I think Cologne Zoo is relatively easy to walk around and the only are off the beaten track was where the saigas used to be.
Germany - Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg Founded: 1907 Size: 19 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 58 Birds 117 Reptiles & amphibians 53 Fish 180 Few individuals can claim to have had such a large influence on the development of zoos as Carl Hagenbeck. His revolutionary way of making panoramas and replacing bars with moats is copied to this day. His Tierpark in Hamburg has remained in family hands ever since but has struggled to cope with the legacy of its founder. The famous entrance still exists, though the real entrance has been moved, and there are still two major panoramas. The African panorama with flamingo, a savanna, lions and a rock for Barbary sheep is still the original, but the Lions have right to complain as their grotto was made by the standards of 100 years ago. The Eismeer (polar) panorama has been completely rebuilt. The major drawing card is the breeding group of Walruses. Also integrated is a Sea bird aviary with various Alcids and a walk-in fridge for King and Gentoo penguin. Again it is the carnivores that can complain, as they tried to fit in a Polar bear enclosure in panorama style, which leaves them with surprisingly little space for such a new development. Apart from a nice little birdhouse, a strange dome for Orangutan and an Asian elephant group with visitor feeding and elephant hooks, the rest of the zoos is rather unspectacular and often feels outdated. The Tropen-Aquarium, which opened in 2007 feels somewhat overcrowded. Consisting of a terrarium section with a large Nile crocodile pond and Lori and Lemur walkthroughs and an aquarium section, with a 2 million liter open ocean tank as highlight. Hagenbeck is still a must visit for every zoo-enthusiast as the influence of Hagenbecks ideas are still very much alive. Hagenbeck's zoo itself is now heavily flawed and none of the newer developments have been able to really shine as there has always been components that drag the whole development far down... @Animal , African panorama @lintworm , Eismeer panorama, with Polar bear in the background @lintworm , Historic entrance @Animal , Elephant feeding Zoochat gallery: Tierpark Hagenbeck | ZooChat www.hagenbeck.de Zoo map: http://www.hagenbeck.de/fileadmin/user_upload/service/pdf/HAG17077_Imageflyer_DE_180124_web.pdf
Grafenau looks stunning! Thank you for highlighting such a beautiful relatively unknown zoo. I love the idea behind Europe's wildparks and wish there were more similar places across the Atlantic. Hagenbeck's panoramas still look pretty impressive from photos, and there's something to be said about seeing flamingos (even if they're Chilean and American), zebras and lions all in one view, but it's a shame they haven't gotten the updates they needed. I'm really enamored by the old statues at the entrance, they're beautiful. But the two human figures are confusing and maybe a little tasteless nowadays, although I understand the decision to preserve them. Were cultural exhibitions featured prominently in Hagenbeck upon opening or something? I know they were popular back then.
I'd be careful before declaring any absolutes. There are quite a number of zoos or "wildparks" in Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland or Scandinavia, that focus on native wildlife and can be compared in regard to quality. Off the top of my head, I could name Wildpark Eekholt, Bad Mergentheim or Güstrow as relevant alternatives in Germany.
Yes cultural exhibitions were a prominent part and still there is quite a lot in Hagenbeck that could be described as tasteless nowadays like this paintings at a podium: @Animal I think it shouldn't, I think there is one zoo who shows better what Hannover is about and there is even a second zoo on the list which shares some similarities.
Definitely one of the best, ok? I wonder whether Welt der Gifte will make it, it's high up on my list
First of all: thank you and antonmunster for bringing WdG up in this context. However, I'm humble enough to acknowledge that my little exhibition is currently nowhere near the institutions already featured in this thread. Maybe, way ahead the road, when my current tenacious hunt for a suitable location to house my extended version of WdG and my dedication to the project has born fruit (and if lintworm actually bothers to visit ), WdG might end up in such a thread.
Maybe I'm just too old, too unaware of modern zeitgeist or too used to nudity to honestly notice the significant lack of taste in said picture. Granted, I wouldn't hang it up as a picture, but I've seen worse...
Well if you would have bothered to set your zoo up in Freiburg instead of Greifswald I would have visited by now , but whether I visited or not is not a a limiting factor in this list (contrary to Sheridan's books ). Rostock is the largest German zoo I haven't visited yet and is quite high on the list together with Marlow, so once I make it to there, I will find my way to Greifswald. But as you said yourself, WdG is an interesting concept, but in it's current scope not on the same level as other zoos included in the list. There is nothing wrong with the nudity, but the whole exotic theme is rather tastelessly executed....
