reserve zoologique de calviac

We were very lucky to arrive just before the guided tour (2.30pm), which is also feeding time for the animals! the tour was in french (to be expected!!) but we were very happy just following. As it was feeding time too, the lady that was doing the tour had all the food for the animals which obviously meant they came out of hiding! the lemurs are fantastic and are literally right in front of you as you can walk around inside their enclosure (as with some of the other animals) and they certainly werent shy.they definitely have some animals that you wouldnt usually encounter but dont expect any elephants or zebras.the zoo is set on the side of a hill so expect a few steep hills - i didnt see any children in buggies - the ground didnt look very suitable but you dont have to walk too far.

Takes around one and a half hours to walk through. Some unusual animals but difficult to see some of them (you are warned to be patient but easier said than done with two young children!). No large animals (again which they are upfront about before you go in). I would recommend going for a short trip only because it's quite cheap and good value for that money. The capybara's were quite funny! You really need to leave pushchairs at entrance as terrain not suitable so be prepared to carry young children if necessary!

This zoo doesn't have big animals like elephants or superstars like pandas. It has small interesting unusual animals some of which you encounter without barriers. The enclosures are big but visible from more than one direction so mostly they can't hide too well. The reserve is in a forest setting making for a pleasant stroll from one area to the next.

This is a real gem of the the zoo world. It's not big - a visit will only take around 1 1/2 hours, but it's well worth it. The zoo specialises in some rarely seen animals, and is set in lovely wooded hills. It is open until 8pm in the summer so I'd recommend going later in the day. We went after 6 and we had the place virtually to ourselves, and at that time the animals were much more active than they would have been in the earlier heat. There is a walk-through lemur enclosure where you can get really close up to those wonderful animals. The staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and clearly have a real passion for the zoo and their conservation work. I can't recommend this place highly enough.

Great but be warned its build on a very steep hill side and is extremely difficult with small children. We spent an hour there and the Lemurs were the highlight. It was fantastic to be able to walk through the aviary with them. Really good to see the work being done to help protect endangered animals. Word of warning, make sure you use plenty of mosquito repellent as we didn't and got eaten alive which kind of spoilt it.

You follow a 1.5 km long path through some animal cages and along a lot of others. Some animals were impossible to spot when we visited (morning) and there were A LOT of mosquito's. But the funny little monkeys who came sitting on our stroller and the beautifull wolves made up for all of that. Our 1.5 year old absolutely loved it. Very nice place, the people who own it seem to really have a heart for their animals.

It was worth a 4hr drive (2hr each way) not only to watch the (rare) animals (such as the baby wolverine, the mink and the tapir) but also to learn about the site's conservation projects (with partners in Madagascar and other countries). The way the zoological park is so well integrated in the forest is a real success too. As one of the reviewers noted, there were lots of mosquitoes -- but this is unavoidable in such areas, with little ponds -- this is part of nature, really, so how can complain about it? Practical info: the visit (at a leisurely pace, spending time to observe animals etc) takes 1h30 (as noted on the website itself). There is a pleasant little cafe at the entrance/exit. No need for a hat, as most of the paths are in the shade. Photos allowed, so do take your camera.

A collection of fascinating and endangered animals in beautiful surroundings. A chance to get very close to many of them. Not large but well worth the time. I especially enjoyed watching a fossa climbing through trees only a few metres away.It also has the most beautiful entry building I have ever seen at a zoo. Dedicated to conservation - make sure you vote for the conservation project you want supported when you leave. They also offer a discount if you arrive by bus or bike. Well worth a visit.

I visited the reserve with my husband and 6 year old daughter today and have to say this has been one of the best if not the best animal parks I have ever been too. There may not be lions, tigers etc, but there are animals I have never heard of and you get so close to them. I cannot believe the last persons review as this was a completely different experience to that we had today. We did get to the park when it opened at 9.30 and it may be that the animals are livelier at this time before the heat kicks in. You could run around the park in 30 minutes, if you dont stop to read the information and take the time to look for the animals and appreciate them up close and without bars, but we were there for 2 hours and i could have spent all day in the lemur enclosure! It is clear that the people that run the park are passionate about the animals and their preservation and it is definitely worth a visit, moreso than the animal park at gramat and reptiland, which are very unimpressive in comparison to the reserve.

