Snowleopard's 2019 Road Trip: Netherlands, Belgium, France & Germany

You arrived 76 years late. Den Haag Zoo was closed in 1943 after 80 years activity. It was classic zoo with elephants, lions, bears and apes. Near to Den Haag (10 km or less) is Wassenaar, but its famous zoo also was closed in 1985.
In Den Haag near to Central Station is quite big enclosure for fallow deer and sheep, as far as I remember also some birds, but that's not enough to count it as zoo.

If you want to see a real short underwater tunnel, you should visit Milano Acquario. There is probably the shortest one. In short: it is wider than longer (and has typical width).

 

ZTL's only listed Bates' dwarf antelope lived at Den Haag Zoo.
Avonturia (https://www.zootierliste.de/en/map.php?showzoo=10003243) has black and white forms of coypus.

 

DAY 5: Thursday, July 18th (4 zoos)

Today John (aka ‘Sooty Mangabey’) and I ventured an hour north of our hotel at Vogelpark Avifauna as our aim was to see a handful of zoos in the northwest corner of the Netherlands.

Zoo/Aquarium # 11: Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Anna Paulowna, NL)

This zoo opened in 2008 and it was a real surprise to John and I. When spending a couple of years planning and then tweaking the itinerary of all of my road trip threads, there are always zoos that catch me with my pants down. There is sometimes no way to know how much time to allocate to a specific zoo, because so few zoo nerds have taken the time to visit. Will Dutch Zoo ‘A’ take longer than Dutch Zoo ‘B’? Will a particular zoo be done and dusted in an hour or will more time be necessary? Dierenpark/Landgoed Hoenderdaell was a zoo that took us a full 3 hours to see and many of the exhibits were of a higher quality than expected. We arrived at the opening time of 9:30 and weren’t back into the parking lot until 12:30…basically a nice half-day experience.

There is a home-made feel to the first few exhibits, which consist of camels, llamas, a walk-through Mara enclosure and there is nothing to set the heart racing. Later we came across what is apparently the only Golden-necked Cassowary in all of Europe (and anyone could put their hand through the wire fence as barriers in the Netherlands are minimal) and some simple yet stunning walk-through primate exhibits. The Ring-tailed Lemur walk-through puts something like the all-indoor Bronx Zoo lemur exhibit to shame, as at Hoenderdaell the lemurs probably have a half-acre of a yard, with towering trees that they raced up as high as one can see. With at least 20 lemurs in a fenced-off slice of forest, it makes for a tremendous habitat and adjacent to it is a walk-through Squirrel Monkey exhibit and then a non-walk-through Tufted Capuchin exhibit. All are excellent and the level of quality at the zoo improved immeasurably. I only wish that more North American zoos would build outdoor, walk-through primate habitats as seeing them makes for a terrific zoo visit. That situation is common in Europe but practically unheard of in North American zoos.

Elsewhere is a small Tropical House and then a large European Brown Bear exhibit for 4 bears, plus a multi-acre Grey Wolf enclosure, then a long Pheasantry with at least 20 bird species in various aviaries, and even surprises like a Yellow-throated Marten and a Tayra (racing around its exhibit just like all of its peers). The Lion Foundation is a slightly anti-zoo, pro-sanctuary organization that built an enormous, all-indoor central enclosure that has a ring of big cat exhibits around it…with one or more of the felines being allowed into what almost appears to be a gladiatorial ring. There is a complicated metal lure that is set up and apparently there are times when meat is hung from the wire and then there is a twisting, changing-of-direction set of circumstances so that the big cats really have to work for their food. The basic, functional outdoor cat enclosures are viewed via tiny holes in the wood covering the chain-link fencing, and Hoenderdaell has 10 African Lions, 15 Bengal Tigers (with a couple of Amurs in that group), two Eurasian Lynx, two Pumas and 4 Leopards (with a couple of them signed as North Chinese). Many have been ‘rescued’ from obscure zoos in other European nations, private individuals or German circuses. The pedagogical material in the rooms surrounding the central big cat ‘arena’ is outstanding and I loaded photos of all of it into the ZooChat gallery.

