Park rules

Dear visitor,

We wish you a warm welcome to our park. Our employees will ensure that you have a pleasant day and can fully enjoy our animals and the garden.

In everything that the VZW KMDA does, it wants to show respect for people, the environment and society.

In order to guarantee your safety and that of our animals, and to ensure that all visitors to the ZOO enjoy a pleasant stay, some rules apply as set out in these regulations.

GENERAL

The Antwerp ZOO consists of a paying and a non-paying part.

The non-paying part of the ZOO is the entrance square of the ZOO, called the Flamingo Square. When you pass the entrance gates that form the border with Koningin Astridplein, you enter the entrance square of the ZOO. Chapter 1 of the present Park Rules applies there.

Chapter 2 of the Park Regulations applies to the paying part of the ZOO. These rules are posted at the box office.

CHAPTER 1: Non-paying part of the ZOO: the entrance plaza

The following rules apply to the entrance plaza of the ZOO from the moment you enter the entrance plaza:

  • Our animals are wild animals. Therefore, always respect borders, barriers, canals, fencing, glass areas, etc.
  • You are not allowed to go to the paying part of the ZOO without a valid ticket.
  • The entrance plaza is accessible to the public during the hours as indicated at the entrance gate. However, the management reserves the right to close the entrance gates on the Koningin Astridplein, for example if there is a valid reason, such as: renovation works or a situation that endangers the safety of visitors or animals. Everyone must leave the entrance plaza at the first request of an employee of VZW KMDA.
  • All parents and supervisors of children and / or groups remain responsible for those they have under their care and this during the entire time of their presence on the entrance square. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
  • ZOO employees have the right to request anyone to leave the entrance plaza, including in the following cases. You must comply with this request:
    • Individuals who are in possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, drugs etc.;
    • Individuals who have, in the past, been found in the ZOO (or in the vicinity of it) in possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, drugs, ...
    • Individuals whose conduct suggests that they are involved in drug trafficking o Individuals under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs
    • Individuals who cause difficulties and / or disturb the peace
    • Individuals who have already caused difficulties and / or who have disturbed the peace in the past
    • Individuals who refuse to submit to these regulations.
    • Individuals who do not follow the instruction(s) of an employee of VZW KMDA
  • If the situation requires, the police will be notified.
  • For security reasons, there are several cameras on the entrance plaza. The images are only used for the purposes as described in the Camera Act. You can mail all questions about this to camera@kmda.org.
  • It is strictly forbidden to feed the animals. It is also strictly forbidden to put hands, fingers, sticks or other objects through bars or fences or throw objects into animal enclosures.
  • Pets are not allowed on the entrance square.
  • Roller skates, skates and skateboards are not allowed on the entrance square. Bicycles, balance bikes and scooters are allowed, but they are not allowed to be ridden on the entrance square. The bicycles, balance bikes and scooters of the visitors must be parked in the bicycle parking area that is provided on the entrance square. Only visitors of ZOO Antwerp are allowed to use the bicycle parking during their visit. Only cargo bikes may be placed in the compartments provided for this. A bar is provided per bicycle space. If all places are occupied, you must park your bicycle outside the gates of ZOO Antwerp. Bicycles not properly parked on the Flamingo Square will be removed by the ZOO. Visitors are responsible for picking up these bicycles and scooters when they leave the ZOO. All bicycles, balance bikes and scooters must be removed from the storage facility no later than the end of the day, before closing time. If not, the ZOO can remove the bicycles. The ZOO has no obligation to retain. It is strongly recommended to properly lock the bicycles in the parking area. There is no security provided at the parking area. Use of the parking facility is entirely at your own risk, and the ZOO is not responsible for loss or theft.
  • The lockers next to the main shop / subscription service are emptied daily after closing. The content is handed over to the police.
  • Strollers and wheelchairs are allowed on the entrance square.
  • To avoid inconvenience to visitors and animals, radios and other sound equipment may not be used in the entrance plaza.
  • The Law of 1 June 2011 “establishing a prohibition on the wearing of clothing that completely or largely conceals the face” applies and must be observed at the entrance plaza.
  • It is prohibited to distribute or display printed matter and to conduct opinion polls without prior permission from the management. It is also prohibited to hold meetings and / or speeches, conduct propaganda, collect funds, advertise, hand out, exchange or sell objects in the entrance square without prior permission from the management.
  • It is forbidden to make a fire and / or to smoke in the entrance square.
  • It is not allowed to consume drinks and food in the entrance square. Always use the available waste baskets to remove waste.
  • The VZW KMDA is not liable for damage caused to visitors by third parties.

CHAPTER 2: Paying part of the ZOO

The following rules apply in the paying part of the ZOO:

General

  • Our animals are wild animals. Therefore respect borders, barriers, canals, fencing, glass areas, etc. You may only use publicly accessible paths. An exception to this is a guided visit behind the scenes led by a staff member or guide whose instructions you must carefully follow in that case.
  • If you wish to submit a complaint about your visit, you can contact the reception where you can fill in and submit a complaint form.
  • Any undesirable behavior towards the animals, visitors or employees of the ZOO will not be tolerated. This can lead to removal from the park without reimbursement of any costs. Access to the paying part
  • You must be in possession of a valid admission ticket during your entire visit to the paying part of the ZOO. You can be requested to provide this at any time at the simple request of a staff member. This admission ticket is only valid during the opening hours of the park, which are indicated at the ticket office and at the main entrance of the entrance square.
  • The admission ticket loses its validity when you leave the paying part of the ZOO. If you have a good reason to leave and re-enter this area, please notify our reception staff in advance. If you have a good reason for this, they will provide you with a valid stamp to allow you to re-enter the paying area.
  • The management reserves the right to close the park or to partially restrict access to it, if there is a valid reason, such as: renovation works, a situation that endangers the safety of visitors or animals. Such a measure does not give right to a refund of the admission ticket, neither in whole nor in part.
  • All parents and supervisors of children and / or groups remain responsible for those they have in their care and this during the entire visit, also during guided walks with guides.
  • Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by adults at all times. Without supervision, they will be refused entry to the park.
  • Our reception staff has the right to refuse access to people:
    • who are in possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, drugs etc.;
    • who have already been found in the past in one of our parks (or in the vicinity of it) in possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, drugs, ...;
    • whose conduct is suspicious or raises suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking;
    • who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs;
    • who cause difficulties;
    • who have already caused difficulties in the past;
    • who refuse to submit to the Park Rules.
  • If such individuals are already in the park, they will be removed without refund of the entrance ticket. If the situation requires, the police will be notified.
  • Smoking is prohibited in the park. Smoking is only allowed in the designated smoking areas.

