday, August 6th, 2022

Zoo/Aquarium # 10: Aalborg Zoo (Aalborg, DK)

After visiting the excellent North Sea Oceanarium, I drove 45 minutes south to my next stop. That meant leaving behind the rural, green Danish countryside and heading to Denmark's 3rd largest city (but still only 140,000 urban population and 540,000 metropolitan population). I uploaded 127 photos into the ZooChat gallery for those who would like to see an extensive photographic overview of the zoo.

Aalborg Zoo is the first urban, city zoo that I’ve visited on this trip. Denmark has many rural zoos, a handful of aquariums, and big wildlife parks, but there are only three smaller zoos set in bustling cities. None of them are large, as both Aalborg and Odense are 9 hectares (22 acres) each, while Copenhagen is 12 hectares (30 acres). By comparison, London Zoo is 14.5 hectares (36 acres) and bigger than all the Danish city zoos. One thing I enjoyed about Aalborg is that it’s possible for visitors to go into many of the animal buildings. In North American zoos it is a great rarity to head inside something like an Antelope House, but at Aalborg one can go inside 8 houses: African Antelope House, African Elephant House, Giraffe House, Big Cat House (tigers and lions), Pygmy Hippo House, Bornean Orangutan House, Tropical House and South American House.

Zoo Entrance:

The thing with Aalborg is that it packs a lot of ABC animals into its 9 hectares. This is a zoo that has elephants, giraffes, pygmy hippos, two antelope species, lions, tigers, polar bears, chimpanzees, orangutans, sea lions, penguins and many other creatures. Aalborg Zoo has 125 species and approximately 2,300 animals in total. Copenhagen’s zoo and aquarium are the two most popular zoological attractions in Denmark, with Aalborg in 3rd place with 460,000 annual visitors.

Aalborg doesn’t contain many rarities or top-notch areas, but it’s a dependable, reliable, solid, middle-tier zoo that quite often has exhibits that are a bit on the small side. I watched three Polar Bears splash around in their pool and playfight on their land area, but it’s an enclosure that now looks a bit dated in terms of size when put up against the Scandinavian Wildlife Park. Asiatic Lions and Sumatran Tigers have decent exhibits, especially with the cool tiger tunnel, but both could be a tad larger. The exhibit for what appears to be only two or three Chimpanzees is downright poor and a bit of an embarrassment. The Ring-tailed Lemur aviary-style enclosure is just okay, but nothing like the big walk-through forests I’ve seen on my zoo travels over the years.

Chimpanzee exhibit:

Polar Bear exhibit (with 3 bears):

Sumatran Tiger exhibit:

One aspect of visiting 540+ zoos is that I see a wide range of exhibits, and here the California Sea Lions and Humboldt Penguins are in average pools that both have underwater viewing, but there are so many better examples out there. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed puttering around Aalborg Zoo, seeing exotic animals up close, and it was a nice sunny day, and I had a high level of enjoyment for almost 3 hours. However, for the purpose of my ZooChat reviews I also analyze each zoo and Aalborg is a facility that I worry about. What will those lion, tiger, bear and chimp enclosures be like in 20 years if they are already a bit tight now? The worst exhibit in the zoo, other than the mock-rock blob for Hamadryas Baboons, is without a doubt the one for African Elephants. It's such a small outdoor pair of paddocks that I think replacing the elephants with rhinos wouldn’t even work as the space is too small even for rhinos. The zoo has a trio of female African Elephants, all born in South Africa in 1982 and all having lived together in Aalborg since 1985. I cannot see anyone moving the 40-year-old pachyderms, so they can live out their lives in a subpar exhibit. Even the Elephant House is badly outdated, with old-school cement floors and cramped spaces. There are a couple of little exhibits for Northeast African Spiny Mice and Striped Grass Mice.

