The whole family can enjoy spending time at the Zoo Basel in Switzerland. This zoo offers many great things for children of all ages. Despite being smaller than the zoo in Zurich, it still has thousands of animals. Not only is it a very popular tourist destination for Swiss citizens, but also for tourists from neighboring countries such as Germany and France.
In this article, we will discuss the best things about Zoo Basel.
Overview: Zoo Basel
| Age Group | All ages |
| Category | Animals |
| Expected Duration | 2-4 hours, Whole Day |
| Cost | CHF 21 per Adult, CHF 15 (aged 16 to 24), CHF 10 (aged 6 to 15), CHF 43 per Family |
| Address | Binningerstrasse 40, 4054 Basel |
| Website | https://www.zoobasel.ch/ |
| Opening Hours | – Daily 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, – March, April, Sept, Oct up to 6:00 PM – May, June, July, August up to 6:30 PM |
Zoo Basel is family-friendly
Zoo Basel is a popular family destination since it caters to kids of all ages, including babies. There has been a lot of thought put into designing it so that families with younger children can easily enjoy themselves. Moreover, these considerations are reflected in all the constant changes and improvements they make to their facilities so that families find the Zoo Basel easy to navigate.
Zoo Basel is family-friendly for the following reasons:
- There are several picnic areas throughout the zoo.
- The zoo map indicates play areas. This is available at the entrance.
- The use of strollers is permitted for younger children. It is important to note that scooters and bicycles are not allowed inside the zoo. They can be left outside.
- Children’s birthdays can be celebrated at the zoo.
Zoo Basel has Thousands of Animals
From freshwater crocodiles to gorillas to wild boars, Zoo Basel does not lack for animals. There are reportedly more than 7,000 animals in this zoo. Although the space isn’t as large as, say, the Zoo in Zurich, this is still an impressive number. Zoo Basel is home to more than 500 animal species.
Here are just a few examples of the animals that can be found at the park:
- apes
- zebras
- ostrich
- lions
- kangaroos
- birds
- elephants
Zoo Basel was a Pioneer Back in the Day
Have you heard that the Basel Zoo is Switzerland’s oldest zoo? Yes, it was founded in 1874. Zurich did not open its own zoo until half a century later. It is even ranked among the top zoos in the world.
The Basel Zoo, or Zoologischer Garten Basel, is a non-profit zoo located just outside Basel’s downtown area. Residents of the city can easily access it through various means of transportation.
Originally, the project was meant to showcase wildlife in Switzerland and Europe. Through the years, it has evolved to showcase animals from other continents, such as Africa and Australia. Although the animals received initially were merely received, they now can breed them as well. Over time, the zoo expanded in size and popularity until it became what it is today.
Zoo Basel Constantly Works on Improvements
Basel Zoo believes in continuously improving its facilities as well as in ensuring that its breeding programs are successful. For example, whereas animals used to be caged before, today they are confined in habitats designed to mimic the natural environment. The animals live in what looks more like an animal park, rather than in cages as you would expect at a zoo. This trend can also be observed in other zoos in Switzerland, such as the Zurich Zoo and the Basel Zoo Knie’s Kinderzoo in Rapperswil.
In January 2014, the Elephant Park Tembea (as well as the Zolli-Restaurant) was renovated. There is now more than double the space for elephants, at 5,000 square meters. Additionally, the public is able to observe elephants outside in a Savannah-like setting. 2 years after renovations began, they were completed.
You can Tour Zoo Basel in a Day
Zoo Basel occupies 13 hectares of land. The animals in all enclosures can generally be viewed within a single day. The number of sights to see will not seem so daunting.
Furthermore, it is well suited for families with younger children. The zoo is a safe place to walk around. The size of the zoo will ensure that they can see a lot of each animal enclosure. With small children and strollers in tow, the zoo has been designed with their needs in mind.
Zoo Basel has Many Cool Animal Enclosures
Aquarium / Vivarium
The Vivarium can be found right next to the zoo’s entrance. Different fish species, squids, and anemones live in aquariums. About midway through the exhibit, you will see amphibians and reptiles.
Additionally, you will see two kinds of penguins – Gentoo penguins and king penguins. The king penguin is one of the larger penguin species, weighing an average of 15 kilograms. In addition, the penguins also start taking their daily winter walks once the temperature drops below 10 degrees.
On your way out of the Vivarium, you can also see the Australian Freshwater Crocodile. In water, they normally do not move much, but you can see them easily.
Australis
The Australis theme area was introduced in 2016, and its attractions include grey kangaroos, toads, stick insects, and tree pythons.
Aviary
A variety of birds fly freely in the aviary. Blue-topped hanging parrots, Glossy starlings, Gouldian finches, Little egrets, Crested partridges, and many others can be found there.
The aviary is undergoing renovations and will reopen in 2023.
Children’s Zoo
It goes without saying that children will enjoy the zoo. It also goes by the name Kinderzolli, and is home to domestic animals such as chickens, sheep, lamas, guinea pigs, goats, and ponies. In spite of being enclosed, the animals do sometimes approach the public. In this case, you can see several children petting them. This is normally safe and allowed.
Monkey House
A new ape enclosure was completed in 2012; it is known as the Geigy enclosure. Here you can watch these intelligent creatures playing and climbing. You can observe gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans in five outdoor enclosures with netting. Visitors are welcome to observe the animals up close.
Tembea Elephant Enclosure
To house the elephants, the Tembea Elephant Enclosure was opened in March 2017. The elephants in this area love the indoor and outdoor areas near the restaurant. Bathing and feeding stations are available in this savanna-like location. The enclosure also contains harvester ants, brown rats, and fish.
Sauter Garden
At the south end of the Zoo is the Sauter Garden. This area can be reached by walking across the park from the main entrance. It is home to rhinos, hippopotamuses, snow leopards, and macaques. It is usually easy to see animals when they are out and about. Snow leopards, however, are difficult to view because they usually hide in their dens.
Summary
The Zoo Basel is an excellent place for the entire family to visit for a variety of reasons. Zoological Basel has a good balance between the size and the number of animals, which is one of Zoo Basel’s best features. Even with small children, you can easily see it during a day trip.
Zoo Basel’s breeding programs are continually improved too, so it is safe to say they are not in it just to make money. Rather, they enrich the lives of both Swiss residents and tourists.
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