Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Beauval ZooPark was founded in 1980 by Françoise Delord, a former actress passionate about ornithology. Originally, it was a bird park with 1,500 birds before becoming a generalist zoo in 1989 with the arrival of the first mammals. The acquisition of white tigers in 1991, a first in France, marked a turning point in attracting 150,000 visitors that year, compared with 70,000 earlier.

In the 1990s, the park expanded with tropical greenhouses (big monkeys, birds) and sea lion shows. The white lions, which arrived in 1999, have strengthened its reputation. The 2000s saw the introduction of iconic species such as koalas (2002), elephants from Africa (2003), and okapis (2005), as well as innovations such as the first birth of an elephant by artificial insemination in France (2012).

In 2012, the arrival of the giant Yuan Zi and Huan Huan pandas, lent by China, marked a historic milestone, followed in 2017 by the birth of the first giant panda in France, Yuan Meng. The park also developed major infrastructure such as the Equatorial dome (2020), Europe's largest aviary (2023), and thematic accommodations (three* hotels inspired by China, Africa, etc.).

Beauval is actively involved in ex situ conservation (coordination of 3 European programmes for endangered species) and in situ through its Beauval Nature association, which finances reintroductions of species in Africa (Grévy zebras, gorillas) and Asia. The park is also a pioneer in sustainable energy with a methanization unit (2014) fed by organic waste from the site.

Economically, Beauval increased from 149,000 visitors in 1991 to nearly 2 million in 2023, becoming the most frequented tourist site in the Centre-Val de Loire. Headed today by Rodolphe Delord (son of the founder), he employs 610 permanent employees and generates a turnover of 104 million euros (2022).

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