Tierpark Gera, Zoo and park in Gera, Germany
Tierpark Gera is a forest zoo in the Martinsgrund valley in Gera, Thuringia, covering just over 20 hectares. It houses about 600 animals of roughly 60 species, mainly from the northern hemisphere, including moose, red deer, European bison and Przewalski's horses. Deep erosion gullies cut through the wooded grounds, and an 800-metre park railway runs from the main entrance to the Wolfsgehege stop.
The park opened in 1962 as a small enclosure for local wildlife and gradually expanded over the following decades. This steady growth shaped it into the largest zoological site in eastern Thuringia.
The park's mascot is the lion, the heraldic animal of Gera, housed in the same predator building as China leopards. The integrated farm keeps old Thuringian breeds such as the Thuringian Forest goat and the Thuringian Forest donkey, and children can visit a petting enclosure. The park railway, run by about 15 pupils in their holidays, has trained over 400 people since 1975.
Most of the paths run through natural forest, so sturdy footwear makes the visit more comfortable. Some sections involve uneven terrain, so visitors with pushchairs or limited mobility may want to plan their route in advance.
The Barbary macaque area has no fence between the animals and visitors, who can walk freely among them. These primates are known for their social behavior and often approach people out of curiosity.
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