Safaripark Beekse Bergen

Safaripark Beekse Bergen
Beekse Bergen 31
5081 NJ Hilvarenbeek
Netherlands

 

www.zootierliste.de/zoosmap.php?showzoo=10000876


Phone number 0900-2335732

 

Opened minimum 10am - 4 pm
 

Entrance fee

• Adult 26,- Euros
• Child 3-9 years 22,50 Euros

• Adult 62,50 Euro
• Child 62,50 Euro

For kids there is a petting area and several playgrounds. The Safari bus and the Safari boat are free for ticket holders - but only drive few times a day in low season (the boat is suspended november-march)

History:

In 1968 the “Lion Park Beekse Bergen” was opened, in which visitors could observe lions from their car. Because this idea was new for the Netherlands it became a major success. Two years later two extra terrains were opened, in which cheetahs and baboons could be seen.The cheetah's bred 1972, a first for the Netherlands. In the next four years seven more types of animals were added to the park, for instance zebras, giraffes and an elephant. Because the park did now not only concern lions anymore, the name was changed in 1974 into Safaripark Beekse Bergen.

In 1980 the total size of the park had grown to 120 hectares and six more types of animal had been added. Until that point there had only been a car safari, but in 1982 a walking safari was opened. This was only at a small part of the park, but it gave the visitors a chance to observe various sorts of animals which were too small to be shown in the open car safari areas. Furthermore, a bird show was opened in 1984, which was another unique experience for the Netherlands.

In the years that followed the park became less popular and it looked like the Safaripark would go bankrupt. The municipalities decided to close the Beekse Bergen or search for a new owner. In 1985 the Friends Beekse Bergen was called into life, who was committed to the preservation of the park. Two years later, in 1987, there have been two giant pandas to visit. That same year, the park turned into private hands, and the park underwent major changes. The new owner Libéma B.V. made a walking safari that crossed the park and began a boat safari. The park became increasingly elaborate and presented an increasing array of animals. This innovation continued still further. In early 2007 two large chimpanzee and a gorilla islands opened. The chimpanzees in this stay have been collected from an experimental animal center in Rijswijk, because of the prohibition of the great apes as laboratory animals. In 2008 followed by two groups of chimpanzees. Also some aviaries along the trail were added. In 2011 the park underwent major renovations. A new terrace at the African Village which overlooks the renovated elephant and baboon enclosure came. 2013 okapi's arrived. By public demand for many years the Safri Park added Hippos and crocodiles to its collection in 2014. 2015 the Elephant house was enlarged to enable a breeding groupe of African elephants and the first calf was born in 2016. It was the first African Eleant born in the Netherlands. The same year secretary birds bred for the first time.

Today Libéma is still the owner and the Safaripark Beekse Bergen has become the fourth most visited zoo of the Netherlands.

Since a few years Libéma is also the owner of Speelland Beekse Bergen, which is an amusement park for families with children. This park is located adjacent to the Safaripark Beekse Bergen and therefore these two parks are working together more and more. For instance, the park manager of the Safaripark is also the park manager of Speelland and also the shops are working as one. The idea is to let the two parks become in line with each other more, so that a day-trip to the Beekse Bergen really becomes a day-trip to Africa.