New species: The park is now home to a breeding pair of Müller’s sand boa (Eryx muelleri)! https://benidorm.terranatura.com/no...ra-potenciar-la-conservacion-de-esta-especie/
Birth news: Four Frill-necked lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii) have hatched at TerraNatura Benidorm! https://benidorm.terranatura.com/no...r-primera-vez-de-cuatro-lagartos-de-gorguera/
New species: TerraNatura Benidorm has recieved a male Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) named Khabib. It will be flown alongside other birds at the park's birds of prey demonstration. https://benidorm.terranatura.com/noticias/llega-a-terra-natura-benidorm-un-halcon-gerifalte/
New species: TerraNatura has received an Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) from a veterinary clinic in Valencia. The animal was abandoned at the clinic's doorstep, and they contacted the park to house it. The tegu can now be seen in the "Discovery Reptiles" exhibition the park offers within the Pangea volcano. https://benidorm.terranatura.com/noticias/acogemos-a-un-tegu-blanco-y-negro-de-1-metro/
This park has gotten a lot worse in recent years. Long ago, it was a beautiful, fantastic park, almost an oasis in the middle of the dry Benidorm. Now it is much worse, more abandoned. I also think that the animal collection has gotten worse, despite the arrival of some interesting species. Without a doubt, the best thing about this park is the terrarium, perhaps because it's managed by professional people outside the zoo. They are true reptile enthusiasts and it shows. They constantly bring in new species, on occasions very rare species.
My first visit to TerraNatura was in 2021 and despite not having visited beforehand the decline was notable. I did not do much research before going to the park, but after I looked at the pictures of the park's golden years I really saw what everyone meant about the big decline. I think the change in management really harmed how the park looks. The fact that they shrunk the elephant paddock size to build god dammed lodges right behind their paddock where loud music can be heard from the other extreme of the paddock is outright insulting in my opinion. They also took space away from the elephants to build what currently is a terribly barren paddock for zebus, dromedaries, and sambar and the capacity of visitors to get closer to the elephant paddock, ruining the whole immersive aspect this area used to have. I have the same opinion when it comes to the ungulate paddock next to the rhinos, this used to be a large grassy field with large herds of gaur, sambar, blackbuck,... but they decided to shrink down the whole thing to a tiny corner next to the pool to install in a climbing children's play area right on top of it (Of course, this course has an extra fee outside of the zoo's ticket...), outright outrageous, this used to be a stunning looking area in my opinion but they just ruined it for the sake of profit. Despite many problems coming with the park's new management, I do think some exhibits already lacked space at the times of the original managers, putting as an example the lion, capybara, jaguar, dhole,... exhibits. I think the clouded leopard is pretty good as for now but the simple idea that a pair of Sumatran tigers lived there for a while is still wild to me. It's also really sad to see all of the amazing south American birds the park no longer houses but used to back in the early 2000's, but I guess it was bound to happen, for what I've read there were some risky combinations on that aviary with the original lineup. It's also sad how a lot of the amazing theming that once used to be here has been outright destroyed, mostly talking about the beautifully done Mexican town area in the America zone. The whole America zone feels empty and abandoned, it's very sad. Seeing all of the ungulate species this place used to breed and no longer do so is also really tragic to me, I think the only breeding populations they currently have are the Indian rhinos and axis. They have loads of barashinga bucks and does, but they are all separated in two different paddocks preventing them to breed, I only saw six blackbucks (three males and three females, one of the males was clearly castrated. The non-castrated males were separated from the females), a remnant of the huge herd they used to have, I'm pretty sure all male nilgais were castrated too, only two male gaurs of a formerly prolific breeding herd,... I could go on and on about the huuuge flaws this park has, but I think I'll stop here or I will never do so.
I visited the park many times, some not long after it opened. That's why the sensations are terrible now, because before it was a great park. in fact, I may never go again.