Don't forget that, unlike Antwerp or Berlin, WdG hasn't had >170 years to develop itself (yet). Freiburg? Nope can't do.^^ Tastes do differ individually, but I see as much taste in this as in the common "exotic" depiction of Irish during St. Patrick's Day or Bavarians during Oktoberfest festivals abroad. Or Swiss & Dutch people in foreign cheese commercials. Sorry for going OT in this very entertaining thread.
Germany - Zoo Leipzig Founded: 1878 Size: 27 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 89 Birds 146 Reptiles & amphibians 94 Fish 396 This zoo calls itself the “zoo of the future” and in the past twenty years it has spend millions to make that come true, though not always with success. Just twenty years ago this was a former eastern bloc zoo that hardly had any modern enclosures and was in dire need of renovation. Anno 2018 only small remnants of this former zoo exists and Leipzig may be the most American zoo in Europe. Theming and mock rock are very present and enclosure sizes do sometimes suffer from that. Sometimes it seems that enclosures just give the illusion of being large and natural, where in effect they are not. With a strong marketing strategy, a new masterplan and a supporting city, the ugly duck has transformed itself into one of the major players in the zoo world. The Gondwanaland, a 1.6 hectare large rainforest, is in many ways the pinnacle of its development. Though lots of attention is given to rarities, like Quoll and soon Bilby, it seems as if they wanted to have too many enclosures in the hall. There is thus less of a rainforest feeling as in Arnhem or Zurich, because apart from all the animals, a boat ride was squeezed in. But all of the developments have been a clear improvement of what was before and some enclosures are genuinely world class. The Pongoland complex has some of the best Great ape outdoor enclosures, though indoors is fine but less impressive. The Savannah is also particularly good, not only the original Savanna and Lesser flamingo breeding colony, but also the adjacent Black rhino complex. Something that is missed by some people is the lack of character in the new developments. This character is fortunately present in the Aquarium-Terrarium building and the old Carnivore and Primate houses, now an education center and Koala house respectively. Contrary to similar looking zoos the smaller mammals and birds are not forgotten and with the likes of Pangolin and Giant squirrels there is enough to keep zoonerds satisfied. @Maguari, Gondwanaland, just after opening @Maguari, Historic aquarium with former Baikal seal pool @SL70 , Kiwara savanna @Toddy, Chimpanzee enclosure Zoochat gallery: Zoo Leipzig | ZooChat www.zoo-leipzig.de Zoo map: https://www.zoo-leipzig.de/fileadmin/dateien/PDF/Ihr_Zoobesuch/Zooplan/Zooplan_2018_WEB.pdf
Germany - Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg Founded: 1950 Size: 21 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 100 Birds 117 Reptiles & amphibians 33 Fish 16 In the shadow of its big brothers in nearby Berlin and Leipzig, Magdeburg has been one of the most surprising rising stars in Europe. Though money is always a limiting factor, Magdeburg shows how much can be achieved by using natural materials as much as possible and greenhouses as indoor enclosures. What helps is that the zoo management has a taste for rarities and the list of recent additions include Marbled polecat, Nubian ibex, Golden-bellied mangabey, Marsh mongoose and Rufous-vented chacalaca among others. With the recent opening of the new Elephant complex, where Vervet monkeys, Warthogs and Antelopes will be mixed with the African elephants, the formerly worst Elephant enclosure in Germany could be remodelled into a spacious aviary for African vultures. Unfortunately the planned Black-footed cat import did not happen, but with a Sand cat as replacement it is still an interesting addition. In a similar fashion the former Ape house is now remodelled into a house for smaller African primates. Overall this zoo has a high level of enclosure design and most enclosures are surprisingly green. All new developments have a similar feeling, which makes the zoo feel as a coherent piece. With the African section now basically finished the old hoofstock enclosures will be remodeled into a theme focused around domestication, from wild ancestor to domestic species. Naturally zoo-nerd friendly species like Babirussa and Banteng are included in the developments. This is a zoo to watch, as in the shadow of its bigger and more famous cousins, every new development brings this zoo closer to Zoochatters heaven. @Toddy , Part of the African savanna @Toddy , Rhino house @Zebraduiker , Giant anteater enclosure @Toddy , Park landscape Zoochat gallery (surprisingly few enclosure photos): Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg | ZooChat www.zoo-magdeburg.de Zoo map: https://www.zoo-magdeburg.de/wp-con...Flyer-Zooplan-April-2017-13-internet-1024.jpg
