|
The Spectacular And Captivating World Of The Zoological Garden And Aquarium Of Quebec CityBy Habeeb SalloumThe tourist official was enthusiastic as she described Quebec City’s two nature paradises. “We are proud of both our Zoological Garden and Aquarium. We would like every tourist who travels to Quebec City to visit our replicas of nature.”
The Zoological Garden showcases bird-life and horticultural collections. At any time of the year visitors can step into the enormous greenhouse, which features samples of Indonesian and Australian exotic vegetation and such animals as the fishing cat, tree-kangaroo, the siamang ape and several species of birds, insects and reptiles.
Outside, we stopped awhile to watch the wallabies and Amur leopards feeding before leaving for the Fragrance Garden. Here, glorying in the joys of nature’s aroma, we were overpowered by the perfume of the plants and flowers. Next door, as we followed the African Trails, it appeared to be another world; seemingly we were in the heart of Africa. Walking through a replica of Africa’s tropical forest, savannah and desert, we were intrigued with the caged lemurs - the visitors can walk into the area - and chimpanzees, as well as the many birds from the African continent.
Passing through the First Flight Garden with its different species of grass, conifer and crab apple trees and rose bushes, we came to Main Square where every day shows are held. Here we ended our exploration of the Zoological Garden, watching the Bird of Prey Show and admiring them in flight and their hunting strategy. An amazing show, not to be missed!
Time was pressing and we left these for another visit.
We followed a series of paths, leading to various exhibit areas. Our first stop was to watch playful Arctic seals while being fed, then jumping into the water to entertain us with their antics. Walking a few feet further on, we watched the Atlantic walruses in their re-created home away from home, seeming enthralled with their onlookers while being stroked by their trainer. A short walk away, we were gazing on majestic polar bears being fed behind a glass panel from high above as they dove and demonstrated their underwater powers, then quickly surfaced to gobble their food.
Our last stop was the main pavilion, home of thousands of fish specimens. Fresh and salt-water galleries took us into a replica of an aquatic universe, leading from the Laurentian Plateau to the open salty waters of the North Atlantic. After touring the research laboratory, we took an acrylic tunnel to the heart of the aquarium where in some 350,000 litres of water, we had an exciting close-up view of hundreds of the creatures of sea. At this heart of the aquarium, we ended our tour of two of Quebec City’s relatively new tourist attractions. Without doubt, they add much to the lure of this historic Canadian urban centre - considered a bit of Europe in North America. This is especially true when families travel to this city. The children petting the farm animals, watching the animal shows, walking through re-created tropical jungles and watching colourful birds chirp away in the trees give the young a feeling of elation and something new. As one Quebecois informed me: “The Zoological Garden and Aquarium have made our city a mecca for the young.” For More Information Contact: Parc Aquarium du Québec,1675 avenue des Hôtels,
Sainte-Foy , Québec, Canada, G1W 4S3 |
|
TM
Without doubt, she had reason to be proud. For tourists,
the Zoological Garden which houses a splendid garden of plants and animals, and
the Aquarium which shelters 3,500 specimens representing 650 species of
amphibians, fish, invertebrates, mammals and reptiles, are well worth a visit.
We began our tour at the Entrance Pavilion by stepping into
the delightful world of Jardin Zoologique du Québec with its aviary type
architecture. From the Pavilion we walked a few minutes to the Pond Gardens,
enhanced by colourful plants and flowers - depending on the season one can
admire rhododendrons, irises, poppies and sedum. For us, the Birds of Prey
Pavilion and the aviaries, located in the gardens, with their pink flamingos,
ducks and many other types of birds, exhibited in fabulous settings, were the
high point of our visit to the Gardens.
From the Pond Gardens, we moved to the edging Fountain
Garden where visitors are usually overwhelmed by their enchanting delights. In
the middle of this multi-colored garden the Lyrebird Fountain - an exquisite
beauty of a thousand coloured annuals imitating the plumage of feathered stars,
impressed us.
At the next-door Conservatory, we took a voyage of
discovery through time, entering the exciting world of the great naturalist
explorers from the past: James Cook, Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Jean-Baptiste
De Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck. In their captivation with the natural sciences,
these adventurers explored new worlds, hence, greatly adding to the knowledge of
mankind. The treasures brought back by these explorers from their expeditions
such as the two-toed Sloth, the Pied Tamarin, the Veiled Chameleon as well as
different sorts of exotic birds, added much to the great human repository of
science.
Further on, the most spectacular attraction on site, the
Indo-Australian Greenhouse, brought us right into the heart of a tropical
forest. For visitors, it is a breathtaking exhibit - a unique chance to discover
the rich flora and fauna of Indonesia and Australia. Here, we rested for a few
moments to observe the animals in this natural habitat, while we breathed in the
exotic aromas of a tropical world. If we wanted, we could even have fed the
lorikeets, a parrot from Australia. A great experience!
There was still much more to see such as The North American
Forest with its winding paths, Canadian native birds and white-tailed deer; the
Rivers Gardens whose rock gardens bordered by majestic trees delight visitors;
and the Farm where children can meet traditional farm animals. 
Leaving the Zoological Garden behind we made our way to the
Parc Aquarium du Québec - a tourist-drawing spot that takes one from the Boreal
Forest Zone to the Arctic Regions of Canada. A tour of the 16 ha (39 ac)
Aquarium Park begins with a multimedia show that takes a visitor on a
breathtaking expedition to the North Pole.
