Firstly - please excuse my spelling! First opened in 1940, Zoo di Napoli is located in the Campiflegrei area of Naples within a rather run-down and neglected looking campus, nestled between the Edenlandia amusement park and a closed outdoor bowling centre. By 1949, due to the war, the zoo was struggling and falling into a state of decay, and by the early 1990's was described as being delapedated and inadequate. In 2003 the Zoo closed, but has recently been re-opened with the new vision of becoming an establishment that 'promotes love and respect for animals, highlighting the importance of conservation'. There are ambitious plans for the site, which are heavily promoted throught the zoo, however, there is very little physical evidence of much progress, with many signs at enclosure stating re-development, but no tools/equipment anywhere to be seen. After paying the 5 Euro entrance fee and passing through the newly spruced-up gates, you enter a beautifully planted piazza surrounded by tall palms and huge aloe vera. Despite the slightly irritating music blasting from speakers, it sets the scene for what is a wonderfully green space in hectic Napoli. The route we took led us first to the former Rhino paddock, now housing a single Black swan in a small pool. Next door, in a small paddock with those dreadful spikes set in concrete as a barrier, is the Zoo's solitary Asian Elephant with a small and empty former hippo enclosure beside. Opposite the Elephant paddock are some rusty, but well sized and planted, open crane enclosures for Crowned and Paradise Cranes, and nearby a well covered Owl aviary set amongst a lush lawn with free-ranging peafowl and domestic rabbits. Next is a large and comprehensive collection of domestic farm animals in the petting zoo, home to an (in my opinion) space-wasting range of cows, goats sheep, pony and horse. Here also are some old cages, now left empty and being used to demonstrate the sub-standard conditions in which the animals used to be housed. This 'museum piece' is ironically set right alongside the tiger cages, which are shocking at best. A row of 5 tiny, iron-bar and tile cages housing 7 pacing tigers which are completely inadequate and resemble circus trailers. The stand off barriers are also so close that you can lean across and touch the bars. Another small cage houses a pair of Leopard with a stand off of approx. 2 feet, and the animals were displaying clear signs of stress at the dangerously close proximity of visitors. Located close by is a newer Lion enclosure, with a high rocky backdrop and deep pit, housing 5 african lion in two sections. Still small in size, but an improvement on the other cat accomodations. The most part of the remaining zoo is dedicated to small, barren paddocks, with mostly grass or gravel substrate. Here Fallow and Sika Deer, Bactrian Camel, Llama, Nile Lechwe, Yak, a pair of Zebra housed individually, Ostrich, Waterbuck, Emu, Rhea, Giraffe and Barbary Sheep are housed. There are no stand off barriers at all for these paddocks and they can be viewed from both sides, being very intrusive for there inhabitants. This area also has two small Leopard enclosures, a single crowned crane in what looks like a former cat enclosure and a rusty, but very spacious and well-planted tall aviary for vultures. This Aviary provides good flying opportunities and is well suited to the birds, namely single specimens of: European Black, Griffon, King, American Black, Turkey, Lappet-faced and Egyptian Vulture. The European Black Vulture was nesting with the Lappet-faced, so it would have been nice to have seen a pair of the same species given the opportunity to breed. At the end of the paddock area are the bear pits, a small concrete mountain with four pits housing two elderly European Brown bears that share two of the sections, an Asiatic Black Bear and a 25 year old Fur Seal named Willie. Completing the tour, and returning the visitor to the entrance piazza are the former monkey cages (now thankfully empty), a good aviary for demoselle crane and pheasants and a large, attractively landscaped lake home to pelican, common crane and waterfowl. In conclusion, Zoo di Napoli is in desperate need of funding and re-development. It offers a valuble animal rescue service, however, I question whether a life at the zoo would be preferable to the conditions they were rescued from. The site is very pleasant and has some lovely green spaces with great potential, but without huge investment, I seriously question if the zoo should have been re-opened - something I rarely think! If I have the time, I shall post my photo's and vision for the site, but as it stands, I would not recommend a visit to the site to anybody who doesn't want to leave depressed.
I am familiar with the Zoo Vision - thanks to you local posters -. I too would like to see some improvement and physical evidence of the change over. It is about time something is given. It would be so damn easy to re-develop a decent children's petting zoo. To re-develop at least some of the enclosures in-house on small pocket money. Also, I would think the animal collection will need a zoological curator to rumage through. How unimaginative can it get with all these rescuees. No sign of a decent collection plan nor the notion that f.i. one should restrict the number of vultures in the good sized reasonably suited aviary and concentrate on those species with some potential. So, a nesting European black vulture with a mate ..., Egyptians with mates and perhaps a side-flick to local conservation initiatives. You have to give your visitors' some perspective of what could be ... or could be done locally in terms of conservation and education. First and foremost, I do think the City Council should share some of the blame and burden of re-inventing the zoo. Something has got to give administration wise too ....
On topic the current animal collection: What type of giraffe and origins of the herd or individual? Zebra housed individually??? Same species or different spp.? Nile Lechwe ... I suspect Bioparco Roma origins? It seems the only semi decent animal collection bit is the birds. Was it a bird park of late? How did the park source its birds?
UPDATE Despite common opinion and statements that zoo di napoli has closed, me and the girlfriend found it very much open today and busier than i've ever seen it before. After serveral dissapointing visits of late, I am very pleased to report actual physical evidence of improvement, very small and slow, but improvement none the less. Firstly: the large lake home to pelicans and various waterfowl has been re-planted with papyrus and bamboo and looks beautiful (I wonder how plausable it would be to move the greater flamingo flock here). The single grants zebra now has a chapman's paddock-mate and the whole paddock has been slightly landscaped with mounds of earth and rocks, the added greenery is a vast improvement to the aesthetics of the formerly very barren enclosure. No sign of the waterbuck or cervo nobile, ostrich now in here (with much more space) and the Nile Lechwe are now in two herds. Emu space has been doubled by including the former rhea enclosure adjacent. No sign of griffon vulture in the large mixed aviary, and hooded crow added. New pairs-trio's of Golden, Silvery and Reeves pheasants in old monkey cages... well planted with bamboo and attractively done. Yak now in childrens farm area, which is currently being extended slightly with a bridge spanning the walk-through contact area and an adjacent pen. Didn't see the Himalayan Bear and signage removed. Crowned crane paddock now netted over. Still not a great zoo, with many dreadful exhibits, but all in all, positive progression if slow.
Species list (12-05-2012) Asian Elephant (1) (Hybrid?) Tiger (8) African Lion (5) Leopard (3) Italian Brown Bear (2) Bactrian Camel (2) Domestic Llama (3) Fallow Deer Spotted Deer Nile Lechwe Grants Zebra (1) Chapmans Zebra (1) Crested Porcupine (1) Barbary Sheep Domestic Yak (3) Greater Flamingo Common Crane Demosel Crane Crowned Crane Blue Crane Ruddy Shelduck White Pelican (2) Common Shelduck Ostrich (3) Emu White Stork (3) King Vulture (1) European Black Vulture (1) Egyptian Vulture (1) Hooded Crow (1) European Eagle Owl (1) Black Swan (1) Silvery Pheasant Golden Pheasant Reeve's Pheasant Shetland Pony Donkey Pygmy Goat Vesuvious Goat Domestic Chicken
