Tierpark Hirschfeld

After the entrance pond, include Bärenland, Polaris and the Eulerei, then choose the otters or the vivarium for a closer look at smaller animals. Leave enough time to return to one favourite enclosure before your meal break.

Make the restaurant and playground your longer break, with the Mäusehaus opposite the main play area. If everyone still has energy and the weather stays dry, finish with minigolf behind the park.

At the Mäusehaus, choose one detail to watch: a drawer, a tabletop or the cupboard. See who notices a mouse using it first, without tapping or trying to attract the animals.

The wallaby–emu enclosure has a shaded tree bench. Settle down together and compare what each kind of animal does while you remain still.

Use the Bärenschenke for a longer meal if a shower interrupts your visit. Its kitchen and tables give you a break, but the animal circuit still means going back outdoors. For restaurant enquiries, call 037607 5238.

Watch for the outline of the shoulder and head when a bear comes into view. Give this stop a little time rather than expecting movement immediately. These are the park’s captive brown bears.

Look at the heavy front of the body and compare the animals’ sizes. Hirschfeld has contributed to the international studbook since 1972; the animals here are a captive breeding group.

Look for the fox’s compact shape and its coat colour on the day. The species changes its coat seasonally, so a summer fox need not resemble the white animal you picture from winter.

Look at the dark markings on the white plumage and the feathers covering the legs. An owl sitting still is worth studying just as closely as one in motion.

Find a comfortable viewing position and look carefully for the tawny owl before moving on. Keep your voice low and let it remain on its chosen perch.

Try comparing this owl with the tawny owl in the same walk-through collection. The park reports regular barn owl breeding, but that does not mean chicks will be visible during your visit.

Sit at the shaded tree bench and watch the emus share their enclosure with Bennett’s wallabies. Let the animals approach or move away at their own pace.

Watch the front paws if the otters are active: this species uses its fingers to investigate and handle food. A short, quiet pause gives you more to notice than a quick photograph.

Use the enclosure label to distinguish Hermann’s tortoises from the other tortoises and turtles kept here. Save this target for the outdoor season; the land tortoises are put into winter quarters.

Look through the pond window and see whether you can pick out a carp among the fish. Stand a little back if reflections obscure the view, and leave the glass untouched.

These are animals kept in the park’s collection. The list is a set of things to look for, not a record of wild sightings; an animal may be out of view.

The old beech was heavily cut back after the 2007 storm. Its remaining trunk measures 7.20 metres around and has become a small habitat of its own. Enjoy it from the path and leave cavities undisturbed.

The restaurant’s name is deliberate: it recalls the original building being given to the park as a gift. The spelling plays on the German word schenken, to give.

The Bärenschenke has indoor dining rooms and a beer garden. The main playground beside it includes climbing, sliding and a jumping pillow; a smaller play area below the Fasanerie suits a pause with younger children. You can also hire a handcart for the visit.