Humans have always wanted to be close to nature and animals. No wonder that zoos are a popular destination for family outings with 600 million visitors worldwide annually. In the past, zoos wanted to present as many exotic animals in the smallest of spaces as possible, while today’s visitors want to watch animals in an environment that is as authentic and species-appropriate as possible, to  learn more about them.

Wildlife parks as centres for education, nature and species conservation, where animals are being cared for in the best possible way: This is the model which we follow in the Ferleiten Wildlife and Adventure Park.

Caring for humans and animals: Our goals

Which animals are at home in the Austrian Alps? How did they adapt to their habitat, and which of their behaviours are particularly remarkable? With our concise and entertaining informational signs about all our animal species we want to familiarise you with the exciting world of the local fauna and raise awareness for the animals’ needs.

As part of guided tours and interactive educational games for groups, visitors experience our wildlife park in an especially intense and multifaceted manner and can share their experiences. In the research centre for children as well as the House of Fish, next generations can learn about the biodiversity of local wildlife in a natural and playful way. Beyond the wildlife park walkways you can get to know more about the local flora in the adjoining valley.

Our tasks and goals

Adventure + relaxation

Urbanization is on the rise, and people are becoming less and less familiar with nature. Our wildlife park offers a welcome contrast and provides a holistic mix of excitement and relaxation. There are dedicated oases of peace in the Wildlife Park which help to harmonize body and mind as well as to find inner calm. The rushing of the streams along the entire park lets you forget everyday life and stress, helping you to relax.

There are also many opportunities to observe nature and experience it at close range, while you can spring into action in the adjoining Adventure Park.

In the long term, biodiversity can best be sustained by preserving natural populations. Only with them can the existing genetic diversity be retained. The strategy to preserve a species in a natural habitat is called “in situ” (on site). Unfortunately, too few of some animal species sometimes exist in their natural habitat so that their long-term survival is unlikely. In those cases, extinction of a species can probably only be prevented by keeping the animals in artificial conditions and under human supervision. We call this strategy “ex situ”, or preservation in the care of humans. In this way, wildlife parks become sanctuaries for species with a view to making reintroduction projects possible.

Research

The Wildlife Park offers a huge scope of research possibilities. Most of what we know about mammals and birds comes from observations in wildlife parks and zoos. We are happy to work with research organisations and universities and look forward to them reaching out to us.

Nature and the protection of species