which European zoo has the most impressive collection for 2025
- Thread starter gerome
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cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
What do you mean by 'impressive'?
Paul.Haerle
Well-Known Member
As bird lover I would say Walsrode. They keep many rare species like Australian Sarus Crane, Horned Guan, Giant Coua, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Little Chachalaca, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Black-winged Myna, Marsh Owl, Maleo, many different Sporophila species and Chestnut-bellied Partridge. They also breed many species successfully like Southern Sulawesi Hornbill, Blue and Crested Coua, Madagsacar Blue Pigeon, Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, Sibirian Crane, Malagasy Sacred Ibis or Malagasy Pond Heron.
I think Burger‘s, Praha and Plzen have impressive collections too, although I never was there
I think Burger‘s, Praha and Plzen have impressive collections too, although I never was there
Last edited:
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
In terms of numbers alone, here are the top 20 per ZTL:
1. Wrocław Zoo (Poland) - 990 species
2. Plzeň Zoo (Czechia) - 983 species
3. Den Blå Planet (Denmark) - 824 species
4. Zoo Berlin (Germany) - 823 species
5. Budapest Zoo (Hungary) - 751 species
6. Wilhelma (Germany) - 727 species
7. Zoo Köln (Germany) - 701 species
8. Zoo de Beauval (France) - 696 species
9. Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - 680 species
10. Zoo Praha (Czechia) - 674 species
11. Haus des Meeres (Austria) - 608 species
12. Pairi Daiza (Belgium) - 596 species
13. Loro Parque (Spain) - 554 species
14. Zoo Leipzig (Germany) - 546 species
15. Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) - 540 species
16. Łódź Zoo (Poland) - 539 species
17. Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Austria) - 517 species
18. Palais de la Porte Dorée (France) - 506 species
19. Tierpark Berlin (Germany) - 474 species
20. Warsaw Zoo (Poland) - 472 species
It is worth noting that ZTL does not list invertebrates, so for some of these zoos the numbers would be a little higher. And as is always the case with Zootierliste, the numbers aren't always entirely accurate, so don't quote the exact numbers. But they should give a fairly accurate sense. I find it unlikely that the numbers are off by more than ten in any instance.
However, numbers alone aren't enough to show how good a collection is. The Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris, Den Blå Planet near Copenhagen, and the Haus des Meeres in Vienna are all aquaria, whilst Walsrode is a bird park. So if the completeness of a collection (i.e. having all the classes represented) is important to you, then these may not be quite as 'impressive' as the numbers make it appear. On the contrary, if aquatics or birds are a particular source of interest for yourself, then these places may be even better, as their respective collections in that category are astonishing. Similarly, numbers don't correlate with how many species held aren't common in zoos. For example, I have been to both Prague and Beauval out of the above zoos, and whilst Beauval has a marginally larger collection, I encountered many more lifeticks and other amazing species at Prague, and that is in spite of the fact that I visited five years later. At Prague, hardly five minutes went by, it felt like, without me seeing some sort of species for the very first time, be it a pangolin or one of a seemingly endless list of laughingthrushes.
1. Wrocław Zoo (Poland) - 990 species
2. Plzeň Zoo (Czechia) - 983 species
3. Den Blå Planet (Denmark) - 824 species
4. Zoo Berlin (Germany) - 823 species
5. Budapest Zoo (Hungary) - 751 species
6. Wilhelma (Germany) - 727 species
7. Zoo Köln (Germany) - 701 species
8. Zoo de Beauval (France) - 696 species
9. Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - 680 species
10. Zoo Praha (Czechia) - 674 species
11. Haus des Meeres (Austria) - 608 species
12. Pairi Daiza (Belgium) - 596 species
13. Loro Parque (Spain) - 554 species
14. Zoo Leipzig (Germany) - 546 species
15. Antwerp Zoo (Belgium) - 540 species
16. Łódź Zoo (Poland) - 539 species
17. Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Austria) - 517 species
18. Palais de la Porte Dorée (France) - 506 species
19. Tierpark Berlin (Germany) - 474 species
20. Warsaw Zoo (Poland) - 472 species
It is worth noting that ZTL does not list invertebrates, so for some of these zoos the numbers would be a little higher. And as is always the case with Zootierliste, the numbers aren't always entirely accurate, so don't quote the exact numbers. But they should give a fairly accurate sense. I find it unlikely that the numbers are off by more than ten in any instance.
However, numbers alone aren't enough to show how good a collection is. The Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris, Den Blå Planet near Copenhagen, and the Haus des Meeres in Vienna are all aquaria, whilst Walsrode is a bird park. So if the completeness of a collection (i.e. having all the classes represented) is important to you, then these may not be quite as 'impressive' as the numbers make it appear. On the contrary, if aquatics or birds are a particular source of interest for yourself, then these places may be even better, as their respective collections in that category are astonishing. Similarly, numbers don't correlate with how many species held aren't common in zoos. For example, I have been to both Prague and Beauval out of the above zoos, and whilst Beauval has a marginally larger collection, I encountered many more lifeticks and other amazing species at Prague, and that is in spite of the fact that I visited five years later. At Prague, hardly five minutes went by, it felt like, without me seeing some sort of species for the very first time, be it a pangolin or one of a seemingly endless list of laughingthrushes.