African Elephant exhibit (the photo makes it appear larger than it is):

African Elephant House:

Now onto the genuine highlights. The zoo has a green, lush African Savanna that is at the farthest end of the grounds, with a forest as a backdrop, viewed from an outdoor eating area and many other vantage points. There are 5 species (Rothschild’s Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Greater Kudu, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Ostrich) and it is spectacular. Adjacent to the big savanna is an excellent Pygmy Hippo exhibit, with rocky boulders and a deep pool. Even more delightful is a Pygmy Hippo House, all steamy and humid and with two indoor exhibits for three of the animals. The whole African zone, including Warthogs and Banded Mongooses, is very nice.

African Savanna:

Pygmy Hippo exhibit:

Pygmy Hippo House - two indoor exhibits for 3 hippos (1.1.1):

There is a brand-new Bornean Orangutan exhibit that just opened a couple of months ago. It’s essentially two tall black metal cages, but when I saw an orangutan brachiating near the top of the first enclosure it was a thrill. The zoo still has the older indoor quarters for its 4 orangs, but the outdoor area is a worthy addition to the zoo, and it allows the apes a lot of climbing opportunities.

Bornean Orangutan exhibit (New in 2022):

Bornean Orangutan exhibit (orang up high):

I quite liked the small yet congested Tropical House. There’s at least three Black Caiman inside, including one that is so massive that it might be the largest caiman I’ve ever seen. There are two pools that are well furnished, and the underwater viewing is impressive. There are signs that tell visitors about these free-ranging species: Spotted House Gecko, Mourning Gecko, Tokay Gecko, and Asian Common Toad. Also in this building (in exhibits) are the following species: Emperor Tamarin, Golden Lion Tamarin, Goeldi’s Monkey, Rhinoceros Ratsnake, Emerald Tree Boa, Dumeril’s Boa, Emerald Monitor, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Yellow-footed Tortoise, Asian Black-spinned Toad, Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog, Green and Black Poison Frog, East African Land Snail, and fish such as Giant Gourami, Midas Cichlid, Jaguar Cichlid, Rio Grande Cichlid, Green Terror Cichlid, Pearl Cichlid, Redtail Catfish, Bushymouth Catfish, Common Pleco, Sailfin Pleco and Endler’s Livebearer.

Tropical House (an industrial looking facility):

Tropical House - here is the smaller of the two Black Caiman exhibits:

The zoo has an extensive collection of South American animals all in one section of the grounds. There’s an old-fashioned South American House, with woodchips on the floor and a jungle-smell, with 5 species (Lowland Tapir, Giant Anteater, Colombian Black Spider Monkey, Two-toed Sloth, Six-banded Armadillo) and the first three all have outdoor exhibits attached to the building. Nearby are Vicunas, Capybaras, Maras, White-nosed Coatis, Coypus, Rheas, Great Curassows, plus both Caribbean and Chilean Flamingos. To have 14 South American species in close proximity creates a very nice geographical zone.

South American House (with thick mulch on floor):

South American Pampas (with South American House in background):

Aalborg Zoo is a good zoo, without a doubt. Other than some of the free-ranging animals in the Tropical House, I saw 99% of every species in every exhibit. This is not a zoo where you need binoculars to view animals from a distance, nor a zoo that has anything world-class, but I had an enjoyable time walking around and seeing what the citizens of Aalborg have come to know and love. There is an issue with a few of the exhibits (elephants and chimps in particular), but overall this is a solid, mid-tier zoo.

Overall, looks like a pretty nice small ABC-heavy zoo... definitely does need some improvements though.

A quick measurement on Google Maps shows the elephant paddock to be about 1,316 square metres (a measly 0.3 acres)! I think that is definitely too small for even one elephant ideally, and I agree with you that I doubt rhinos could work either, at least a group of them. It could work for a solitary black or Indian rhino at most. Best case, it could work for a small group of suids perhaps?

That Tropical House seems cramped but has an odd appeal to it, maybe its the tightness and greenhouse-like interior?

