Rome Biopark is a huge zoological garden, one of the biggest of Europe, located inside the lush vegetation of Villa Borghese. It was originally built as a zoo thanks to a project by Carl Hagenbeck and became a biopark just in 1998, with the objective of preserving rare species.

It covers an area of 18 hectares and hosts 1144 animals, which belong to 222 different species, including mammals, reptiles and birds. Here is a list of the animals you can encounter in this biopark: brown bears, tigers, lions, antelopes, bisons, American crocodiles, Asian elephants, golden eagles, zebras, pythons, leopards, ostriches, tapirs, vultures and so on.

A biopark is different from a zoo, because it invests and supports environmental education and related activities.

The biopark hosts events, exhibitions and courses, takes part in European programs for the development and the safeguard of endangered species and is tailored to meet the animals’ needs, in order to guarantee them the maximum comfort and protection. Furthermore, inside the biopark, there are a veterinarian clinic (provided with an ambulance, too) and areas reproducing the habitat of origin of some species, also by putting different animal species altogether.

The park includes a reptile house, a centre for dog education called the valle dei cuccioli, several picnic areas, rest stops, rooms for lessons, an auditorium, covered areas, a tunnel and a multisensory route for blind people.

You access the park via an amazing 19th century gate, embellished with elephant heads’ decorations and some statues of lions. Rome biopark is currently visited by an average 800.000 people a year, which makes it one of the most popular touristic sites of Italy.