Bad Mergentheim Wildlife Park, Wildlife park in Bad Mergentheim, Germany
Wildpark Bad Mergentheim is a wildlife and domestic animal park on a wooded hill about 1.5 km southeast of Bad Mergentheim, covering roughly 48 hectares. Over 50 European species live in largely natural enclosures, among them birds of prey, lynx, fallow and red deer, bison, wild boar and otters. Its entrance building is a dark wooden structure with a steep red-tiled gable roof and a white sign reading "Wildpark Bad Mergentheim".
The park was founded in 1974 through a private initiative; the English Wikipedia's 1973 date conflicts with the German article. A wolf pack has been kept since the 1980s, and the Rügamer family took over the park in 2000 and expanded it. In September 2014 the park marked its 40th anniversary with a summer festival, and on 23 October 2014 it hosted a nationwide environmental education symposium.
The park keeps native European species and also demonstrates traditional working animals: herding dogs, cold-blooded horses, donkeys, goats and ox teams perform daily tasks before visitors. A play farm with a petting zoo lets children handle animals. The Koboldburg, a multi-storey climbing castle with overnight rooms for scout groups and school classes, is described as unique in Germany.
The park is best visited on weekdays or early weekend mornings when fewer people are around. Comfortable shoes are important since there are many paths to explore and some enclosures are spread throughout the grounds.
The park is home to one of Europe's largest wolf packs, which visitors can watch during two daily feeding tours. These encounters allow people to see the animals' behavior and social structures up close.
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