Parc animalier de Courzieu, Animal park in Courzieu, France
The Parc animalier de Courzieu is a wildlife park set across forested land in the Monts du Lyonnais region with marked trails for viewing European animals. The grounds feature various enclosures and sections designed for different species, from wolves to smaller woodland creatures.
The park was founded in the 1980s with a focus on presenting animals that are often misunderstood by the public. Wolves became the park's signature animal and central to its mission.
Two shows are staged in a small amphitheatre: one with birds of prey, the other with owls. The birds fly over the audience during the performance. The park's breeding centre supplies raptors to other parks and takes part in reintroducing certain species into the wild.
Visit on mild days when animals are most active and you have the best chance of seeing the free flight demonstrations. Comfortable shoes are important since you will walk through the grounds from enclosure to enclosure along the forest paths.
The park keeps snails, including two named individuals: "Jacky la grosse coquille" and "Dédé aux antennes". Their races are followed by visitors. The snail section is one of the park's ludo-educational structures, alongside the wolf's mouth, the house of traps and a maze.
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