Four Exotic Animal Parks Near The Lake Balaton

Balaton is opened, the temperature is rising and maybe we can say goodbye to the spring cyclones. The close summer gives us more reasons to go to the lake. For example, we can glance at wallowing buffalos, go on a safari tour or look at growling crocodiles.

The park of the unmoving crocodiles

Although it is not an interactive Tropicarium, it is a fact that the Krokodilzoo of Balatonszárszó is the only place in the country where we can see 10 species of crocodiles at the same time. Starting with the 40 cms long baby crocodile to the 4 meters long salt water crocodile there are animals in every possible size, and every one of those is hiding at the bottom of separated concrete pools. Beside crocodiles, snakes and exotic reptiles reside in the zoo as well as famous common snapping turtles.

In the 1300 square meters of the zoo we can find colourful and quite light coloured animals from all around the world. The latters, similarly to albino animals, can only live in zoos as their different colours would cause them more dangers in their natural habitats than to the traditionally coloured ones; additionally, animals from their specie might outcast them – stated on the site of the zoo.

Also, because these crocodiles are not only dangerous to each other, visitors can only view the crocodiles eating the meat in moments during public feedings from behind a wide glass wall. It is advised to visit the park in the early evening hours because crocodiles only start to move, swim and growl to each other that time.

Krokodil Zoo (http://www.krokodilzoo.hu/index.html)
Address: Balatonszárszó, Szemesi út 5.
Summer opening: in May 10:00-17:00, from June 9:00-20:00
Tickets: 1500 HUF for children, students and retired people, 2000 HUF for adults

Africa museum (Afrikamúzeum): the museum of the white hunter

If we are looking the mood of Africa without the heat, we should do that in the Africa museum in Balatoederics. It was founded by Endre Nagy, the famous Africa researcher, who settled down in Tansania in 1958 after his 3rd research trip and worked as a collector and caught animals for zoos and museums. As the decades passed he became the most known white hunter of the country. When he returned in 1984, his hunting collection was so enormous that it covered every square meter of his mansion in Balatoedecser. Since then, the land serves as museum, teeming with living, exotic animals.

We can find there aboriginal tools, weapons, bunch of trophies, we can take a look at the inside of a masai hut, ride a camel or pony and there is even a plastic rodeo bull for those who are full of energy. While the parents discover the secrets of the water pipe in the teahouse, a jumping castle, a mini jungle with and adventure path and a small African zoo with bathing buffalos, zebras shooing away flies with their tails and some handsome camels await the children. Near to the museum, in the heart of the forest, deers and roes live in their natural habitat in a fenced area.