Wildlands Adventure Zoo

Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen

Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen, commonly known as Wildlands, is a contemporary zoo situated in Emmen, the Netherlands. It commenced operations in March 2016, serving as a successor to the former Emmen Zoo. The development of Wildlands represented a significant investment, with a construction cost of 200 million euros.

Upon its reorganisation and opening, the zoo was redesigned to offer a more expansive visitor experience, increasing both its overall size and the space dedicated to animal exhibits. This transformation also involved a reduction in the diversity of species, with the collection being narrowed from approximately 300 to about 100 different species.

Thematic Areas

The zoo is structured around four primary themed zones, each designed to immerse visitors in distinct global ecosystems:

• Jungola: This area is themed as a jungle and showcases a variety of inhabitants including butterflies, tropical birds, large reptiles like Chinese alligators, pythons, ring-tailed lemurs, lar gibbons, small-clawed otters, and Asian elephants. A key feature of Jungola is the indoor tropical rainforest hall known as Rimbula, which spans 18,000 m2, making it the largest zoo jungle hall in the world and the largest greenhouse in Europe.
• Serenga: Representing the African savanna, Serenga is home to species such as lions, Grant's zebras, Rothschild's giraffes, white rhinoceroses, and hamadryas baboons. Notably, this section also includes Australian red-necked wallabies.
• Nortica: This zone focuses on cold ocean environments and features animals like polar bears, Californian sea lions, South American fur seals, and Humboldt penguins.
• Animazia: Animazia serves as a large indoor playground and also contains an aquarium. The aquarium houses a range of marine life, including corals, green sea turtles, and various tropical fish.

As of 2018, Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen was recorded as housing at least 80 types of animals.