Being raised in a village of 200 people out in the country side has its
peculiar perks. For one thing I did not have to experience nature
through artificial recreations. I was able to interact with farm
animals in their natural habitat – on the farm – instead of a petting
zoo. That’s why I can tell you that witnessing farm animals in the
Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo is pretty much the same experience as
witnessing a farm animal on a farm, since the zoo is more or less run
like an actual farm. Which might be fitting in a way, as more and more
farms are run like tourist destinations these days.

    Another thing I can tell you is that the kids kids love it. Take it
from me, I have three. For a child, there is no joy like petting a
lamb, running around with the chickens or away from the bulls. And
although they are not actually farm animals, the seals swimming around
in the pool never fail to amaze the five-year olds.

The Zoo section was opened in 1990 and its main focus is Icelandic farm
animals and several wild native species. Currently the are 19 animal
species counting about 150 individuals live in the Zoo, emphasising
variety in colours and variations. Here is a a rundown: Horses, cattle,
pigs, sheep, goats, foxes, minks, reindeers, seals, hens, chickens,
turkey, pigeons, rabbits, guinea pigs, geese, ducks, dogs and cats.

    In addition, the Zoo also hosts an aquarium, focusing on species
from the North-Atlantic Ocean with over 20 fish species and other ocean
creatures such as molluscs, crabs and echinoderms. The Science World
has also become a popular part of the park where children can try
various hands-on experiments.