 

[snowleopard]

Saturday, August 6th, 2022

Zoo/Aquarium # 11: Randers Regnskov/Randers Rainforest Tropical Zoo (Randers, DK)

My wonderful day of 'zoo-ing' began at the North Sea Oceanarium, before driving 45 minutes south to Aalborg Zoo, and after that an hour south to the city of Randers (pop. 62,000). It was a really great day, with all three of the establishments quite pleasing to visit. I'll showcase the zoo with a range of photos in this review, but I already uploaded approximately 100 photos of Randers into the gallery.

Randers Rainforest consists of three domes, and it reminds me a bit of Dallas World Aquarium. It opened in 1996 with the African Dome (500 sq. meters) and the Asian Dome (700 sq. meters) as the two main structures. The legendary Snake Temple was added in 1999, and the huge South American Dome (2,000 sq. meters) was a major addition in 2003. Randers has begun outdoor expansions in the past decade, adding a farm zone, a playground, plus exhibits for Jaguars (2015), Spotted Hyenas, European Lynx and there’s already a construction area set aside for a 2023 addition. This is a place that is consistently evolving and there’s a lot to see in a relatively small acreage. If you've been reading my thread and wondering where all the captive birds in Denmark are, here is a zoo with more bird species than any other Danish attraction. All the domes have a central hub, so visitors can remain indoors the entire time if it's cold outside.

The large, glass-dominated entrance signifies an intent to be a major zoological facility and for the most part Randers succeeds. However, my initial impression was a bit disheartening. The African Dome, built in 1996 and only 500 square meters, is quite tiny and one could walk through in a couple of minutes. There are Common Brown Lemurs and Black and White Ruffed Lemurs crashing around in the trees, I saw a Blue Duiker and a couple of African Spurred Tortoises on the ground, plus there are approximately a dozen bird species in the canopy. I’ve got a photo of the sign representing all the species, but I’ve been told that Randers often adds or subtracts animals in its domes and so at any one time there might be some slight changes in the animal collection. The African Dome is slightly underwhelming, but it’s the aperitif for what was to come. In between the African and Asian walk-throughs is a short hallway with the following 4 species: African Bush Viper, Gaboon Viper, King Cobra and Green Tree Python. Very nice!

African Dome: free-ranging species:

African Dome:

Next up is the Asian Dome, slightly larger at 700 square meters but still not enormous compared to many other zoos and their own jungle rainforests. There’s a mixed-species exhibit for gibbons and Small-clawed Otters, a pair of ruined-temple-themed Komodo Dragon enclosures, Blue-tongued Skinks and free-ranging animals such as Prevost’s Squirrels, Northern Tree Shrews (I saw at least 10 of these, often close enough to be petted although their teeth look too sharp for me!), Lyle’s Flying Foxes and around 10 bird species up in the trees. Indian Crested Porcupines have their own exhibit and Asia is a step up in comparison to Africa.

Asian Dome: free-ranging species:

Komodo Dragon exhibit:

Typical visitor trail:

Just outside the African and Asian areas are two subsections that are both outstanding in very different ways. The Snake Temple is legendary amongst zoo nerds as how many walk-through snake exhibits are there in the world? This innovative area even made the Europe's must-see exhibits list written by @lintworm. The snakes are in a separate room that is extremely hot, with many butterflies coasting through the air. The domes are already warm to begin with, but the Snake Temple is ‘sweat going down your back’ hot and visitors didn’t stay too long when I was there. This is a unique exhibit, with an open-topped pool for Archerfish that anyone can stick their hands into, at least 20 or more Asian Common Toads in all directions, and Carpet Pythons, Ball Pythons, Taiwan Rat Snakes and Ridley’s Rat Snakes curled up near visitors. To have large snakes and toads and Archerfish all at the fingertips of people is a bold move, but the Snake Temple opened in 1999 and seems to be doing just fine. Since it is in a separate room, there is the option for visitors to skip it altogether.

Snake Temple: free-ranging species:

Don't step on a python!

