Attica Zoological Park

Attica Zoological Park
File:Attica-zoo-and-shopping-combo-full-day-tour-544802.jpg Attica Park entrance
37.981243°N 23.907377°E / 37.981243; 23.907377
Date opened	2000 (2000)
Location	At Yalou,Spata,Attica,190 04, Greece
Land area	20 ha (49 acres)
No. of animals	1500+
No. of species	220+
Annual visitors	380,000
Memberships	EAZA and EAAM
Major exhibits	World of Reptiles, Arid Lands, African Savannah, Silent Forest, Ground Birds, Birds of Prey, Water World, Lory Land
Owner	Jean-Jacques Lesueur
Public transit access	Proastiakos Athens: Template:OASA icons at Pallini station Bus: Athens Mass Transit System: Bus Lane 319 from Doukissis Plakentias station
Location
Website	www.atticapark.gr

File:Jean Jacques Lesueur.jpg

Ζoo's owner, Jean Jacques Lesueur , in 2011, with a zebra and an American alligator.

Attica Park,officially Attica Zoological Park or AZP for short, is a private zoo located in the suburb of Spata, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Athens, Greece. It's the only zoo in Greece. The zoo is home to more than 1500 animals representing 220 species, in an area of 20-hectares (49 acres), and it's open 365 days per year.

The zoo is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and the European Association of Aquatic Mammals (EAAM).

History

The zoo, opened its doors to the public on May of 2000, initially as a bird park, hosting the 3rd largest bird collection in the world featuring 1.100 birds from 300 different species, farm animals for the younger visitors and 3 very impressive walk-in aviaries – miniatures of 3 continents ( Africa, Asia and the Americas) in which visitors can walk and admire the relevant bird fauna and flora.

World of Reptiles was added in April of 2001, followed by Greek Fauna in 2002, the African Savannah exhibit in 2003, a big cat exhibit and expansion of the African Savannah in 2004, a monkey exhibit in 2005, Land of the Cheetah, a chimpanzee and siamang gibbons exhibit, and a desert exhibit (with bactrian camels and Somali wild asses) in 2008.

In 2010, the zoo opened a dolphinarium and added two male Southern white rhinos to its residents. In 2005, the zoo began to run daily shows featuring birds of prey. In 2010 the zoo began shows with its newly installed dolphinarium showing sea-lions and dolphins.

Exhibits and attractions

World of Reptiles

World of Reptiles opened in April of 2001 and it was the first addition to the zoo after its opening. Among the species in the World of Reptiles are the cane toad, Madagascar day gecko, green tree python, yellow anaconda, a Nile crocodile, western ratsnake and the carpet python.

Greek Fauna

The Greek Fauna exhibit opened the following year in the summer of 2002 and includes species rarely seen in Greece.This exhibit features wild boars, Eurasian grey wolfs, Eurasian brown bears, fallow deers and the endangered Cretan wild goat also known as the Kri-Kri.

African Savannah

File:Attica-Zoological-Park.jpg

Giraffes in the zoo.

The African Savannah is an Africa-themed area that was opened in February of 2003 and it's the largest exhibit in the zoo. Animals on display in this area include the reticulated giraffe and Rothschild's giraffe , Grant’s zebra, Kafue lechwe and the South African ostrich. Sometimes Arabian oryxes and Scimitar oryxes can be viewed in this exhbit too. In 2021 a giraffe feeding station, was added in the African Savannah.

Indonesia

Indonesia was added in 2013. It features an Indonesian-themed aviary and a Komodo dragon exhibit. Birds in this area include the Bali myna, Victorian crowned pigeon, nicobar pigeon, white-naped pheasant-pigeon, crested partridge and Luzon bleeding-heart.

Ground Birds

File:Blue-winged kookaburra.jpg

Blue-winged kookaburra in the zoo.

Ground Birds is a long row of cages home to a large variety of grownd bird species, particularly pheasants. Exhibited species include chukar partridge, blue eared pheasant, Edwards’s pheasant, Elliot's pheasant,African green pigeon, yellow cardinal, California quail, Reeves's pheasant and the golden pheasant . Across from the exhibit is the zoo's animal hospital and the ZooCafe.

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is a row of cages for multiple raptor species. The exhibit is home to bald eagles, white-backed vultures, white headed vultures, Egyptian vultures, king vultures, Griffon vultures, bateleurs and palm-nut vultures . Nearby is the zoo's farm and petting zoo where visitors can see and pet Cameroun sheeps, Nigerian dwarf goats, zebus, Falabella ponies, and an endangered breed of pony, the Skyrian pony, and more.

Water World

Water World consists of two big pond and an elavated kiosk that offers a view of the whole zoo. The pond is home to a variety of waterfowl and other aquatic birds. Water World residents include Egyptian geese, black swans, red breasted geese, Barnacle geese, ruddy shelducks, white storks and Canadian geese.

Parrots & Lory Land

Parrots consists of a row of cages that are home to the zoos many parrot species. The exhibit is home to monk parakeets, keas, palm cockatoos, yellow-collared lovebirds, hooded parrots and African grey parrots.

Lory Land consists of a walk-through exhibit, that is home to rainbow lorikeets, chattering lorys, purple-naped lorys and yellow-bibbed lorys.

