ZOO DE MARTINIQUE

The Martinique Zoo is housed in one of the island's oldest dwellings. Founded in 1643, the Latouche dwelling covered an area of 15 hectares. By 1664, sugar was the main product, followed by rum, cocoa, manioc and indigo. When Mount Pelée erupted, most of the buildings were destroyed, but some magnificent remains remain (dwelling house, indigoterie, manioquerie, sugar mill, aqueduct, etc.). In the hands of Jean-Philippe Thoze, creator of the famous Balata garden in Fort-de-France, the Latouche dwelling has been transformed into a unique place, sublimated by beautiful botanical compositions, that absolutely must be visited. Not just to meet the residents, who live in semi-liberty and live out their days in peace: monkeys, jaguars, pumas, lorikeets, anteaters, raccoons, as well as the more insular mongooses, touloulous crabs, turtles, iguanas and, of course, snakes. But above all for its unique atmosphere and its wild nature, skilfully staged by the magician Thoze. A precious testimony to local and subtropical fauna, this exotic bestiary is brought together at the heart of the Latouche dwelling, where visitors can banter and follow a specially-designed educational trail, not only to discover unexpected animals but also to interact with them. In one of the zoo's immersion aviaries, visitors are treated to a singular spectacle as lorikeets come to rest on you and eat out of your hand. These colonial relics, nestled in the hollow of the valley, are now the markers of a whole part of the island's history, made up of an agricultural economy and progressive industrialization. A visit to the zoo reveals the entire dwelling: the main house, of course, and the various farm and business buildings. You'll also note the rich aquatic network, to which the aqueduct and the paddle wheel still bear living witness. At the end of the visit, a large exhibition on piracy will delight visitors of all ages and recall another feature of the island's history: Madinina was home to many freebooters. Both the zoo's layout and facilities have been designed with the animals' well-being and visitors' comfort in mind: when you enter the Latouche dwelling, you're in for a rich journey in what can now be called a new-generation zoo.