Madrid wildlife

[Farplace]

Just got back from a short break in Madrid. We only stayed in the City, and didnt travel further afield. However, we fequented lots of parks and green spaces, looking for wildlife.

I was a tad disappointed. I saw blackbirds, house sparrows, tree sparrows, magpies, jackdaws, mallards, ring-necked paraketes, wood pigeons, feral pigeons, starlings and swifts. I could have stayed in the UK for these.....

I did see lots of wonderful (captive) animals on my birthday (6th May) when we went to Faunia - a park with animals in it, but kept in much better conditions than most "Zoos". Their penguin area was first class. An area of land about 200ft x 50ft at a guess, with rocks and ledges and a snow machine in the ceiling, along with a pool 200ft long approx, x 30ft deep, with rocks and ledges underwater. Scuba divers were employed to keep the pool clean and they were diving down and scrubbing algie off the rocks. There were several nesting pairs of Gentoo and rockhoppers.

I was amused to see a thriving colony of brown rats in the very large Meercat enclosure, stealing the raw meat which was being fed to the meercats.

They also have a breeding program for manatees in huge walk-through-the-tunnel aquariums. First time I have seen manatees up close and personal.

Various monkeys and lemurs in massive walk-through habitats too. Recommended!!