An elephant wiggling its ears in a digital savannah, a tiger watching you from the jungle, penguins marching across the ice floe… without any animals being locked up. This autumn, Brussels welcomes a playful and ethical revolution: the Zoo of the Future!
A zoo where cages have disappeared
Forget fences and concrete. From September 9, the Tour & Taxis Maritime Station will be transformed into an animal park… with no real residents! Here, visitors will pass through three life-size ecosystems. Jungle, savannah and tundra. Tigers, giraffes, meerkats and penguins will evolve in life-like fashion, thanks to 360° projections, augmented reality and interactive installations.
When technology serves the animal cause
Behind this project, the first of its kind in Europe, is GAIA, the Belgian animal protection association. And far from being a simple technological feat, the Zoo of the Future poses an essential question: how can we observe wild animals without depriving them of their freedom? As Ann De Greef, Director of GAIA, explains: “The Zoo of the Future wants to encourage visitors to question the current treatment of wild animals who have no freedom. We do this not by pointing the finger, but by proposing playful, interactive and innovative alternatives.”
An interactive safari for young and old
Each trail features challenges, preservation missions and even digital badges to collect, rather like a life-size game. The aim? To arouse curiosity while raising awareness of respect for living things. Because at the Zoo of the Future, you don’t just come to admire pixel-created animals! It’s a story in which technology becomes a playground for ecological awareness. An excellent initiative!
You can reserve your tickets now here!
📍 Address: Gare Maritime (Tour & Taxis) – Unit 10, Rue Picard 11, 1000 Brussels
📆 Dates: September 9 to December 30, 2025