Le Cornelle wildlife park: the animal kingdom in 12 hectares
2 minutes
The Le Cornelle wildlife park, in a 12-hectare area on the outskirts of Bergamo, is home to around a hundred animal species including mammals, reptiles and birds from various parts of the world.
The park, which has been open since 1981, can easily be visited on foot with a walk through the reconstructions of the various habitats that also house tigers, elephants, kangaroos, leopards, giant tortoises, a tropical forest and a reptile house.
Through research projects and reintegration into natural habitats, the park also collaborates on animal protection policies.
A Journey Between Continents
For more than forty years in the Valbrembana, the Le Cornelle park has made it possible to travel between continents to see various endangered animal species up close, some of which are not very well known, thanks to the low fences.
There is the bat-eared fox, an African canid; the potamoceros, an African relative of our wild boar; the Argentine mara, a rodent; and the Manchurian crane, one of the most endangered species of the Gruidae family.
Animals of the savannah include lions, various types of antelopes, the rare snow leopard and black leopard, the white tiger, cheetahs, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, white rhinoceroses, elephants and many more.
The oasis of Aldabra
Turtle lovers can see the giant turtles of the Seychelles (Indian Ocean), especially those that have survived on the island of Aldabra, one of the largest coral atolls in the world, far away from the rest of the archipelago, one of the most remote and wild places on the planet.
Approaching these gigantic land creatures – the male can weigh up to 200 kg – one discovers that their presence is crucial for the survival of the natural environment in which they live: for example, in Aldabra, there are endemic plant species whose seeds only germinate after the turtles have ingested them and passed through their digestive system.
The tortoises of Aldabra teach us how everything in nature is connected in a delicate balance to be preserved.
The tropical forest and the reptile house
In the tropical jungle, between stretches of water and vegetation, where you can walk on a footbridge, live flamingos, cranes, storks, pelicans, muntiacus (small Asian deer), alligators and crocodiles
In the five showcases of the reptile house, one can admire the rare rhinoceros iguana, the rock lizard and various pythons.
Visiting le Cornelle Park
Le Cornelle Park offers schools and groups guided tours with workshops for children of various ages. There is also a small hotel housed in an early 20th century Art Nouveau villa.