The major new addition to the park is a truly massive bird of prey complex that is at the far end of the zoo on new land. The central zone, which was closed on our visit as it is only open for demonstrations, is a bird show area and then surrounding that are tall walls and spacious aviaries that spiral outwards. From above it would be like looking down on a shell at the beach with its curved, spiral walls. The bird of prey aviaries are excellent and here are the species to be found in that bird section of the zoo: Griffon Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Monk Vulture, Hooded Vulture, King Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Steller’s Sea Eagle, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Southern Crested Caracara, Black Kite, Marabou Stork, Andean Condor, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Snowy Owl, Northern Great Horned Owl, Southern Ground Hornbill, Common Raven, Blue and Yellow Macaw and Rhea. The emphasis on vultures was cool as I don’t think that I’ve ever seen 6 species at one zoo before.

We then drove 30 minutes farther north.

Zoo/Aquarium # 12: Fort Kijkduin Aquarium (Huisduinen, NL)

Fort Kijkduin is over 200 years old and this National Monument was restored and overhauled in 1996 with the addition of the North Sea Aquarium. There is a long and windy road that reaches a seaside area and perched atop a small village is Fort Kijkduin. Everything looks sturdy when it comes to the brickwork, but the wooden walkway and some of the tiles are smashed and in desperate need of repair. Inside is a museum with many weapons, miniature tanks and dioramas of soldiers (which we mainly skipped) and the aquarium contains 21 tanks inside the bowels of the old brick fort. The aquatic inhabitants are all from the North Sea or local area, with a crashing wave tank as one of the highlights. A cylindrical exhibit with at least a dozen European Eels is terrific to see, as well as a much smaller tank with squirming, thick Leeches.

We then drove 40 minutes south.

Zoo/Aquarium # 13: Van Blanckendaell Park (Tuitjenhorn, NL)

This small zoo opened in 2007 and it is way out in the countryside with no other attractions close by. Our first impression was a disastrous one, as there is a plethora of nasty little cages and aviaries for an assortment of exotic animals near the entrance. A half-dozen Vervet Monkeys were nice to see, but an air of decrepitude hung over the zoo like a bleak smog. Many of the ungulate enclosures are small paddocks with several weeks worth of poo…including piles of poo directly outside of the Grant’s Zebra exhibit. Some of the enclosures appeared to not have been properly cleaned out in days, if not weeks, and both John and I were not impressed. There were some rarities that I don’t normally see very often in North America (Sitatunga, Addax, Gemsbok, Sika Deer) but the overall quality of this zoo and bizarre choices (Reindeer literally inside of an aviary) are head-scratching.

The good news is that in 2018 the zoo opened a multi-acre African Savannah that contains giraffe, Grant’s Zebras, Ostrich and Blesbok and it is a fine exhibit that wouldn’t look out of place at a major zoo. Aoudads/Barbary Sheep are found in a side enclosure and 2019 ushered in a brand-new habitat for a large, vocal troop of Hamadryas Baboons (from Stitching AAP, which I visited a few days ago). All of this makes the zoo a much better facility and gives one hope for the future, but there are still many cages spread across the grounds that are small and outdated. The zoo probably has close to 100 species, but the real surprise was the tiny gift shop as there is a brand-new, hardcover, 180-page book that is big and bulky and John and I each purchased a copy. It’s not going to be a brilliant book, and it’s all in Dutch, but nevertheless the publication is surprising from such an obscure zoological park.

Originally, I had included plans to also tour Vlindertuin Vlindorado, a walk-through butterfly place with a bird aviary, but we were running short of time and so skipped that one. I’m determined not to rush through any of these small Dutch zoos and because we spent much longer than anticipated at our first stop (Hoenderdaell) we therefore didn’t have time for Vlindorado. Instead, we drove 40 minutes southwest to the coast to find a seaside aquarium and our last stop of the day.

