All the animals that we can see at BIOPARC Valencia were born here or in other zoological institutions belonging to the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).

Within the EAZA, there is a coordinator for each species who manages the exchange of animals between institutions, avoiding inbreeding and keeping the genetic line of the species clean in order to be able to reintroduce them into their habitats of origin if necessary.

There are some exceptions, such as the case of Talapoins that come from the illegal trafficking of species.

An autopsy is performed on everyone to try to determine, through various procedures, the cause of death.

Subsequently, a specialized company takes charge of managing the body, and they are also donated for research.

The death of the animal is reported to the EAZA coordinator for that species so that another individual can be housed when the appropriate conditions are met.

All these animals are wild, they are not historically domesticated animals, and they have needs for their well-being that are impossible to meet in our homes.

Furthermore, most of our species are protected internationally by the CITES convention, which regulates the trafficking of threatened or endangered species, so their possession is illegal.

The management of transfers is carried out through the coordination of the EAZA representative for that species, the center that gives up that animal and the zoological center that receives it.

These transfers take into account factors such as: the type of vehicle and the necessary characteristics of the carrier according to the weight and size of the animal, the weather conditions, the team that will carry out the loading using cranes (if necessary), the food and drink for the journey and the adaptation period in its new destination.

The animals are accompanied by a zookeeper from their original zoo to assist with the transfer and their subsequent adaptation to the destination zoo. The animal's well-being is always the top priority.

Species that live in social groups, formed by members of the same family, generally accept their offspring until they reach sexual maturity. When they reach that age, they must leave their family group, just as they would in the wild.

When that time comes, the animal care team, in communication with the EAZA coordinator for that species, looks for a new group for that individual at another center.

Until the transfer can be made, the outings to the outside are alternated, for example, some in the morning and others in the afternoon or on alternate days.

All the carnivores in the park, even when perfectly fed, do not lose their hunting instinct, but just as happens in nature they only prey when they need to.

Furthermore, the design of the facilities ensures that each predator is separated from its prey by natural barriers such as moats, which we cannot see from the visitor area, or channels of sufficient width and depth to prevent access to other facilities.

The animals focus their daily activity on finding food and reproducing. Depending on their age, they also play and explore their enclosure, but they primarily move around to locate food.

Some species even sleep/rest 20 hours/day, focusing their activity solely on twilight hours, as is the case with the lion.

We can even observe species that are nocturnal, such as aardvarks; for this reason, we will always find them sleeping.

To ensure the well-being of animals, we must respect their resting and sleeping behaviors, taking care not to attract their attention and enjoying their natural behavior.

Despite working with them daily, they are wild animals; any intervention must always be carried out with the necessary safety measures to guarantee the well-being of the animals and the integrity of the staff.

No, each enclosure has been specifically designed for the species that will inhabit it. Natural barriers such as rock walls, waterfalls, or estuaries prevent the animals from escaping.

In the case of climbing species like lemurs, the walls of Madagascar's enclosures have a downward slope, making it impossible for them to reach their maximum height. Furthermore, the trees within these enclosures are spaced at a distance that ensures they cannot jump to the outside, and regular pruning is carried out to guarantee this minimum distance.

However, the animal care team has protocols in place in case of an animal escaping, and regular drills are conducted to determine how to act and ensure safety.

No, all food must pass veterinary inspections and controls, just like the meat we buy at the butcher shop.

Furthermore, due to our policy of ensuring the well-being of all animals, we do not use live prey and we encourage the natural instincts of carnivores with other strategies through environmental enrichment. Some examples include placing feces of herbivorous animals around the enclosure, hiding food in different places or requiring them to tear it to access it, hanging food at a certain height to encourage jumping, climbing, etc.

No, the diets are varied and adapted to each species. They are prepared by the veterinary team together with the animal welfare officer; in some cases, individualized diets are even created based on veterinary needs or adjusted to the specific requirements of an animal (young, nursing mothers, geriatric animals, etc.).

There are also variations in their diet depending on the weather: broths in winter and ice cream in summer. Changes in how food is presented include placing it inside objects that they have to manipulate or tear to get the food, and introducing new foods or smells.

They have plastic or metal rings, each with a unique code, used to identify individuals. Similar to our identity document.

The information included on the ring usually includes the year of birth, country of origin, sex…

These rings are also used on wild individuals to conduct studies such as migration patterns, longevity, health status of individuals…

Birds kept outside the aviary have their feathers periodically trimmed to prevent them from exerting enough force to take flight.

Feathers for birds are like hair for us, so this trimming doesn't cause any pain and if you stop trimming them they grow back normally.

Giraffes spend many hours a day feeding, using their long tongues like hands to reach tree leaves. In this case, the action is to protect the tree trunk from long-term damage.

We can also observe in their enclosure bamboo trunks, whose purpose is to make the giraffes exercise their tongue to extract the food.

This behavior is not vomiting, it is regurgitation of food.

The veterinary and animal welfare team is monitoring these behaviors so that if they occur, the causes (which can be many) can be quickly assessed and the necessary measures applied.