The Night of the Zoos becomes more and more popular these years when zoos stay open for visitors after their regular opening-hours and organise special events during the whole night such as guided tours, live performances, music, food stands and other entertainment possibilities. The event offers a great opportunity to observe the nocturnal behaviour of some animal species which are more active at night. To enhance the mood, zoos not only organise special events but create a festive atmosphere with illuminations and decorations. If you want to visit one of the zoos in Hungary during this night, but you haven’t decided which one to go to, here is our list of zoos with some interesting facts.
Zoo in the capital
If you study in the capital, you can visit the Zoo and Botanical Garden in Budapest which is one of the oldest zoos in the world (founded in 1866). The zoo is situated in Városliget and has some special Secessionist buildings such as the main entrance decorated with stone elephants, polar bears, and mandrill figures or the Elephant House which has Zsolnay ceramic figures on its walls. Importantly, the zoo has a diverse collection of plants and animals – such as mammals, birds, reptiles, or aquatic species and participates in international conservation programmes for endangered species. During the day, they have daily programmes and as a visitor you can participate in such programmes as the feeding of penguins (called “Penguin breakfast”), sea lion training, bonsai exhibition, gorilla family lunch and many others.
Zoos around Hungary
If you do not live in the capital but you want to participate the Night of Zoos, you can choose other zoos in bigger cities such as Debrecen, Miskolc, or Győr. The Debrecen Zoo combines a traditional zoo with an amusement park with numerous entertainment options for all ages while the Zoo of Miskolc and Győr are relatively smaller zoos, offering pleasant experiences for visitors with special species. Don’t forget about Szeged Zoo and Pécs Zoo, both located in the southern part of Hungary, attracting visitors from the region. During the Night of Zoos, most of the aforementioned zoos are open and waiting for visitors with special events.
Special zoos and wildlife parks
If you want to visit some special places (not only connected to Night of the Zoos), you can also choose such zoos as Veresegyház Bear Farm, Budakeszi Wildlife Park, or Tropicarium – Oceanarium at Budapest. The Veresegyház Bear Farm is a bear rescue centre especially opened to bears that have been kept in captivity or faced challenging living conditions. Another special zoo is in Budakeszi, called Budakeszi Wildlife Park which primarily focuses on native Hungarian species and fauna while also representing European wildlife. Here you can see such animals as deer, wild boars, otters, foxes, wolves, and various bird species. The Tropicarium-Oceanarium at Budapest is also one of the special zoos in Hungary that concentrate on tropical and subtropical habitats, representing a diverse collection of plants and exotic habitats such as rainforests, waterfalls, and streams. Concerning animals you can observe a variety of tropical fish and marine creatures such as sharks or rays.
All in all, take the opportunity and visit one of the zoos in Hungary to discover special animal species and natural habitats. The Night of the Zoos offers the perfect chance to learn about animals and plants that you can’t observe during the day. Check out the detailed programmes of each zoo for the 25th of August.
Links and sources:
Zoo and Botanical Garden at Budapest ; Miskolc Zoo ; Debrecen Zoo ; Győr Zoo ; Medve Otthon; Budakeszi Vadaspark ; Tropicarium Budapest
Source of the pictures:
- Wikimedia Commons
- Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash
- Photo by Nadine Marfurt on Unsplash
- Photo by Elio Santos on Unsplash
