Odsherred Zoo Rescue — Attraction in Odsherred Municipality

I visited Odsherred Zoo Rescue with genuine interest in supporting a facility that focuses on rescuing and caring for animals that, for various reasons, can’t live in the wild anymore. This is Denmark’s first and only exotic animal rescue zoo, and its mission is a good one many of the 600 animals here, representing 90-100 species, have been saved from testing laboratories, illegal trafficking, or neglect. I truly appreciate the idea behind it. However, the execution and visitor experience left me with mixed feelings.

Pricing and Value The adult entrance fee is 195 DKK. Compared to other animal parks in Denmark for example, Orøstrand, which costs 80 DKK this feels high. In my opinion, Orøstrand offers more value for the money and maintains its facilities to a good standard. Orøstrand also offers a “savannah” experience for an additional 50 DKK per person, and even when you combine their base ticket with that extra activity, it still comes out cheaper than Odsherred Zoo Rescue’s base ticket. I understand that the higher price may be intended to cover animal care and operational costs, but ticket pricing still needs to match the quality and length of the experience to keep visitors coming back.

First Impressions and Safety Concerns Before even reaching the main exhibits, I noticed a safety issue: a main entrance gate that does not close automatically. Instead, there’s a small “please close me” sign. Anyone who has worked with the public knows that signs alone often don’t work many visitors simply won’t bother to close the door. In fact, in the short time I was there, I saw it standing open three times. Considering that it’s only around 85 meters from this gate to the main road, all it would take is one curious child or an escaping animal to create a dangerous situation. This is an easy, inexpensive fix a self-closing hinge, spring system, or counterweight like those I used when working as an animal caretaker.

Maintenance and Appearance The park has a rustic charm, but it also feels tired and patched together. Many structures and enclosures appear to have been repaired repeatedly over the years rather than replaced, and it shows. The ground in some areas is uneven, fences lean, and some spaces look like they’ve been waiting a long time for permanent repairs.

One cattle shelter had the entire left side of its wall patched with plywood, and the fence extending to the left was noticeably tilting outward. The horse enclosure also gave a poor impression while the park claims mucking is done daily, it looked as though it had been a while since cleaning. Whether that’s accurate or not, visitors judge by what they see, and this can affect perceptions of care.

Indoor Areas and Toilets Inside the “Paraná Sydamerika” terrarium building, the main door was difficult to close properly because of small stones on the ground, adding to the sense of minimal upkeep.

The toilets were also not easy to find. A Danish sign explained they were located at the far end of the terrarium through the tropical house, but if you didn’t read carefully, it was easy to miss. Another sign with just “Toilet” and an arrow could be misleading when I first saw it, I thought it meant to go around the building rather than inside. Clearer, more consistent signage would help.

Even when found, the toilets had usability issues. The lock was not intuitive, and I accidentally opened the door on someone because I couldn’t immediately tell if it was locked from the outside. For a child, locking the door would be even more difficult, especially since you have to lift the door to secure it because it hangs unevenly. This is both awkward and potentially unsafe.

Café and Rest Areas The tables and chairs looked like something donated from a grill bar, and they seated only four people, which isn’t ideal for families or larger groups. A more inviting, rustic seating area with benches, picnic tables, and shaded spots would better fit the zoo’s mission and encourage visitors to enjoy the surroundings rather than just...

I went there with my boyfriend. We found the zoo from twitch and instantly wanted to go since it was a rescue zoo as well. We went from Sweden so it took 6 hours to get there but it was worth the drive. I loved the open areas and there was also alot of good info on the animals and some of the rescue stories. The gift shop was really cozy and i got a cute mug and a magnet. The food was pretty decent with good alternatives even for picky eaters. Over all i recommend going you will...

A small yet cosy rescue zoo. We took our 18 month old during the latter part of the day.. It was a wonderful walk around with a large variety of monkeys, deer and farm animals. They also have a small reptile room along with a more exotic animals area inside. There is also a cosy green area with a small play area for the kids. All in all this rescue zoo delivered what we were after, a few hours of enjoyment for both the adults and kids (aged...