@markmeier Wow! Such a detailed response. As usual a massive thank you for your time! I just love the two Berlin zoos and especially the tierpark! It seems like they have really achieved a great redevelopment of the area! Some lovely theming! You forget how large the area actually is. Are any of the hoofstock in mixed species exhibits? It will be great to see how this area matures over time. I’d love to see the bobok and pika appear. I think the likes of the new Francois langur enclosure is crying out for some active birds even if a dozen male golden pheasant! I know the yellow throated marten and dhole are for another planned area but can’t help think they would really compliment this area too!
@Al You're welcome. I wanted to do a report anyways, but your post made me go about it a bit earlier than planned. The park now published a new zoo map (you also get it as a flyer, when you enter the park): Picture: Tierpark Berlin Also, they filled one of the vacant exhibits. The former skunk box near the dromedary pasture is now inhabited by some type of chipmunks (I think the German name translates into something like Chinese Tree Tamia, but I'm not so sure): Picture: Tierpark Berlin Apparently, they put 15 specimen in there. And I heard that it is quite entertaining to watch them. So much more attractive than an empty box, even though it's not a spectacular new species (apparently, a lot of German zoos have them):
I really wish both the zoo and park produced a more detailed map. They are just too big to have these vague indications rather than precise labelling. It makes it very hard to be sure you have seen everything. I would appreciate it if they just produced a supplementary basic numbered plan showing all enclosures and species - it could even be an app if keeping it up to date is a challenge.
Part of the zoo experience is not knowing what you'll see, but I do agree that they should make you see every enclosure's perimeter so you don't miss any place where animals could be
I think that’s very subjective. I like to have a sense of discovery, especially in a new zoo but I’m already familiar with most zoo layouts. The first time I went to both the zoo and park I missed things. Fortunately I have been able to visit a few times since then but no one should miss things because they aren’t shown on a map, especially when they might never visit that zoo again.
Yes, Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel have become *extremely* popular in the last decade or so - unsurprisingly so, given how attractive and active they are, and the fact that they fill the niche left by the now-prohibited Siberian Chipmunk very well. Of course, this is is one of the notable changes which the new management put in place at both Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin as soon as the late Bernhard Blaszkiewicz was shown the door in 2014 prior to this point, both collections had very detailed and copiously-labelled maps, whilst immediately afterwards the order came down from above that maps were to be heavily simplified and guidebooks were to be axed entirely..... For comparison with the new map, the following map comes from the 2012 guidebook:
In addition to a season-opening letter from the Tierpark itself, the zoo supporters published a newsletter and the first of the two annual issues of their magazine "Berliner Tiere" (1/22). All in all, there are a few interesting news items: Tierpark: - In addition to the return of the flight show, feedings and park train, the park also reports that a newly designed service centre is now in operation at the main entrance. Supporters: - Among other things, the supporters are now also collecting donations for the restoration and new presentation of the elephant mosaic. Apparently, the costs are now estimated at hundreds of thousands of euros! - The elephant house itself and the savannah are also mentioned: "However, the construction processes of the reconstruction have also suffered from the challenges of the Corona pandemic in the last two years. Illness and quarantine-related absences, but also an increasing shortage of raw materials took its toll, according to project manager Johannes Gramse. That's why the opening is not expected until 2023. So it seems like there is even the very slight hope that it could still be 2022. That still sounds far more optimistic than I would have expected. Based on previous experience, even without Corona and the Ukraine war, I would have expected 2025. So I am positively surprised. Having said that, nothing definite can be said at this point. - The Otter exhibit and the Banteng exhibit are also mentioned, but without new information and without a date (it won't be Spring 2022 for sure, though). - The news section of their website also adds: A Vietnam sika was born on March 23rd and a Hog Deer on April 2nd. I still have to say that by now the supporters communicate much better than the zoo itself. There is more and more up-to-date information and sometimes even photos and videos about additions, births and construction projects. It's a bit of a shame from the Tierpark's point of view, but fortunately we have both. Edit: I forgot something I noticed: Like many German zoos, the park raised their ticket prices again. Now it's 16 Euro for a regular ticket (Berlin Zoo: 17,50 Euro).
