A little bit of history about the Parc Animalier d'Auvergne
Taken over in 2012
Today, there are 350 animals from 65 different species, including 40 that are part of a breeding programme
2013: creation of the Passerelle Conservation
2019: goal €100,000 fund for endangered species
The park was created in 1984 and taken over by Rémy Gaillot and Pascal Damois in 2012. The two directors are committed to protecting endangered species, improving the well-being of the park’s animals and educating visitors on environmental protection and biodiversity.
These are the roles that zoos must carry out. Years before, many zoos were limited to displaying exotic species. Today, they must be involved in conservation and education: it’s the law.
Discover the commitments of the park as we go above and beyond the requirements of the law.
The role of animal parks in the 21st century
In accordance with the law, the Parc Animalier d’Auvergne does not capture animals from the wild. New residents come from exchanges with other zoos, with no financial compensation.
When species are endangered, they are part of a European breeding programme (EEP). 40 of the park’s species are a part of these programmes that are focused on the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
This is our ex situ conservation mission, that is to say safeguarding threatened species outside of their natural environments.
These programmes are managed by the EAZA (the prestigious European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, whose members include only the best European zoos) through a single coordinator for each species.
Coordinators oversee transfers in order to increase genetic diversity within the species. With their expertise, they conduct studies as well as genetic and demographic analyses to pass on recommendations to the parks and zoos.
For example, our red pandas Ibet and Mushu are part of a European reproduction programme.
With the Passerelle Conservation, the park’s goal for this year is to donate 100,000 euros to 16 associations for the protection of animals in the wild. This is what is called in situ conservation, protecting animals in their natural environment.
The organisations protect the habitats of threatened species by conducting targeted, specific actions on site with local communities: education is at the heart of conservation.
Discover all the associations we support on the conservation map!
Our educational team organises activities and exceptional experiences in the park to help raise awareness about environmental protection with a large number of children and visitors, demonstrating how easy it is to take action in your own way to help.
Turn off the light when you leave a room, recycle, eat local: small acts that can make a big difference if millions of people commit to doing them.
We aim to serve local, seasonal products for our dining options. Because it’s better for the environment and better quality!
We avoid products made with palm oil as much as we can. When this is not possible, we exclusively use products with sustainable RSPO certified palm oil.
Discover all our products on our dining page.
