05 Apr

The empty Paris Zoo reopens after 5 years of renovation

The Paris Zoo reopens but its residents aren't home yet!

One week before the official opening to the public, the press and friends of the 80 year old Paris Zoo were invited for an exclusive visit of the new premises. The seriously needed renovation will have cost a total of 167 million euros and taken over 5 years to achieve. The renewed zoo is destined to welcome 1000 animals and 180 species from all over the world. That is perhaps so, but today the many visitors were left wandering around what was, all in all, an empty zoo. With the exception of 15 very impressive giraffes, the majority of the pens were empty and most of them had a sign saying "Animal coming soon". Most of the animals that were residents in the Paris Zoo five years ago were welcomed in other zoos around the world and will actually not be returning to Paris. Instead, other animals from partner zoos, all members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, will be moving to Paris in the coming months. It took 3 years to empty the zoo and it will take between 6 months to a year to move all the animals back. This is more than understandable as populating a zoo is indeed a complex matter and the adaptation process of each species takes time, care and effort. Nonetheless in the meantime, the entry ticket remains pricy (22 euros for an adult and 14 euros for a child between 3 to 11 years old) making a day trip to the zoo for a standard family an expensive experience to see only 15 or so species.

Further, whilst the zoo is beautifully equipped with all the modern facilities one would expect, it is somewhat surprising that in the heart of the most tourist visited city in the world, all the information is in French only!

On a positive note, the zoo is involved in 30 European Endangered Species Programmes. Moreover whilst the pens were empty this time round, I expect that the residents will be more than comfortable when they finally do arrive!

For more information, the Zoo website is accessible here and you can download the French press release with all the details here. The Zoo officially opens on the 12th April. Enjoy your visit!

Animals coming soon...