Zoo/Aquarium # 14: Bergen aan Zee Aquarium (Bergen aan Zee, NL)

This aquarium opened in 1956 and is located almost right on the beach in a tiny seaside town. John and I enjoyed our 45-minute visit at this clean, nicely laid-out aquarium. The entrance area also serves as the exit and gift shop, before visitors are greeted by a small area with a handful of terrariums and an open-topped piranha tank in the floor! This is the Netherlands, so make sure you don’t drop your kid over the guard rail! There is a trio of floor-to-ceiling tanks that are all very well done (called Coral Reef, Sharks, North Sea) and those feature crystal-clear water and a highlight was the Whitetip Reef Shark. Next up is a large touch tank with stingrays, before visitors go outside to watch a couple of Harbour Seals in their adequate, functional pool. Back inside there are two long hallways, with many tanks down both sides and all of the tanks (other than a large Lagoon exhibit at the end) are of average size and quality. Species-wise, the highlights would be a Common Octopus, a couple of ugly Reef Stonefish and a few eels.

Then it was back to Vogelpark Avifauna and another night at the bird zoo’s fine hotel.

 

I’d concur with @snowleopard’s comments on the quality of this development: superb aviaries, as good as anything I’ve seen elsewhere for birds of prey - and lots of them too. It’s just a shame that the slight whiff of sanctimonious anti-zoo rhetoric hangs over what is an excellent zoo exhibit: signage criticises, by implication, other holders of birds of prey. Here, apparently, no bird is forced to fly when it doesn’t want to do; here no risks are taken with escapees polluting the gene pool of local birds....

 

@snowleopard Why are you distracting us with zoo reviews? Don't you know this thread is about regional beverages!

 

Since there are currently no pure Bengal tigers in Europe, you could rather say "Bengal" tigers (i.e. tigers with uncertain subspecies status).

Just wait for both Berlin zoos...

 

This is one of the flip-sides of the venomous snake discussion - there always seem to be many more birds of prey in European zoos than North American.

 

Maybe a result of the historical tradition of falconry in Europe?

 

DAY 6: Friday, July 19th (2 zoos)

Zoo/Aquarium # 15: Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam, NL)

Regarded by many as one of the world’s great zoos, this facility opened in 1857 and combines historic elements with modern-day immersion. In truth, the zoo has been on its current site since 1940 and the sense of architecture and history is not nearly as prevalent in comparison to Artis Royal Zoo in Amsterdam. Rotterdam, according to @sooty mangabey, who has visited 400 different zoos in his lifetime, has very much an ‘American feel’ to it and that is mainly true. There are immersive areas that wouldn’t look out of touch in cities like Dallas or Omaha or Seattle. I loved Blijdorp and it was a 6.5-hour day.

With approximately 69 acres/28 hectares and 1.5 million annual visitors, this is a major European zoo and John and I made sure that we arrived exactly by opening time so that we could stay ahead of the surging crowds. We left the Oceanium to the very end, as in truth getting photos inside an Aquarium is always difficult and so we had that excellent facility as our last stop of the day. In the general order that we visited the zones:

North America: This whole area is truly excellent, although it is a short section with only 6 species and it can easily be seen in perhaps 20 minutes. We tracked back at the end of the day and so doing North America twice gave me a nice overview of the zoogeographic zone. The two Polar Bear exhibits are terrific, although why the zoo would have the giant bars on the holding area visible to the public is head-scratching. The Arctic Foxes gamboled around their fantastic habitat, complete with a stream trickling downhill. Raccoons and Prairie Dogs (with minimal barriers in the latter exhibit) are great, and that leaves a huge Steller’s Sea Eagle aviary and an American Bison paddock with very minimal fencing in the visitor viewing area. North America is a small part of the zoo in terms of how long visitors spend there, but the exhibits are all fairly new and represent a great first impression.

Amazonica: A splendidly-designed Tropical House that is essentially a large domed greenhouse, with wood pillars stretching far over the heads of visitors. However, John and I both found the space to be a waste as other than butterflies there isn’t really a lot there. Where are the primates or perhaps a crocodilian exhibit? There is a beautiful pond area, with typically minimal Dutch barriers that you’d never see in a North American zoo, and the pool has at least 5 Arapaima and several other Amazon species such as Red-tailed Catfish and Pacu. A Green Anaconda exhibit and some poison frog terrariums are good, but this Amazon House doesn’t have enough to sustain a long visit. A couple of spacious aviaries are outside, and also Chilean Pudu, some guinea pigs, Rheas and Vicunas sum up a decent and nice-looking part of the zoo…but also a somewhat disappointing section that should probably be added to in future years.

