The people of Basel affectionately call 'their' Zoological Garden, located in the heart of the city, Zolli. Here, a fascinating park landscape with old trees and lovingly designed animal enclosures merge into a zoo that takes a different approach. Animals are allowed to tell stories here: for example, hippos, ostriches and zebras share a facility, a coexistence that always provides surprises, lively and exciting as in the wild. In the Etosha House, more than 25 animal species can be looked at: Here you can experience at first hand how plants and animals, carnivores and vegetarians, predators and prey, producers and consumers live together, against and from one another. Cheetahs, African wild dogs and monkeys have also just moved into new enclosures. In the summer of 2003, Gamgoas, the new house with an interactive conservation exhibition, opened with underwater insight into the world of Nile crocodiles and video transmission from inside a termite hive. In the fall, the lions came back to the zoo: family life the way big cats do – they were very shy at first, but they have now settled in well. In the monkey house, the young gorillas keep their families busy and our elephants have their trunks full to keep the three exuberant teenagers Maya, Rosy and Yoga in check. The sea lions are just as spirited when the water acrobats are being fed or the young are enjoying swimming and diving lessons. Long-awaited offspring have also appeared among the endangered Somali wild asses.
And when it is raining, you can dive into streams, rivers, lakes and seas or climb up in deserts, tropical forests, mangrove swamps or even Antarctic regions without getting your feet wet. Have a rendezvous with fascinating beings from strange worlds in our vivarium.
And when you have finally finished your journey around the world of animals, we welcome you to our restaurants with sun terraces in the middle of the garden. You can choose between a dining restaurant on the first floor and self-service on the ground floor. If you have a small appetite, we recommend the café at the main entrance, right next to the Zolli store.
