Tierpark und Fossilium Bochum

Choose the next keeper feed as your fixed point, then fit the aquarium, Asienwelten and play area around it. Use the zoo map for the connecting paths and leave room to return to an animal that was resting earlier.

For a shorter outing, choose the seals, aquarium and playground, adding one other animal that catches your interest. If fossils are the main attraction, spend more of your time inside and keep the outdoor circuit brief.

Explore the Asienwelten and nocturnal exhibition, pause for lunch and play, then settle down for a keeper feed. Leave a separate stretch of time for the Fossilium so tired children do not have to absorb every display at the end.

Choose an ammonite and an ancient fish in the Fossilium. Ask everyone to find one feature that helps them recognise the animal. Then compare a fossil’s preserved outline with a living fish nearby, without assuming it is the same species.

At the playground, alternate climbing, sliding and sand play with another look at the keas or tortoises. The sand area’s buried dinosaur skeleton is a play feature; the museum is where you can examine fossil specimens.

Move between the aquarium, Fossilium and Dschungel hautnah, choosing a few displays to study rather than rushing round everything. You can also look into the lemur warm house through its windows, though paths between areas remain outdoors.

Pause at an underwater window and watch one seal complete a turn before moving on. Look for its spotted coat, whiskers and small ear openings; seals have no external ear flaps.

Try both the indoor pool and the outdoor underwater view. A quiet pool can reward a second visit. When an otter passes, watch how its long body bends and its tail helps it steer.

Look up into the climbing structures as well as along the ground. A resting binturong can blend into a dark corner. If it moves, watch how the gripping tail helps support it among the branches.

The cave windows are a good place to watch a kea investigate its surroundings with its curved beak. Olive-green feathers can conceal a flash of orange beneath the wings when the bird stretches or flies.

Scan the trees, lawn and indoor resting places. The long black-and-white tail makes a useful first clue, especially when several animals sit together. In wet weather, look through the warm-house windows for resting lemurs.

On a warm day, look across the grassy outdoor area; in cooler weather, try the glazed winter garden and warm house. Notice the sturdy legs and how slowly the animal places each foot. The raised Turtle-Pfad offers another viewpoint.

Look for dark bars across a silvery body and a mouth pointing towards the surface. These fish can knock insects into the water with a jet from their mouths. Ask whether an archerfish feeding is on the day’s programme.

Search close to the bottom rather than expecting a shark to cruise through open water. The dark, pale-edged spot behind each pectoral fin is a useful identification mark. A resting shark deserves the same quiet attention as an active one.

The living animals described here belong to the zoo’s managed collection. Fossils, casts, tactile models and dinosaur models are separate exhibits. For photographs, wait for an animal to approach your view naturally and respect any local restrictions.

A guidance system from the entrance links seven interactive stations with tactile models and audio content. The station tables allow wheelchair users to roll underneath. Ask about a sensory-support bag at the ticket desk, or reserve one ahead; confirm collection and return times for your visit.

Franzl serves snacks, drinks and warm food beside the playground. It normally opens half an hour after the zoo and closes half an hour before it. There is also a snack machine in the aquarium and terrarium house.