Families visiting Princess Antoinette Park have a few new residents to meet this summer, after two hens and four ducks joined the park’s animal garden.
The animals have been transferred from Monaco’s Zoological Garden, which is currently closed for renovation works. During the refurbishment, they will be cared for at the municipal park, where they can already be seen by visitors.
It is a small local story, but one with a very Monaco kind of charm.
Princess Antoinette Park has long been one of the Principality’s most family-friendly spaces. With its playgrounds, mini-golf, sports areas and animal garden, it offers children something increasingly rare in city life: a simple outdoor place to explore, play and slow down.
The arrival of the hens and ducks adds to that atmosphere. For younger children especially, animals are not just entertainment. They are often a first lesson in care, patience and curiosity. Watching ducks settle into a new space may not sound dramatic, but for a child, it can be the best part of the day.
The transfer also reflects a practical collaboration between Monaco’s services while the Zoological Garden undergoes work. Rather than keeping the animals out of public view, the move allows families to continue enjoying them in a safe and suitable setting.
The animal garden at Princess Antoinette Park is managed by Monaco City Hall and remains a popular destination for local families, residents and visitors. It offers a quieter side of Monaco, away from the hotels, traffic and busy summer terraces.
That matters. Monaco is often described through its grandest images: the Casino, the yachts, the Grand Prix, the view from the Rock. But daily life in the Principality is also built from smaller places like this. Parks, school routes, children’s activities and the familiar spaces where families return week after week.
For parents, Princess Antoinette Park is useful because it gives children space. For visitors, it offers a more relaxed glimpse of Monaco, especially for those travelling with young families. Not every day in the Principality has to revolve around luxury shopping or fine dining. Sometimes the better story is a child meeting a duck.
The new arrivals are now settling in and can be seen by park visitors throughout the summer.
It is not the largest headline Monaco will have this week. But it is a welcome one.
In the middle of a busy summer, two hens and four ducks have quietly given one of Monaco’s best-loved family parks a little more life.