That is still exceptional value for money. I paid £17 to get into Cotswold wildlife park today, for not even a 10th of the collection.
That's 8 € less than Madrid zoo, in a richer country and a world top zoo Now the typical question: would you recommend going to the Zoo or the Tierpak, given the state of the various construction works? I'm planning a trip to Berlin around June-August and the new Himalaya area of the Tierpark looks really great, but then the Zoo has its new Carnivore house and it's also tempting... On the other side, both parks have some areas still closed due to refurbishing.
Do both, but if you had to pick one the Zoo is easier to get too and has a more comprehensive collection.
It totally depends: How long will you stay and how busy is your schedule? Where about in Berlin will you stay? Have you been to either of Berlin's zoos before? How keen are you on flagship species like Pandas and Gorillas or historical architecture? How soon will you be in Berlin again (if at all in the near future)? As this is the Tierpark thread, I'll mainly focus on this park. You will like the Tierpark (better) if you: -bring a lot of time and patience -like to explore -enjoy large green areas with trees, birds etc even without any actual exhibits and like/don't mind walking -enjoy big enclosures with large groups of ungulates or rather unusual species just as much as popular darlings and don't mind "missing" lions, seals, apes, elephants... -prefer landscapes/geographic theming to the traditional systematic approaches -don't like crowds/ want to be "on your own" with animals as much as possible (there is no guarantee for this but the chance is much bigger) If you can, I'd also consider visiting both. They are really quite different and complement each other rather well. If your time is limited so you only can see one and likely come back in a couple of years, I'd probably start with the Zoo. It won't change quite as much as the Tierpark in the next couple of years (it may well shift again once Africa gets completed). P.S.: It probably is no secret that I prefer the Tierpark on 9 days out of 10 - especially with nice weather. But it doesn't mean I'd always recommend it first.
The Tierpark is one of 5 ZTL collections with a Bavay's giant gecko, one of 4 with a Balabac chevotrain, harpy eagle, Japanese pond turtle, Zhou's box turtle and Guianan bearded saki, one of 3 with a Coquerel's sifaka and giant fire-bellied toad, one of 2 with a Bawean deer and mountain reedbuck and the only one with a Chinese babax and Daurian pika. The Zoo is one of 5 ZTL collections with a Doria's bumblebee goby, long-spine squirrelfish, granulated catfish, kagu, shiner perch and green phantom pleco, one of 4 with an Ansell's mole-rat and Tiznit's toad, one of 3 with an eel catfish, golden nugget catfish, Miguelito cory and Chinese warty newt, one of 2 with an Algerian ribbed newt, Lower Xingu peacock bass, Demini leopard cactus pleco, buffalo trunkfish, broken line tetra, violet-eared waxbill and mountain hardyhead and the only one with a Metall flying barb, lesser snouted treefrog and midnight parrotfish
Sure that's nice, but I'd rather mention the only Borneon bearded pig or Trumpet manucode in an European zoo.
I am afraid, the pikas have not come on display as planned - and nobody knows for sure, if they still have any at all (they even had some breeding successes but the last one on official record happened a couple of years ago). Something more pleasant: With the opening of the Himalayas area, the focus strongly shifts on Africa. Work seems to pick up much more now. Both at the elephant building and at the Savannah area they started moving and piling up soil. They also removed a lot of the old concrete around the ditches and even started implementing new concrete elements for the future ditches. And the whole elephant building disappears behind scaffolds. Here you can see some pictures by the German user W. Dreier: http://www.schueling.com/forum/fotos/gross/134657.jpg http://www.schueling.com/forum/fotos/gross/134656.jpg And, if you register at Zoofreunde Forum, you can find even many more interesting pictures here (I hope this thread will be updated): Berlin / Tierpark - Vom DHH zur modernsten Elefantenanlage Europas mit Afrika-Savanne (zoofreunde.net)
Thank you all, both would be really cool of course, but it is unlikealy as time is limited, and each zoo means a full day investment... Decisions must be made! I'll probably choose the Tierpark, the photos of the maned wolf cubs enlightened my day!
@Veah It may well be coincidence but I just wanted to post a video with some fresh impressions from the park (including all of the latest additions in the monkey building and some more pictures of Himalaya). I hope this will increase your anticipation even more:
