A hidden gem in Serbia - Zoo park Koki

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing great! I mentioned in the previous post that after visiting the Celtic village, I also visited the Zoo park Koki across the street.

In the Celtic village, we were told that the owner built that park out of love for animals. It used to be a landfill, and then the owner bought the land, which has blossomed into a cherished haven for both animals and visitors.

This mini zoo operates on a unique model: no entrance fees, just voluntary donations to support the care and feeding of its diverse inhabitants.

As soon as we stepped inside, my kids were absolutely delighted with the hand-crafted carousel.

The highlight for many was the talking parrot, who greeted us with a cheerful "ćao", it means "hello" in Serbian. That was a moment that brought smiles all around. My kids decided that day would be a day for YES when we as parents would not be allowed to refuse anything. This idea was inspired by a movie they recently watched on Netflix. And then even the parrot said "yes" at one point. We couldn't believe it, amazing experience! 😊

There were a lot of beautiful parrots, I enjoyed photographing them.

The lake with Japanese goldfish and water lilies was also very beautiful. You can see that someone made it out of love.

There were also canaries and many other feathered friends.

We saw a llama.

Rare species of pigs.

A family of deer, fawn and doe.

And even a bear.

What makes Zoo park Koki truly special is the sense of community and care that permeates the space. The owner's vision has transformed a once-neglected area into a thriving ecosystem where animals and humans coexist harmoniously. Visitors are encouraged to contribute in any way they can, whether through donations or simply spending time with the animals. Some of the animals are from the Institute of virology and vaccines when animal testing was abolished.

Zoo parks always make me sad because I don't like to see animals locked up, but if they are saved from death in this way, I support the idea.

After this walk and the visit to the lake that I wrote about in the previous post, we went to the center of Indjija town, in the vicinity of which these spots are located. I will write about it in the next post.

Thank you for reading.

Jelena