Zoo Duisburg

Keep the bridge as a boundary rather than a target. Choose lemurs, the aquarium and manatees, then either the Australian area or a playground. Leave a favourite enclosure for a second look on the way back.

Choose a dolphin presentation first, then arrange the rest around reaching the eastern section in time. Group the Chinese Garden and red pandas with that visit. Return across the bridge for the Australian animals and your preferred western-side stops, adjusting the order to the show time.

Let each person choose one animal and describe three things: how it moves, where it rests and which body part helps it do that. Penguins are especially useful for comparing land and water movement. Draw what you notice before looking at a photograph.

At the GEBAG Ameisenquartier in the tropical area, watch the leaf-cutting ants’ routes. Pick one carrying a leaf fragment and see how far you can follow it without losing it among the others. Small animals deserve a stop of their own.

Look along the branches for rounded ears and a large dark nose. A quiet pause is worthwhile even when a koala stays curled up. The public weighing offers another way to learn about its care.

Scan at ground level for a broad head, sturdy legs and a very short tail. Wombats spend much of the day resting in burrows, so try a second look later rather than expecting constant activity.

Look for a compact, dark-coated marsupial. A contagious facial-tumour disease threatens devils in Tasmania, while conservation breeding helps maintain disease-free populations. Take time to read about their conservation story.

At the underwater windows, watch the whole body turn as a dolphin passes. During the public presentation, listen for the explanation of training and care; allow the animals’ movement to come into view rather than chasing every pass.

Check the climbing structures as well as the ground. A fossa has a long, slender body and an equally striking tail. Its Malagasy home links this stop with the lemurs you may have seen near the entrance.

Try to notice the pale throat markings when an otter lifts its head. The patch differs between individuals, a useful little observation challenge without needing to identify the animals by name.

Settle at the underwater window for a slow look at the manatees. Their broad bodies and plant-based diet make a good comparison with the other aquatic mammals here; these are Caribbean manatees within the West Indian manatee species.

Follow the black-and-white tail with your eyes as a lemur walks or climbs. Leave the animals room to pass on this walk-through island, and park pushchairs and handcarts outside.

Watch a penguin on land, then see how its movement changes in the water. Its wings work as swimming flippers. These penguins come from southern Africa, so an icy Antarctic scene is the wrong habitat to imagine.

Look into the branches for a rust-red body or a dangling ringed tail. During warm midday periods a red panda may rest in shade; spend a quiet moment scanning before moving on.

All listed animals are captive zoo residents. Some may be resting out of view when you visit. Follow enclosure signs and the zoo’s photography rules.

The Chinese Garden brings another kind of detail into the day. Pause by its buildings and pond: the garden was built in 1988 by craftspeople from Wuhan using components made in China, and was restored in 2022.

The aquarium survived as a central part of the zoo’s post-war rebuilding. Its 1951 reopening connects today’s fish-watching stop with the story of the zoo itself.

Handcarts can be hired at the ticket desks, subject to availability; they cannot be reserved. Wheelchair and handcart returns are earlier than the zoo’s final closing time, so confirm your return deadline when collecting one.