Fclose your eyes. Come in, open them, listen… Welcome to South America! Well almost. Here, thirty minutes from Paris, in the heart of the Crécy estate (Seine-et-Marne), the show takes you as if you were there, from your first steps in the park. In a few minutes, cross the fauna of the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, discover the biodiversity of the Amazon, under the curious eye of jaguars, and let yourself be “stranded” on the coasts of Patagonia, while witnessing the meal of Humboldt penguins. You would almost expect to see Indiana Jones between two ferns!
At Parrot World, more than 600 critters roam in semi-freedom, in a unique setting where their ecosystem has been recreated under the will of an animal lover. For a little over five years, Éric Vignot has indeed lived to the rhythm of the paradise he imagined, with his two sons, associated with the project. After a life as an entrepreneur spent in the pharmaceutical industry – he claims to have invented the first hydroalcoholic gel – the septuagenarian chose to invest part of his fortune to open this little paradise. And the result is the opposite of the traditional zoo.
Firstly because above all, the site has become the largest parrot refuge in Europe. Its essential conservation mission is more than dear to its founder: “We have over 300, but unfortunately I can’t take them all…” His fascination with these feathered birds began almost two decades ago, when his wife gave him his first parrot. Another followed… Understanding that many abandoned parrots needed to be taken in, Eric recovered all the “orphans” that he could. The Parrot World adventure began.
A one hectare aviary
Bright blue or flamboyant red macaws that land on your shoulder, Gabonese grays that say “hello” to you as much as they devour you with their eyes, or even amazons flying at head level, the aerial ballets offered all day long are breathtaking. To keep them company, in particular, red ibises and three varieties of pink flamingos add a little color to the eyes of young and old alike. “The goal was for the birds to feel at home here”continues their adoptive “father”.
Then, above the visitors’ path, impressive nets form an immense aviary, one hectare and fifteen meters high, to date the largest in the Old Continent. And thanks to exceptional exotic vegetation, made up of banana trees, palm trees, but also araucarias – these conifers with large thorns from Chile – and water points nicely scattered throughout the park, the immersion is total. Especially since the show is not just in the air. While two giant otters dive and swim like lightning in their immense pool, the capybaras – the largest of rodents – wander nonchalantly in the grass, the spurred tortoises, among the largest in the world, rest in their cabin, and the coatis, a type of raccoon with a pointy snout, do tree climbing under amazed eyes. As a bonus, the “kids’ ranch” is teeming with goats, pigs and alpacas that are as curious as they are cuddly. And very soon, tapirs, these astonishing mammals that look like wild boars and have such unique trunks, will join the troops.
But the highlight of the show, for those who can afford it, is clearly sleeping in the park. For its charming hotel with swimming pool in the countryside, but above all for these five sumptuous lodges, all nestled in the heart of the bustling Parrot World. First in jaguar territory, where two lodges are discreetly perched. From your room, you can contemplate Emma and Zuma, two females as dark as they are divine, as well as Ti Punch, a solitary spotted male weighing around 100 kilos. Almost scary, but oh so fascinating.
Two park hotel lodges are located in jaguar territory.
© Ronan Rocher
Two Amazon lodges follow, inside the large aviary, then the “Pantanal”, which the JDNews was recently able to test. From a comfortable space of almost 40 m², with a nicely wooded interior, just above a small pond, we share the daily life of parrots of all kinds and majestic ibises which lounge on our balcony… and deliciously wake us up with “songs”. Feeling at the end of the world guaranteed.
And, the icing on the plumage, a five-minute walk from the aviary, the restaurant Le Panoramic offers French cuisine with a sweet South American flavor created by José Guerra Madrid, a renowned Colombian chef. Homemade, approachable and (above all) exquisite from start to finish. So many reasons that explain the success of the park: in the year of its fifth anniversary, it should exceed 230,000 annual visitors. Especially since once the visit is over, we are already thinking about the next one…
Operation Black Friday
From Friday November 21 to Monday December 1, via the promo code BLACKPARROT, the park is offering a 25% discount on the “Carer for a day” and “Budding carer” packages. Also 20% off all lodge stays. To be found on the Parrot World website.
