Education and Entertainment at Bester Zoo Park
Located in the picturesque, jacaranda-clad suburb of Willow Glen, Pretoria, Bester Birds & Animals Zoo Park is an attraction that the entire family is sure to enjoy. The petting zoo gives the little ones a hands-on farmyard experience, while the diverse collection of animals and birds is both entertaining and educational. Owner Mike Bester had long had the goal of opening his own zoological garden where families could gather in tranquil surroundings and spend time getting to know some of the world’s most fascinating animals, and visitors to the park will soon see that his goal has been reached. The zoo park has all the facilities for the comfort and convenience of visitors, and offers a fun venue for special occasions such as kiddies’ birthday parties.
With the focus on giving the animals the best care possible and a comfortable place to live, Bester imported a range of animals from zoos all over the world. The furry members of the zoo include the cottontop tamarin – a small monkey found in tropical forests of Central and South America and considered critically endangered by the IUCN – as well as squirrel monkeys and spider monkeys. Spotted hyena, striped hyena, Kaapse grysbok, Cape porcupine, red duiker, grey duiker, blue duiker, brown lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs are also found at the zoo. Servals, and fossas – a cat-like mammal endemic to Madagasgar – African wild cat, caracal, leopard cat, fishing cats, pumas and Geoffroy’s cats are among the feline residents.
Reptiles include yellow anaconda, green anaconda, water monitor, leopard tortoise, Nile crocodile, iguana and red-tail boa. There are more than 80 species of birds at the Bester Birds & Animals Zoo Park, including several species of duck, owls, cranes, cockatoos, ibis, starlings, waxbills, pelicans, swans, doves and pigeons.
Bester Birds & Animals Zoo Park is a member of PAAZAB – the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria. This non-profit association was formed in 1989 at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria and has as its mission “Conservation Through Cooperation”. The association upholds the standards of supportive environments for the welfare and safety of the animals, personnel and the public. PAAZAB currently has a total of seventy members in twelve African countries.