Wildpark Diedrichsburg, Animal park near Diedrichsburg castle in Melle, Germany.
Wildpark Diedrichsburg is an animal park spanning about 200 hectares of forest with natural habitats for wild boars and fallow deer living at elevations between 139 and 218 meters. The grounds feature walking trails that wind through the wooded landscape and connect different sections with open viewing areas.
The park was established in 1963 by Baron von Vincke on land belonging to the Ostenwalde estate, privately owned by the von Vincke family, with financial support from the district and city of Melle and the Naturpark Nördlicher Teutoburger Wald-Wiehengebirge association. In 2021 the park was abandoned because new guidelines set minimum sizes for hunting-regulated wildlife parks, which the enclosure fell short of by about 30 hectares, and because of the advancing African swine fever threat to its roughly 180 wild boars. The fences are being gradually removed, while the grounds and the Diedrichsburg with its restaurant remain open to visitors and hikers.
The park's nickname, Wildschweinpark or Sauenpark, came from its wild boar, which were unusually tame and could be approached within a few steps, especially in spring when sows had piglets. The site belonged to the Ostenwalde estate of the von Vincke family, and the Diedrichsburg still houses a café-restaurant.
The park was abandoned in 2021, so there are no opening hours or entry rules; the site and the Diedrichsburg with its café-restaurant remain open to visitors and hikers. The fences are being dismantled step by step, and the terrain between 139 and 218 metres is forest with two open areas of about three hectares in the far north. Sturdy footwear helps on the trails.
The park was abandoned in 2021 because new guidelines set minimum sizes for wild parks where the animal stock is regulated by hunting; the enclosure fell about 30 hectares short. African swine fever was also seen as a risk for the roughly 180 wild boars kept at the end. The fences are being dismantled step by step, while the grounds and the Diedrichsburg with its restaurant stay open to visitors and hikers.
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