Corsica Zoo, new home of animals in Corsica
On June the 6th 2020, a quite unique place in Corsica was celebrating its first birthday: Corsica Zoo. Corsica Zoo is situated in Olmeta di Tuda and the very first place dedicated to animals in Corsica. Although we already have a bunch of specialized ones, mostly dedicated to tortoises, Corsica Zoo is the only place in Corsica you can consider being… A zoo.
It is nothing compared to what you may have been experiencing elsewhere. But this is what is precisely interesting with Corsica Zoo: it tries to give to Corsica a place combining the possibility to approach some wild (and domestic) species while giving those animals enough space to live with “dignity”. It may sound antinomic, but there is truly here the expression of love and interest in all those animals.
You may think that « Zoo » and « Sustainable development » are concepts that can not match; let’s say that Corsica Zoo gives its best to try.
What is Corsica Zoo?
Corsica Zoo is located in Olmeta di Tuda, near the Padula Lake, a few kilometers away from Saint Florent. The park is spreading on a bit more than 8 hectares and is surrounded by wild and dry nature. We are close here to the Agriates’ Desert and you can feel it, heat it: it is pretty quiet here.
Entering the park gives you the opportunity to get in touch with 300 animals from around 60 species. They are categorized considering their type (domestics or wild) and the region of the world they come from. By walking along very large alleys, you come across a group of kangaroos, two camels, some alpacas, and even a heron from Japan. But you can also see some farm animals, goats, donkeys, a couple of foxes and of course, the iconic Hermann’s tortoises.
Don’t expect to find here any lion, rhino or a huge reptile, Corsica Zoo is a Zoo that reflects Corsica: it is a small yet warm and welcoming place. You do not see thousands of animals, but it is appreciable to see them having large areas for themselves. There really is here a wish to maintain a good balance between animals’ well-being and a good opportunity for visitors to approach them and learning to respect them.
Is it worth visiting Corsica Zoo?
Even though we wad a little concern about foxes when we first visited Corsica Zoo (their area is a bit tiny in our opinion), we really enjoyed seeing most of the animals having large spaces to wander around. The most interesting spot is surely the one dedicated to kangaroos: wide, it is also semi-opened so you can enjoy observing the animals without any fence blocking your view but at the same time enough space for them to go away if they don’t want to have your face a little too close.
In the end, and after 1h30 to 2h, we quite enjoyed the visit. The zoo is still young and we can expect a lot more to be done in the coming years. If we refer to the experience of its creator Pascal Wohlgemuth, animal healer, we are sure everything will continue to be made in order to give animals the respect they deserve, while giving kids and grown kids a great opportunity to observe and understand a bit of our world’s fauna. It is surely not perfect, surely not freedom, but it is still an interesting way to watch and learn.
Corsica Zoo, in a few words…
- 8 hectares, 60 species, 300 animals
- 1h30 to 2h long
- Possibility of lunch in the small cafeteria or to bring your own
- There are some outdoor games for kids
- No smoking outside of the dedicated area
Prices
- Adults: 10€
- Child under 12: 8€
- Free for kids under 2
Opening Time
Opening time of Corsica Zoo varies depending months.
- In July-August, it is opened from 9.30 am to 7.30 pm
- From 10 am to 7 pm in June and September
- For any other period please check the official website: https://www.corsicazoo.com/