There is also a Nocturnal Zone that I loved. I’m always a sucker for these sorts of exhibits and Randers has a small yet well-designed pair of rooms that are extremely dark. It takes a while for one’s eyes to adjust and I always think it’s silly when visitors keep walking through without stopping or seeing any of the inhabitants. There are exhibits along both walls for the following species: Sugar Glider, Brown Rat, Naked Mole Rat, Mangrove Snake, King Cobra, Green Tree Python, Kenyan Sand Boa, Chilean Tarantula, Emperor Scorpion, Ghost Mantis, Pufferfish and Elephant-nose Fish.

The real highlight of the Nocturnal Zone is a large exhibit for 4 species. I spotted a single Springhare hopping around in the background, as well as an African Brush-tailed Porcupine. It was really cool to see Senegal Galagos jumping around above my head, as they have free-range of the area on vines that cross the visitor pathway. Grab a galago! One of them half scared me to death initially as I didn’t know what it was. Finally, the zoo has two Aardvarks, which trundled along nonchalantly looking for food and it was easy enough to pet them both. When in Rome, do as the Europeans do! I gave one in particular a good scratch on its back, as it was easy enough to lean over the low mesh netting and the minimal barrier meant that I even saw a young kid reach the Aardvarks.

The South American Dome is much larger than the other two domes combined, and it clocks in at 2,000 square meters. Visitors go down a steep set of stairs and into the Aquarium, a cave-like underground grotto with approximately 10 mid-sized saltwater tanks. Then it’s a plunge into the rainforest. While the African and Asian domes have a set path, the South American one is like Burger’s Bush and there are trails in all directions. Inhabitants include West Indian Manatees (sharing a pool with huge fish such as Arapaima and Redtail Catfish), Piranhas, two exhibits for American Alligators, Lowland Tapirs, Bush Dogs, White-nosed Coatis, Six-banded Armadillos, two exhibits for Margays, Leafcutter Ants, and free-ranging animals such as White-faced Saki Monkeys, Red Titi Monkeys, Golden Lion Tamarins, Douroucoulis, Pygmy Marmosets, Two-toed Sloths, Red-footed Tortoises, Green Iguanas, and a whole bunch of birds, with the largest being Turkey Vultures.

South American Dome: free-ranging species:

Manatee pool:

American Alligator exhibit:

Inside the South American dome is an offshoot area called The Skull Cave. This was added in 2009 and it’s another Nocturnal Zone. There’s a large Green Anaconda exhibit set inside the cave, as well as eerily lit greenish skulls. Going farther into the darkness, I had Seba’s Short-tailed Bats flying extremely close, prompting screams from fellow visitors. There is a sign for cockroaches and it’s difficult to read, so I put the light on my iPhone and faced the light in the direction of the cave wall. I jumped back a foot when I saw the wall teeming with loads of free-ranging cockroaches, who must somehow be enticed to that area via food. Between the bats and the cockroaches, and the anaconda exhibit looking like it’s open-topped (up close you can see the mesh), it’s a scary little section of the jungle! One guy was touching a Green Anaconda through the mesh, because the snake had the bottom part of its body behind glass but the top quarter of its body was up high against the netting.

Green Anaconda exhibit in Nocturnal Zone (faint wire is on the top part):

Randers Rainforest Tropical Zoo has begun to branch out in the past decade with a significant outdoor space. There are currently only 4 animal species outdoors, but it takes a lot of walking in the hopes of seeing any of them. First up is an extraordinary Jaguar exhibit, which is designed to look like a South American construction site. There is an excavator machine inside the enclosure, along with rusty old buckets, a big tire, and even an outhouse. There are actually two Jaguar exhibits, both of a good size and the cats just bred so Randers has 4 Jaguars at the moment. I would recommend looking in the ZooChat gallery, as I have 20 photos just of the Jaguar area that shows the exhibits with greater detail.