I know I won't be back unless they bring in something impressive. Well, that and it's pretty far away for a zoo I've visited three times already. I hope it gets better, but it doesn't seem like it.
New species: - TerraNatura is now home to a individual of Peters' banded skink (Scincopus fasciatus). https://benidorm.terranatura.com/no...benidorm-un-ejemplar-de-lagarto-pez-de-arena/
TerraNatura is one of 4 Ztl collections with a northwest neotropical rattlesnake and white-winged dove 3 ZTL collections with a keeled slug-eating snake, Tamaulipan.rock rattlesnake, tri-coloured hognose snake and Jameson's mamba (no subspecies) One of 2 with a Carolina prairie rattlesnake It is the only ZTL collection with a San Blas jay, blunthead slug snake, Tuxtlan jumping pitviper, white-tipped dove (no subspecies), sambar (no subspecies) and band-tailed pigeon (no subspecies) It has an interesting collection of snakes
Undoubtedly the best part of Terra Natura is its reptile house. But this is because it's managed by an external company, by really passionate people. They are always introducing novelties, including new species, some rare. The rest of the park has nothing to do in comparison.
New individuals: - TerraNatura has received two Chinese dholes (Cuon alpinus lepturus) from Budapest and Magdeburg to join Benidorm's two individuals and create a breeding group. The new arrivals are Dorinka (Female) and Balto (Male), two years old. They will join Kira and Lennon who have been living at the park for a while now. TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
New individuals: - A pair of Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) has arrived at the park from a Dutch institution to participate in the investigation on the development of anti-venom medicine. TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
Birth news: - For the first time in a very long while, three Chinese dhole (Cuon alpinus lepturus) pups have been born at TerraNatura! This is the first time having offspring of the female that arrived from Budapest, Dorinka. The pups and their mom will spend a month offshow until the pups are grown up enough to access the outdoors. TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
New species: - A female Yucatan margay (Leopardus wiedii yucatanicus) called Lecia has arrived from the Liberec zoo in the Czech Republic! The park attempts to obtain a male to create a breeding pair and partake in the EEP program. It's mentioned they will be housed in the America area (for obvious reasons), in what seems like the ocelot exhibit. Maybe the park has phased out the ocelots in favor of margays. This is the first time this species is exhibited in a Spanish zoo! TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
Birth news: - Two Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) have been born at the park! TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
New individuals: - TerraNatura received a female Linnaeus two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) from Tierwelt Herberstein called Charly a couple of months ago and is in it's adaptation phase. Terra Natura Benidorm activa un protocolo ante la ola de calor
New individuals: - A pair of Goeldi's marmosets (Callimico goeldii) has arrived from TerraNatura! A male coming from Zoobotánico de Jerez called Jerez and a female called Tuta coming from Universeum in Sweden. TerraNatura Benidorm's Newsletter
Hello! I visited this zoo today for the first time and I had a great day at the park. I was lucky enough to see almost all the animals, and most of them were quite active. Unfortunately there is some cosntruction going on in the European section and I couldn't see the part with the red/fallow deer and mouflons (I think those are the animals tha tlive in that part). Here are some thoughts after my visit: - The park is very nice, and some of the views are pretty beautiful. - Great foliage in the park. - The collection of poisonous animals is impressive (unfortunately I don't like snakes...). - The big aviary is very cool. - Some enclosures are quite big, but others seem too small. Especially jaguars and lions seemed to live in tiny enclosures. - I miss more animals in the European section (I wish there were lynx, bears, bions, wolves...) instead of such a big farm. - The website and map of the zoo aren't useful at all in order to identify the animals. I also missed more signs to know what animals I was looking at. - I'm confused on why they have wallabies and emus in the Asia section. The park doesn't have an Australia section, so these animals seem out of place in the park. - I was very happy to see some animals for the first time, including clouded leopard, dhole, siamang, margay, siamese crocodile, nilgai and several deer species. In summary, the park is nice and worth visiting, but there are some improvements that could be made to make it even better.
