Dear visitor,
We want to welcome you to our Park. Our employees will ensure that you’ll have a pleasant day and can fully enjoy our animals and the park.
The VZW KMDA wants to act respectfully towards people, the environment, and society in all that it does.
A number of rules, as set out in these regulations, apply to ensure your safety and that of our animals and to ensure that all visitors to the Zoo/the Park have a pleasant visit.
GENERAL
Antwerp ZOO (the “Zoo”) consist of a paid and a free section.
The free section of the Park is the entrance square of the park, called the Flamingo Square. You enter the entrance square of the Park once you pass the entrance gates that make up the border with the Koningin Astridplein.
The paid section of the Park is the remaining section, specifically the entire area behind/after the entrance of the Park.
The board has the right to temporarily or permanently revoke the right to access the Park in case of unacceptable behaviour during the visit. The visitor is liable for all injuries or damage caused.
The board has the right to take all suitable measures in the interest of KMDA, its animals, and its visitors with respect to all circumstances not arranged in these regulations.
If you wish to make a complaint about your visit, you can visit the reception desk where you can fill out and submit a complaints form.
CHAPTER 1: ACCESS AND DEPARTURE
General
- The board reserves the right to close the Park or partially restrict access to the Park based on legitimate grounds, for example, renovations, a situation which affects the safety of visitors or animals, and the like. Such a measure will not constitute grounds for a full or partial refund of the entrance ticket.
- Children below the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times. They will be denied access to the Park without an adult accompanying them.
- All visitors must leave the Park when it closes or they will be there illegally. The departure from the Park is permanent.
- Our staff has the right to deny access to persons or to request persons to leave the Park:
- who are in the possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, narcotics, and the like;
- who have already been found to be in the possession of weapons, dangerous objects, alcohol, narcotics, and the like in or in the vicinity of one of our Parks;
- whose actions lead staff to believe that they are involved in the sale of narcotics;
- who are under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics;
- who cause trouble and/or disturb the peace;
- who have already caused trouble and/or disturbed the peace in the past;
- who refuse to comply with these Park Regulations;
- Persons who do not comply with the instructions given by a VZW KMDA employee.
If these persons are already in the Park, they can be removed without receiving a refund of their entrance ticket.
The police will be informed if the situation requires this.
The entrance square
The entrance square can be accessed by the public during the hours indicated at the entrance gate. The board also has the right to close the entrance gates along the Koningin Astridplein, including if there are legitimate grounds to do so, such as: renovations or a situation which threatens the safety of visitors or animals. Everyone must leave the entrance square following the first request of a VZW KMDA employee.
You may not access the paid section of the Park without a valid entrance ticket.
The paid section
You must be in the possession of a valid entrance ticket during your entire visit to the paid section of the Park. You can be requested to present the ticket by a staff member at any time. This entrance ticket will only be valid during the opening hours of the Park indicated at the ticket booth and the main entrance of the entrance square.
The entrance ticket will no longer be valid when you leave the paid section of the Park. Please inform our entrance staff in advance if you have a legitimate reason to leave this section and re-enter it. If you have a legitimate reason, they will provide you with a valid stamp to enable you to re-enter the paid section.
CHAPTER 2: SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE
The regulations displayed in the Park, such as access prohibited, route signs, warnings, age limits, maximum number of visitors, and the like must also be observed.
All parents and persons accompanying children and/or groups will always remain responsible for those they supervise during the entire visit, including during guided walks.
A smoking ban applies in the Park. Smoking is only permitted in the designated smoking zones.
No fires may be started.
Radios and other audio equipment are banned to prevent any nuisance to visitors and animals.
There are various cameras in the Park to ensure the safety. The footage will only be used for the purposes set out in the Belgian Surveillance Act. All related questions can be sent to camera@kmda.org.
Visitors may not swim in the ponds or water features.
It is strictly forbidden to pass physical boundaries (closures, fences, canals, glass, and the like) to ensure the safety of visitors and our animals. You may only use publicly accessible paths. An exception is a guided visit behind the scenes supervised by a staff member or guide whose instructions you must strictly observe.
It is strictly forbidden to stick hands, fingers, sticks, or other objects through bars or fences or to throw objects into the animal enclosures.
Naturally, weapons or dangerous objects are not permitted in the Park. The police will be contacted if weapons or dangerous objects are found.
Visitors are strictly forbidden from feeding the animals in the Park. They are given balanced diets; any form of other external feed can harm the animals.
You may not pet the animals.
Any undesired behaviour towards animals, visitors, or employees of the Park will not be accepted. We expect visitors not to make any contact (including eye contact) with our animals for the sake of animal welfare. Animals who make contact (including eye contact) themselves must be ignored. Undesirable behaviour can lead to removal from the Park without a refund of costs, revocation of the membership, and an entry ban from Antwerp ZOO and Planckendael ZOO.
Balloons, balls, and frisbees (or similar objects) may not be brought into the Park.
CHAPTER 3: PETS
Pets are not allowed in the Park. Nor does the Park arrange care for your pets during your visit.
Guide dogs and service dogs may enter the Park supervised by their owner, provided that they have official certification (passport). Please inform our entrance staff in a timely fashion and closely observe their instructions. They may ask you not to enter certain buildings to avoid scaring our animals.
