ZooParc de Beauval
ZooParc de Beauval | |
---|---|
Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, Centre, France | |
Land area | 40 hectares |
No. of animals | 35,000 (2020) |
No. of species | 800 (2020) |
Annual visitors | 1.6 million |
Memberships | EAZA,[1] WAZA[2] |
Owner | Delord family |
Director | Rodolphe Delord |
Website | www |
The ZooParc de Beauval (French pronunciation:
Beauval was often the first zoo to have some animals in France, which contributed to its reputation and to its development. It has been the first zoo in France to present
Four greenhouses present
As a permanent member of the
The ZooParc de Beauval also proposes a consistent hotel offers with three accommodation facilities: an apartment hotel, Les Hameaux de Beauval, and two three-star hotels: Les Jardins de Beauval Balinese inspired and Les Pagodes de Beauval in Chinese style.
With more than 1,600,000 annual visitors since 2019, it is the most visited touristic site of the Centre-Val de Loire region, one of the five most visited zoological institutions in France and the most visited conventional private zoo in the country. In 2019, the ZooParc de Beauval had 600 permanent employees. In 2019, it had a revenue of 66 million euros and a net income of 4.47 million euros.
History
1970s and 1980s
In the early 1970s,
1990s
In 1990, the ZooParc welcomed its first
In 1991, Beauval presented his first white tigers, Gorby and Raïssa, purchased for $100,000 from Robert Baudy, owner of the Rare Feline Breeding Center, a wildcat breeding based in Center Hill, Florida, in the United States. They are supposedly of the Siberian tiger subspecies, with some hybridization, probably of the Bengal tiger subspecies. Although they are not the first white tigers to be presented in Europe, they are unique in France at the time of their arrival in Beauval, which will make the zoo known and attract many visitors. In that year, the number of admissions went from 70,000 to 150,000.
In 1992, the zoo opened its first
In 1993, a
In 1994, the second greenhouse of the park was opened, the tropical bird greenhouse, with a surface area of 2,000 m2, where 300 exotic birds were installed, living in a plant setting.
In 1995, a
In 1996, a
In 1997, the park opened a third tropical greenhouse in which
In 1998, two new structures welcomed
In 1999, the park welcomed a couple of white lions and created an African plain in which 80 animals of several species are presented, including
2000s
In 2000, three white rhinos joined the African Savannah.
In 2001, a nursery was created for the hand-raising of baby parrots.
In 2002, an Australian greenhouse was created and a couple of
In 2003, the zoo expanded by five hectares to accommodate a group of five African elephants. They benefit from 0.5 hectares of sandy park, 0.9 hectares of grassy park, a four-meter deep basin that completely immerses them and a building of over 1,500 m2.
In 2004, the
In 2005,
In 2006, the zoo welcomed Somali wild ass, East Javan langur and Clouded leopard and a piranha pool was created in the gorilla and manatee greenhouse.
In 2007, a pool for Humboldt penguins was created, with a size of 600 m³ with a tree-lined beach of 400 m2, and a South American pampa. Giant anteaters arrive in the park.
In 2008, a first hotel structure was created. This is a 3-star hotel, Les Jardins de Beauval, about 1 km from the zoo entrance. Giant anteaters and Sumatran tigers, the first non-leukic tigers to be welcomed in Beauval, are installed in the park and a new aquarium is built, the coral reef.
In 2009, a female koala named Alkoomie and a male white rhino named Kanty were born. The ZooParc created the Beauval Nature association and the park also enlarges the area of spotted hyenas.
2010s
In 2010, a 1.5-hectare Asian plain was created, with Malayan tapirs, Indian rhinoceros, muntjacs, white-naped cranes, chitals, blackbucks, nilgais and fishing cats installed there. A second koala, baptized Joey, was also born.
In 2011, a new area of almost three hectares called "Sur les hauteurs de Chine" opens, with takins, snow leopards, red pandas, northern plains gray langurs and Steller's sea eagles. In February, a female Indian rhinoceros arrives in the park. A pair of Sumatran tigers and a female manatee are then welcomed in March. A white rhino and a sixth gorilla was born.
Animal overview
La Savane Africaine
The African Savannah habitat is home to a large collection of African animals roaming together. Separated from the visitors by gravel ditches, thirteen species of animals live together here, including
.Australian House
The Australian House is one of the few places in Europe where
Manatee Basin
The Manatee Basin is a habitat for a family of West Indian manatees, and ZooParc de Beauval has one of the most successful breeding herds in Europe. The manatee tank is 26 degrees, 1,000 cubic meters of water and two meters of glass around part of the tank. As well as manatees, the pool hosts Amazonian fish and river turtles. Each manatee consumes up to 50 kg of vegetation per day,[3] preferring to eat lettuce, celery and carrots. The first baby manatee is called Sylvester and was born on December 31, 2001, and was later followed in 2003 by the world's first captive-born manatee twins.
Serre Tropicale des Grands Singes
This house was made to provide shelter for some of the parks many primates. Some of the primate species present include the troop of chimpanzees and the orangutan (which live alongside gibbon families). Both species of primate live on large outdoor islands that can be viewed easily, and each group of primates have 400 meters of ground to explore. At the beginning of this house is a vivarium, home to one hundred snakes, as well as turtles and American alligator that can be observed underwater. At the far end of the house is an area devoted to small primates, with emperor tamarin, and pygmy marmoset.
Gorilla complex
Leading on from the Bassin le Lamantins, the Gorilla Complex is a huge 11-meter-tall greenhouse, home to free-flying
Big cats
The big cat list in this complex is extensive, and the species list includes:
- Sumatran tiger
- Jaguar (including a black specimen)
- Pumas
- White tiger
- white lion
- Persian leopard
There are also spotted hyenas near the big cat complex.
Smaller animals
A collection of four smaller enclosures near the Gorilla Complex is home to four different species, which are the groups of otters, red pandas, raccoon and Barbary macaques.
Show
The show features a family of
La Reserve Des Hippopotames
Opened in 2016, this exhibit is extensive, home to a small pod of
Le Dôme Equatorial
Opened in 2020, this exhibit is Beauval's latest development. It holds around 200 different species underneath 1 hectare and 38 metre-tall dome. It lets in sunlight through a glass roof and it constantly heated to a temperature of 26 °C. Stars of the exhibit include the
Notes
- ^ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. EAZA. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "What are manatees' favorite food?", Manatee FAQ: Food and Water, Save the Manate Club, retrieved 13. September 2014
External links
- Media related to ZooParc de Beauval at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website