History
Lille Zoo (Zoo de Lille), nestled in the heart of Vauban Park near the historic Citadel, has been an integral part of Lille’s cultural and recreational landscape since its inception. The idea of creating a zoological garden in Lille dates back to the late 19th century, with records indicating discussions about acquiring a suitable property for an acclimatization zoo. The current park was inaugurated in 1950, near the Deûle Canal, by Claudius Petit, Minister of Reconstruction.
Early beginnings
Originally conceived as part of a children's amusement park, the zoo began with modest facilities, housing primarily farm animals and featuring two rows of aviaries that are still present today. Early exhibits also included confiscated exotic animals and pets abandoned by their owners, reflecting the zoo’s initial role as a municipal refuge for wildlife. At that time, the zoo is maintained by the municipal gardens service.
In its early years, the zoo showcased a mix of farm animals, such as goats and rabbits, and small collections of game birds, ducks, pheasants, and peacocks. Grizzly bears, housed in basic enclosures, were among the first large animals exhibited, though their presence was met with public criticism regarding animal welfare. These humble beginnings marked the start of a cherished local institution that would evolve significantly over the decades. Over time, donations enriched the collection, transforming it into a small zoo by the 1960s.
Expansion and Transformation
The 1960s marked a period of growth, as the zoo expanded to one hectare and introduced its first primates, gibbons and chimpanzees. A Tropical House, completed in 1962, further diversified the animal collection, which by the late 1960s exceeded 350 animals. During this era, the zoo became a favorite Sunday destination for Lille’s working-class families, offering both leisure and education.
The park faced criticism during the 1970s amid anti-zoo campaigns, with reports highlighting poor conditions for animals and enclosures. Two directors have guided the zoo through these difficult times. In the 1980s, the collection from the nearby Englos Zoo was incorporated into Lille Zoo, prompting the city to launch an extensive programme of modernization and expansion in the early 1990s. This initiative transformed the zoo into a 3.5-hectare space, independent of the children’s recreation area. The upgrades included improved enclosures, expanded visitor facilities, and a more organized layout, aligning the zoo with modern standards.
Conservation and Modernization
By the 21st century, the Lille Zoo had embraced a stronger focus on conservation and education. Hosting approximately 300 animals from five continents. The zoo became known for its commitment to endangered species, with nearly 75% of its inhabitants falling into this category. The zoo’s popularity soared, attracting between 850,000 and 1 million visitors annually and establishing itself as a cornerstone of Lille’s tourism sector, and still for free.
In 2017, the zoo underwent a major renovation, reopening with significant updates. A highlight was the creation of Sous les Tropiques, a new tropical zone featuring a massive 10-meter-tall immersive aviary. This innovative exhibit allowed visitors to walk among tropical birds and mammals in a 750m² space, enhancing the zoo’s educational and experiential offerings. Additionally, the number of species at the zoo increased from 70 to over 100, introducing Arctic foxes, armadillos, Parma wallabies, and various bird species. At the same time the efforts in the decades before were respected by keeping key installations as the 1953 Aviaries, the 1962 Tropical House and the 1990s Island Complex operational.
In a notable policy change that year, the city introduced an entrance fee for non-residents to help offset the zoo’s operating costs, which had been entirely funded by municipal taxes since its creation. While Lille residents continued to enjoy free access, visitors from outside the city were charged a modest fee, with options for annual subscriptions. Another, though insignificant and minor, change was the zoo's name in French, from Parc Zoologique de Lille to Zoo de Lille.
Thematic Zones, Visitor Experience and Education
Today, the zoo is organized into six themed zones, each designed to replicate natural habitats:
- Terres d’Afrique (African Lands): formerly home to white rhinoceroses, this area is being remodeled into a biodiversity zone focused on underrepresented species.
- Voyage Exotique (Exotic Travel): showcasing tropical species.
- Autour du Monde (Around the World): featuring smaller mammals, birds, and reptiles such as meerkats, lemurs, and red pandas.
- D’île en Île (Island to Island): home to monkeys and aquatic birds like white-handed gibbons, brown capuchins, and pelicans.
- Excursion Sud-Américaine (South American Excursion): housing species like maned wolves and a terrestrial tapir.
- Sous les Tropiques (In the Tropics): the zoo’s newest section, highlighted by its immersive aviary.
The latest trends in tourism at Lille Zoo reflect a growing interest in sustainable and responsible travel. Visitors are more invested in experiences that promote conservation and that have a positive impact on the environment. Educational tours, interactive exhibits, and behind-the-scenes access to conservation efforts are increasingly popular. Strong emphasis is placed on community involvement and education. The zoo runs programmes for schools and special interest groups, aiming to educate future generations about wildlife conservation and environmental stewardship.
