A 350-square-meter greenhouse has been donated to De Oliemeulen, an animal park in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The gift comes after two exceptionally difficult years for the park and brings a long-held dream closer: a tropical rainforest of its own, with more space for the animals. One hurdle remains. Dismantling the greenhouse and rebuilding it in Tilburg will cost around 40,000 euros, which the team hopes to raise through a crowdfunding campaign.

The donor has asked to remain anonymous. According to the park, the structure is still in good condition and can be fully reused. To make that possible, it must be carefully dismantled at its current location, transported to Tilburg and reassembled. "Running a wrecking ball through a greenhouse like that doesn't have to cost 40,000 euros," says Marijn Van Harrewijn of De Oliemeulen. "But taking it down neatly, storing it, transporting it and rebuilding it is highly specialized work."

© De Oliemeulen

More space for the current animals
The greenhouse will become a walk-through area where visitors can stroll among living plants and animals. De Oliemeulen is aiming for an environment that evokes the feel of a rainforest. No new species are planned. The space is primarily intended for animals already living in the park, some of whose enclosures date back to the early years of De Oliemeulen.

"Being able to offer our animals this extra space is, of course, a dream," Marijn says.

Visitors will be able to walk through the area themselves. "The idea is for this to become a new, immersive experience," he explains. With tropical plants, natural daylight through the greenhouse roof and animals all around them, visitors should be able to imagine themselves in a rainforest, right in the middle of Tilburg.

© De Oliemeulen

A team that kept going
The plans follow a difficult period for the park. Founder Jan Walhout passed away in May 2024, and a series of setbacks followed. An outdated playground had to be torn down, fallen trees damaged animal enclosures and an old construction shed collapsed. Rising costs and lower visitor numbers, caused by successive heat waves during the summer holidays, also put pressure on finances.

Alongside the grief over the founder's death, the family faced further worries. Walhout's daughter, who now runs the park, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The park shared this itself when launching the crowdfunding campaign.

Throughout, the team continued to care for the animals and visitors every day. "The current team has really had to fight over the past two and a half years to get where we are now," Marijn says. For the staff, the donated greenhouse means much more than a new structure. They want their years of hard work to lead somewhere, and they want De Oliemeulen to be able to keep developing.

To make that happen, the park is asking the public for support. The team hopes to raise 40,000 euros for the move and rebuild of the greenhouse. Those who want to help can contribute via the GoFundMe campaign or share it.

© De Oliemeulen

For more information:
De Oliemeulen
https://oliemeulen.nl