Tortoise are endangered for many reasons, but especially in Asian areas they are threatened by excessive trade as food or pets or as reputed medicine. Likewise the family of Asian box turtles is the zoo animal of the year. Children can paint tortoise shells, solve riddles around the reptiles or meet a representative of the popular animals at first hand. Moving further to the next station, where Asian songbirds have a vote. Within the frame of this year’s EAZA campaign „Silent Forest“, one of our zoo animals is to the fore: the Bali myna. It is in place for all the songbirds, that have become the subject of an excessive and strong culturally rooted consumption for trade, singing competitions, pet trade, export traditional medicine and food. Visitors can try identifying bird calls and feathers, create their own bird mask and go on the scout for the mystical Bali myna in the rainforest-house. The third station finally deals with the smallest animals on our planet, but with highest numbers. With dip net and magnifier visitors can search for “their insect” in the zoo area and watch it face to face afterwards. What did I catch with my net? What is so special about “my insect”? Moreover, what if it disappeared? These and other questions about insects will be answered together with our team of scientists. In this extraordinary discovery tour everyone can learn to know why wild animals need our protection and how to make a small contribution themselves.
Furthermore a rally called „journey around the world“ can be joined daily. The rally guides participants through four biospheres of the world (rain forest, grasslands, Patagonia and mountains). In doing so they can learn more about the biospheres and the animals living there in a playful and vivid way. At the end of the rally each participant can win fantastic prices. All offers mentioned above are for free.
Bee keeping in the zoo
This special tour provides an insight into the life of honeybees in our mountain zoo. After a round tour to our bee hives, bee keeper Max Baumann shows how a bee hive looks from inside and what happens there. Of course, all questions about bees and honey will be answered. A glass of honey produced by our zoo bees will sweeten the experience (all-in price). The tour including the bee keeping experience is convenient for both children and adults and imparts fascinating facts about honey bees, which will make you see honey with different eyes.
The bee keeping is fee-based and number of participants is limited. Tickets of 6.50 € per person (bee keeping tour and glass of honey) are available at all booking offices and online at www.zoo-halle.de.