Buenos Aires’ Bioparque Temaikén Boasts the Largest Aviary in South America

Here at Inhabitat we prefer seeing animals roam wild and free, but for species at risk, rescued from the black market, or born under captivity, a well-looked-after biopark is not a bad home. Less than an hour away from <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/buenos-aires/" target="_blank">Buenos Aires</a>' capital is <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.temaiken.com.ar/" target="_blank">Bioparque Temaikén</a>, a luscious green space that opened in 2002 and holds around 200 species that live comfortably in a replica of their natural environment. We recently took a tour with Temaikén´s Architectural Manager Guillermo Musante, who kindly showed us the fantastic open-air <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.temaiken.com.ar/bioparque_el_lugar_de_las_aves.php" target="_blank">Aviary</a> and talked about the park's aims: to preserve, investigate, and promote good care of local animals and plants while contributing to kids' education.

Temaikén's Aviary is the biggest in South America - it holds around 2,500 birds that live inside and outside the big netted structures.

Visitors can walk through the <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://inhabitat.com/bams-green-rooftop-aviary-for-migrating-birds/" target="_blank">Aviary</a>´s path to see the birds in their own environments. 

<a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.hampton-rivoira.com/" target="_blank">Hampton-Rivoira</a> Architects designed the 40-foot-high Aviary, which is features a triangular-section stainless steel bridge and a strong high-tech <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.hotfoot.com/excl-pd.html" target="_blank">Invisinet.</a>

Once a flat pampa landscape, the biopark is now a lush habitat complete with local plants, materials, and landscapes to make animals feel at home.

Designed by renowned local graphic designer firm <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.shakespearestudio.com.ar/" target="_blank">Shakespear Studio</a>, the signage can be understood by non-readers and shows each animal´s <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_status" target="_blank">conservation status</a>.

The concrete path along the biopark was tastefully decorated with plant imprints and footprints (which are made with a stamp and not by walking ducks through concrete)!

The whole park is wheelchair-friendly, and the buildings are mostly hidden from view, like the amazing underground aquarium.

A 10-inch thick acrylic sheet separates the sharks, manta rays and other <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://inhabitat.com/google-dives-underwater-to-launch-sea-view-of-the-great-barrier-reef/" target="_blank">sea creatures</a> from the public, and its salted water gets filtered by the hour.

The spectacular 11-foot-high aquarium offers a 360-degree view, and kids can participate in cool activities that include sleeping overnight with the sharks!

There is also a whole section dedicated to local animals from Patagonia, and within La Chacra (The Ranch), kids can milk the cows, feed the chicken and enjoy the <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://inhabitat.com/mobile-urban-agriculture-blooms-in-berlins-prinzessinnengarten/" target="_blank">organic vegetable garden</a>.

Some animals, like the <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colobus_monkey" target="_blank">Colobus Monkeys</a>, have an outdoor area for summer and an indoors one full of hammocks and ropes to train their natural abilities and avoid boredom.

Measuring up to 16 inches long, these Megabats are awake during the day and have a vegan diet - they only eat fruits, some vegetables, and nectar from flowers.

Temaikén has a whopping 5 <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment" target="_blank">sewage treatment plants</a> that provide clean saltwater and river water at different temperatures while recycling animal waste through a non-toxic technology called <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.water-research.net/ozone.htm" target="_blank">Ozone</a>.

There are plenty of nice places to have refreshment, like this cute thatched straw roof teahouse offering homemade cakes and hot beverages.

The Veterinary Hospital collects rainwater from the roof and has big windows so people can see the animals being treated inside while they get plenty of natural light.

Founded by the wife of Argentine multimillionaire Perez Companc, Temaikén is the only certified member of the <a title="Inclusive Bioparque Temaikén in Buenos Aires Looks After Nature Through Education" href="http://www.aza.org/" target="_blank">Association of Zoos and Aquariums</a> in South America.

The park offers a great day out if you are around Buenos Aires, and it reminds us that in order to look after nature, we first have to get to know it!