Oradea Zoo

The Oradea Zoo means a lot to me. Even before I applied to the Partium Christian University, my family and I used to travel there from Arad almost every year just to explore it all over again. I remember the first time they took me there; I was five years old. We all love animals at home, so it was not up for debate whether we would visit or not in the coming years. Every time we visited, I could feel the energy of the place and joy flowing through my whole body.

The laughter, the time spent with my family, feeding the animals, and everything that happened in the two or three hours we were there are all very dear memories of mine. We were never in a hurry; we did not want to miss anything. Even though we always had to catch the train home, we did not leave the zoo until we had seen everything. I remember my parents having to wait quite a long for me when we got to the bears because I would not leave until they left their enclosure, and I could see them. There were times when I was successful, but also times when I, unfortunately, was not able to see them.

I visited the zoo again this year, and I had a lot of experiences that I will probably never forget. The meerkats had been my favourite animals for years, and I had never thought that would ever change; but the unbelievable happened since the last time I was there: arctic wolves have been brought to the zoo. I was afraid to go near their cage because I did not know how they would behave, but when I saw them, I was pleasantly surprised to see how beautiful they were. I knew that all animals have not only a wild side, but also a sympathetic one, but I was not sure about them. Not only that, but I was surprised that as soon as I got closer to them, they started howling and jumping up and down because they were extremely happy to see people. It was a wonderful experience.

Oradea Zoo was founded in 1960. Since then, it has undergone renovations and is now one of the most modern zoos in Romania. You do not have to lose your way around the city to find it either, as it is located very close to the city centre. Inside its premises, you can admire not only the animals but also the facility itself, which has everything you could need, from a playground to a souvenir shop. Above all, the animals are the most important, but the establishment also serves other needs of visitors.

No matter where fate takes me, one thing I am sure of: if I can, I will visit the Oradea Zoo often!

By Viktória Andó

Photos: Tamás Petrus and Tamás Orosz

 

forrás: en.partium.ro