ZooChat Challenge UK 2017

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1) Chester Zoo- 02/01/2017
2) Welsh Mountain Zoo- 05/02/2017
3) ZSL London Zoo - 04/03/2017
4) Paradise Wildlife Park -09/04/2017
5) ZSL Whipsnade Zoo- 10/04/2017
6) Twycross Zoo- 22/04/2017
7) Bristol Zoo Gardens- 30/04/2017
8) WWT Slimbridge- 01/05/2017
9) International Birds of Prey Centre Newent- 01/05/2017
10) Dudley Zoo Gardens- 07/05/2017
After a plesent visit this afternoon I am know sat with my feet in the river eating a strawberry ice cream whilst the nice weather lasts (27 degrees :o)
11) Birdland Park and Gardens- 18/06/2017
 
8. Africa Alive! 1/5/17

Three to add to my list:

9 Birdworld 16/7/17
10 Bentley Wildfowl 17/7/17
11 Drusillas Park

These were all new collections for me and Shorts suggested we make some comments on what we thought of new collections. I will make some detailed observations later, but will say that whilst all were ok, they weren't anything particularly special either. All had good and not so good points.

I would also suggest that at £16 for Birdworld and £19.50 for Drusillas, those two were very poor value for money given the amount of time it took to go round. Without rushing, I saw all Drusillas in just over an hour.

As Bentley isn't listed on ZTL, I will post a species list, if a moderator could add Bentley to the UK zoo list on here please?
 
Drusillas

While it is fresh in my mind,I feel I need to qualify my earlier comments on Drusillas!

Basically, there is nothing wrong with it, it is great for children, which obviously we all know it is aimed at! For the zoonerd though, not much to go out of your way for & unless you have children with you, the best part of£20 is not well spent.

The zoo begins with a series of indoor enclosures for Rhinoceros Iguana, Pygmy Marmoset /Sloth followed by common marmoset, Silvery Marmoset, Goeldis Monkey and Cotton top Tamarin, along with Arabian Rock Hyrax (*).
There are then a series of 'adequate ' enclosures for capuchin, B&W Colobus Meerkat.
A standard farmyard area is then available with nothing exciting.
Next is the Sulawesi Crested Macaque enclosure, which looks like a VERY miniature version of Colchester's mangabey enclosure with mock rock & glass! I think most on here would hate it!! Midas & Emperor Tamarin opp
Serval enclosure also straight out of Colchester, but fine.
Squirrel Monkey / azaras agouti island was one of better exhibits.
Next another meerkat exhibit (black mark!) mixed with Cape Porcupines
Then dwarf mongoose in a standard exhibit
An odd walkthrough followed with Rodriguez Fruit Bat/ Sloth/ golden Lion Tamarin & common marmoset along with Violet Turaco
Next Binturong, a few commonly seen owls followed by 4 Lar Gibbons in what I thought was a reasonable cage with height.

The Giant Anteater were opposite in a nice sized enclosure with pool, both were active & it was good that viewing was either glass or from a wooden balcony.

Average Chilean flamingo paddock followed before probably my favourite exhibit for North American Beaver & Capybara. Perfectly adequate cages for Geoffroy's Marmoset & White Faced Saki/Silvery Marmoset.
Next followed fairly standard exhibits for ASCO, Red Panda, Prairie Dog, Fennec Fox, a Lemur Walkthrough for Ring-tailed & Black, then Raccoon, Coati.

I forgot the Bactrian Camel paddock, mixed Kookaburra /Parma Wallaby /Armadillo cage and the Penguin pool (better than Birdworld's older one, but nothing special), only saw one Rockhopper!

Overall, a pleasant little zoo with reasonable exhibits in the main, but not one I'll rush back to!

Highlights - Beaver, Giant Anteater, Binturong, Rock Hyrax, Sloth, Fennec Fox

Every species was seen active though! Even a Sloth, Armadillo, Beaver, Anteater, which counts for something
 
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Next Binturong, a few commonly seen owls followed by 4 Lar Gibbons in what I thought was a reasonable cage with height.

Worth noting they have an unusual subspecies of Binturong!
 
As the Bentley forum has been created, I've posted a brief review & species list there
 
After a little drive out on Sunday I can now add another 1 for the challenge in the form of

8) Suffolk Wildlife Park

That should be it for this month and more than likely next month

After a little Visit to a few places over the weekend I have added a few more places

9) Dudley Zoo
10) Shaldon Zoo
11) Paignton Zoo

Not sure when I will next add some more,but seeing as I am only doing this for fun and not taking it seriously,un-like last year when nobody was going to beat me.
 
