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Visitor Reviews Parc Animalier de Pradinas It was this collections extremely attractive (and, for a small zoo quite extensive,) website that prompted me to visit this zoo in July 2005. Although the animal collection seems to have shrunk over the past few years and some of the species depicted on the website are no longer present, this extremely attractive zoo is well worth a visit. The tour of the park starts with a descent of a pathway reminiscent of those of the farmyards of the past, and visitors can enjoy close-up views of a variety of animals, including chamois, Chinese water deer, greater kudu and mouflon, many of which were hand-reared. Like some other species at Pradinas (including oryx) a small number of these are represented by a single individual, presumably unsuitable for joining breeding groups in other collections because of their being hand-reared. Such animals often offer good photo opportunities. Further down the pathway one passes Cretan wild goats, fallow deer and a large enclosure for Barbary sheep. The latter undoubtedly constitute the most attractive group I have ever seen, alternately running round their spacious enclosure in a flock and climbing their rock formation to pose for a few minutes before resting. Passing other animals on the way, one comes to a point where pathways branch off in different directions. One leads back to the entrance giving views of a herd of red deer including some white individuals originally from or descendants of specimens imported from the royal Danish herd. Another pathway leads down to a steep wooded ravine, passing roe deer, muntjac and other species including a small herd of axis deer to reach an enclosure for wild boar and a huge rock face enclosure for bighorn sheep. Returning up out of the ravine and continuing straight one comes to large enclosures for blackbuck and European wolves. Turning left into a small wooded area, one passes a single orxy to come to a very attractive enclosure for Himalayan tahr and a less attractive one for white-tailed gnu. I found my visit full of surprises, never quite sure what I was going to see around the next corner. Returning to near the entrance one finds llama, rhea and other animals. This review by no way gives a complete listing of the animals on view, which at the time of my visit included two female Virginian deer unfortunately hiding in tall grass. Adjacent to the entrance there is a very reasonably priced snack bar as well as a gift shop, an exhibition of horns and antlers (including all those shed by one red deer stag until its death) and an auditorium where an informative video of the park is screened. My companion on my visit who does not share my attraction to zoos and usually sits in one place while I make my rounds was actually highly delighted with Pradinas, walked the entire route and said it had been a great experience. One unusual fact about the Parc Animalier de Pradinas is that it belongs to and is maintained by a relatively small French commune.
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