How many zoos are in the Netherlands? There is easily a dozen that I'd love to visit but is it true that there are actually close to 50 in total?
There are 52 official zoos in the Netherlands. This ranges from the well-known ones like Rotterdam, Burgers' and Amsterdam, to very small obscure ones like Klein Costa Rica and Avonturion, and comprises both (inter)national attractions, regional or local attractions, and even some sanctuaries that opened their doors to get more income. In the Netherlands, if a facility permanently has more that 10 exotic animals and is open to the public for more than seven days a year (excluding pet shops and circusses), it's a zoo. I visited almost all of the larger zoos, but there are still several small collection I still haven't seen.
Why did Emmen move? I aimed to see Emmen 1.0.
To keep it short and simple: they had no possibilities to expand any more on the old location.
My personal top of Dutch zoos:
1.
Burgers' Zoo. This zoo has such a great diversity of species and habitat. All the well-known zoo animals but still enough obscure taxa to please ZooChatters. It's unique approach to "immersion" exhibits is another reason this zoo is at my number one.
2.
Artis Amsterdam. Unlike most Dutch zoos, Amsterdam doesn't try to "forget" it's past, it is actually proud of it. The beautiful history buildings, renovated to suit the inhabitant's needs, as well a focus on more that just animals (architecture, botany, microbes) makes it stand out.
3.
Ouwehands Rhenen. I'm probably biased because it's one of my home zoos, but given it's increadible rate of building great, new exhbits when lots of the other zoos stay behind, I think it deserves it's place just above Rotterdam. Several rare species are entering the zoo as well. My opinion might change (for the good or for the bad) when the pandas arrive.
4. Before
Rotterdam's financial crisis of the past few years, I would probably listed it in my top 3. Currently, it's still a brilliant zoo, but they stay a little behind the rest. Some parts are amazing, others just don't suit one of the Europe's best zoos.
5.
Apenheul. A small and highly specialised park, but it still offers a truly unique collection with both the beloved as well as rare and obscure primate species, and the few non-primates are a nice tough. Combined with the best primate exhibits I've ever seen, it really competes with Rotterdam for the 4th place.
The next zoos deserve a mentioning, so in no particulair order:
Avifauna is our biggest bird park that recently started to keep mammals too. Not the greatest park to visit, but given it's nice flight show and numerable rare taxa, as well as the beautiful pelican pond, makes it worth a visit.
Aquazoo Leerdam is only a small obscure collection, but all their exhibits are of great quality.
Overloon is really improving and developing from a minor collection to one the larger zoos. Their announcement to start keeping giraffes confirms that.
Zie-Zoo is building cheap but truly good exhibits, which are less concerned with visitors, and more with animals. They have a great collection too. Of course, I couldn't leave our very own Safari park out of the list, so I mention
Beekse Bergen too. It also deserves it's unique place in the overcrowed Dutch zoo collection.
! ).
bias perhaps? 
