Parc des Félins opened its doors in Lumigny, in the heart of the Brie region, on October 14, 2006, but its story began long before that. In 1998, under the impetus of Patrick and Thierry Jardin (both co-founders of the CERZA park in Lisieux), these two brothers with a passion for nature and wide-open spaces opened Le Parc des Félins d’Auneau in Eure-et-Loir, the only zoological park in the world specifically dedicated to felines.
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In 2005, Patrick Jardin decided to move Les Félins d’Auneau to a larger site, offering the felines an even better living environment.
A first for a zoological park. After a year’s work, the Auneau feline park closed its doors for good on August 31, 2006, to allow the 80 felines that had lived there for 8 years to begin their journey from Auneau to Lumigny over the next two days…
With impressive logistics, the transfer was completed and the felines moved from an 8-hectare estate in Auneau to this magnificent 71-hectare estate. To better understand the difference between the two, just look at these two figures: in Auneau, all the animals had an area of 5 and a half hectares, whereas today the cheetahs alone have almost 7 hectares…
Mikette, female cheetah on arrival in her new territory © Parc des Félins 2006Patrick Jardin and his teams are proposing a veritable revolution in the way we think about the lives of the animals housed at the park. The spaces are as large as possible, with vegetation and layout that allow the felines to express their natural behaviors. The quality of these living spaces lies in the progressive orientation of the vegetation, a long-term project aimed at offering you maximum opportunities to observe the animals, without our presence interfering with their lives.
In 2023, after 37 years in the service of biodiversity conservation, Patrick Jardin is retiring. The family story doesn’t end, however, with Patrick’s 21-year-old nephew Hugo taking over the reins. Surrounded by an experienced team, Hugo intends to maintain the family values of breeding and wildlife conservation, while bringing all the enthusiasm of his youth.
On January 1, 2024, the park became Lumigny Safari Reserve, an invitation to travel and marvel… The story continues…