Wildpark Reuschenberg, Wildlife park in Leverkusen, Germany

Wildpark Reuschenberg is a wildlife park on forest land in Leverkusen that holds around 40 different species with several hundred animals in naturalistic enclosures. The spaces are built into the woodland, allowing you to encounter the creatures in settings that resemble their natural habitats.

The park grew out of the Förderkreis Wildpark Leverkusen, founded in 1970; under agreements with the city, which provided the land and promised funding, it opened in 1976. The city took over operations in 1984, and in January 2008 the Lebenshilfe-Werkstätten Leverkusen/Rhein-Berg gGmbH assumed management. A proposed closure for financial reasons in 2006 was averted.

The park's name recalls Schloss Reuschenberg, a castle that stood nearby from 1295 until its demolition in 1968 after war damage and decay. Today the park keeps mainly European wild and domestic species, from forest ants and turtles to lynx, fallow deer, alpaca, goats and otters, and supports breeding projects for threatened species.

The park is reachable by bus lines 203 and 204 or S-Bahn line 6, with free parking available on site. Wearing comfortable walking shoes is wise since the park sits on forest ground with uneven paths.

The park's first animal was Bobby, a former circus grizzly bear who belonged to the founding stock. Today the collection focuses on European species, but in past decades more exotic animals such as long-tailed cats and peacocks were also kept here.