Germany - Tiergarten Nuremberg Founded: 1912 (since 1939 on current location) Size: 65 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 77 Birds 49 Reptiles & amphibians 33 Fish 50 Though Tiergarten Nuremberg has been described as a smaller version of Tierpark Berlin, it is not. It is true that this zoo is very spacious and large hoofstock paddocks are dotted throughout the zoo, but that is not anymore what sets Nuremberg apart. This zoo has learned that small can also be beautiful and many of the best enclosures are now home to unlikely stars. This development started when the zoo opened their Mediterraneum mixed enclosure for European souslik, Pond turtles, Tortoises and Lizards. This trend was followed in the new Bearded vulture aviary, which also houses Red-billed choughs, Bobak marmots and Nutcrackers. It is culminated in the new Desert house, where Dung beetles are the stars and Elephant shrews and Rock thrushes the largest inhabitants. Another trend has been to create huge enclosures for smaller animals. The Yellow-throated marten and Fishing cat enclosures are the largest of their kind in Europe and the 200 square meter enclosure for Slender-tailed meerkat and Yellow mongoose will even be appreciated by zoochatters. The biggest draw is however the Manatee house and the adjoining lagoon for Bottlenose dolphins and Californian sea lions. The Manatee house looks like a nicely done Butterfly house with several rare passerines, bats and White-faced saki at first sight. But the waterways are home to Caribbean manatee, a species that has very successfully bred in the former bathtub that was called their enclosure. Once in the Blue saloon the true size of the Manatee tank becomes apparent when seen through a large viewing window. The other viewing window shows one of the largest Dolphin tanks in Europe. Though original famous for hoofstock and marine mammals, Tiergarten Nürnberg is one of the few zoos that dares to be different by giving the spotlight to Yellow-throated marten, Dung beetle and other underappreciated creatures. @lintworm , Yellow-throated marten enclosure @lintworm , Manatee house @lintworm , Desert house @lintworm , Dybowski deer paddock Zoochat gallery: Tiergarten Nürnberg | ZooChat www.tiergarten.nuernberg.de Zoo map: https://tiergarten.nuernberg.de/fileadmin/bilder/Gehegeplan/Tiergartenplan_11_16_IV.pdf
Despite the relatively small collection when compared to many other German zoos, Nuremberg richly deserves its place in this list; it has always been one of my personal favourite German zoos ever since my first visit back in 1983. I agree; the Manatee House is superb (although I wish the collection still included the Sotalia dolphins that I saw on my first three or four visits).
Germany - Wilhelma Stuttgart Founded: 1953 (as a zoo) Size: 30 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 89 Birds 217 Reptiles & amphibians 132 Fish 557 The Wilhelma is an interesting mix between zoo and botanical garden and styleful and outright ugly. The lower part of the Wilhelma is located in the gardens of the former King Wilhelm of Wurrtemberg. It is a mixture of historical buildings, greenhouses and zoo, mainly birds and ectotherms, with an extremely well done botanical section. The Magnolia garden is among the biggest in Europe and a spectacle to behold in early spring. Some of the zoo buildings like the aquarium and former ape house feel somewhat out of place here, as they are rather functional in typical 80ies style. The aquarium houses one of the best ectotherm collections in Europe, though presented rather unimaginary, but fine, in most cases. The Gibbon cage and Spider monkey islands in particular are very stylized and don’t resemble anything close to natural vegetation, but are fine for the animals, if somewhat on the small side. The big majority of the larger mammals are housed in the upper part of the zoo, which is often described as ugly. It is however one of the best places to appreciate the abundant use of concrete and straight lines in the 70ies and 80ies zoo design. The new ape house fits this style perfectly inside, though it was opened only recently. Wilhelma’s collection is one of the biggest in Europe, the mammal line-up is comprehensive but not particularly exciting, birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates are well represented with many rarities. The highlight are obviously the only Kaka outside of New Zealand. This zoo is unique and a true clash of styles and it is unsurprisingly one of the most controversial zoos in Europe, loved by many and disliked by just as many @Tomek , Moorish garden @lintworm , Elephant indoor housing @lintworm , Gibbon cage @Maguari , Insect house Zoochat gallery: Wilhelma Zoo | ZooChat www.wilhelma.de Zoo map: http://www.wilhelma.de/fileadmin/pdf/Angebote/2017/Wilhelma_Plan_download.pdf
I’m going to assume you’re going with ‘s for Stuttgart’ and not ‘w for Wilhelma’, otherwise we’re going to have to sit down and have a frank discussion about Walsrode...
The list is by city yes, Walsrode is to important to miss on such a list as this and will be the worthy final German zoo on the list.