Africa: We crossed under the motorway (a similar setup to what occurs at Toledo Zoo in the USA) and here Blijdorp truly shines. Other than a tiny Australian section (a walk-through yard for Swamp Wallabies) and a European section (a dull Reindeer paddock), the entire top section of Blijdorp is neatly divided into an African zone and an Asian zone and both are superlative. Africa was my favourite part of the zoo and it begins well with an exhibit for Mhorr Gazelle that is as tasteful and elegant as the antelope within. A great big walk-in aviary has vultures, Marabou Storks and other species and is terrific, although it is very scruffy with pedagogical material damaged and peeling in all directions. A White-naped Mangabey enclosure is large, a Serval exhibit is adequate, zebras and ostriches prancing around in the background is terrific and the two Spotted Hyena exhibits are adequate although a bit small for that species.

The Giraffe House is one of the best I’ve ever seen, either aesthetically or functionally. Visitors gawk at giraffes and Greater Kudu from a wooden boardwalk and it’s all rather pleasing. After the thrill of the giraffe set-up, visitors are immediately immersed in Crocodile River, a hot and humid Tropical House for Nile Crocodiles, Slender-snouted Crocodiles, Rock Hyrax and Meerkats. The croc pools are world-class and shame many indoor croc exhibits I’ve seen back in America. Then there is the Okapi House, surely the best indoor accommodation for Okapis anywhere. The whole thing is netted, with two densely-planted, shady outdoor exhibits and then a surprisingly well-planted indoor area. We saw 4 Okapi and while John bemoaned the scarcity of birds, I was hugely impressed by the whole thing and I think that it all opened circa 2015.

Africa is still not done, with an enormous, 4-level playground that my army of children would have descended on with gleaming faces. I might never have seen them again as the playground is world-class and that is coming from someone who has taken his 4 kids to innumerable play areas. Lowland Gorillas have a modern habitat that reminded me of San Diego’s gorilla yard, although one blemish is that we saw a big silverback alone in an exhibit from the dark ages. Perhaps the ropes and swings on the cement platforms is enough to temporarily occupy a great ape, but the aesthetics totally jive with the rest of this premier Rotterdam attraction. Immersive exhibit after immersive exhibit, and then a majestic gorilla in a cage with a barred roof? Also, the gorilla indoor accommodation is old-fashioned and probably just barely adequate for the large troop. Moving on, there are Pygmy Hippos and Black Rhinos in the old yards connected to the massive Rivierahal, with a tropical bird loop inside but no more terrariums or other animals anywhere…just another large playground! One good thing is that by having a substantial play structure and eating area inside the Rivierahal, that then allows for an easing of congestion throughout the zoo. Geladas are new to the zoo as of 2018, with at least a dozen of them in an enormous amount of space that is essentially a repurposed Big Cat House. The Gelada addition is marvellous, as is seeing Forest Buffalo (almost unheard of in North American zoos) alongside Red River Hogs in a nearby exhibit. It took us a couple of hours to wander our way through the African zone and I loved every minute of it. There are loads of large mammals on display in the African section of the zoo, but one of the very best exhibits is a small one that is not even labeled on the zoo’s map. Cape Ground Squirrel (at least 20 of them), Black-headed Weaver (at least 20) and Green Turaco all in the same enclosure and the flurry of activity was so exciting that anyone who stopped to watch was engaged for several minutes.

