Information
Landmark: Bouaké ZooCity: Bouake
Country: Cote d-Ivoire
Continent: Africa
Bouaké Zoo, Bouake, Cote d-Ivoire, Africa
Overview
Once a highlight of Côte d’Ivoire, the Bouaké Zoo sat in the heart of its second-largest city, where the air often carried the scent of red earth after rain.Its history and culture were woven into the city’s rise as a busy regional hub, bustling with markets and music, especially in the years before civil unrest broke out in 2002.Here’s a detailed look at its history, the slow decline, and where things stand now, plus a few possible alternatives.One.The zoo opened in the 20th century, probably in the post-independence boom of the 1960s and ’70s, when Bouaké bustled as a key hub for government offices and busy market streets.The place sat in the Kennedy district, easy to get to and woven seamlessly into the city's streets.The Bouaké Zoo once drew visitors with its West African wildlife-lions pacing in the sun, chattering chimpanzees, pygmy hippos wallowing in muddy pools, antelopes and gazelles darting through enclosures, plus crocodiles, snakes, monkeys, and bright-feathered parrots.It offered both learning and leisure for school groups, tourists, and locals, and stood as one of the rare public zoos in central Côte d’Ivoire.Step two is simple: vary the rhythm with a mix of short and medium-length sentences.One of the zoo’s most talked‑about residents was a chimp named “Mickey,” a local legend whose odd habit of puffing on cigarettes-leaning back like a man on a park bench-both delighted and unsettled the crowds.For the city, the zoo carried a symbolic weight, recalling days when Bouaké bustled peacefully, its streets lined with cafés and gardens, and its public spaces and cultural attractions rivaled those of Abidjan.Number three.When civil war erupted in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002, Bouaké turned into the rebels’ stronghold, its streets lined with soldiers and its markets empty as political chaos and economic collapse took hold.During that time, the zoo stood empty-its gates locked, leaves piling against the fence.safeNumber four.Today, the Bouaké Zoo stands deserted-a shell of its former self.Rust eats through the iron fences, walls sag where roofs have caved in, and the walkways lie buried beneath tangles of weeds and thorny brush.No animals are left now-every cage stands empty-and the place has fallen into neglect, with weeds pushing through the cracked paths where visitors once walked.Neglect has left the place without official status; now and then, people gather there for chats or casual activities, sometimes leaning against the chipped brick wall.Five.Local residents and the press keep urging the zoo’s restoration, pointing to its rich history and the lessons its old stone archways have offered generations.Articles and local campaigns have captured residents’ nostalgia for the old zoo, along with a push to revive worn city spaces so they can buzz again with young visitors and tourists.Still, no government funds have come through, and no national project has stepped in to breathe life back into the site’s weathered stone.Number six.About 40 kilometers northeast of Bouaké, the N’Zi River Lodge sits in the middle of an 8,000-hectare private reserve where warthogs root in the grass and antelopes dart through the trees.Visitors can join guided 4x4 or walking safaris, watch bright kingfishers along the riverbank, and stay in the lodge’s eco-friendly accommodations.The focus is on conservation, sustainable tourism, and supporting local communities-and it’s quickly becoming a favorite escape for tourists, expats, and Ivorians seeking nature.The Bouaké Zoo, once buzzing with families and school trips, now stands as a faded reminder of the city’s past wealth, undone by years of war and quiet neglect.Its story captures the upheaval that’s swept through Côte d’Ivoire during its political crises-like market stalls left deserted in the midday sun.There aren’t any immediate plans to bring it back, but people still hold out hope, imagining the day its gates swing open again.For now, the N’Zi River Lodge offers a vivid example of conservation done right, pairing modern comfort with eco-friendly practices for wildlife lovers just outside Bouaké, where you might wake to the rustle of monkeys in the trees.