The Zoo offers a variety of engaging experiences that allow visitors to learn about animals up close. This includes feeding sessions, educational talks, and interactive displays that showcase the animals’ habitats and behaviours. To enhance the visitor experience Lille Zoo has embraced the use of new technologies. Like many other zoos worldwide, they integrated digital tools in Lille. Mobile apps, augmented reality experiences, and interactive kiosks provide guests with rich content and deeper understanding of the animal world.
Challenges and Future Vision
In 2024, the departure of the zoo’s rhinoceroses to Israel’s Ramat Gan and Jerusalem Zoos marked the beginning of a new chapter. The Terres d’Afrique zone is being reimagined as a biodiversity hub, reflecting the zoo’s ongoing commitment to conservation and showcasing endangered species. Currently, Lille Zoo has 27 of its animal species taking part in an EEP, among them waterbuck, red panda, two-toed sloth, Pallas's cat, sulphur-crested cockatoo, Malayan chevrotain, white-handed gibbon, pygmy slow loris, maned wolf, white-faced saki, siamang, black and white ruffed lemur, and ground tapir.
As it looks to the future, Lille Zoo continues to prioritize sustainable practices, conservation initiatives, and educational programmes. With nearly a million annual visitors, it remains one of the most beloved and accessible zoos in France, balancing its rich heritage with modern innovations.
(Source: website Zoo de Lille, accessed November 2024; website Les Zoos dans le Monde, accessed November 2024; Pour sa réouverture, le zoo de Lille fait le plein de nouveautés, by Iris Ouedraogo, France Info, 8 April 2017; Wikipedia)
Visit(s)
05.07.2014
The Zoo's 3.5 hectares is located in 70 hectares of park and woodland of the famous Citadelle, the fortress which is a beautiful example of 17th century military architecture, designed by Vauban.
They say about one million people visit Lille Zoo every year. That probably is a wild guess, because there is no entry fee to be paid. This makes counting visitor numbers less precise I would say. And the day that will compensate for the low numbers during my visit today will be an extremely crowded 3.5 hectares. Visitor numbers are way below average today. Although the temperature is good they predict rain showers. In fact it just stopped raining when I arrive at the entrance, and rain is a showstopper for zoo visits of course. So, if they reach an attendance of 200 today it will be much.
There is a small wooden cabin right after the entrance where they have a flyer about the Zoo including a small map of the premises - again for free.
The first exhibit is the red panda residence. It is more or less circular shaped and partly surrounded by a low wall, partly by wooden palisades with a few viewing windows. The enclosure is lusciously vegetated with grass, shrubs and other kinds of leafy plants including wild strawberry, next to a small stream. It comprises two enormously large trees that offer great perspective for pandas with big plans. Trunks between the two trees help the pandas to move horizontally above ground. A small paradise for red pandas in captivity, although there is no bamboo, their favourite food, available in the enclosure itself.
According to the Zoo they have grouped their animals in six thematic zones, Aviary Alley, Tropical House, Isle of Madagascar, Monkey Valley, Land of America and Land of Africa. But these themes are not mutual exclusive, because it is a mixture of grouping by taxonomic origin, geographical origin, and habitat. For educational purpose it is best to avoid confusion, but many people will accept the 'trick' of these six zones, although the Zoo has messed up things in the Aviary Alley as you will soon find out.
After the modern red panda exhibit I walk towards the Aviary Alley. The first half comprises a row of old-fashioned aviaries inhabited mainly by parrots, of which there is an impressive collection coming from different geographical regions. For instance there are red-and-green macaw, burrowing parakeet, orange-winged parrot, blue-crowned conure (pict), yellow-crowned amazon and mealy amazon from South America; Timneh parrot, African grey parrot and Senegal parrot from Africa; Port Lincoln ringneck from Australia and the monk parakeet from North America.
But other birds are kept also in this section, such as snowy owls, Mandarin duck, the ferruginous pochard (which requires a trained eye - not mine 
- to distinguish from the somewhat similar tufted duck), and the kookaburra from Down Under. For both the snowy owls and the kookaburras they have connected two or more of the original aviaries to increase the size. Regarding the design of the aviaries in general I would say, too damn small and too little vegetation. But I rarely see fit-for-purpose enclosure when it comes to flying animals. The kookaburras with their chicks (born 05.03.2014) however enjoy the feature of a very small waterfall and stream in addition to their extended aviary.
Besides the aviaries I find, to my surprise, two enclosures for mammal species in this section, one for the brown capuchin and one for the binturong. Disrupting the idea of having an alley of only aviaries to show to the visitors. It could be that this is only temporary. If so, my remark about these enclosures being pitiable small and not providing decent enrichment should be disregarded.
As far as I could discover they keep at least two individuals of all the bird species. Whether these are male and female is difficult to say, because even experts need to perform additional testing such as laparoscopy to see the difference. Especially with parrots it is hard or impossible to distinguish their sex just by their exterior appearance.
