The Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park

A firm favourite with families, the Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park offers residents of the city the chance to see some of our native animal species. Initially created to familiarise the urban population with the region’s wildlife, it now contributes to the conservation of heritage species.

The Bois-de-la-Bâtie is much loved for its animal park covering approximately 2.5 hectares, open free of charge every day. Dogs are prohibited.

Familiarising the population with the region’s wildlife

The Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park enables visitors to observe numerous species of regional wildlife or farm animals all year round. The park is particularly popular with families in spring time, when the park’s residents give birth to a number of babies. Several picture galleries of these new arrivals can be consulted at the bottom of the page.

Conservation of endangered species

The Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park participates in the conservation projects for endangered species conducted by the ProSpecieRara foundation. It is home to old, endangered breeds of Swiss animals which are part of our heritage:

Index of the park’s résidents

The different enclosures offer the public the chance to observe almost 300 specimens of native animals on an estate covering around 2.5 hectares. In the index displayed below, you can find a brief presentation of the animals living in the park:

consult the index of animals in the Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park.

Useful information for your visit

The Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park is open to the public, but dogs are prohibited.

Opening times

The animal park is open every day, free of charge, during the following times:

November to March: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.;
April to October: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Duration of the visit

With curious children, you should count about one hour when visiting the animal park. Informative brochures provide the public with detailed information about the park’s inhabitants, in particular the ProSpecieRara breeds which are threatened by extinction.

Access

The Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park is accessible by public transport:
Bus line 2 and 19, Clair-Vue stop

History of the animal park

The current Bois-de-la-Bâtie animal park was created at the initiative of a gardener called Maréchal who, in 1945, began taking in wounded animals from around the region and housing them in temporary shelters. Seeing the enthusiastic reaction of its inhabitants, the City of Geneva created an animal park in 1982 with a view to familiarising city-dwellers with local wildlife.