On the whole, we’re regarded as a nation of animal lovers and for that reason alone, a trip to a wildlife themed attraction is usually a popular option when away from home – be that on a day out, or when overseas on your annual vacation.
As appealing as it would be to head to the plains of Africa on a safari, to hike into the woodland of Canada to look for moose and bears, or to board a ship to sail out to sea in search of whales and other creatures of the deep, it’s a fact of life that such adventures don’t tend to come cheap.
Instead, most of us have to make do with the chance to visit zoos and safari parks to see some of the world’s most majestic creatures in more controlled surroundings.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of animal attractions – both at home and abroad – that you might want to consider visiting if the opportunity comes along…
Australia Zoo
- http://www.australiazoo.com.au/Originally known as Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park, Australia Zoo is an award winning attraction located in Beerwah, Queensland.
Famous around the world as the home of the late Steve Irwin, otherwise known as the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, Australia Zoo is home to a varied selection go animals, from the likes of crocodiles and elephants, to native Australian wildlife such as koalas, dingoes and the Tasmanian Devil.
As well as providing the opportunity to view some of the world’s most famous creatures, you can also get up close and personal to a number of the animals with a selection of special experience, feed free-roaming kangaroos and take in a show in the Crocoseum – where you can see large crocodiles being fed by hand.
The zoo is also known for its conservation work, which includes a wildlife hospital and partnerships with various projects that help animals in the wild in all corners of the globe.
Basel Zoo
- http://www.zoobasel.ch/en/index.phpBasel Zoo is regarded as one of the top zoos anywhere in Europe and is also one of the most visited attractions anywhere in Switzerland.
Opened back in 1874, the zoo is home to hundreds of different species that range from smaller domestic creatures in the children’s zoo to hippos, elephants and big cats.
The zoo is also home to a large bird house, and extensively renovated monkey house and is expected to start work in the coming years on a large new aquarium to sit alongside its current building.
A new elephant enclosure is also being built ahead of an official opening in 2017, with the male bull elephant having been moved to a zoo in Sweden during construction work.
As with the majority of zoos, conservation work is a key part of the attraction with Basel Zoo supporting ten conservation projects around the world and also being involved in a number of international breeding programmes.
Berlin Zoo
- http://www.zoo-berlin.de/enHome to more than 1,000 different species and in excess of 20,000 individual animals, Berlin Zoo is one of the largest in Europe – as can be seen by the millions of people who stream through the gates each year.
The zoo opened back in 1844 and is involved in a large number of conservation projects to aid animals both in captivity and in the wild.
Amongst the most popular creatures to be found in the zoo are lions, rhinos, hippos and polar bears.
In fact, it was a polar bear that became something of a symbol for the zoo around the world after a cub named Knut was rejected by his mother and raised by zoo-keepers. The cub would be one of the most popular attractions for visitors before passing away due to illness in 2011.
Educational programmes, hands on experiences and a selection of special shows are all offered.
Chester Zoo
- http://www.chesterzoo.org/Over 500 different species and in excess of 20,000 animals are to be found at Chester Zoo, which is regarded as the most popular zoo within the UK.
Founded back in the 1930s around a country house by a local animal collector, the zoo has grown over the years to cover some 125 acres of countryside, including a recently opened ‘Islands’ section that has been designed to recreated the topical environments of South East Asia.
Included amongst the main attractions at the zoo are elephants, giraffes and black rhinos, whilst there is a large ape house that is home to orangutans and gibbons.
As a registered charity, Chester Zoo is involved in numerous conservation projects around the world, with a desire to protect animals having been a key reason why founder George Mottershead purchased Oakfield House to create the zoo in the first place.
Edinburgh Zoo
- http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/Edinburgh Zoo sits close to the centre of the Scottish capital and was founded in the early 1900s by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
A leading centre for conservation, education and research, the zoo is one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions and the only place in the UK where it is possible to see Giant Pandas; with a breeding pair, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, on loan from a zoo in China.
Edinburgh is also the place to go if you want to see koalas, whilst the zoo was famous as the first in the world to hatch a penguin in captivity.
Offering views across the city from its location on Corstorphine Hill, the zoo is surrounded by selection of impressive gardens that are home to diverse range of tree collections and are worth exploring in their own right.
Henry Doorly Zoo
- http://www.omahazoo.comSituated in Omaha, Nebraska, the Henry Doorly Zoo is regarded as one of the best in the world. In fact, back in 2014, Tripadvisor deemed the Henry Doorly to be the best zoo there is.
Dating back as far as the late 1890s, the zoo is famous for its work in animal conservation and research and also for the near 1,000 different species that it is home to.
Those include lions, tigers and leopards within the huge cat complex and a range of species that call the rainforest home and can be found together within the Lied Jungle exhibit.
Such is the popularity of the zoo, the numbers of visitors over the years to have visited runs into the tens of millions, making it easily the most popular attraction within Nebraska.
Loro Parque
- http://www.loroparquetenerife.com/Loro Parque is located on the island of Tenerife and a major attraction for those who pay a visit during their trip to the Canary Islands.
Initially a small holding specialising in parrots, the park has grown to become the biggest attraction in the Canaries – thanks in no small part to its marine life.
That includes a large school of orca whales and also a number of dolphins, which can seen taking part in shows on a daily basis.
Sea lions, gorillas and tigers, as well as the largest collection of penguins in the world, are amongst other star attractions at a park that is popular with all ages.
Prague Zoo
- https://www.zoopraha.cz/enPrague Zoo in the Czech capital has been ranked inside the top four zoos in the world and with good reason, having been popular with visitors from the moment it opened in 1931.
The first zoo to hand-rear a polar bear cub in captivity, Prague Zoo is now home to more than 600 different species and in excess of 4,000 individual animals.
Those animals range from domestic creatures in the children’s zoo to some of the most famous species from the plains of Africa, from big cats to giraffes and elephants.
Conservation is a major part of the day-to-day business of the zoo, with work to help the endangered Przewalski's horse – a wild horse found in Mongolia – being particularly noteworthy.
San Diego Zoo
- http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/Having taken over from the Henry Doorly Zoo as the best in the world, according to Tripadvisor, San Diego Zoo is on that is certainly worth a visit if heading to California on your annual holiday.
Nearly 4,000 animals can be found within the zoo and can be viewed on foot, on a special gondola lift or via a special guided tour bus that covers much of the park.
Amongst the most popular attractions within the zoo are the giant pandas, with San Diego being one of the few zoos in North America to house the species.
Little more than 30 miles away is the San Diego Safari Park, which is operated by the same Zoological Society of San Diego.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn
- https://www.zoovienna.at/en/zoo-and-visitors/visitor-information/Located on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna Zoo is the oldest zoo in the world having opened all the way back in 1752.
The zoo is famed for its work on animal conservation and also for being one of the few zoos to house giant pandas.
In fact, across the past decade, the zoo has welcomed three panda cubs born in captivity.
Koalas, elephants, tigers, cheetahs and penguins are amongst the many other species that can be viewed at the zoo.