Safaripark Beekse Bergen

Safaripark Beekse Bergen is the largest wildlife zoo within the Benelux region, situated between the cities of Tilburg and Hilvarenbeek in the southern Netherlands. It is renowned for its immersive safari experiences, allowing visitors to observe a wide array of animals, including zebras and giraffes on expansive savannahs.

Exploration Options

The park offers multiple ways for visitors to explore its grounds and encounter its inhabitants. These include a traditional walksafari, a carsafari where visitors can use their own vehicles, a guided bussafari providing additional information from a Ranger, and a boatsafari that travels between piers within the park. These various safari routes often converge at central points, allowing for a comprehensive visit that can simulate an African safari.

History and Ownership

The park's origins trace back to 1968 with the opening of 'Lion Park Beekse Bergen,' which quickly became popular for its novel concept of viewing lions from within a car. Over the subsequent years, the park expanded its animal collection and offerings, leading to a name change to Safaripark Beekse Bergen in 1974. Following a period of declining popularity, the organization Libéma acquired the park in 1987, initiating a revitalization that included enhancements to the walking safari and the introduction of bus and boat safaris. Today, Libéma remains the owner, and Safaripark Beekse Bergen is recognized as the fourth-largest zoo in the Netherlands.

Conservation and Objectives

Safaripark Beekse Bergen is committed to several idealistic objectives, primarily contributing to the conservation of nature. This commitment is demonstrated through the conservation of threatened species, educational initiatives, scientific research, and active participation in global conservation programs. The park is involved in conservation efforts for species such as African wild dogs in Zimbabwe, Siberian tigers and Amur leopards in Siberia, and sloth bears in India. It also participates in breeding programs for threatened species as part of European initiatives like the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and European Studbooks (ESB).

Animal Collection

The park is home to approximately 1,250 animals representing over 150 species. While the name 'safari' evokes Africa, and the park's primary focus remains on conserving and observing African animals, it has historically featured and currently maintains representation from other continents. The collection includes a variety of mammals, from small to large, as well as birds. Animals under conservation programs include species like the red ruffed lemur, African wild dog, Siberian tiger, and Grévy zebra.