Asia: A flaw here is the rambling style of the paths, with frequent checks of the zoo map to ensure that we were on track. There are pelicans, leopards, a Chinese garden, and very nice exhibits for Fishing Cats, Sulawesi Crested Macaques (labeled as ‘Celebes’ on the sign), Lion-tailed Macaques and a Banteng/Blackbuck paddock that has scarcely a barrier in sight. Yards for Bactrian Camels and Greater One-horned Rhinos are nice, as is a Tufted Deer/Red Panda exhibit that borders on brilliance with an overhead log for the pandas to access both sides. There’s a great big Elephant House called Taman Indah, with indoor accommodation for the rhinos, Asian Elephants and Malayan Tapirs sprinkled with several aviaries and reptile terrariums. Sumatran Tigers have two habitats with big viewing but a flaw with the Asian zone is that it is a bit scruffy in places, and birds are a weakness. The Burung Asia aviary is huge, but the rotting, swaying bridge is struggling for life and there is poo and mess everywhere and even a dearth of interesting birds. There is a walk-in aviary with what appeared to be a single night heron when in fact a troop of primates wouldn’t have looked out of place. The zone ends well with an Asian Lion exhibit that can be seen from multiple vantage points.

Oceanium: I loved this facility and it is substantial enough for John and I to have spent 45 minutes inside. He’s not a big fish fan and so was a little underwhelmed, but for me the Oceanium is easily the best Aquarium that I’ve ever seen inside of a zoo. American zoos like Houston, Point Defiance, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Toledo and a half-dozen more all have aquariums inside their zoos, but all of them are clearly in the shadow of what can be found in the heart of Rotterdam. Even Omaha’s excellent aquarium, which is now relegated to my number two slot, cannot compete with the Oceanium at Blijdorp Zoo. The first thing visitors see is a California Sea Lion exhibit, admittedly in need of having its windows scrubbed down, and a Seabird Aviary and both are very good but nothing that a seasoned zoo enthusiast hasn’t seen many times before. There are many smaller fish tanks set in the walls of the Oceanium, with the walk-through tunnel blowing me away. I’ll find out on this trip if a certain zoo in Arnhem has a similarly-excellent aquarium, but the tunnel tank at Blijdorp is wide enough to ease congestion, has mock-rock seating areas that are brilliant, and the walls of the tank are painted so dark that peering into it I could see sharks swimming out of what appeared to be thin air…or at least extremely dark water! The species inside includes at least one Green Sea Turtle and one Hawksbill Turtle, plus Blacktip Reef Sharks and other delights. The fantastic tunnel then leads into more aquatic delights, including a King Penguin/Gentoo Penguin Antarctic exhibit that is very good but not as good as places like Detroit or Omaha. The outdoor loop that leads to the Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit is pure nonsense, which seems so odd for a zoo of this caliber. The oceans of the world are represented by many species, but Ring-tailed Lemurs in a walk-through are incongruous to the theme. The aquarium never seems to end, with a jungle-like area with some nice species (Cuban Hutia, Mountain Chicken, Cuvier’s Dwaf Caiman) and even a volunteer ‘lab’ that was open during our visit. Apparently, Blijdorp is one of the few zoos in the world to have on-show Lake Patzcuaro Salamanders (which look just like Axolotls).

John does insist that Blijdorp has lost some of its lustre over the past few years. He frequently told me that a decade ago most zoo nerds would have the zoo in their Top 5 zoos in all of Europe, but with the rise of others it could be argued that Rotterdam’s great zoo has stalled a little. The Oceanium no longer has either Sea Otters or Tufted Puffins (although the latter are still labeled), the Riviera Hall is devoid of any reptiles or amphibians and has a small walk-through jungle aviary with very few birds. Wolves and owls are all gone from the Europe zone, which leaves only a boring Reindeer paddock partly hidden away from the main path. Onagers are gone from the Bactrian Camel yard, Takin Rock is an exhibit that is completely closed down, and even the Bat Cave in the Asian section has been dismantled. Blijdorp was hit hard by the economic recession of a decade ago, with the funding for the zoo dramatically slashed, and perhaps that has seen the zoo scale back a little in a situation eerily similar to that of the Bronx Zoo in New York City.

