On the occasion of the 39th International Museum Day on May 22, we would like to introduce you to the Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum. It is not only a zoo but also an institution that provides a huge fossil collection to learn from.

 

Our city has a lot more to offer than the (in-)famous Bermuda3Eck. Which should be known to foreigners after a maximum of two weeks around here.

The animal park Bochum gives everybody the opportunity to closely observe several species in four different areas, namely the aquarium, the terrarium, the North Sea world and the open air enclosures. The latter are harbouring alpacas, for example, which are usually native to the South American Andes. Alpaca mare Rosi recently gave birth to foal Heidi. Zoo director Ralf Slabik is pleased with the new young and aims at portraying the alpaca’s domestication as well as their actual use from a zoological-pedagogical perspective.

In addition to the living fauna, the animal park offers a huge collection of fossils. Ammonites – extinct animals that were ancestors of the so-called living fossils – act as a link to today’s flora and fauna. The main idea behind this concept is as simple as it is important: If you experience our biosphere as the result of a million-year-long process, you develop a deeper understanding of our highly sensitive ecosystems. Their maintenance and protection should become your priority.