The Wildlife Oasis of Sant’Alessio

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Located about 25 km from Milan and 6 km from Pavia, the Sant’Alessio Oasis was created in 1973 when Antonia and Harry Salamon purchased the Sant’Alessio Castle (dating back to 1413) and the surrounding land to create a breeding ground for endangered animal species to repopulate the natural environment.
Over the years, the small natural area has been transformed into a naturalistic-educational park that allows visitors to reach large aviaries and natural areas where many species of birds and wildlife live, both native and tropical.
The concept used to design the Oasis is brand new. The structures are designed to allow people to approach and secretly spy on the wild nature that surrounds them without disturbing the wildlife present.
It is a garden that allows nature lovers to get up close and personal with some of its most secret phenomena without undergoing special training or exhausting waits, and without possessing professional equipment.
Among the animal species that reproduce inside the Sant’Alessio Oasis, and that are systematically released, are the spoonbill, the sandboa, the red squirrel (the European native), the hoopoe, the kingfisher, the kestrel, the grebe… but you can also admire storks, the Italian knight, the woodpecker, the European crane, and flamingos. Many wild birds choose to nest in the park’s natural areas every spring; this is the case of herons, which in humid years can build up to 500 nests.
The park’s fauna also includes the European otter, the wildcat, the beaver, the roe deer, the didactic sloth, the honey bear, the hedgehog, the common hare, and the ouessant sheep. In the tropical greenhouses, you can also admire butterflies, iguanas, chameleons, snakes, and turtles, hummingbirds, toucans, and many others.
The park is equipped with an internal bar and a large shaded picnic area. Didactic activities and guided tours by reservation are provided for school groups of all grades.
The Sant’Alessio Oasis represents the ideal opportunity for a pleasant day in nature with the whole family just a stone’s throw from Pavia.