The completely rebuilt Parc Zoologique de Paris (Zoological Park of Paris) opened to visitors on Saturday 12 April – having undergone a transformation in not only design but also ethos.

The Paris zoo originally closed six years ago. Operated by the Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle (France’s Natural History Museum), it is now claiming to be the most ecologically and biologically correct urban animal park in the world, as well as the most humane.

At a cost of €170m ($235m, £140m), the new zoo is divided into five regional ‘biozones’ – Madagascar, Patagonia, Guyana, Europe and Sahel-Sudan – with the aim of offering visitors a complete multi-sensory experience. To achieve this, animals of the same natural habitats share the same enclosures where possible.

"The new Paris zoo is a journey of discovery where you can grasp that the animals are part of a single ecosystem – or five different ecosystems – which survive or decline as a whole,” said Thomas Grenon, director of France’s natural history museum.

Located on a 14.5-hectare site, Grenon says it is the first time a zoo has been completely rebuilt.

The project was funded through a public-private partnership. Chrysalis, a consortium set up for the project that includes building group Bouygues Construction, is responsible for architecture, landscaping and technical design, from pre-financing to completion of the project as well as its upkeep and maintenance for a 25-year period.

The Museum is the lessee of the installations and will assume full ownership at the end of the

lease agreement. It retains the management of the establishment, as well as operations and finances.

Entrance to the zoo costs €22 ($30.40, £18.20) for adults, and €11 ($15.20, £9.10) for children.