La Flèche zoo, an exotic family adventure
In the Sarthe, take your children on an escape to La Flèche zoo! This emblematic animal park works to protect biodiversity while dazzling its visitors. Its 18 hectares are home to 1,500 animals from 160 species for you to admire.
Located in La Flèche, 45 minutes by car from Angers or Le Mans, La Flèche zoo is a short drive from Paris; in 2 ½ hours by car, you are transported to an Asian landscape, icy lands, the kingdom of the white tigers or the island of lemurs, a tropical forest – a tour of the animal world in the heart of the Sarthe!
Guided by the principle that knowledge of the natural world is vital to its preservation, the zoo encourages interaction from children and adults alike by promoting interest and curiosity. The daily educational activities on offer are an opportunity to learn how some of the park’s animals live, including sea lions, elephants and birds.
Become a keeper for the day at La Flèche zoo
Does your child dream of experiencing the life of a zookeeper like in the TV series “Une saison au zoo”, which catapulted this animal park in the heart of the Atlantic Loire Valley to fame?
At La Flèche zoo, you can spend 3 ½ hours alongside keepers to learn about this unique and fascinating job. Through this immersive experience, you’ll find out about the day-to-day life of a zookeeper, the animals they look after and little-known facts from behind the scenes at La Flèche zoo.
When booking, choose the two groups of animals you’d like to learn about from the following 6 combinations:
- Carnivores and Herbivores
- Carnivores and Reptiles
- Carnivores and Primates
- Carnivores and Birds
- Primates and Herbivores
- Primates and Birds
Each session is unique, as the programme is tailor-made by the zookeepers according to the animals’ needs!
Good to know: the activity is available to children aged 8 and over. For safety reasons, children aged between 8 and 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult. One paying adult can accompany a maximum of 3 children for any one session. Each session is formed of 4 people plus a guide. Entry to La Flèche zoo is included in your “Keeper for a Day” activity.
A family sleepover at the Safari Lodge
After spending the day with the animals, keep the fun going with an incredible night in a unique setting: a lodge inside the zoo! You can choose where you’d like to cosy up for this one-of-a-kind experience: sleep opposite the lemurs, the African lions, the Sumatran tigers, the Arctic wolves...
In a private and luxurious setting that combines modern comforts with the charm of exquisite themed decoration, each lodge has large panoramic bay windows for a unique and magical face-to-face experience with beautiful wild animals.
To make the most of this unique experience, you’ll be able to explore the park for an extra hour after it closes to the public and, after your night in the lodge, for another hour before it opens. What a privilege to see the animals in a different light!
After breakfast in your lodge, the educational guides will take you on a tour of the park’s emblematic areas. You’ll find out more about how these animals live and learn about what it means to run a zoo. Then you’ll head for Nosy Komba where it’s snack-time for the lemurs, a species endemic to Madagascar.
Having been completely transported by this experience at La Flèche zoo, enjoy a pleasant addition to your stay in the Sarthe with a visit to the Château du Lude or the Apothicairerie de Baugé, for example.