Redesigned Elephant Habitat Open at Le PAL: “Le Delta des Éléphants"

(eap) After focusing primarily on upgrading its amusement park offering over the past two years, Le PAL is now placing a strong emphasis on animal welfare this season. The French leisure and wildlife park, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, has invested two million euros – out of a total seasonal budget of nine million euros for 2026 – in the comprehensive redesign of its elephant habitat. Within “Le Delta des Éléphants”, Asian elephants now live in a two-hectare area. Several newly created viewing points provide visitors with insights into the enclosure, while a keeper presents educational information about the animals on a daily basis.

Photo: Courtesy of Le PAL New vegetation, clusters of trees and planted islands are intended to recreate an Asian-style wetland environment. A naturally filtered watercourse and a new water basin at visitor eye level allow guests to observe the animals during bathing. In parallel, the park has developed a new feeding concept based on the elephants’ natural behaviour: specially designed automated feeders dispense small amounts of food at varying times throughout the day, aiming to stimulate the animals’ curiosity and encourage movement.

The facility also includes a 1,200-square-metre building, which was expanded and modernised in the previous year. The park’s management expects that the breeding group, consisting of three females and, in the future, one bull, will contribute to produce offspring at Le PAL. ■