The Barcelona Zoo is located in Ciutadella Park, in the capital of Catalonia, one of the most luxurious cities in Spain. Its territory has an impressive size - more than 13 hectares. It is home to many animals (319 species) and a wide variety of plants. The total number of representatives of the animal world in the zoo is 2209 individuals. Every traveler must visit this amazing place.
History of Creation
The Barcelona Zoo opened its doors in 1892. It housed animals from the private collection of banker Lewis Marty, who kept the animals on one of his estates. The man decided to sell his pets. The mayor of the city of Barcelona, Manuel Porcar, agreed to purchase the animals and place them in Ciutadella Park, a site vacant after the 1988 World Expo andowned by the local municipality. The creators of the wonderful zoo replaced the traditional iron gratings with plexiglass ceilings and water ditches, which was a progressive solution for that time. Visitors immediately appreciated this unusual innovation, which allowed them to observe the habits of animals without interference.
Features
The zoo has all the conditions for people to feel as comfortable as possible in it. The enclosures, surrounded by water, are located on both sides of the route so that some of them can be viewed from two sides. In order to move around the territory of the zoo with a breeze, you can use a three-wheeled electric car, which is rented to everyone. Visitors with children often use this service.
The zoo in Barcelona is famous for the fact that it contains animals from almost all climatic zones of the planet. In a wonderful Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters, all pets get along great.
Animal diversity
Barcelona Zoo can be entered from two sides. The central entrance immediately impresses visitors with its unusual appearance. Here is a round glass enclosure with a red panda. She spends most of her free time from hibernation on the branches of a large tree. At the opposite end of the entrance is the skeleton of a huge whale.
From the Arc de Triomphe there is a second entrance to the zoo. If you turn right from this entrance and move towards the very center of the park, you can see pygmy hippos. Aviarythese rare animals can be viewed from both sides, so you can admire them again on your way back. In the same part of the zoo, you can find an aviary with cubs of wild cats. Little tigers? cheetahs and panthers run and kick the rugby ball all day long.
Next is the habitat of giant parrots. The upper and left side of their enclosure is covered with a net, but the holes in it are so large that sparrows and other small birds can easily get inside and steal food from parrots. Not far from this place is a pond where black swans swim. Nearby is an enclosure with a pygmy panther.
At the Barcelona Zoo, visitors can also see other rare and amazing animals: Madagascar lemurs, bears, fur seals, Arctic penguins, African and Indian elephants, giant hippos, giant tortoises, kangaroos, EMU ostriches and many others.
Primates
A special place in the collection of the menagerie is occupied by primates. To the right of the second entrance to the Barcelona Zoo is a monkey house. Here is an impressive collection of these interesting animals. Many of them are endangered. The star and symbol of the zoo is a white gorilla named Snowball. This monkey was found in Spanish Guinea in 1966. Curious people from all over the world came to look at the only known white gorilla in the world. Snowball lived in a separate enclosure with four black females. All of them gave birth, but, unfortunately, there were no white gorillas among them. snowballdied in 2003. The zoological park has a museum dedicated to this unique animal.
There are other equally important representatives of the order of primates in the zoo. The smallest monkeys on the planet - orangutans from the island of Borneo - feel great in captivity. In 1997, they had a cub, who was named Harvey. Collared and gray mangabeys also stand out among small primates. Specialists closely monitor their reproduction in the conditions of the zoo.
Terrarium
At the Barcelona Zoo you can see a large number of reptiles and amphibians brought from all over the world. The terrarium of the menagerie contains more than 500 pets, which are representatives of approximately 100 species. This collection is considered one of the best in Europe. Of particular interest to visitors are pythons, boas, anacondas. In the zoo you can see crocodiles: American alligator, broad-faced caiman, pseudo-gharial and many others.
Reviews
The city of Barcelona is famous for its unique menagerie. The zoo, whose official website contains all the necessary information about the location, attractions, services and conditions of stay in this wonderful place, has everything necessary to satisfy the most demanding visitor. Tourists note that the animals are housed in spacious and clean enclosures, the animals look he althy and well-groomed. You can observe their habits without interference - cages and bars in the zoo are still not used, and this is very attractive to visitorsmenagerie. The zoo in Barcelona, the reviews of which are mostly positive, has several cafes with a varied assortment on its territory. The restaurant of Mediterranean cuisine "Palatka" and an institution called "Eagles" offering to enjoy Mexican dishes are very popular. The zoo has special picnic areas. Visitors really like the performances that are regularly held on the territory of the zoo. The dolphin show is especially popular. These friendly creatures invariably delight the enchanted audience. Bottle-bearing dolphins have been breeding in captivity for several years now, in the comfortable conditions provided by the zoo in Barcelona.
How to get there?
The menagerie can be reached by several modes of transport. Firstly, the subway is the easiest option. You need to exit the subway at the Arc de Triomf station, go through the Arc de Triomphe, follow the Passeig LIuis Companys pedestrian alley, at the end of which, on the right, there will be an entrance to the zoo. Secondly, you can get to the menagerie by bus. Public transport, following routes No. 4, 39, 41, 51, 42, 141, will quickly take you to the right place. You can choose the shortest route to the zoo on the official website of the Barcelona Zoo at zoobarcelona. com.
Opening hours and prices
The zoo in Barcelona demonstrates the amazing diversity of the natural world. Prices for visiting this attraction are quite reasonable. A ticket for an adult costs 19 €. For children from three to twelve years old, the entrance to the zoo will cost 11.4 €. Visitors over the age of sixty-five will need to pay €9.95. Disabled people can purchase a ticket to the Barcelona Zoo with a big discount - for only 5.6 €. It is noteworthy that a person who once bought a ticket has the opportunity to leave the menagerie and return to it throughout the day.
Zoo opening hours depend on the time of year. During the winter months, from December to February, the doors of the menagerie are open from 10.00 to 17.00. In spring, from March to May, the zoo is open from 10.00 to 18.00. In summer and at the very beginning of autumn (from June to September), visitors can be on the territory of the menagerie from 10.00 to 19.00. In October and November, the zoo's opening hours are reduced by one hour (from 10.00 to 18.00).