However, with the 2015 addition of the Okapi complex and the 2018 Gelada exhibit, the zoo has a couple of new gems that are both fantastic and I’d be remiss if I didn’t declare each of them borderline brilliant. Blijdorp is still regarded as one of the best zoos on the continent, which means that it is arguably still one of the world’s great zoos. John and I spent 6.5 hours walking around and I was thrilled to have spent time in the park. It’s a full-day zoo with a lot of things to see in mainly high-quality exhibits and very few poor sections. I spent 7 hours at Artis Royal Zoo earlier in the trip and admitted that despite my enjoyment there were at least half-a-dozen exhibits that needed a complete overhaul. Looking at the map of Blijdorp, I struggle to locate a single enclosure that should be immediately bulldozed because the zoo is a modern-day work of art. There are many things that could be tweaked, and zoo nerds love to hypothesize about what should be done at a zoo, and there are even some that say the zoo lacks ‘soul’ or ‘quirkiness’, and all of those things may well be partly correct, but overall Blijdrop is such a great zoo that there is a very high standard throughout the park.

Zoo/Aquarium # 16: Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Rotterdam, NL)

We left Blijdorp and headed approximately 15 minutes down the road to this family-friendly attraction. Amidst all of the young kids and parents were a couple of middle-aged ‘gits’ from Canada and England, both eager to see what treasures would appear before us. We paid 13 Euros each for a 35-minute tour of this facility as no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t persuade John to ride with me on one of those giant swan boat-things that people pedal around lakes. In all honestly, we briskly walked through the zoo section of the kiddie park, seeing a decent Small-clawed Otter exhibit, Coypus, some Bennett’s Wallabies, a nicely-done Prairie Dog exhibit that is a walk-through enclosure, plus the usual motley assortment of Rheas, Maras, Coatis and Black and White Ruffed Lemurs. We saw it all and headed back to our hotel at Vogelpark Avifauna. A quick and easy zoo that is so close to Blijdorp that it would be a crime to miss it. Ha!

We then drove back to Vogelpark Avifauna for our 3rd and final night in the excellent hotel.

 

@snowleopard Is the hotel actually owned and run by Vogelpark, or is it an independent hotel that just happens to be located next door?

 

The opposite, according to 'Google'

Van der Valk is a Dutch international hospitality chain run by the Van der Valk family. It is the largest Dutch hospitality chain, with more than 65 locations in the Netherlands and more than 15 in other countries. Besides hotels, Van der Valk also operates the Avifauna Bird Park in Alphen aan den Rijn

 

Great review of what seems like an excellent zoo! The Oceanium sounds great, It’ll be interesting to see whether you enjoy the Oceanium or Burger’s Ocean more.

 

According to Avifauna's own website the bird park has been a foundation on its own since 2012. Before that time it was owned by the Van der Valk hotel chain. Van der Valk however continues to do all catering and the hotel at Avifauna and is still the main sponsor of the bird park.

Stichting - een wereld aan vogels

 

Just as a note, the Blijdorp still keeps Atlantic puffin (not tufted), but they can be easy to miss.

The Ring-tailed lemur enclosure is the only part of the planned Madagascar zone that has materialized yet. The Madagascar zone would be part of an island hopping area with other islands represented as well. I personally find it an unnecessary addition spoiling the theme of the Oceanium...

The okapi enclosure replaced the zoos stellar migratory bird aviary and is now barely adequate outside for the Okapi, which had to move because the new lion enclosure was built.

 

Agreed!
The foliage is very dense and lush in some areas, which makes it almost maze like.

 

Weren't there rumors recently that the whole island hopping project was being taken another look at and might even be scratched because, well, it might just be too expensive?

I still miss the migratory bird and Dutch meadow aviaries at Rotterdam, and to be honest they really should bring something like this back somewhere.

I like the indoor okapi housing at Rotterdam a lot, sure, but the outdoor exhibit I'm not a big fan of. It is on the small side I think and only just above being too small.

 

Former holdings in ZTL has many omissions especially in long-closed collections. Short description of Den Haag Zoo at the beginning of XXc. you can find in book „The Zoological Gardens of Europe” by C.V.A. Peel from 1903. Or look at Wikipedia, in Dutch version is nice article about this zoo.

 

Yes, some re-branding too. 'Birds and Zoo' now, and a new logo including a lemur and a child on a swing, replacing the Van der Valk toucan...