İzmir Wildlife Park

The İzmir Doğal Yaşam Parkı opened at Sasalı in 2008 when the old city-centre zoo was closed and its animals moved out to a much larger site on the flat ground near the Gediz delta. It covers well over a square kilometre, laid out by continent - African savannah with giraffe, zebra and rhino in large open paddocks, an Asian section, big cats, primates - and it makes a point of enclosure size rather than animal numbers, which is the main difference from the cramped municipal zoos elsewhere. Because it sits beside the delta wetlands there are substantial aviaries and pools with pelicans, flamingos and waterfowl, and wild birds use the site as well. Distances between sections are long and there is a shuttle. It is aimed at İzmir families rather than tourists, prices are municipal rather than commercial, and weekday mornings outside term holidays are close to empty.

What you actually see

• The savannah paddocks - giraffe, zebra and rhino in open ground.
• The wetland aviaries - pelicans, flamingos and waterfowl.
• The big-cat and primate sections - the main enclosure groups.
• The delta setting - the Gediz wetlands beside the park.

When to go

April to June and September to October - the site is flat, open and brutally hot in July and August. Weekday mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

It is large and involves a lot of walking with limited shade; use the shuttle. It is well outside the city with a long bus ride. Standards vary between sections, as at any zoo.

Nearby

The Gediz delta and its flamingo lagoons are adjacent; central İzmir is about 30 minutes south.