Zoo in der Wingst, Forest animal park in Wingst, Germany
Zoo in der Wingst is a forest animal park located at the edge of Wingst Forest, focusing on species that inhabit wooded regions. The grounds contain separate sections housing primates, bears, wolves, and otters from different parts of the world.
The animal trading firm Ruhe founded the park in 1972 as Baby-Zoo, buying rejected young animals and raising them for other zoos. When that trade declined and enclosures proved too small, the company went bankrupt in the 1990s. The municipality of Wingst took over and has redeveloped the site with a support association since 1995; it was renamed Zoo in der Wingst in the early 2000s and Wingster Waldzoo on 1 January 2022.
The zoo's name changed from Zoo in der Wingst to Wingster Waldzoo on 1 January 2022, reflecting its focus on forests of different continents. A pair of wild white storks nests regularly on the thatched roof of the kiosk, and small animals such as blue peacocks and German dwarf chickens roam freely on the grounds.
The zoo lies in the Elbe-Weser triangle in Wingst, Lower Saxony, and is organised into themed sections: Taiga, Bamboo Forest, four small tropical houses and the "Companions of Humans" area with the petting zoo. A walkable lemur forest is planned as a fifth section. Some small animals, including peacocks and German dwarf chickens, roam freely on the grounds.
The park features a puzzle game where visitors search for a lemur named Kattarina and solve riddles scattered throughout the grounds. This activity turns your walk into an adventure while exploring the animal sections.
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