Biotropica Tropical Greenhouse (Les jardins animaliers Biotropica)

Biotropica grew out of an initiative by Anne and Thierry Jardin, owners of the Cerza zoological park near Lisieux. Their zoo greenhouse project was sited in Val-de-Reuil, in the Eure department, at the Léry-Poses leisure park. The foundation stone was laid in October 2011 and the attraction, described in the press as an investment of nearly 8 million euros, opened on 7 September 2012. Its promoters were then aiming for 200,000 visitors a year by 2016; Wikipedia and the specialist site Nature et Zoo now both report around 200,000 visitors annually.

The park then grew around the greenhouse. An Asian garden with red pandas and otters opened in 2014; in 2015 a cove was created for Humboldt penguins, and the 'serre zoologique Biotropica' was renamed 'Les jardins animaliers Biotropica'. An African savannah with cheetahs and meerkats followed in 2016, and the children's farm was redesigned in 2017.

The greenhouse itself has kept changing: a Komodo dragon arrived in 2018, a gharial nursery was created in 2019 and a gharial sanctuary was set up inside the greenhouse in 2025. An anteater pampas opened in 2022 and a new aviary was added in 2026. A temporary member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) in 2017, Biotropica became a full member in 2018.

The heart of the park is a single greenhouse, given as 5,000 m² by the official website and Wikipedia; the press announced 6,000 m² before the opening, and the site Nature et Zoo gives 7,000 m². It was designed by the practice Perspective Alain Arnaud Architecte and stands on the Butte de la Capoulade within the leisure park. Construction took less than a year, between the foundation stone of October 2011 and the opening of September 2012.

Inside, the layout recreates the atmosphere of a tropical forest: the path runs along boardwalks and passes a waterfall and a cave amid luxuriant vegetation. The interior has been reworked several times to take in new species, such as the Komodo dragon in 2018 or the gharials, whose sanctuary was set up there in 2025.

The sources consulted describe neither the height, the frame nor the glazing of the greenhouse. The whole park covers 10 hectares, including a pelican lake of more than two hectares according to Nature et Zoo.

The greenhouse recreates the atmosphere of a tropical forest in which plants and animals share the same space. Nature et Zoo lists tamanduas, coendous, a Komodo dragon, tamarins, a great many birds, reptiles and amphibians; the official website highlights colourful frogs and large bats. Since 2025 the gharials have had a sanctuary inside the greenhouse.

The park claims several first births in France, including coendous in 2017 and tamanduas. It is a member of EAZA, of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and of the French association of zoological parks, and runs conservation work under the name Biotropica Conservation.

Figures vary between sources: Wikipedia mentions more than 4,000 animals of about 200 species for the whole park, Nature et Zoo more than 1,300 animals of 140 species. The sources consulted do not describe the plant collection in detail.

Biotropica lies in Val-de-Reuil, south of Rouen, at the Léry-Poses leisure park. The visit combines the tropical greenhouse with the outdoor areas: the penguin cove, children's farm, pelican lake, Asian garden, an Australian bush area with kangaroos and wallabies, and the African savannah.

Allow at least half a day for the whole park. The greenhouse, kept at tropical conditions, can be visited in any season, while fine weather suits the outdoor areas and a walk around the neighbouring leisure park. The park was created by the teams of the Cerza zoo near Lisieux, another possible stop on a Normandy trip devoted to animal parks.