Germany trip
In April, we get two weeks off for school. These are supposed to be used for studying...but I ended up doing more zoo-visiting than actually studying. (And this showed in my exam results...oops). This two-zoo trip was a roadtrip to Hamburg and back. Obviously that includes Tierpark Hagenbeck, and since you drive right past the single best bird collection in the world, I figured I'd tack that one on as well.
Weltvogelpark Walsrode
https://www.weltvogelpark.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Weltvogelpark_Parkplan_2018.jpg
Visited on April 13
The Weltvogelpark in Walsrode is really something. There’s no doubt that it’s actually the best of its kind, with an incredible diversity of birds on display. However, it also really seems to suffer from its dwindling visitor numbers, with several of the enclosures looking not as bright-and-shiny as they could.
Still, its collection is unmatched, even though the majority of the birds are housed in rather unremarkable pheasantry-style aviaries. That’s not something bad in my opinion, but I can definitely see why people (those not into zoos at least) would think of this as a rather boring park.
It was fairly cold during my visit, which meant that quite a few of the highlight species (maleo, two out of the three birds-of-paradise, all birds near the kiwi, the shoebill, …) were indoors. Props to the Weltvogelpark for having this many birds out in this weather, as the weather was similar in Zoo Berlin and none of the birds in their Bird House in Berlin were outside at all. My next visit to Walsrode will definitely be in summer.
Statistics
Clocking in at
325 species (323 birds, 2 reptiles), Walsrode has the second-biggest collection overall, and (surprise-surprise) the biggest bird collection this year.
Walsrode has 90 species I didn’t see anywhere else this year. This makes the highest percentage of unique species in any zoo I’ve visited.
Highest overlap is, predictably, Zoo Berlin with 75 species, due to both zoos having immense bird collections. Lowest overlap (barring Parc des Félins from now on, they’re cheating with all their cats) is with Serpentarium Blankenberge at 1 species (Argentine black-and white tegu). Lowest overlap with a full-spectrum zoo is 11 species, with both Prospect Park Zoo and Zoo Santo Inácio.
With a ZooScore of 6,10, Walsrode ranks at the second place. Honestly, this is just remarkable for a zoo with basically just birds. It’s literally at the heels of Zoo Berlin people!
Enclosures
- Best in Class:
At first I had trouble thinking of anything that’d qualify as Best in Class, since the zoo has 2 seemingly straightforward highlights: the Paradieshalle, and the Jungle Trail. Even though these two do have some ridiculously mouth-watering collections, they didn’t feel great, a bit shabby. The one house that I do think is Best in Class, is the Kolibri-Haus. Though it only displays a trio of species, it does so in a very nice and informative manner (plus hummingbirds are very good birds).
Also Best in Class is the signage. Walsrode does this exceptionally well, with up-to-date signage throughout the park, something many zoos ignore. In addition, they also mention whether this is a unique species in Germany/Europe, and often add that they were the first to breed this species in Germany/Europe, which comes in pretty handy if you’re a zoonerd interested in this sort of information.
- Upper Middle Class:
The Uhu-Burg takes a well-known concept, owls displayed in ruins, and just elevates it to another level. The species line-up isn’t that special (compared to the rest of the park), but the park took a concept and just elevated it to a much better level than usual.
Also a unique experience is the Hinter den Kulissen area. The enclosures here are rather simple, a row of aviaries, but the concept is one-of-a-kind and the species line-up is better than the entire bird collection in many zoos.
The Flugshow is much better than your average flight show, with a multitude of species and individual birds, and very informative. The central lawn of the park is a perfect stage for this show as well.
- Lick of Paint:
The aviaries in Pukara, the lorikeet/toucan house felt a little empty, most of these could use some more foliage or hiding opportunities for its inhabitants.
The cassowaries are housed in rather small enclosures, but that would be easily solved by combining the two into one.
The Pheasantry, while okay for most species, could use some higher aviaries instead of the 2,5-metre-tall aviaries. That’s really not tall enough for some of the more arboreal species.
These Licks are nitpicking though, as generally both exhibits are well-suited to the animals.
- Eyesores:
There’s a clear absence of Eyesores in Walsrode.
Animal Highlights
Sparkling violetear, green-tailed trainbearer, Papuan cassowary, red-necked cassowary, metallic pigeon, thick-billed ground pigeon, white-breasted kingfisher, giant coua, kagu, African pygmy-falcon, wattled guan, horned guan, brolga, pale-winged trumpeter, red-and-white crake, kori bustard, piapiac, long-wattled umbrellabird, Peruvian pelican, black-faced spoonbill, black-necked grebe, a lot of rare parrots, buffy fish owl, golden-headed quetzal, black-tailed trogon, white-tailed trogon
Tierpark Hagenbeck
https://www.hagenbeck.de/_bilder/tp/content/wegeplan_2019.png
Visited on April 14
Initially I had a lot of trouble writing a review for Hagenbeck. The zoo, even with all its history, didn’t impress me, at all really. The Afrikapanoramium, for all its visual greatness, is wildly inappropriate for the lions. The Tropen-Aquarium was ridiculously busy. Elephants are kept in free contact, and were being fed by the public. Eismeer was impressive, but a small, all-mock-rock polar bear enclosure did diminish its glory. And then the entrance fee of €30 is the third most expensive I’ve had to pay yet.
I did like most of the zoo though, but I think that a combination of expecting more, a high entrance fee, and having visited Walsrode the day before just made me a bit disappointed.
One thing I did really like are the free-roaming maras. It’s something else than the omnipresent peafowl.
Statistics
I saw
143 species in Hagenbeck: 40 mammals, 73 birds, 25 reptiles and 5 amphibians. A medium-sized collection.
Hagenbeck has 14 species I didn’t see anywhere else this year.
Biggest overlap for Hagenbeck is as usual, Zoo Berlin at 50 species. Smallest overlap is Apenheul, due to Hagenbecks fairly lacking primate collection.
With a ZooScore of 2,30, Hagenbeck is definitely a mid-tier collection.
Enclosures
- Best in Class:
While Eismeer isn't perfect, it's still the best polar complex I've seen. Their breeding record for walrus has no equal, and both penguin enclosures are above average. The arctic aviary is a fairly rare thing in zoos.
- Upper Middle Class:
The Tropen-Aquarium is great, and I imagine that on less busy days it is actually an amazing place.
- Lick of Paint:
The Orangutan House is okay as an indoor space for these large apes, but why do they not have an outdoor enclosure? I get that they can open the roof when it’s warm outside, but that seems like little more than a cool trick.
Not an actual physical Lick of Paint, but elephants in free contact always make me cringe a little. Their enclosure isn’t bad per se, but free contact is definitely outdated husbandry.
I didn’t really like the polar bear enclosure. It felt small and outdated. I get that it may not be as small as it feels, but I think that by adding some green to it, it may already feel a lot more modern.
- Eyesores:
That lion enclosure needs to go Hagenbeck. It’ll be hard to find a compromise between history and current standards of exhibits, but it really needs to change. I personally don’t see how the zoo could continue to keep lions here (no room for expansion, at all) but I do hope they find a solution soon.
Animal Highlights
Pacific walrus, onager, long-tailed duck, harlequin duck, king eider, razorbill, Atlantic puffin, three-banded plover, white-headed mousebird, red-billed oxpecker, chestnut-backed sparrow-lark, Cape canary, Hildebrandt’s starling, western green mamba, Kimberly rock monitor.
