Star animals and plants of the zoo
The purple Acer Palm
It does not look that big yet this hundred year old tree has an exceptional size for its species (around 4 metres). Its leaves are red in the spring and autumn. In between, they take a lovely green hue. Surprising!
The peony garden
In May-June, colours explode as soon as you enter the upper entrance with the peony garden. With their flower balls, peonies offer up a monochrome of colours, ranging from white to purple, through pale pink, fuchsia and mauve.
The dahlia garden
84 varieties of dahlia in all forms and colours compose a rich tableau of 500 specimens. Every year, in September, the public is invited to vote for its favourite dahlia at the regional dahlia competition. And which one would you choose?
The iris garden
With more than 500 varieties, the Mulhouse iris garden offers up all the colours of the rainbow. It is one of the top ten collections in France. Come up closer and discover the aromas of vanilla, lemon or chocolate that they exude.
The blue-eyed lemur: Sidoine, the loveliest eyes in the zoo
Known for the colour of its eyes, the blue-eyed lemur is also known, alas, for its rarity: it is one of the world's 25 most endangered primates. The species - previously thought to be extinct - was rediscovered in 1983 and six individuals were captured in 1986. Two arrived in France, in Mulhouse. They were called Bernadette and Jacques, to pay tribute to the President of the Republic at the time. Bernadette still lives at Mulhouse zoo.
The South American Sea Lion: Sannon, the king of free diving
The sea lions' feeding time (at 11 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.) remains the public's favourite attraction. For 15 to 20 minutes, you can see the ballet of sea lions who climb onto the rocks, wait their turn, jump into the water and swim when called by the carer who rewards them with fish. The contact between the carer and the animals is impressive... especially when it is necessary to open their mouths to inspect their teeth. A new feature: the weigh-in. When Sannon, the male, moves onto the scales, he proudly displays 490 kg in large illuminated figures.
The Canadian wolf
The big bad wolf of old fairy tales seems really nasty compared to these majestic Canadian wolves. Can you find the dominant male?
Grévy's zebra
It is the rarest zebra and the largest in the species. It is distinguished by its large ears, its stripes which continue all the way down its legs and its cry: it brays like a donkey whereas other zebras neigh like a horse.
The Asian lion
With his 150 kg and beautiful mane, Jetpur is impressive. Yet he is a cuddly male. Come and see him in the morning when he meets Sita, his mate, after having been separated from her for the night: they love to cuddle up.
The polar bear: Jurij, the most dangerous
Very cuddly to look at, here is the most dangerous animal at Mulhouse zoo: the polar bear. Come and watch as he handles real ice blocks to extract fish and apples. These blocks, in which food has been frozen, are given by the bear carers to replace the conditions that most resemble their natural environment.
The red ibis: scarlet plumage
The red ibis is a strange bird! Grey in colour when young, it then becomes pink and scarlet when fully grown. As for its pale pink beak, it turns black during the mating period. This bird from South America is now endangered because of its plumage, very popular with the local population to make decorative items for religious ceremonies. At the moment, visitors can admire (and listen to) the birds that cackle and busy themselves building their nest.
The Siberian tiger: Baïkal, the largest of the cats
Tigers love to play. The luckiest visitors can admire them playing in the water basin and even stroke them if, by chance the cats approach the tactile grid, which allows visitors to touch the animals in complete safety.
