Experience Asia so close

Anoas and Przewalski’s horses roam the area, tigers prowl through the Taiga, while birds fly over the heads of visitors.

One is mostly surrounded by the sound of chattering, snorting and trumpeting, although some animals prefer to just laze around in the high-mountain landscape of "the Himalayas".

Animal encyclopaedia

Social cohabitation with the sloth bears

It’s all action in the sloth bear ravine – whether it is frolicking on the grass or scrambling up trees. The bears share one of their two large outdoor enclosures with Rhesus macaques and are surrounded by artificial rocks and water ditches. Looking at the animals through a crevice in the rocks or from behind the waterfall gives you an insight into how these animals live in their natural habitat in India!

[Translate to English:] Drei Przewalskipferde im Galopp

A race with the Przewalski horses

In our steppe landscape the Przewalski horses feel very much at home. But where does the name of these horses come from? The Russian researcher Przewalski discovered this Mongolian wild horse back in 1879. Sadly, the species became extinct in the wild by 1969. Nowadays, they are being successfully reintroduced back into their natural habitat using among others some of the individuals bred at Zoo Leipzig.

The Himalayas – in the middle of Leipzig

In 2017 the high-mountain landscape (the Himalayas) opened as the new home for our snow leopards, Michie’s tufted deer and red pandas. This impressive rocky setting has been designed to resemble the rugged habitat of these species.

Große Freiflugvoliere aussen
Kleine Freiflugvoliere aussen
Fliegender Waldrapp in der großen Freiflugvoliere
Himalaya-Glanzfasan in der kleinen Freiflugvoliere

Our free-flight aviaries

In the Asian aviary complex nature certainly makes itself heard: Black-crowned night herons, Glossy ibises and Black-headed ibises give it all they’ve got in this small free-flight aviary. Opposite is the second historic aviary from 1928 that was renovated as part of the master plan project “Himalayas” and is now home to Hermit ibises and Griffon vultures. You will find yourself right in the middle of it all, as both aviaries are walk-in aviaries.

Gentle giants in the elephant temple Ganesha Mandir

Our Asian pachyderms impressively patrol one of the most modern elephant enclosures in Europe: Ganesha Mandir. Depending upon the weather the elephants can either be seen in the ornate temple building, in the extensive outdoor enclosure or in the bathing pools. Weighing as much as five tons these gentle giants just love the water. In fact, on a regular basis you can watch our elephants swimming underwater through a transparent screen in the temple cellar – a unique experience for every visitor!

Opposite the underwater viewing panel of the elephant bathing pool you will find the nocturnal Chinese pangolins from Taiwan. So far Zoo Leipzig is the only place that keeps them in Europe.

Gebäude Kleines Hirschhaus mit Anoa

Take a breather with our buffalos and warty pigs

In the small deer house that was built in 1908 these rare even-toed ungulates look forward to your visit. Since 2009 Visayan warty-hogs (threatened with extinction on the Philippines) have been kept here. Very little is still known about this species. It is best to observe them yourselves. Our anoas (also known as midget buffalos) have the option of retreating to this building.

Majestic big cats in Siberian landscapes

Watch the largest cats in the world in our Tiger Taiga, where Amur tigers are quietly prowling through the wooded landscape. Sometimes they will even sit curiously in front of the see-through panel themselves – then you can really feel them breathing! From various positions it is possible to admire the big cats lazing or splashing around. At the information point in the old stag house there is a very interesting exhibition about these majestic and yet very endangered species.

In the immediate vicinity you will enter a rocky landscape with brooks running through it – Leopard valley that opened in March 2014. The Amur leopards found here along with about 100 individuals that remain in the wild count towards the world’s species most threatened with extinction.

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