Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Drenthe
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Drenthe that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Dierenpark Emmen
Zoo in Emmen
Thirteen elephants were on site in 2011, others having been sent elsewhere. The elephants had a large moated island for cows and calves, a smaller one for the bull, and underground indoor quarters.
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Wildlands
Zoo in Emmen
It replaced the Emmen Zoo when it opened in March 2016, at a construction cost of 200 million euros. The reorganisation brought larger grounds but a smaller collection, down from 300 species to about 100; a 2018 count put the number of animal types at 80 or more. Four zones make up the park: Jungola, Serenga, Nortica and Animazia.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 3 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.