CHAPTER 4: CLOTHING
You must wear suitable clothing to avoid disturbing other visitors.
In order to avoid frightening the animals, visitors may not enter the Park in costume (carnival outfits, animal suits, and the like). Only certain persons employed by the Park and instructed by KMDA have permission to do so.
KMDA reserves to right, at its discretion and at any time, to ban visitors from wearing certain outfits, makeup, or tattoos, specifically if these can be considered insulting, offensive, or scary by children and a family-oriented public, and if these are considered inappropriate by KMDA or if these obstruct the normal state of affairs.
The Act of 1 June 2011 instituting a ban on clothing which fully or largely covers the face applies and must be complied with. If a visitor fails to comply with these rules, he/she will be refused access to the Park or requested to leave the Park without a refund of the costs.
Our toilets have baby-changing facilities. Please use these correctly.
CHAPTER 5: BICYCLES, WHEELCHAIRS, AND THE LIKE
In order to keep the Park as safe as possible for all visitors, children’s bicycles, with or without stabilisers, roller skates, roller blades, skateboards, and the like are not permitted, including on the entrance square.
Bicycles, balance bikes, and scooters are permitted on the Flamingo Square but may not be used.
Balance bikes and scooters for children below the age of six are permitted beyond the entrance check.
Strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers are permitted throughout the park. KMDA cannot be held liable for theft of or damage to strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers left in the Park.
Bicycles of visitors must be parked in the bicycle parking on the entrance square. Only Antwerp ZOO visitors may use the bicycle parking during their visit. Cargo bikes may only be placed in the designated spaces. Each bicycle parking spot has a rail. If all spots are occupied, you must park your bicycle outside of the Antwerp ZOO gates in accordance with the regulations. Any bicycles parked on the Flamingo Square not in accordance with the regulations will be removed by the Park. Visitors are responsible for retrieving these bicycles when leaving the Park. All bicycles must be removed from the bicycle parking no later than the end of the day before closing time. If this is not the case, the Park can remove the bicycles. The Park has no obligation to keep the bikes. We strongly recommend properly locking the bikes in the bicycle parking. The bicycle parking does not have security. The use of the bicycle parking will take place fully at your own risk and the Park will not be responsible in case of loss or theft.
In principle, motorised vehicles are forbidden unless the board has given permission. The speed limit in our Parks is 5 km/h.
CHAPTER 6: CATERING
A smoking ban applies at all our catering sites.
Food and drinks may not be consumed on the entrance square.
Visitors are allowed to consume their own food and drinks at all seating areas (inside and outside) in the paid section of the Park. Visitors are responsible for leaving the picnic site in an orderly manner. They must take all waste with them or dispose of it in the garbage bins in the Park. Own food and drinks may be consumed in the restaurants and at the outdoor seating areas of the restaurants provided that 1 food/drink product per person is purchased. An employee in charge can deviate from these regulations if this is considered necessary. The obligation to purchase a food/drink product does not apply when using the picnic area in the Latteria restaurants (if open). Own food and drinks may never be consumed in Grand Café Flamingo and on the adjacent outdoor seating area.
For the purposes of food safety, visitors may not bring their own food and drinks into the spaces in which we prepare food.
Unauthorised persons are not permitted in our kitchens and storage spaces.
CHAPTER 7: LEAVING OBJECTS
The lockers next to the main shop/membership service will be emptied daily after closing. The contents will be transferred to the police.
Objects may not be left in the Park.
Suspicious objects that are left behind will be removed by KMDA or the police.
KMDA cannot be held liable for theft of or damage to objects left in the Park.
CHAPTER 8: PICTURES AND VIDEO
You may take pictures and record video and audio in the Park as long this is for private use. However, this may never lead to any nuisance for other visitors. The fact that not everyone wants to be photographed must also be taken into account.
Pictures and videos may only be captured for professional and/or commercial use following written permission of the communication department of Antwerp ZOO.
You may be filmed or photographed during your visit to the Park. The pictures and videos on our website, social media, and in our publications are taken during the regular opening hours. If you see our cameraman or photographer take pictures or videos of your family and would rather not have this, you can inform the cameraman or photographer on the spot. The pictures or videos in which you appear will be removed immediately in this case. Further objections to the use of certain pictures or videos can be submitted to privacy@kmda.org with a description of the footage in question that is as detailed as possible, as well as its location. KMDA will do whatever is necessary once it has received the revocation or the objection.
CHAPTER 9: SALES, PROPAGANDA, AND THE LIKE
No posters may be distributed or placed and no polls may be conducted without the prior written permission of the board.
It is forbidden to hold meetings and/or speeches, spread propaganda, collect funds, advertise, or to hand out, exchange, or sell objects in the Parks without the prior written permission of the board.
CHAPTER 10: DAMAGE
If VZW KMDA is liable for certain damage towards visitors, not being physical damage or death, the damage amount for which it will be liable will never exceed the maximum amount of EUR 2,500.
VZW KMDA can never be held liable for damage caused to visitors by third parties, including inside the Park.
VZW KMDA