Jaguar exhibit #1 (there's a big green excavator machine inside with the cats):

Jaguar exhibit #2:

Past the two Jaguar exhibits, there is a curving boardwalk that leads to a dusty trail that ends up at two exhibits for Spotted Hyenas. These enclosures are of a substantial size, and I was fortunate enough to see one of the animals. Farther along the path are play areas and signage for different eras in human history (Neanderthal, Neolithic Age, Stone Age, Iron Age) and two spacious exhibits for European Lynx. There is also a large farmyard setting geared towards small kids to go along with the jaguars, hyenas, lynx and a small Leopard Tortoise enclosure. The whole area is superb, but it is tricky to spot animals in such large habitats. Opening in 2023 is a new zone that is fully detailed on the zoo’s map even though construction hasn’t even begun. It’s going to be an Ice Age themed area, with a large playground, a stream running through the zone, and three new animal species: Reindeer, Prairie Dog and Wolverine.

Spotted Hyena exhibit (one of two enclosures for the species):

European Lynx exhibit (one of two enclosures for the species):

Green Anaconda sculpture:

Randers Regnskov is a terrific attraction. It’s got a little bit of everything, from rarities to surprises to Aardvarks and Green Anacondas that can be touched if you are lucky. The facility is famous for its African, Asian and South American domes, but in truth it’s a well-rounded institution with the slithering Snake Temple, two Nocturnal Zones and an ever-expanding outdoor area the focus for the future. It’s a zoo that seems to build something new every few years, and in the dead of winter when there is snow on the ground, it’s easy enough to see why Randers has 300,000 annual visitors in its tropical indoor areas. It’s well worth a visit and completely different from any other zoo in Scandinavia.

Up next...the 'Nashville Zoo' of the Nordic region. The very small, but exquisitely designed Odense Zoo.

 

[Hvedekorn]

If you've been reading my thread and wondering where all the captive birds in Denmark are, here is a zoo with more bird species than any other Danish attraction.

Now I think the two Danish bird parks will beg to differ. But true enough, there's more focus on those feathered critters than in any "mainstream" Danish zoo except for maybe Copenhagen. The delightfully diverse collection, as well the constant development, are among the reason I'm extremely fond of Randers as well.

By the way, the 2023 expansion - an Ice Age-themed exhibition - is gonna feature wolverines, and I believe they've also chosen to add reindeer. Reindeer would be a must for any Ice Age area given that they're the reason humans chose to inhabit Denmark in the first place.

 

[TNT]

I gave one in particular a good scratch on its back, as it was easy enough to lean over the low mesh netting and the minimal barrier meant that I even saw a young kid reach the Aardvarks.

Just because you can, it doesn't mean you should I mean this respectfully, please try to avoid touching the animals. Completely different in a petting zoo/farm yard or "zoo approved" animal experience, but it's definitely best to stay hands off when you can

Now, taking my zoo-professional hat off... Thanks for these reviews so far, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your posts!

 

[aardvark250]

Inside the South American dome is an offshoot area called The Skull Cave. This was added in 2009 and it’s another Nocturnal Zone. There’s a large Green Anaconda exhibit set inside the cave, as well as eerily lit greenish skulls. Going farther into the darkness, I had Seba’s Short-tailed Bats flying extremely close, prompting screams from fellow visitors. There is a sign for cockroaches and it’s difficult to read, so I put the light on my iPhone and faced the light in the direction of the cave wall. I jumped back a foot when I saw the wall teeming with loads of free-ranging cockroaches, who must somehow be enticed to that area via food. Between the bats and the cockroaches, and the anaconda exhibit looking like it’s open-topped (up close you can see the mesh), it’s a scary little section of the jungle! One guy was touching a Green Anaconda through the mesh, because the snake had the bottom part of its body behind glass but the top quarter of its body was up high against the netting.

The phrase "free ranging cockroach" makes me shiver. No thanks.

 

[amur leopard]

If you've been reading my thread and wondering where all the captive birds in Denmark are, here is a zoo with more bird species than any other Danish attraction.

Doesn't the Nordsjaellands Fuglepark in Graested take this title?

 

[Hvedekorn]

Doesn't the Nordsjaellands Fuglepark in Graested take this title?

They do indeed, and by a landslide. Danmarks Fuglezoo, also known as Frydenlund Fuglepark, also easily defeat Randers in species count (but not exhibit quality).