Visited here today we were in and out in under an hour. We were constantly bitten by Mosquitos and I would not go back if someone else was paying.

We visited the Reserve Zoologique de Calviac on a day trip visiting some of the attractions around Sarlat, in the Dordogne region of France. This lovely reserve is only 10 kms from Sarlat, on the road to Souillac. When you walk up the steep path to the reserve, you get the impression that the reserve is very natural, which it is. When you arrive at the entry, there is a sign advising that the reserve is not a place for "site consumers" i.e. it is not a zoo where animals are on display. This is a reserve giving sanctuary to endangered species of animals from around the world. They may or may not come out to see you when you are there. However, we saw all the animals at the sanctuary except the minks. In case there are any non-animal lovers reading this, there was some pretty strong security around the mink enclosure. The entry fees go to help preserve these species in their own environments. The reserve consists of a number of enclosures, all of which are very natural. The enclosure for the monkeys is fascinating. You walk into their enclosure and you are right there amongst them. To be honest, I was a bit frightened and left the area to photograph them from just outside the gate to their enclosure but my husband stayed in with them and got some amazing close up photos. Despite being curious about him, they did not reach out to touch him, and you were requested not to do the same, which we respected. This is a very natural and undeveloped reserve. It seems to fit right in with the amazing animals they have. There is ample off road parking at the Reserve, which is right on the main route between Sarlat and Souillac. The entry fee is 8.50 Euro for adults. They take Visa and Mastercard. There is a tiny cafe area (very basic, i.e. ice creams from the freezer, bottled water) and toilets. English is spoken and the labels on the animal's enclosures are also in English as well as French. It is open 10am - 7pm May, June and September and from 9.30am in July and August. Their latest brochure as of September 2011 states that they are open 10am - 6pm 1 Oct - 14 Nov and 1.30pm - 5.00pm from 15 Nov through to 1 April. We spent 90 minutes there, which seemed like a comfortable time to do this in.

Pour ceux qui veulent juste prendre des photos pour fanfaronner sur les réseaux sociaux, mieux vaut aller dans les grands zoos. Cette réserve est très agréable à visiter et instructive pour petits et grands. Elle nécessite de prendre son temps, et d'observer attentivement les enclos pour admirer les animaux, d'espèces menacées. Pas de béton, des rencontres dans les allées avec des singes farceurs et des humains parfois très idiots (comme ceux qui n'ont toujours pas compris qu'on ne donne pas des chips et des gâteaux aux animaux). Enfin une petite boutique aussi sympa que l'accueil du patron qui parle volontiers de sa passion. Le prix peut paraître élevé à ceux qui oublient que l'argent versé sert aussi à la sauvegarde des espèces dans leur habitat naturel.

Une visite très agréable, avec des animaux peu communs, qui se cachent pour certains mais qu'on finit toujours par apercevoir. J'ai beaucoup apprécié la proximité avec certains animaux.Je recommande vivement d'aller visiter ce parc, avec en bonus un accueil chaleureux et à la fin la possibilité de remettre son billet à une cause (une partie du billet est reversé à une race d'animale en voie d'extinction, désolée je m'explique mal mais allez sur place vous verrez par vous-même!), billet d'ailleurs quant à lui peu cher. Vraiment merci à vous pour ce parc, très belle découverte!

Un concept différent de visite. Les animaux pour certains dans la nature, à nos côtés, parfois aussi difficiles à apercevoir, mais globalement très sympa et enrichissant. Une belle balade pour parents en enfants qui sort de l'ordinaire des zoos traditionnels.

Bonjour,Je recommande fortement cette réserve qui est magnifique. Le parcours est de plus trés instructif et nous invite à réflechir sur les menaces qui pésent sur la biodiversité. Le cadre est par ailleurs trés agrèable. Je tiens également à souligner la qualité de l'accueil dans cette réserve qu'il s'agisse du fondateur M. Mouton ou des employés. Je les félicite pour le travail effectué.