Visiting Zoos might be a cool thing for most of us, but when you make your way to a place where not only that you are closer to the wildlife but also get to feed the animals, is definitely next level!

I bet we all love animals.
Even if not all animals are our favorites since quite a lot of people are scared by snakes, tarantulas, and other creatures, in the end, we all share something in common - our love for animals.
It's true that getting a pet is not something hard but then there are always the two categories of people who refuse to have a pet if they live in a tiny apartment which could make the animal feel constrained by the four walls surrounding him, while the other category of people doesn't think too much about those aspects.
And then there comes the question "How can we get closer to animals without forcing them to adapt to our lives and daily routines?"
Perhaps the most common answer would be "Visiting a Zoo", even though there are other resorts dedicated to animals as well but which are not so easy to be reached by tourists.
It's true that not for a few times I've been to different Zoos from more parts of the country and Europe, but as much as I hate seeing animals being locked in cages, equally, we can all agree that it's a crazy experience being so close to predators and other animals that you don't see every day.

However, I always end up with the same question: "Where everything started?" - because I can't figure out how someone set up this trend of capturing animals from all over the world and bringing them in cages for the fun of tourists who are just passing by, taking a few pictures, and then leaving, without caring too much about what these animals feel and how well they are taken care of.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Anyway, while I can debate this subject for a long time because there are lots of mixed feelings that are trying me when I think about Zoos, the single good part in everything is when I manage to reach a place where the animals enjoy a big surface to call home and are nicely taken care of.

I won't lie in saying that Parcul de agrement „Moara de vânt” was always like that because the truth will always count more than just promoting a less-known place of Romania. And just one year before visiting this place, the feedback left by people on all the social media channels of this place were complaints that the animals are always hungry, don't have fresh water, and that they even found dead parrots among other birds, which disgusted me the most.

Happily, things seem like getting back on track and when we visited the leisure park which is sort of a Zoo too, we didn't get to see any of the things mentioned above. Though, a quite unique thing about this place is that visitors are allowed to feed the animals which is a good thing for the animals but which shouldn't be ever regarded as being "enough" considering that there are over 400 animals and no matter how much food you bring, you will never be able to feed them all.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

We visited Parcul de agrement „Moara de vânt” almost one year ago and back then there were just two other families who were exploring this place - a thing that perhaps was caused by the cold and bad weather conditions. But as I always hate walking in crowded places, I was happy to take as much time as I wanted to spend with the animals and try to feed as many as possible.

It's true that you won't get to see bears, lions, tigers, wolves, or any other imposing animals that represent the main attractions of the Zoos because the leisure park from Cluj county is focused more on deer, goats, rodents, birds, lamas, camels, and other species that have most of the food in common. For example, the corn grains which we also used to feed them.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Anyway, while I can't complain about the spaces allocated to the mammals because they seemed quite big, unfortunately, I can't say the same about the little house built for the birds and some tiny animals which represent a common problem for the usual Zoos as well. It's true that we are talking about small animals, but if they are small, that doesn't mean they don't need more space so they can fly or enjoy their daily activities.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Not to mention that most of these animals were always gathering close to the exit when someone was coming by, perhaps with the hope that they will be set free. It's really sad to see all these aspects, no matter how nicely the whole presentation sounds, because there are some parrots who are speaking with tourists and even saying "Hello!" every time someone enters the house. But as soon as people leave, they are still locked down without the possibility of flying, digging, climbing, or doing whatever they usually do.

After we've seen the birds and the other animals kept in the warm building, we returned outside to explore the rest of the leisure park, making sure not to miss anything and keep some food for all species met.
While we've seen most of the animals either during our trips or in other Zoos, the surprise came from staying just a few centimeters away from camels which are really huge, as well as the Nosy bears.
Not for a few times I've got to see bears during my journeys in Romania which is well known as having the biggest population of bears and wolves in Europe, so I thought that I won't be surprised anymore when I get to see a bear.
But then I figured out that I was wrong because even though we are talking about bears, they have quite a few species and these are not limited to the specific size we are all used with, namely, each animal to weigh a few hundred of kilograms.
That's how we've got to meet a tiny bear with a long nose that lives around 7 years and weighs just 2-8 kg. They are also omnivores and don't represent an aggressive animal, but rather one of these species where you can easily slip your hand through the fence to feed and caress them.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Another unique thing discovered in this place that I haven't seen in other similar places or even Zoos was the little "corner" dedicated to the kids, which comes with lots of suspended trails between the trees which I'd love to try one day. This place is also pretty close to the area allocated for deer and stags which are very friendly letting you caress them even if you don't bring any food with you.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

After you pass the amusement park dedicated to children, there is a long path that you need to follow which will lead you to the exit of the Zoo, but not before seeing a few more animals too. Happily, this path is surrounded by impressively big surfaces entirely dedicated to mammals, which could only make me smile thinking that at least some of the animals kept there, can get closer to a normal living.

Anyway, in case you ever make it to this part of the world and don't have any food with you but would still enjoy letting the animals eat from your palm, don't worry. Because you can purchase buckets with food from the place you buy your visiting ticket without paying a lot for it.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Parcul de agrement „Moara de vânt” is located in Sălicea, Cluj county, and it can be easily accessed by driving on the A1 highway until you reach Turda, then get on the European road E81 when you pass Feleacu, and then make your way to the left, on a normal road, that will lead you to destination. From here you will also start seeing road signs with the name of the park/zoo.

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT TRIP! 🗾

All rights reserved.

FIND ME ON:
↪ Blog: http://gabrielastravels.wordpress.com/
↪ Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/gabrielatv/
↪ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GabrielaTravels
↪ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GabrielaTravels/
↪ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gabrielastravels/
↪ Discord: GabrielaTravels#0104
↪ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielaistraveling/
↪ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrielaTravels
↪ PayPal/Contact: gabriela.valceanu19@gmail.com