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by Theresa O'Shea
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Tel: 952 666 301
Web: zoofuengirola.com
Address
Avda. Camilo José Cela, Fuengirola. 5 minutes from
the bus station and train station.
Opening
Daily from 10.00 am. Closing times vary with season.
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Zoos aren't what they used to be, fortunately. You
won't find miserable animals pacing up and down shoebox cages, clinging
to solitary branches or paddling around in sad puddles at Fuengirola's
new, visitor and animal-friendly zoo. Instead, as you wander through
this simulated tropical forest, lush with vegetation, rivers and
waterfalls, you'll see crocodiles basking on the sandy shores of
the Nile, Sumatra tigers bathing besides Angkor Wat, lemurs playing
around an ancient Baobab tree and, if you're brave, bats flitting
around abandoned mines. There is a "Claro de Selva", where
you can see birds and mammals living in their own natural habitat.
Two tours made daily - mornings and afternoons.
Look down in The Forest Floor section and you'll
spot meerkats, giant snails and river hogs. Look up in the Forest
Canopy and you'll see gibbons and hornbills and rainbow loris monkeys.
Wherever you look in this pioneer zoo, the only thing between you
and the animals are natural barriers like bridges and riverbanks,
or bulletproof windows that allow you to get right up close, even
to razor-sharp crocodile teeth.
Perhaps the greatest innovation, though, is the
"moonlight visit". Throughout July and August the zoo
stays open until 1.00 am allowing visitors to observe the more nocturnally-active
species, such as leopards, flying foxes and porcupines. The forest
paths are lit with artificial moonlight and the air filled with
a piped forest soundtrack, all adding to the Disney-theme park feel
to the place. Finally, you can round off your twilight or midnight
jungle trip by enjoying a meal in one of the zoo's themed restaurants.
Extra fun for the kids is provided, with a large
play area, including a miniature farm. And there are absolutely
no problems for those with disabilities as the zoo grounds are mostly
flat, and free from all architectural barriers.
Prices
Entry: 12.30 euros, children from 3 to 9: 8.60 euros,
Retired: 8.90 euros.
1 euro discount for passengers arriving on
the Malaga local train.
Tickets available at the zoo box office, hotels,
travel agencies, and the Portillo bus terminals.
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