The second half of the Aviary Alley has certainly lost its focus on birds. There's an odd mixture of species on display considering their taxonomic and geographic origin. There are several duck species, ring-tailed coati, Indian crested porcupine, yellow mongoose and the inevitable meerkat. Next-door to the meerkat the white-faced saki can be found. Although its enclosure is a transformed old-fashioned aviary and therefore not very high, it has a dense vegetation. This little jungle gives the five white-face saki specimens (including two youngsters) the opportunity to express some of their natural behaviour. In fact in this part of the Aviary Alley more exhibits resemble the species' original habitat. But I don't think that the recently deceased (10.06.2014) fishing cat would have agreed to this remark. Although a typical felid enclosure with vegetation (bamboo) and trunks for climbing and resting, it is still nothing more than a large cage.
At the Aviary Alley the enclosures with animals dangerous to man have fences that are either made of glass or at sufficient distance from the visitors.
A few steps uphill and behind the Aviary Alley the lemur island looks to be a building of more recent date. It is not actually an island, but an indoor and outdoor exhibit for three lemur species, ring-tailed lemur, red-ruffed and black-and-white ruffed lemur. Both ruffed lemur species latter take part in the EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP). The outdoors is a nice exhibit with a variety of enrichment - trunks, ropes, rope nets and rope ladders. The entire surface is covered with underbrush while there are some large rocks for the lemurs to sit on. And there's a pool surrounded by reed.
After retracing my steps I move on to the Tropical House. This building focussed on species from tropical habitat has not only soil as bottom covering in all of the enclosures but as a visitor you walk on a surface with soil as well. It is not a walk-through close encounter tropical exhibit like you see in all modern zoos nowadays. It's a regular exhibit with the enclosures positioned along the walls of the building without a high temperature and high moist atmosphere for the visitor. The enclosures for the mammals have murals featuring the jungle, and ample climbing enrichment. The species you can watch here are kinkajou, pygmy slow lori, Lyle's flying fox, red-bellied tamarin, white-headed marmoset, emperor tamarin, common green iguana, lesser mouse deer (with calf born 25.12.2013) and the Aldabra tortoise, which has its indoors connected to the outdoors facility. Furthermore, several snakes occupy some ridiculously small ancient vivariums. The boa constrictor however has a large modern vivarium at its disposal.
Following the footpath towards the Monkey Valley or 'Vallee des singes' three islands in an elongated lake appear. Two of them are inhabited by gibbon species, white-handed gibbon and siamang respectively, which seem at ease in their environment (see video). The lack of very large trees for the gibbons to brachiate is overcome by huge trunks connected by ropes. The only real difference between both gibbon islands is the extremely rich undergrowth at the white-handed gibbon island. The third island is assigned to the brown capuchins, but they are temporarily housed in one of the aviary exhibit, because there's work in progress on their island at the moment.
Then there is a large mixed-species exhibit with South American species, alpaca, mara, capybara, Brazilian tapir and scarlet macaw. It is a large paddock that has been dug out until about half a metre deep, which allows for excellent viewing from the surrounding footpath. The tapir has its own private quarters in this area to prevent trouble amongst the captives I assume. There's a pond for the capybara and some other enrichment features. I am not sure about the situation of the macaws. They are located near the barn in the centre of the paddock, and they are allowed to fly around, but can they? Have they been pinioned? I can't tell from their behaviour, but I don't see them flying, not even flapping their wings.
Just a little bit further along the footpath the African Valley is situated with three species, common eland, plains zebra (Equus guagga) and white rhinoceros (half-brothers both born in Knowsley Safari Park UK in 2008). The rhino brothers will stay in Lille until they will be sexually mature, which is about to happen soon at the age of 6. Then they will move on to other zoos to contribute their share in the captive breeding of this endangered species (EEP). The African Valley is a magnificent enclosure which allows the animals to roam and explore the environment. Because the animals are walking down in the valley and with the vegetation along the footpath I think the animals will hardly ever notice the public.
While walking towards the exit I realise that there is neither a children's playground nor a restaurant available on the premises. There are benches where you can sit and drink or eat whatever you brought with you, but all available space is dedicated to the animals. And let's be honest, most people can cover a zoo of 3.5 hectares in a few hours or less, so why waste space on playgrounds and restaurants. It isn't even necessary because right outside the Zoo close to the entrance there's a whole fairground, with a merry-go-round and a 'Brasserie du Zoo'. Furthermore there is no petting zoo area, but probably there's one somewhere else in town.
