Special: Zoo in Zurich
Zurich has many attractions, but one of the most interesting ones is unquestionably the zoo. Located high above the city, it is in a very natural setting. Many areas are very modern, so the animals got enough space to move. Especially the new elephant house, one of the largest ones in the world, is worth a mention. Follow us on our tour through the amazing Zoo Zurich!
The Zoo Zurich may not be one of the biggest ones in Europe, but it’s worth a visit nevertheless. Even though we did not have that much time in Zurich, we decided to take the tram up to the Zoo to learn more about the animals that found a new home in Switzerland.
Dozens of animals await you at the Zurich Zoo
Even though the entrance fee is not very low, the experience is worth the money in our opinion. That’s especially true when you don’t visit Zoos regularly as the one in Zurich houses animals from all over the world.
Welcome to the Exotarium
When we entered the Zoo, we instantly turned left to catch a view of some flamingos.
You can see flamingos right after entering the Zurich Zoo
They did not really like the cold temperature, but spent their time in the water nevertheless. Just a few moments later, we found a beautiful bear that had a really interesting coat color.
Beautiful bear
The animal we found under water afterwards was one we knew: The Hippopotamus.
Hippopotami enjoying the water
Lucky as we are, we were able to see not only one, but instead many hippopotami that were having fun in the water, but also one that enjoyed a meal.
Some food for the hippopotamus
In the same area, you may also catch a view of one of several large turtles.
It’s also worth a mention that many special birds are living in the same area as the turtles – they seem to like each other!
Lamas, vicunas and beautiful birds
You may guess that the above mentioned animals (apart from the flamingo) are living in an indoor area.
Back in the outside area
The following instead spend their life in Switzerland with its cold winters in the outside. However, this is not a problem for lamas and vicunas that are both used to cold temperatures.
Some vicunas in the Zurich Zoo
In the meantime, we also enjoyed looking at a beautiful bird!
Beautiful Indian Blue Peafowl
Afterwards, we went on to the house of the apes.
There, we saw some gorillas and other smaller apes having fun.
Dangerous wildlife in Zurich
What many of you may have waited for is seeing pictures of the predators in the Zurich Zoo.
The heroic lion
The first one we saw was the imposing lion that strolled around in his enclosure.
Watching the king: The female lions
The female lions meanwhile weren’t any happy about the cold temperatures and decided to cuddle instead of moving around.
The other predators that live nearby (not in the enclosure though) were a wolf and two snow leopards that looked absolutely beautiful.
Not a lama, not an alpaca, but a guanaco
Exploring the wildlife in the Zurich Zoo was a very nice experience not only because of the imposing predators, but also due to the fact that there were some animals we had never seen before.
Guanacos at the Zurich Zoo
One was a guanaco that came very close. We first thought that it was a lama or an alpaca, but as the sign explained, it was a guanaco instead. However, this animal usually lives in South America.
The Arabian Oryx is one of the very special animals at the Zurich Zoo
Other animals you don’t regularly see may include the Arabic Oryx, dik-diks, zebras and penguins. On our way to the elephant house, we saw some other lovely animals as well.
Last but not least, it’s worth to enjoy the most heroic of all animals!
Elephants in a huge building
What a great end for our tour through the Zurich Zoo: Since mid-2014, the elephant park named “Kaeng Krachan” is open for public visitors.
The large “Elephant Park”
The elephants of the zoo found a new home in a very appropriate area where they can live a good life even though not being free.
Wildlife inside the Elephant Park
We were lucky enough to catch a view on one of the baby elephants that is living in the zoo at the very moment.
Baby elephant at the Zurich Zoo
However, it was time to leave afterwards. On our way back, we passed an area where some local animals that may be petted are living.
A little goat at the Petting Zoo
These include donkeys and ponies for example.
More to come soon
All in all, we really enjoyed the Zurich Zoo. We also had a look at the “Masoala Rainforst” located opposite of the zoo, but weren’t really impressed. However, you may enjoy the little souvenir shop that is also located in the building. If you are visiting Zurich in the future, you may also enjoy the “Mongolian Steppe” that is currently being build.
In 2020, the Zurich Zoo also plans to open another new area, the “Lewa Savanne”. Many great things to come that are a perfect addition to all the very nice and modern areas the Zurich Zoo already offers. A great place to spend some time if you like animals as much as we do!
- Open 365 days a year
- Opening hours from March to October: 9 am to 6 pm
- Opening hours from November to February: 9 am to 5 pm
- Entrance Fee: 26 CHF (Adults), 19 CHF (Youth from 16 to 24), 13 CHF (Kids from 6 to 15), Kids below the age of 6 don’t have to pay an entrance fee
- Find more information about the Zoo!
Interested in more other specials? Here’s an overview!
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