Would you like to organise a fun family outing which is educational too? Here’s an idea: the Ménagerie of the Jardin des Plantes. This zoo in the heart of the French capital was set up in 1794 in the former royal gardens and is one of the oldest zoos in the world... At the time of its creation, it held animals from the Ménagerie royale de Versailles as well as those confiscated from fairgrounds. As time went by, bears, big cats, reptiles and all kinds of other species joined the animal family. Limited to an area of 5.5 hectares to house its guests, the Ménagerie now concentrates on smaller animals and is more than ever a place for research and conservation. Pop in to the monkey house, visit the wild cats and explore the vivaria and take the opportunity to admire certain species in danger of extinction or which no longer exist in the wild.

S.C.-R.

photo © D.R.