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Blue-and-Gold Macaw
Our experience with keeping and breeding Blue-and-Gold Macaws.
Read moreA day at Loro Parque – zoo or embassy?
It’s often referred to as the “Animal Embassy”, because the mission here goes far beyond entertainment: there is a strong focus on conservation, research, and education. The park is located on Tenerife, in the city of Puerto de la Cruz.
As we entered the park, we were greeted by a Thai-style building complex with a lake behind it, full of koi carp. Huge bamboo stalks leaned over the water. From the entrance you can head in two directions, and you can also request multilingual guided tours here.
We went left. This is where the hospital and the lab are located; their walls are made of glass, so you can get a small glimpse behind the scenes. Along the paths, soft and gentle music played, which made the walk even more atmospheric. In several places the parrots were kept in mixed aviaries, mostly with closely related species.
Some highlights we especially enjoyed:
Katandra Treetops – Australia & Oceania aviary
The Katandra treetop walk is one of the most spectacular areas in the park. We walked along suspended bridges and elevated walkways built among the tree canopies—the highest point of the structure is 27 meters. Beneath the trees there’s a lake full of fish, and we even spotted herons.
At several points along the canopy walk, food is placed out for the parrots, so the birds can be observed up close. We could watch them in a truly natural setting—for example, in multiple places we saw birds carving nest cavities into palm trunks. Different types of food were set out at the feeding stations, so the species that showed up also varied from spot to spot.
Macaw Aviary – South American macaw aviary
The macaw aviary is 30 meters long and 12 meters wide (a total footprint of 360 m²), and 6 meters high. You can find almost every macaw species here. The layout is carefully designed: there’s a waterfall to help maintain the high humidity typical of tropical rainforests, and the “jungle feel” is enhanced with a variety of live plants.
Moving on, you can see the breeding pairs. They are spaced far enough apart, with palm trees, ficus, and climbing plants between them—often blending into the surroundings. Most aviaries start higher than walkway level, so the birds are naturally further from visitors, even though the enclosures themselves are large.
Coral Kingdom
Coral Kingdom is a snapshot of an Indo-Pacific reef ecosystem. Behind the visuals there is, in reality, a complex and stabilized seawater system in which corals and reef fish form a functioning community together. The scale is impressive: the reef can be observed through an almost 40-meter panoramic viewing area, in hundreds of thousands of liters of seawater, with thousands of corals and around ten thousand fish.
The concept is not simply “an aquarium”, but to let visitors see an entire reef community at once—and to make it easier to understand why coral reefs are so fragile, and why their protection is critical.
Planet Penguin
Planet Penguin recreates an Antarctic environment. According to the park’s own description, they produce nearly 12 tons of snow per day, which falls into the penguin habitat at multiple points. Temperature and lighting are adjusted to mimic seasonal Antarctic conditions for the penguins.
Species visible: rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes spp.), king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus).
AquaViva
The exhibition aims to showcase jellyfish, which live in every ocean on Earth—from the coldest waters to the warmest—and, of course, also in the waters around the Canary Islands.
The jellyfish on display are bred at the park, which can provide researchers with useful information and help us better understand these animals.
More than nine species can be seen, including: Phyllorhiza punctata, Sanderia malayensis, Chrysaora achlyos, Chrysaora colorata, Chrysaora pacifica, Rhizostoma pulmo, Pelagia noctiluca, Phacellophora camtschatica, Aurelia aurita.
Dolphin and orca shows
The orca and dolphin presentations are the most divisive part of Loro Parque. During the show, the role of conservation and rescue was emphasized several times, and the park’s foundation presents specific rescue protocols for stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands, along with support for conservation projects and grant funding.
At the same time, debate is growing worldwide about how well captive dolphin and orca shows align with modern animal welfare principles. As viewers, this was our feeling: this topic shouldn’t be “avoided”, but handled responsibly—and if we’re already there, attention should be redirected to protecting real habitats in the wild, reducing marine pollution, and supporting rescue and rehabilitation work.
The animals presented are captive-born or rescued individuals. Morgan is the only wild-born orca: in 2010 she was found emaciated and in trouble in the Dutch Wadden Sea, and Dutch authorities classified her as “non-releasable” before she was transferred to the park. During their care, they also play an important role in various research projects.
According to Loro Parque Fundación’s communication, around 50–60 cetacean strandings occur each year in the Canary Islands, and there is a dedicated rescue unit that treats stranded animals and then attempts to return them to the sea (they also mention reunification with the “family/group” as a goal). It is also stated that rescued animals are often taken to a suitable pool for 24–72 hours of observation when their condition requires it.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic, it’s worth looking at Loro Parque Fundación’s rescue and support programs.
Summary
It’s clear throughout the park that animal welfare is the primary priority in the way the animals are housed. There are countless fantastic, clever solutions. Since our previous visit, the park has changed a lot: in several places, areas were redesigned so visitors can actually walk into the bird aviaries.
Of course, these aviaries are carefully planned, and the birds still have plenty of calm, undisturbed space. The big cat enclosures capture the feel of their habitats: lush vegetation, running water, and a natural atmosphere. And in the parrot aviaries, realistic rockwork backdrops make both the scenery and the environment feel even more natural.
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