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French Guiana Zoo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
French Guiana Zoo
Zoo de Guyane
Scarlet Ibis
Map
Interactive map of French Guiana Zoo
4°56′53″N 52°29′32″W / 4.9480°N 52.4923°W / 4.9480; -52.4923
Date opened1983[1]
LocationMacouria, French Guiana, France
Land area12 hectares[2]
No. of animals240 (2021)[2]
No. of species56 (2021)[2]
Annual visitors44,000 (2013)[3]
Memberships
  • European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)
  • French Association of Zoological Parks (AFdPZ)[4]
  • Asociación Latinoamericana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (ALPZA)[2]
Websitezoodeguyane.com

The French Guiana Zoo (French: Zoo de Guyane or Zoo-refuge de Guyane) is a zoo in French Guiana. It is located between Macouria and Montsinéry. Originally opened in 1983 as a hummingbird breeding centre, the zoo is a major tourist destination of French Guiana. The zoo is open for visitors every day of the week, including during public holidays.[5]

History

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In 1983, Rudolf Watshinger founded Fauna Flora Amazonica, a hummingbird breeding center.[1] In 1985, it was transformed into a wildlife park under the name Réserve Animalière Macourienne.[1] In 2002, the wildlife park was purchased by the communes of Macouria and Montsinéry.[1]

Due to its age and the need to meet safety standards, the zoo was closed in 2007.[1] Franck and Angélique Chaulet, entrepreneurs who had previous bought and refurbished Zoo de Guadeloupe [fr] and Jardin de Balata, bought the zoo, and it was reopened in 2008 as Zoo de Guyane.[4] Under their leadership, the zoo was renovated to meet accreditation standards for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).[4]

In 2013, the zoo was the second most visited attraction in French Guiana after the Salvation Islands.[3] In 2014, the zoo built a new aviary named after the naturalist Eugène Bellony who in the 1930s opened the first animal park in what is now French Guiana.[3] The aviary's first inhabitants were 40 rainbow lorikeets.[3]

In the early morning of 6 May 2026, a group of four individuals broke into the zoo by cutting through the zoo's fence near the tapir enclosure. Camopi, a female tapir at the zoo, was greatly distressed; after the disappearance of her newborn calf, zoo staff feared the calf had been stolen.[6] The calf was recovered safely later that day, having been hidden in the vegetation of its enclosure (likely by its own mother).[7] This was the third in a rash of security incidents at the zoo; an unsuccessful attempt was made to steal a male tapir in early 2026 and a snake was successfully stolen from the zoo in September 2025.[6] The zoo announced plans to further strengthen its security measures.[6]

Animals and exhibits

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The collection of the zoo includes several species of monkeys, sloths, anteaters, harpy eagles, caimans, and a large collection of birds.[8] There is a treetop path through the canopy for children.[8] A commemorative plaque in honor of pioneering naturalist Eugène Bellony is on display in the zoo's tropical greenhouse.[2]

Papy, a male jaguar, was a longtime resident of the zoo until his death on 11 August 2023 at the age of approximately 30; his lifespan exceeded the typical jaguar life expectancy, which is 10 to 12 years in the wild and around 23 years in captivity.[9] His body was transported to the Pasteur Institute in French Guiana for an autopsy and further research.[9] He was survived by Tama, the zoo's female jaguar.[9]

The zoo is an active participant in the EAZA Ex-situ Programme.[10] The zoo also contains a care and rescue center for local wildlife, which are rehabilitated and released whenever possible.[10]

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Zoo de Guyane". Les Zoos dans le Monde (in French). 17 August 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Séraphins, Clotilde; Deie, Sefiann (22 February 2021). ""Zoo de Guyane, refuge d'Amazonie" un nouveau documentaire de Wey Amazone en diffusion ce 23 février à 20h". la1ere.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via France Info.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Zoo : la fréquentation s'envole". France-Guyane (in French). 26 July 2014. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Clerc, Julie (15 September 2016). "Franck et Angélique Chaulet, créateurs d'or vert aux Antilles-Guyane". Ewag (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  5. ↑ "Opening hours and prices". Zoo de Guyane. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Virassamy, Audrey (6 May 2026). "Intrusion nocturne au zoo de Guyane : un bébé tapir a disparu". la1ere.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via France Info.
  7. ↑ Virassamy, Audrey; Latchimy-Irissin, Céline (6 May 2026). "Le bébé tapir du zoo de Guyane a été retrouvé". la1ere.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via France Info.
  8. 1 2 Hastings, Karen (17 January 2021). "Tourist Attractions in French Guiana". PlanetWare. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Lewis, Ludmïa (12 August 2023). "Le zoo de Guyane annonce la mort de Papy, son jaguar emblématique". la1ere.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via France Info.
  10. 1 2 "Le Zoo de Guyane, un refuge pour les espèces en danger". la1ere.fr (in French). 14 August 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via France Info.
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