- Address: Åby säteri, 456 93 Hunnebostrand, Sweden
- Phone: +46 523 795 90
- Website: nordensark.se
- E-mail: nordensark@nordensark.se
- Opening date: 1989.
- Area: 383 hectares
Nordens Arc is a zoo and nature reserve in western Sweden , almost on the border with Norway . The name is translated as "The Northern Ark", and the reserve justifies its name: it was created to preserve endangered species of animals. The zoo is organized by a private non-profit foundation.
Nordens Arch Foundation
This organization deals not only with the preservation of endangered animals, but also with their study, and also with selection. A lot of animals and birds grown on the territory of the zoo, after growing up, return to the wild. They are helped to adapt, and then for a while they are watching the quality of their life.
The Fund participates in a wide variety of environmental and research projects, including outside Sweden. For example, he participates in a project to preserve the Amur tigers in Russia and snow leopards in Mongolia. Also, the Nordens Ark Foundation is developing ecotourism and fighting poaching.
Over the years of Nordens Arch, thanks to a fund of over 300 mammals and birds that grew up in the zoo, they were released into the wild, including otters in the Netherlands, European wild cats in Germany and lynxes in Poland, and the "feathered population" of Sweden was replenished with 175 peregrine falcon. In addition, about 10,000 amphibians were released to freedom.
Inhabitants of the zoo
The Nordens Ark Zoo is located on the grounds of the oldest manor in Sweden - Ebi Manor, famous for the fact that in 1307 it was visited by the King of Norway Haakon. On the territory of almost 400 hectares there are species of animals traditional for Sweden - wolves, wolverines, mountain cows, Gotland sheep.
Also here you can meet exotic animals:
- red pandas;
- snow leopards;
- leopards;
- Amur tigers;
- horses Przewalski.
In addition, the zoo is home to many birds, including parrots. To watch them, it is advisable to take your binoculars with you. Most inhabitants can be seen while walking around the zoo - the length of the "walking trail" is 3 km. Quarantine zones and breeding sites are in secluded corners, there is no access for tourists.
Animals in the zoo can not only see, but also help the zoo's minions feed them, as well as go to the zoo's kitchen and find out what their inhabitants eat.
Infrastructure
There is a cafe and a restaurant on the territory of the zoo. The cafe is open from 10:00 to 17:00, the restaurant is open from 11:30 to 3:00. To light fires in the territory is prohibited, but there are special areas for barbecue. In addition, the zoo has a hotel , next to which is the beach . There is also a boat station here.
How to get to the zoo?
From Stockholm to Nordens Arc, the fastest way to get there is as follows. First you need to fly to Trollhattan (the flight will take 1 hour, direct flights fly 4 times a day), and from there you can get there by car (by E6 - for 1 hour 10 minutes or by road number 44, then by E6 - for 1 hour hour) or by bus number 860 - for 1 hour 35 minutes.
You can get from the Swedish capital and by car; go on the highway E20, and then on the road number 44 to E6 and along it to the destination. The entire journey will take approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes.
By public transport , you can also get to the zoo: by train from the Central Station, go to Gothenburg Central Station, go to Nils Erickson Terminal Bus stop and take the number 841 bus to the stop Torp Terminal (4 stops, about 1 hour 10 min.) , there take the bus number 860, and after 40 minutes (25 stops) get off at the zoo.
The zoo is open all year round. In summer, the tour price includes an excursion .