One of the very first places we visited when we moved to Copenhagen was the Zoo. I have a love hate relationship with Zoo's, I object to wild animals being kept enclosed, far away from their natural environment, yet I can see that if the animal is kept in a good enclosure and is obviously in a very good condition then Zoo's can provide a fantastic learning environment. Nearly four years ago I had mixed opinions of Copenhagen Zoo, There were some fantastic moments yet there were also some quite heartbreaking ones too, with obviously distressed animals and enclosure's that left a lot to be desired.
Now, four years later I have come to love going to the Zoo and we all feel very at home there. Thankfully there have been a lot of improvements since that first visit and the animals are gradually being given new homes of the highest possible standard. The Elephants, the Flamingoes, the African Savannah animals and the Hippo's. A lot of care and attention has been given to ensure the animals are have space and dimension to their enclosure's, no mean feat for an inner city Zoo.
This time we got to see the new flamingo habitat, situated just after you enter the highly efficient ticket entry system. We could take a walk through the gates to be inside the netting that keeps the birds contained to a river side viewing area. At the time we were there a Zoo employee was giving a talk explaining the new environment, so we sat for a while to listen.
Right behind the flamingoes is the huge building site that will house the polar bears. Copenhagen Zoo is building a state of the art enclosure for the polar bears which is due to be completed in 2012. I am so relieved for the polar bears because I have to be honest and say that seeing them in there current home just fills me with sadness. I cannot wait to see these magnificent animals swimming freely above my head when their new Arctic home is completed.
On this visit we headed to the South side of the Zoo through the new tunnel and straight to the Children's Zoo. Chief among the excitement here is the goats petting area, we eagerly clambered up and down the ladder to enter the pen. There we found a great many goats including lots of kid's, all happy to be petted and stroked. Is there anything funnier than a goat eating your Mummy's goat, apparently not!
From there we headed to the play area, mostly to get it out of the way for me but the boys do enjoy the mixture of equipment and can let out a lot of steam before walking the rest of the Zoo. Next to Austrailia and the wallabies and emu's, a very tranquil spot to sit actually, especially if you are fortunate with the weather. We did just that, indulging our Australian fantasies ever further with enormous soft ice's in the warm sunshine.
Australia to Africa and firstly the hippo's. The Hippopotamus benefitted from the modernisation of the Zoo a couple of years ago and live in an enormous clear sided water tank. You can see them outside or inside depending on where they chose to be, inside is quite spectacular should they swim past you! Outside the hippopotamus house is the Africa savannah, home to many animals native to Africa and free to roam around together. I love that there are many picnic benches and I like to imagine that on a hot day I am on safari whilst enjoying a delicious picnic.
The North side of the Zoo is home to the Elephants and their spectacular home, designed by Sir Norman Foster, the enormous structure provides the elephants with a lot of space and interest and also houses an elephant exhibition. We can sit for a long time marveling at the wonderful animals, so graceful, majestic and kindly looking. The Elephant house is a good place to be should the weather change and a sudden downpour ensure a rush for cover as there is plenty to look at for young and old alike.
As I said previously we have visited the Zoo many many times since we moved to Copenhagen and we now take the liberty of choosing some if not all of the animals to look at per visit. Sometimes on a whim we go after school, each choosing an animal to visit and then home again. Other days, we'll take a picnic and stay for the day covering every inch with well worn soles.
This time we had lunch in the restaurant which serves decent food for a family day trip, said goodbye to the animals and headed off with plenty of things to talk about for the rest of the day.
I do recommend a trip to the Zoo and the more we support them the better the Zoo can become for the animals that call it home.
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