Conclusion
Lille Zoo is an unexpected small gem in the world of zoological institutions, at least to me. I didn't know what to expect, but most of what I saw is according modern zookeeping standards, although the Aviary Alley really need some upgrading. Perhaps they can turn this section into a large walk-through aviary that serves both animal and man - space for the birds and the possibility of close encounters for the visitor. That they have only 3.5 hectares available didn't make them decide to cut down on enclosure size and keep more species. On the contrary, they dedicated large areas to only a few species, which is one of the consequences of creating modern facilities such as mixed-species exhibits and primate islands. And of the few species they keep, compared to much larger zoos, about 75% are classified as endangered - Near Threatened or worse according the IUCN Red List classification.
Besides contributing to several captive breeding programmes (see Zoo details) the Zoo is involved in in-situ conservation as well. For instance they work together with the International Rhino Foundation in rhino projects in Africa; they participate in Brazilian tapir projects in South America of the Kwata Association; and they participate in safeguarding the wild environment of gibbons together with the Kalaweit organisation.
And all of this, including the information and education is supplied for free, thanks to the City Council.
Gallery
Video
White-handed gibbon in the rain
It is raining, but the white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) is more interested in its food and the quality of the rope. Considering the rainforest being its original habitat the gibbon probably not even notices this occasional rain shower.
Siamang grooming
The siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) mother is grooming one of her offspring and while checking the fur meticulously she finds the parasites she's looking for.
Red panda exploring its exhibit
Red pandas are notoriously 'lazy'. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diets that consist for two-thirds of bamboo. Therefore you will see them in zoos mostly when they are asleep. This time I found one, though slowly, going for its morning exercise walk.
Kookaburra versus insect
This kookaburra is engaged in a challenge to eat this rather large insect.
More info
Information and Education
Information panels and education
The panels at the enclosures provide information only in French. Fortunately the species' scientific name is given as well as its English name, while icons and visualisation of the geographical origin of the species support the language-impaired persons. Moreover, the species name is given in Dutch as well - or should I say Flemish. Probably due to the fact that Lille is situated in French Flanders near France's border with Belgian Flanders and also has a Flemish name: Rijsel.
Every section has one or more large panels with specific information on the endangered species and their threats. These panels have also a summary in English.
In addition to this type of education that is focussed on adolescents and adults, children can play educational games in the alleys of the park. Many other activities are offered on demand, such as guided tours, school group entertainment combined with conservation education.
Remember that all education is for free, for which the Lille City Council should be applauded.
Zoo details
Some additional information, such as contact details and involvement in breeding programmes.
Location
Directions
directions to Lille Zoo, Parc Zoologique de Lille
Lille Zoo is located just 10 minutes walk from the heart of the city of Lille, on a 3.5 hectare site within the famous Citadelle, about 70 hectares of park and woodland.
Address:
Parc de la Citadelle
Avenue Mathias Delobel
59000
Lille
France
public transport
If you arrive at one of the main railway stations of Lille then the metro or the Citadine shuttle bus is your best option to make your way to the Zoo. On the other hand it is still at walking distance!
by metro
Metro line 1 (yellow line), get off at République Beaux Arts station (10-15 minutes walk to the Zoo).
by bus
La Citadine: a new circular shuttle bus that services car parks at the Champ de Mars (very close to the Zoo entrance), Norexpo and Porte de Valenciennes as well as the train stations and the République-Beaux Arts metro station.
For the Champ de Mars car park you leave the Citadine bus shuttle at the Jardin Vauban stop.Regular city bus service:
- Line 1 and Line 90, get off at Champs de Mars stop
- Line 12, get off at Jardin Vauban stop
Fares, routeplanner and timetables for all public transport services are available here.
by bicycle
The city of Lille promotes cycling, as a mode of commuting and recreation. It therefore developed the Urban Transport Plan to make Lille in 10 years time, by 2020, a city where the cycling is the a major mode of transport combined with public transport. So, the City of Lille is inter alia developing secure and comfortable cycle lanes and bike racks through town.
There is a system of City rental bikes called V'Lille. It is a self service system with stations (secure bike racks) all over town. You need to subscribe - that requires a €200 deposit that will not be cashed though - before you can start renting a bike with the pass and code you get. Total cost per day is about €2.50.
When you have a bicycle at your disposal you will discover that it is fairly easy to cycle the narrow streets of the city centre. Navigating the city requires, as everywhere, a decent map of course. Check out the Tourist Office for a map and good bike rental companies. The only downside of cycling in Lille is the cobblestones, but getting to the Zoo is simple and environmental-friendly.
by car
Via the A1 & A22 motorways: follow directions to Lille Centre Ville. The zoo is at the top end of the boulevard de la Liberté in the Parc de La Citadelle.
Via the A25 motorway: take exit 5, Port Fluvial, and follow directions to Vauban & Citadelle.
When using your car navigation system please set the GPS coordinates at latitude 50,63 and longitude 3,04.
Parking
There is a large parking lot at Champs de Mars which is just a very short walk from the ZOO entrance.
Zoo map
Download the current zoo map here.
