Fuengirola Zoo has been classed as one of Spain’s most innovative zoos by the National Geographic as well as one of the best in Europe. One of the reasons for this is its pioneering approach to the concept of a ‘zoo’. In fact, it’s not really fair to call this a zoo as the word brings to mind caged animals and enclosures, which is not what this place is about. Fuengirola zoo aims to make the visitor feel as if they are walking through the jungle and exploring the environment surrounded by it’s inhabitants.

One of the principle features of Fuengirola zoo is the exhaustive research the founders and designers have put into the creation of the animal’s habitats. The aim is to make the animal’s surroundings as authentic as possible, thus visitors are allowed to explore the zoo by strolling through recreations of areas as remote as Madagascar, Africa and South East Asia. Animals from these countries, such as lemurs and porcupines as well as tropical birds are allowed to roam freely through the zoo, taking a curious interest in the visitors. However, you can take comfort in the fact that all the dangerous animals are kept in enclosures, so there’s no chance of running into a hungry Bengalese tiger mid way through your trip!

The first thing you will see when you enter the gates of the zoo is an imposing Baobab tree of more than 25 metres in height. A native plant of Madagascar, this is an impressive sight in its own right and possibly one of the only chances you will get to see a tree of this type outside of its country of origin. Another Madagascar native is the friendly, and sadly, almost extinct lemur. There are three different species of lemur at Fuengirola zoo and they are a great attraction, especially for children, due to their mischievous nature. If you want to find out more about this animal the zoo offers half hourly walks through the lemur compound and the tours are both in Spanish and English.

One of the most recent additions to the zoo is the ‘Jungle Clearing’, which aims to bring visitors even closer the zoo’s inhabitants. The clearing is surrounded by tropical shrubs and large trees as well as a waterfall and a flowing river. A seating area is provided so that guests can relax and watch the animals sniff around and go about their everyday business. Tropical birds are also part of this display and you will find countless types of exotic birds with colourful plumage swooping through the trees. This particular feature is another pioneering aspect of the zoo, since no other zoo in Spain combines both land mammals and birds in this way.

These features are part of the reason why Fuengirola zoo has become one of the best in Europe in such a short space of time. In fact, the zoo was granted an award in September for its research and work in the creation of one of their zones, ‘The Manglar’. Another important aspect of the zoo is their participation in a European scheme to breed animals in captivity. Overall there are more than 1300 animals of over 120 different species co-habiting in this artificial jungle in the middle of Fuengirola and many of these are on the brink of extinction. By taking part in the breeding programmes the zoo aims to protect these species and provide them with as much of a ‘homely’ atmosphere as possible for them to live in, whilst they in turn provide the general public with an educational and interesting insight into their behaviour.