Biodome Enclosures Now Open

Those who follow our Zoo’s news may remember that we announced back in the spring that we aimed to populate the outdoor enclosures of the Biodome, even if temporarily, this year. Our goal was to make the area accessible to the public and provide animals and attractions for visitors while the Biodome project is on hold.

Of course, like the rest of the Biodome, these enclosures are not entirely finished, though they are in an advanced technical state. This means that we cannot yet display the animals originally intended for this space, such as elephants, rhinos, bonobos, and others. However, we’ve adapted the enclosures for a few other interesting animals, allowing us to use the area for meaningful purposes aligned with the zoo’s mission.

The most exciting additions to this newly opened exhibition zone are the Hungarian Grey cattle and water buffalo. Although we’ve shown them before in the Zoo’s history, it has been more than 25 years since the public last saw these animals. In the other enclosures within this zone, we’ve expanded the space for Barbary sheep and camels.

Despite their name, Barbary sheep are more closely related to goats (although sheep are also relatively close relatives). They are native to North Africa, thriving in desert and semi•desert regions, but are well-suited to mountainous, rocky terrain as well. Given this, it’s no surprise that they move with acrobatic agility over rough terrain and tolerate heat and dryness quite well.

The camels, known for their legendary drought tolerance, are also well-suited to the arid conditions. In fact, the Bactrian camels you’ll see here can withstand not only heat and dryness but also cold winters, as their original habitat in Central Asia requires them to adapt to both extremes.

Frequent visitors will already be familiar with these animals, as camels and Barbary sheep have been permanent residents of the Zoo for decades. The water buffalo and Hungarian Grey cattle, on the other hand, have returned after many years of absence, making their care and exhibition a renewed focus for us. In the coming days, we’ll be dedicating individual articles to each of these animals, so stay tuned to our website’s news and our social media platforms.