Let's continue our walk in Planckendael and meet some of the stars!
"Kai-Mook Zwanger" means "Kai-Mook Pregnant". Why is this big news in Belgium? Kai-Mook was the first Indian elephant born in a Belgian zoo, the one in Antwerp to be more precise. It was a huge event which we Belgians could follow via webcam; on 17 May 2009, she was born and immediately became the most popular elephant in Belgium. And as you can imagine, the Zoo of Antwerp attracted even more visitors during Kai-Mook's first year. And now, she is pregnant herself!
But that is not all... Two other elephants in Planckendael are pregnant as well: May Tagu, Kai-Mook's half sister, and Phyo Phyo, Kai-Mook's mother, expect babies too! Or, in other words, Kai-Mook will be a mother, aunt and sister, if everything goes well.
Fun fact number 1: one bull is responsible for this baby boom and his name is Chang. So, good job, Chang!
Fun fact number 2: Chang comes from the Zoo of Copenhagen. Or, in other words, Lars - my fiancé - is not the only Danish male who came to Belgium to look for some TLC!
And once again, here are some Lego installations!
And then there was a last look at the elephants.
The lions were napping... Except for one who was maybe looking for a juicy Belgian or Dane?
Lars and I were so excited about our visit to Planckendael that we didn't pay any attention to the map after some time and of course got lost.
Somehow, we ended up at the bisons again.
The Lego installations are spread all over the park and are the subject of an exhibition called Nature Connects. A brilliant idea, if you ask us since we didn't know where they were going to show up.
Quite impressive this polar bear. So were the next animals.
Slowly, we started to become tired and our feet hurt... And this unfortunately affected the quality of my pictures.
But then, we saw the pelicans! I never knew these birds could look so elegant! I think there were some flamingoes there as well.
We caught a glimpse of the show with birds of prey. Very impressive and informative!
Although Lars and I did not see the whole zoo, we had a really fun time. Planckendael may be less spectacular and grand compared to Pairi Daiza, it does, however, have an impressive collection of animals, is cosier and more kid-friendly and - important for budget travellers - it is cheaper. Check out their website for more practical information.