There are a lot of zoos and animal parks in the Rheinland and Ruhrgebiet region of Germany. The TerraZoo in Rheinberg is somehow special, though. First of all, it majorly concentrates on reptiles. On top of that, the TerraZoo is also doing basic research projects. In later 2023, my wife and I had a visit to the zoo, which also works as an animal rescue center. Here are my thoughts.
TerraZoo Rheinberg – Location & Admission
Rheinberg is a 31,000 people town in the county of Wesel at the Lower Rhine region. The closest major city is Duisburg. The TerraZoo is located in a rather commercial area in the Southeast part of the city. Three bus lines stop at the Rheinberg Terrazoo stop, namely lines 8, 913 and BR8. There is also a major free parking lot at the facility. There is also a sister facility, TerraZoo Sontra, which is close to the Thuringia city of Eisenach in the North of Hesse state.
TerraZoo Rheinberg is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00. Adult admission is 12.50 EUR, there are several packages like family tickets available. The TerraZoo is accepting the Ruhr.Topcard on ordinary operating days.
TerraZoo Rheinberg – Indoor
The layout of the indoor part of TerraZoo Rheinberg reminded me of the Helsinki Tropicario. The zoo comes with large habitats. Thereby, TerraZoo Rheinberg explicitly states that you can typically watch the animals from at least three sides, so that have a great view on the animals, but also on the work of the animal keepers. There are typically large information signs with all important information. The rear of the building also features seminar rooms, which are used for animal presentations as well.
There is a clear focus on all kinds of reptiles. However, there are also lemurs and some amphibians and animals like spiders. One of the highlights of the animals held indoor is an albino crocodile. Overall, the cages look comparably large.
TerraZoo Rheinberg – Outdoor Habitats
As I visited TerraZoo Rheinberg for the first time, I was quite amazed that they have a comparably large outdoor area as well. Parts of it were unfortunately under upgrade works. The most striking species living outdoors are crocodiles, which have a rather large space. There are also very different animals like meerkats, turtles or goats, which can also be fed with food you buy at the cashier desk (1 Euro). Unfortunately, we were not able to spot the common European viper (Kreuzotter), the only venomous snake availble in Germany. TerraZoo also allows you to interact with kangaroos (if there is no maintenance).
TerraZoo Rheinberg – Service
Close to the doors to the outdoor area, there is the Rattlesnake Cafe, which is selling typical zoo snacks. In summer, you can also sit outside, enjoy the sun and watch your kids playing at the playground. TerraZoo Rheinberg also offers you several opportunities to meet your favorite reptile(s) and a have pictures with them. The pricing for that experience is rather nice. Overall, we felt that the staff is very friendly and enthusiastic about the zoo.
TerraZoo Rheinberg – My View
I really enjoyed visiting the TerraZoo Rheinberg. The staff is really friendly and the animals felt to be held in absolutely humane habitats. The outdoor area is definitely a lovely spot on a sunny day as well. There are not too many other reasons to visit Rheinberg – but if you are around, it is a really nice option to put on your bucket list.
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