About the Zoo & Wildlife

The ZooParc de Beauval (French pronunciation: [zopaʁk də boval]), more commonly called Beauval Zoo or, more simply, Beauval, is a French zoological park located in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire. It features more than 35,000 animals on 40 hectares, which is one of the largest animal collections in France and in Europe. Created in 1980 by Françoise Delord, it is now run by her son, Rodolphe Delord, and managed by his family, which owns most of the capital. Beauval was often the first zoo to house certain animals in France, which contributed to its reputation and to its development. It was the first zoo in France to present leucistic big cats, such as white tigers and white lions, in the 1990s. Other rare, unique or endangered species housed at the zoo include okapis, tree kangaroos, koalas and giant pandas. Four greenhouses present birds, great apes, sloths, reptiles, manatees and Australasian animals, while three plains present herbivores of the African savannah (like giraffes, white rhinos and antelopes), African elephants and Asian herbivores (such as Indian rhinos and Malayan tapirs). Other facilities in the park are the Chinese zone called "On China Heights", the African swamp called "The Hippos' Reserve", the sea lion basin presenting "The Sea Lions' Odyssey" and an outdoor theatre presenting a free-flight bird show entitled "Masters of Airs". As a permanent member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, it joined ex situ conservation by participating in European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), in which it coordinates three programs. It also supports in situ conservation associations working in the field through its dedicated association, Beauval Nature, and has reintroduced several animals in Africa. The ZooParc de Beauval has three accommodation facilities: an apartment hotel, Les Hameaux de Beauval, and two three-star hotels: Les Jardins de Beauval Balinese inspired and Les Pagodes de Beauval in Chinese style. With more than 1,600,000 annual visitors since 2019, it is the most visited tourist site of the Centre-Val de Loire region, one of the five most visited zoological institutions in France and the most visited conventional private zoo in the country. In 2019, the ZooParc de Beauval had 600 permanent employees. In 2019, it had a revenue of 66 million euros and a net income of 4.47 million euros.