Safety

  • For safety reasons there are several cameras in the park. The images are only used for the purposes provided for in the Camera Act. You can mail all questions about this to camera@kmda.org.
  • The regulations posted in the park, such as eg. no access, route indications, warnings, age limits, maximum number of visitors, etc. must always be respected.
  • To guarantee the safety of you and our animals, it is strictly forbidden to cross physical boundaries (fences, canals, etc.). It is also strictly forbidden to put hands, fingers, sticks or other objects through bars or fences or to throw objects into animal enclosures.
  • It goes without saying that weapons or dangerous objects are not allowed in the park. The police will be contacted when this occurs.
  • It is strictly forbidden to feed the animals in the park. They are fed balanced diets, so any form of other food can harm the animals.
  • It is forbidden to pet the animals.
  • Pets are not allowed in the park. Nor does the park provide shelter for your pets during your visit.
  • Guide dogs for the blind and assistance dogs may enter under the supervision of their owner, provided they have official certification (passport). Please report this to our reception staff upon arrival, and follow their instructions carefully. They may ask you not to enter certain buildings in order to avoid shock reactions in our animals.
  • To make the park as safe as possible for every visitor, children's bicycles with or without support wheels, roller skates, inline skates, skateboards, etc. are not allowed. Only walking bikes or scooters for children under 6 years old, strollers, wheelchairs and walkers are allowed. Motorized vehicles are prohibited unless permission has been obtained from the management. The speed in our parks is limited to 5 km/h.
  • To avoid inconvenience to visitors and animals, radios and other sound equipment may not be used.
  • Any undesirable behavior towards animals, visitors or employees of the ZOO will not be tolerated. In view of their animal welfare, we expect that visitors themselves do not make any contact (including eye contact) with our animals. Animals that seek contact (or eye contact) on their own should be ignored. Undesirable behavior can lead to removal from the park without reimbursement of costs, cancellation of the subscription and an access ban to ZOO Antwerp and ZOO Planckendael.
  • Swimming or bathing in the ponds or water features is prohibited. Clothing • You must wear appropriate clothing so that you do not disturb other visitors.
  • In order to avoid fright reactions in animals, visitors are forbidden to enter the park in dress-up costumes (carnival clothes, animal suits ...). Only certain persons working in the park on behalf of the VZW KMDA are authorized to do so.
  • The Law of 1 June 2011 “establishing a ban on the wearing of clothing that completely or largely conceals the face” applies and must be complied with. In case of non-compliance with these rules, you will be denied access to the park or asked to leave the park, without reimbursement of costs.
  • In our toilet areas you can find facilities for changing babies. Please use them correctly. Hospitality
  • There is a smoking ban in all our catering areas.
  • Picnics are allowed on all seats (indoor and outdoor) in the park. Visitors are responsible for leaving the picnic area tidy. They take all waste with them, or deposit it in the garbage bins that are present in the park. Picnics are allowed inside the restaurants and on the terraces of the restaurants, subject to the purchase of 1 mandatory consumption per person. A responsible employee may deviate from these regulations if deemed necessary. When using the picnic room in restaurant Latteria (when open), the obligation to purchase consumptions does not apply. Picnics are never allowed in Grand Café Flamingo and on the adjacent terrace.
  • For food safety reasons, it is forbidden for visitors to bring their own food into the areas where we prepare food.
  • Unauthorized persons are not allowed in our kitchens and storage areas.

Recordings

  • You may take photographs, film and make sound recordings in the park as long as this is for your own use. However, this should never cause any nuisance to other visitors. It should also be taken into account that not everyone wants to be photographed. 
  • Taking photos and recordings for professional and / or commercial use is only permitted after written permission from the communication department of ZOO Antwerp.
  • During your visit to Antwerp ZOO , there is a chance that you will be filmed or photographed. The photos and video images on our websites, social media and in our publications were taken during regular opening hours. Do you see our cameraman or our photographer taking pictures of you or your family and would you prefer not to be included? Then let the cameraman or photographer know on the spot. The photos taken or the film material in which you appear will be immediately deleted. You can submit further objections to the use of certain photos or video images via privacy@kmda.org with the best possible description of the images in question and where you encountered them. The KMDA will take the necessary action as soon as possible after receipt of the withdrawal or objection. Sales, propaganda, etc.
  • It is prohibited to distribute or post printed matter and to conduct opinion polls without the prior written permission of the management.
  • It is prohibited to hold meetings and / or speeches, conduct propaganda, collect funds, advertise, hand out, exchange or sell objects in the parks without prior written permission from the management.

Claims

  • In the event that the VZW KMDA is liable for certain damage towards visitors, the compensation to which it is obliged can never exceed the maximum amount of 2.500 EUR.
  • The VZW KMDA cannot under any circumstances be held liable for damage caused to visitors by third parties, not even within the park.