Shenzhen Safari Park, Zoo in Xili Subdistrict, Shenzhen, China
Shenzhen Safari Park is a zoo beside Xili Lake in Xili Subdistrict, Shenzhen, covering about 1.2 million square metres. It keeps over 300 species and more than ten thousand animals, among them giant pandas, South China tigers, golden snub-nosed monkeys, flamingos and Magellanic penguins. It was the first zoo in China to hold animals without cages.
Shenzhen Safari Park opened on September 28, 1993, near Xili Lake in Xili Subdistrict, and was the first zoo in China to keep its animals uncaged. It was built on about 1.2 million square metres and now holds over 300 species and more than ten thousand animals, among them giant pandas and South China tigers.
The park's waters hold a commensal arrangement between black swans and koi that began in 2004: the swans dip their food pellets in the water to soften them, and the koi have learned to swim up and eat the pellets. Visitors can watch this feeding interaction at the ponds.
The park lies beside Xili Lake in Xili Subdistrict, Nanshan District, and covers about 1.2 million square metres, so allow several hours on foot. It is served by Shenzhen public transport; check the official site for current routes. Animals are kept uncaged, so stay on marked paths and keep a safe distance.
Black swans at the park have developed an unusual feeding method where they dip food pellets in water so koi fish can eat them. This behavior reveals how animals in captivity can create novel interactions with other species.
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