South of Paris / Sud de Paris
YVELINES : DOMAINE THOIRY DE A Happy Birthday Un joyeux anniversaire
The zoological and safari park of the domain of Thoiry is celebrating its 50th birthday this year in adventurous style with a host of new attractions and activities along with the tried and true traditions. You can zipline over a track of 500 meters to observe the lions and the herbivores for a unique safari from up high, go for a climb in the Safari Air Park with a stupendous view onto the animals in the park’s African Plain section, or head into the back roads of the bush in the park’s specially crafted bush truck with commentary from one of the park’s animal healthcare specialists.
Visitors on board their own vehicle will discover diverse species from Africa, North America and the Eurasian Plain within the grounds of the Thoiry Safari Park. Meanwhile, in the park’s zoo, a multitude of felines like the Siberian tiger, the snow leopard and the cheetah can be observed from an overhead walkway. An arch of 500 square meters houses some 70 species of amphibians and fascinating invertebrates from all of the world’s continents and from various eco-systems. Visitors travel through five different zones over a fun and educational pathway that takes them from the bottom of the sea to the canopy of the forest.
Other fun and educational sections of the park include the Lemurtrek in the territory of the lemurs spread out over three islands, which are now linked by walkways enabling visitors to observe up close seven different species of these primates indigenous to Madagascar. The new Andes Trek takes the visitor into the colourful world of South America and features three of the continent’s emblematic species, the alpaca, the Patagonian mara and the wild guinea pig. Also new on the agenda is the Australian Trek, which is slated to welcome Australian rainbow lorikeets, colourful parakeets in an aviary filled with luxuriant vegetation and fruit nectar that the visitors can feed to the birds. The aviary leads the visitor into a section dedicated to wallabies, kangaroos, emus and cassowaries.