Zoos of the world

[flowerfluff]

Hi everyone, hope you're all surviving the school break 😂

My dd2 who has ASD is hugely obsessed with animals, wildlife and nature. I genuinely think she would live outside if she had the chance! She's 7, and we have literally been to all zoos and nature reserves within the UK. We flew to Scotland before the giant pandas left Edinburgh Zoo and that was her first flight, she loved it and she's got the flying bug now.

My eldest is going on a school residential and needed her passport renewing, so I thought I'd just get passports out of the way and got dd2s first passport too.
She has always said she wants to travel purely to see the different animals and nature of the world, and trying to narrow my search down to 'the world' is proving kinda difficult.

She isn't able to deal with loud noises and crowds very well, however we are able to self adjust and move her away or pop her ear defenders on until away from the noise. She knows that sometimes it can't be helped but trusts us to get her to a 'safe place' asap.

I guess my question after that huge ramble is really that has anybody got any amazing recommendations for zoos or nature reserves around the world? They don't have to be ASD friendly however if they are this would be a giant bonus, but as above we are able to help her whenever we need to.
Her favourite animals are snow leopards, cheetahs and red pandas. She will never touch any kind of animal so sadly zoo keeper experiences are out.

I would recommend Costa Rica. It isn't a zoo but was the most animal intensive trip we have had as a family. There are so many cool wild animals you can see on day and trip guided trips.

DH has done a safari and also really rates that.

In the UK have you done the safari parks?

Liked Berlin (they have pandas) and Vienna is amazing too (at schönbrunn castle)

Whilst I am no zoo connoisseur, agree with the person who recommended both Singapore and Sydney. Though actually think Western Plains in Dubbo is better than Taronga in the city, but it's far off the beaten tourist track. Is going on an actual safari an options? You can self drive in South Africa and Namibia, so could avoid massive groups and potentially noise, but obviously requires a certain level of patience which maybe rules it out.

Agree San Diego zoo and Burger Zoo in Arnhaim in Netherlands

London Zoo has got two new baby gorillas!
Otherwise, San Diego, Central Park. Rome Zoo was awful but it was a long time ago. Longest

www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/news/second-baby-gorilla-born

Another vote for Prague zoo.
It's huge and really well spaced out, so crowds / noise wouldn't be an issue.

Seconded

this is their star turn

https://www.zoobeauval.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb&utm_content=zooparc

I agree. The bird show is spectacular.

Burgers Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands. Big geodomes (like eden project) which you wander through amongst the animals. Safari areas. Manatees swimming in tropical lagoons that you can walk alongside. Just amazing.

Also Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the Netherlands, which you can stay at.

Another vote for Vienna. They have pandas!

Zurich has a nice zoo. Accessible on public transport. You could easily spend a whole day there. Come when it isn’t Swiss school
holidays and it’s quieter. They also have near Zurich what are called Wildness Parks. Like a zoo but more spread out. Kind of like a safari park that you walk - between large enclosures. They are only animals native to Switzerland- wolves, bears etc. Also accessible by public transport. https://www.wildnispark.ch/en/

I was impressed with Berlin Zoo when I went. Visited at the end of September, during the week it was lovely and quiet and felt like I had the zoo to myself at some points.

In the UK, if you haven't actually visited every zoo and safari park. Then Highland Wildlife park lets you get up close with the snow leopards and various other cats, have polar bears and a wonderful naturallistic drive through. It not a massive place, but is one of my favourites.

I really want to go to Pairi Daiza, in Belgium. It looks stunning. Has anyone been there and would you recommend it?

We're going to the zoo in Vienna when we visit in September. I've heard it's very good!

Singapore zoo is one of the best I have been to you can also go to the botanical Gardens and if lucky spot one of the wild otters which live along the river.

No international zoos to offer but for no crowds Algonquin national park was lucky for us. We randomly saw black bear (from a view point so not scary!), moose, chipmunk, raccoon, turtle, loon etc.

If she likes baby animals Yorkshire Wildlife Park has an Amur leopard cub and a very new baby rhino. The lions from the Ukraine are due soon too.

Not a zoo, but whale watching in Akureyri in Iceland is great fun and not a long flight. We saw humpback last time we went. Iceland is also good for seeing wild horses, puffins and other birds. Not noisy, a bit different, and very interesting country. For a child who enjoys being outdoors, she might also like the waterfalls, geysers and geothermal pools.

I'd fourth (or twenty-fourth, haven't read the whole thread) Beauval. Giant pandas! In an unbelievably beautiful habitat, so so much better than Edinburgh. And they've bred there. The whole place is amazing.
We go quite often as we live near the Channel tunnel. It's about 5 hours drive from the other side. Hire a mobile home nearby for a few days.
Zoo de la Flèche up near Le Mans is also good.
As is Parc des Felins not far outside of Paris, which specialises in big cats.

We loved Pairi Daiza in Belgium when we went last year - there was so much to see! You can stay in the actual zoo as well (some of the rooms overlook the polar bear enclosure!) - we were only on a day trip but I'd love to go back and do this one day.

We've been to Zoo de Beauval in France several times as well and we love it there. Both zoos have giant pandas and I thought the panda enclosures were much better than at Edinburgh.

Singapore is amazing.

A bit closer to home situated between Hanover and Hamburg is the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen.

Agree with PP about Bergers Zoo
We took DC last year but really it was the manatees that DP wanted to see that swung it for us. Amazing and a great array of wildlife. We tied it in with a trip to Amsterdam and it was an easy train journey out to Arnhem for a day.

We love German Zoos - Munich, Leipzig and Berlin are particularly worth seeing. Slightly further away (well, quite a bit further away) we are going to San Diego zoo this year- can't wait!

Australia Zoo (run by Steve Irwin's family) in Queensland - huge and all outdoors, so even when busy it's not overwhelming.

Artus Zoo in Amsterdam - much much smaller scale but also not too busy and my then 7 year old loved it.