After the African plain, the forest of Asia. This new development decided by the former municipality of Lyon opened its doors at the beginning of summer in the zoo of the Parc de la Tête d’Or. This forest covers 4,000 square meters and can accommodate 20 animal species, including 11 endangered, or 80 animals in all.
“All the new species have arrived in Lyon from other zoos, as part of the breeding programs of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums. No specimen was taken from its original environment, ”explains the Lyon town hall. Grégory Doucet, the environmentalist mayor who, during the municipal election campaign of 2020, said he was not in favor of maintaining wildlife in Tête d’Or park, insists on the contribution of this new space to “the preservation of biodiversity and respect for animal welfare ”.
The tenants of the Asian forest therefore benefit from more spacious lodges and dense plantings in order to preserve their tranquility. In addition, always in order to disrupt the life of animals as little as possible, the City has decided to modify the route of the little train that crisscrosses the park so that it no longer runs alongside the animal enclosures. So many initiatives that set the tone for what the ecological municipality intends to put in place within the zoo over the next few years.
A European plain in gestation
Three objectives are put forward. First, the optimization of animal welfare with enlarged and better equipped enclosures. Then, the reintroduction of certain species in semi-freedom. Finally, the creation of spaces for the conservation of endangered French and European wild species. Before the end of the summer, the crocodiles locked in a small lodge will take the road to Morocco where they will be reinserted in protected wadis. Otters and binturongs will have more room. Studies will be launched to study the feasibility of developing a European plain.
“We will invest one million euros to improve infrastructure and animal welfare until 2026”, promises the mayor of Lyon. It also announces a partnership with the Lyon veterinary school VetAgroSup to “define and implement a methodology in favor of animal welfare and certify exemplary practices”. Students from the veterinary school are already at work analyzing the spatial use of space for the northern white-whisked gibbon family, before and after the move to their new facility.
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