Sometimes the smallest arrivals make the biggest difference.
It’s a joy to hear the gentle splash of ducks paddling through their enclosure and the quiet clucking of hens discovering a new home. For families spending a summer’s day in Monaco, these six feathered newcomers have added another reason to linger a little longer in one of the Principality’s most beloved green spaces.
Princess Antoinette Park has welcomed two hens and four ducks, temporarily transferred from Monaco’s Zoological Garden while the latter undergoes an extensive programme of renovation. Rather than remaining behind closed gates during the works, the birds have found a new home where they will continue to delight young visitors in an environment already designed around discovery, play and nature.
The move is more than a practical solution. It reflects an increasingly common philosophy in modern animal care: ensuring continuity of welfare while keeping animals visible as ambassadors for education and appreciation of wildlife.
Deputy Mayor Axelle Amalberti Verdino welcomed the collaboration, thanking the Monaco Zoological Garden for its generosity.
We were delighted to welcome two new hens and four ducks, she had enthused, adding that the partnership allows Monaco to continue promoting animal welfare while maintaining a lively and welcoming animal garden for local families.
That philosophy fits naturally with Princess Antoinette Park itself. Long regarded as one of Monaco’s favourite family destinations, the park offers something increasingly precious: room to slow down.
Children can wander between animal enclosures, explore shaded pathways, enjoy playgrounds and picnic areas, while parents escape the pace of urban life. The arrival of the new birds simply enriches an experience that already encourages youngsters to connect with living creatures rather than merely reading about them.
The transfer also provides a glimpse into the future of Monaco’s own Zoological Garden.
The historic attraction has been closed throughout 2026 while major redevelopment work continues. The project aims to create larger, more natural habitats, improve visitor facilities and redesign the educational experience around modern standards of animal welfare. Future enclosures will feature increased vegetation and, where appropriate, mixed-species environments intended to better reflect natural ecosystems.
Until those gates reopen, Princess Antoinette Park has become an unexpected bridge between Monaco’s present and future approach to caring for animals with ducks paddling peacefully through their temporary home.
And for our lucky children, they are seeing ducks to watch, hens to greet and another memorable encounter during a summer visit to one of Monaco’s happiest parks.
