“I remember a well-maintained zoo where the animals were treated with care. It was very busy during July and August,” recalls MF, the town’s former mayor. This opinion seems to be widely shared, judging by the many memories that have surfaced.
"The zoo was mainly populated with felines, with a few bears, but the living conditions were questionable," he reports.
"I remember a horrible bear pit, completely made of concrete, with no stimulation whatsoever and terribly overcrowded!"
“During my visit in 1995, the park had a pair of lions, another pair of jaguars, and four or five brown bears in a concrete pit. I also remember a dromedary in a large wooden cage near the playground. At the time, the owners cited financial difficulties (lack of subsidies) and therefore the impossibility of making improvements. They were passionate about animals, but their vision of the zoo was no longer in line with current standards. Fortunately, the park closed in 2002, but I find that late given the cramped size of the enclosures and the lack of change in 20 years. It was a different era…”
Indeed, today, more than two years after its acquisition, the departmental council has undertaken the rehabilitation of the road leading to the Puy de Dôme. Considered an eyesore, a blight on the landscape according to the mayor of Orcines, Jean-Marc Morvan, the road has been redesigned following asbestos removal, archaeological digs, my intervention, and that of the bulldozers. Thus begins a new era, where sheep have replaced wolves.
