Zoos Extend Visitors‘ Stay with Light Figures

Just like the Dutch Royal Burgers’ Zoo, which since 2015 is enthusing its visitors with artful light installations in the dark season (cf. EAP news from February 21^st, 2017), more and more European zoos and animal parks lure visitors with the atmospheric ambience created by luminous animal figures.

Recently, Germany’s Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen has introduced the first edition of its new “Light Safari” (G.: “Lichter-Safari”) with more than 60 animal light figures which are placed around the park’s “Tanzania Lake” and are illuminated with over 1,600 light bulbs daily in the evening hours. Until the end of this year’s season on November 12^th, 2017, visitors to the park can enjoy the light sceneries created by Chinese handcraft artists, including two meter high lanterns in the shape of elephants, up to 2.5 meter long lions and approx. one meter high antelopes. Torsten Frings, former German national soccer player and new patron of the Serengeti-Park Foundation, has officially opened the Light Safari.

Furthermore, Germany’s Allwetterzoo Münster and Kölner Zoo bet on artful lanterns. From November 25^th, 2017 through January 6^th, 2018 Kölner Zoo will celebrate its “Chinese Light Festival” with more than 1,000 illuminated animal and plant lanterns. Also, Zoo Osnabrück reports on a positive visitor feedback on its “Zoo Lights“ installation, for which Dutch ShowLine company has delivered more than 650 animal light figures. The event has been extended for two more weeks until October 26^th, 2017. (eap)