Animals of S. America

Animals of S. America consists of 4 enclosures, one of witch is a walk-through aviary, for species native to South America. This area is home to a family of greater rheas (two of witch are leucistic), capybaras, Patagonian maras, llamas and giant anteaters. The walk-through aviary, was the first exhibit in this area, from when the zoo was just a bird park. The aviary is home to 11 birds native to the Americas as a whole, but it mostly features birds from S. America, such as scarlet ibises, Chiloé wigeons, Southern screamers, wood ducks and guira cuckoos.

Some of the animals of the park.

Animals

The zoo's big cats include Angolan lions and Sumatran tigers, Persian leopards and as of 2020 a pair of clouded leopards that recently had cubs. The zoo has several walk-through enclosures, including a "Lemur Forest". In December of 2015, two male Asian elephants, named Leso and Myo, arrived at the park from Emmen Zoo in the Netherlands. In 2018 the zoo welcomed a cauldron of Rodrigues flying foxes. In 2021, the zoo began constructions for a red panda enclosure, and will expect them in the following months.

List of animal species

• Tufted capuchin
• Ring tailed lemur
• Greater flamingo
• Pigmy hippopotamus
• Salmon-crested cockatoo
• American alligator
• Marabou stork
• East Javan langur
• Crested gecko
• Black-tailed prairie dog
• Leopard tortoise
• Southern cassowary
• Violet turaco
• Plumed basilisk
• Golden-breasted starling
• African grey hornbill
• Red-and-yellow barbet
• Australian boobook
• Red-eared slider
• Ring-tailed coati
• Sitatunga
• Aldabra giant tortoise
• Fishing cat
• Common chameleon
• Black-throated magpie-jay
• Barbary macaque
• Harbor seal
• Crowned lapwing
• Namaqua dove
• African Penguin
• Koi
• Brahminy starling
• Great blue turaco
• Fennec fox
• Burmese python
• Northern bald ibis
• Bennett's wallaby
• Common carp
• Azure-winged magpie
• European wildcat

Conservation

In May of 2001, the Attica Zoological Park became a member of EAZA and in cooperation with the organisation, it actively participates in 31 European Endangered Species Programs (EEPs), and 37 species are monitored and checked through a European Studbook (ΕSB). Since early 2004, the Park has been using the Zoological Information Management System (Species360), where all data from ΕΑΖΑ and WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquaria) members are registered. Through this system zoos have access to valuable information in areas such as breeding, veterinary care and animal behaviour.

In 2011, PELARGOS, an independent non-profit civil company, was founded by the zoo's owner and the park’s co-owner at the time Rudy Rallis. This organisation fights for the protection and conservation of Greek wildlife. Since its creation PELARGOS has already carried out a number of important projects in this field, in collaboration with some of the most respected and recognizable conservation organizations in Greece. Until recently PELARGOS was financed only by Attica Park’s contributions, as dictated by the charter of EAZA. More recently Pelargos has also gone ahead with initiatives financed by third parties such as, the Niarchos Foundation and the Green Fund of the Ministry of Environment. Apart from the financial support it offers, Attica Park also provides substantial help through its scientific knowledge, its international relations with recognized scientists, and mostly through the work and dedicated support of its staff.

A first aid station for the Mediterranean monk seal was build in the zoo's premises , in collaboration with MOm. The station was build and was fully equipped with the full financial support of PELARGOS. The station mostly helps young seals that lost their mothers due to weather conditions, until they can be reintroduction in the National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades. Since 2015 the zoo has nursed and released 6 monk seals with the last two being released in 2019.

In 2014 and after 5 weeks of rehabilitation in the zoo, a golden jackal was released in the protected area of the Moustous wetland.

In January of 2016 the zoo released a great white pelican at Lake Kerkini, and on November of the same year the zoo released multiple wader species in Missolonghi–Aitoliko lagoon.

Incidents and criticism

In June 2010 the dolphinarium started working with shows by sea lions and dolphins. There were initially four dolphins bought from the Lithuanian Marine Institute, then seven more were added from the same source. The Greek Green Party took Attica Zoological Park to court claiming animal welfare issues in 2011. In April 2011, a Provisional Order was issued by the Athens Court temporarily prohibiting the operation of the dolphinarium. BBC has sent a correspondent to cover the story and the controversy has been presented in an article by author Lauren St John in The Sunday Times. In August 2011, the Greek court issued a decision declaring itself not competent to pass judgement on the case. Although the zoo claimed that the case in question has been decided permanently and that the company has been vindicated, this decision only addresses the ability of this particular court to decide the issue.

In December of 2018, two jaguars, escaped their controlled area, triggering the security protocol. The two big cats, named Jenny and Spotty, escaped their enclosure, after a gazzele, that was ready to be transfered to an other facility, escaped and crashed on the enclosure's glass fence. The animals escaped from a hole in the broken glass while the park was still open. The park's stuff immediately stepped in, and followed the zoo's protocol in this situations. The stuff, with the help of the parks vet, shot the two animals and killed them. The zoo's owner stated that they coudn't sedate the animals, because anestesia in big cats, such as tigers and lions, takes 5-6 minutes to kick in and that would put the park's visitors and stuff in danger. The parks owner was incredibly saddened with the incident , because he actually bottlefed and raised one of the jaguars since it was a baby.

External links

• Media related to Attica Zoological Park at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in English and Greek)
• https://athensattica.com/things-to-do/parks/attica-zoological-park/
• https://www.myguideathens.com/things-to-do/athens-attica-zoo-and-shopping-combo-full-day-tour