My love of zoos started by visiting the St. Louis Zoo. When my sister got a little older she started working in the concession stand and later became a zoo keeper. We would often go and see her and the animals.
Our girls have caught the zoo and aquarium bug. Whenever we land in a city, the girls will ask if there is an aquarium or zoo in town. We have visited dozens of them all over the world. The family poll was unanimous that our favorite zoo was in the Zoo de Doue in the Loire Valley, France.
We went to this zoo, partly because we were experiencing chateau-fatigue, which is our term for being tired of visiting castles (parent fatigue, not little girl fatigue). The zoo is a nice break from castles and ruins.
There are a few features which make this zoo unique from all the others. The first is its location. It’s set in an old quarry. You travel through tunnels to go from area to area. You and the animals are enclosed in natural spaces carved out of the mountain.
In this zoo you feel like you are with the animals. There are few obvious barriers. They are easy to see, which amplifies the experience. You feel like you’re living with the animals in the large stone enclosures.
This zoo also boasts the largest aviary in all of Europe. There are more than two hundred birds, plenty of Macaws, vultures, white ibis. The girls enjoyed the close proximity of the flamingos.
An added perk to this zoo is the little caves that you will walk through to go from are to area. This adds variety and cool relief to the day.
Feel free to have your lunch picnic on tables in lovely shaded tables in the parking lot.
The zoo is open from February to the end of the October, located 17 km south west of Saumur.