Patagonia is in the southernmost part of South America and straddles the borders of Argentina and Chile. Its magnificent landscapes provide a home for a rich biodiversity, from the rocky coasts of the Andes to the vast desert plains of the steppe.
The Patagonia biozone covers an area over 16,500 m² in the Parc Zoologique de Paris and represents 3 types of habitat - the Pampas, the rocky coasts and the Andean forest.
The Pampas
The Pampas or Patagonian steppe, with its low-level vegetation and bleak hues, is home to Darwin’s rhea, a relative of the ostrich, the mara or Patagonian hare, and the guanaco, the cousin of the llama.
The rocky coasts
The South American sea-lions bask on the rocks in the Patagonian biozone while the Humboldt penguins dive in and out of a neighbouring pool. As well as watching the sea-lions in the pool from above, you can also get up close and view their underwater antics through glass walls.
The Andean forest
The re-creation of the Andean forest in this biozone is home to pumas and pudus of the Andes. Native to Chile, the Andean pudu is the smallest member of the deer family and its diminutive size, with a shoulder height of 40 cm, allows it to thread its way through the dense forest vegetation.
Les animaux de la Patagonia biozone
In the Patagonia biozone, your journey takes you through the pampa, the coast and to the Andean forest where you meet the South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), the Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), the Darwin's rheas (Rhea pennata), the pumas (Puma concolor puma) or the Andean pudus (Pudu puda).
