Skånes Djurpark
northwest of Höör. Zoo specialized in the wild Nordic fauna and old Nordic breeds.

September 22, 2013: It is early morning. The parking lot is not well filled. The park has bankruptcy hanging over them. I give my contribution and buy a season ticket for 390 SEK. Just inside the entrée is the childrens zoo with chickens, goats, rabbits. In a part of a farm is a terrarium with snakes, toad, frog. On the roof is a stork's nest with a stork couple. Linderöd pig grubs on the hill. In the seal pond stand three sealheads up. A seal takes a turn and shows itself. Imagine if I had the ability in water. I'm like a stone in water. I sink. At the dam is one of many barbecue places in the park. Feel beeing looked at, in the forest stands a red deer. It seems that it is he who is the visitor and I an attraction. In the distance you can hear a red deer rut bellow. The sound is heard in all of the park.

Bird pond is full of mallards. In a pasture is a horse, Przewalski's horse, it's the ancestor of our tame hourse I can read on the information plate. Became extinct as wild, and they remained only in zoos, from where they have been set it out in the wild. In the pastures are there "fjäll" cows, see them from far away, they keep their distance . At the raccoon dogs enclosure is a ramp. Lively fellows. Children watch in fascination at them, raccoon dogs seem to look equally fascinated back. A badger couple comes out of their lair. They find some food, it has probably just been feeding time. Red fox is also out and show itself. Ah, a cat! A wild cat sitting and preening itself. The wild cat is threatened by intense hunting.

The wolf enclosure has electric fencing and speaker for alarm. It is not many years since wolves escaped. Going out on the built-in path, from where you can look over the fence. But any wolves I do not see. The bears seems fall tired. The male lumbers around, lies down with a tree trunk as a pillow. Others are already asleep. Clickediclick... the sound I recognize from the mountains. Longing to get there. A reindeer! It is so wonderful to see them gracefully and easily move on a mountain slope.

At the bear enclosure is a restaurant, ice cream, hot dogs, and hamburgers are offered. I'll take a "wild" hamburger. Could be more salad, otherwise approved. I'm not a big fan of burgers. Why not a restaurant with Nordic food? Which one can visit without paying admission. Will be hard to make profit from it.

Continuing my round. Mountain feeling again! Arctic fox, that I have not seen in the mountains, it is all too rare and threatened. Have just seen a lair in Padjelanta. Next cat, Lo, hide away so it can not be seen. The raccoons are however curious about kids on the other side of the fence. Following the signs for "Animals, The playground, pony rides." A ferret venture out of his house. Wild boar root around. From a tree branch watching two horned owls at me intensly. Opposite is the playground with natural gear. Dare me not to use them. Mountain again, a great snowy owl sails ahead and sits down on a branch, showing off her beautiful profile. A pony is waiting for a child to ride it. It's just me here, and I am no longer a child.

Moose enclosure, the only moose I see is moose swings. Not for me either. Despite the enclosure limitations, the golden eagle make a mighty flight. Fallow deers are resting. Musk ox and bison ends the round. Bellowing! Red deer male is guarding his females. A little guy bellow with him. "Do you want a lot of girls around you?" asks the mother. The guy silenced. Maybe I'll try on Stortorget in Lund? Nah, it probably would not work, either.

I 'm back at the entrance. An unusual feature is the cabin where they made brandy, "spirit house" and a waterslide falls a little out of the park's intent. Buying a postcard in the shop. More cars in the parking lot, one less when I leave.

Skåne Zoo
Przewalski horse

I 'm not fond of keeping animals confined. But some endangered species conservation is thanks to zoos. A zoo like this show Nordic animals in reasonably natural environment for them. Maybe it could enhance understanding of that man not have a monopoly on "nature". At the time of writing is the park threatened, due to the poor economy. Hope it will survive and develop as a park, and with only nordic fauna.

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