Three to add to my list:

9 Birdworld 16/7/17
10 Bentley Wildfowl 17/7/17
11 Drusillas Park

As I had to drive my daughter to Croydon today, I took a 20 minute train journey to a new zoo for me

12 Battersea Park Zoo

I would agree with Crowthorne's earlier comments, 'nice little zoo ' is a fair summary really.

New species to the zoo, that I was surprised to see ( or more precisely not see) was Luzon Cloud Rat!
Zootierliste is hopelessly out of date, at least 10 species not listed & nearly as many gone!

Will post changes in Battersea Park thread.

Among those not listed are Scottish Wild Cat, Violet Turaco, Pallas's Squirrel, Red necked Wallaby. Several reptiles now in ' Mouse House '!

No longer labelled B&W Ruffed Lemur, Tree Shrew, Banded Mongoose, Prevost squirrel
 
As I had to drive my daughter to Croydon today, I took a 20 minute train journey to a new zoo for me

12 Battersea Park Zoo

I would agree with Crowthorne's earlier comments, 'nice little zoo ' is a fair summary really.

New species to the zoo, that I was surprised to see ( or more precisely not see) was Luzon Cloud Rat!
Zootierliste is hopelessly out of date, at least 10 species not listed & nearly as many gone!

Will post changes in Battersea Park thread.

Among those not listed are Scottish Wild Cat, Violet Turaco, Pallas's Squirrel, Red necked Wallaby. Several reptiles now in ' Mouse House '!

No longer labelled B&W Ruffed Lemur, Tree Shrew, Banded Mongoose, Prevost squirrel

5/8/17

13 Paignton Zoo
14 Shaldon Zoo
 
Do you guys know of any way to easily map the locations of these zoos? Google maps only seems to like the obvious main ones! I need to work out public transport routes from South Yorkshire way. Thanks :)
 
Do you guys know of any way to easily map the locations of these zoos? Google maps only seems to like the obvious main ones! I need to work out public transport routes from South Yorkshire way. Thanks :)

The following list of the collections involved in this challenge should help :) each collection is followed by a hyperlink to the precise location of the collection in question on Google Maps.

Bristol Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/iH1Kv8wY9u
ZSL London - Google Maps
Sea Life Brighton - Google Maps
Edinburgh Zoo - Google Maps
Paignton Zoo - Google Maps
Drusillas Park - Google Maps
Chessington World of Adventures - Google Maps
Chester Zoo - Google Maps
ZSL Whipsnade - Google Maps
Belfast Zoo - Google Maps
Dudley Zoo - Google Maps
WWT Slimbridge - Google Maps
Battersea Park Children's Zoo - Google Maps
Isle Of Wight Zoo - Google Maps
Beale Park - https://goo.gl/maps/wggEiMEXdXK2
Birdland - https://goo.gl/maps/q9apt9j4ijQ2
Jersey Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/JC9fkF718Y32
Cornish Seal Sanctuary - https://goo.gl/maps/RyZSjXJ3s632
Flamingo Land Resort - https://goo.gl/maps/5DngNw3TGXR2
Colchester Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/MwhXQGDY6kk
Twycross Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/j43mZn5HzL22
Welsh Mountain Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/mFGKM2mtany
Paradise Wildlife Park - https://goo.gl/maps/ePXsnPtFCN82
Shaldon Wildlife Trust - https://goo.gl/maps/TjtLZDfdV512
Curraghs Wildlife Park - https://goo.gl/maps/Y5BaizLZb3N2
Natureland Seal Sanctuary - https://goo.gl/maps/vPU62xdVZ2t
Bentley Wildfowl - https://goo.gl/maps/aUCFGX3gEDB2
Hawk Conservancy Trust - https://goo.gl/maps/HgKkuKsoGYr
ICBP (Newent) - https://goo.gl/maps/CihaHZsQ8GM2
Banham Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/pYQJQ8rQ6uS2
Birdworld - https://goo.gl/maps/J7HPvDnr6Vn
Camperdown Country Park - https://goo.gl/maps/N2Dz5YgMG9R2
Linton Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/P8ysVTgaawm
Newquay Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/w3QZN7SH6MD2
Suffolk Wildlife Park - https://goo.gl/maps/aDo2xStZveG2
 
The following list of the collections involved in this challenge should help :) each collection is followed by a hyperlink to the precise location of the collection in question on Google Maps.

Bristol Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/iH1Kv8wY9u
ZSL London - Google Maps
Sea Life Brighton - Google Maps
Edinburgh Zoo - Google Maps
Paignton Zoo - Google Maps
Drusillas Park - Google Maps
Chessington World of Adventures - Google Maps
Chester Zoo - Google Maps
ZSL Whipsnade - Google Maps
Belfast Zoo - Google Maps
Dudley Zoo - Google Maps
WWT Slimbridge - Google Maps
Battersea Park Children's Zoo - Google Maps
Isle Of Wight Zoo - Google Maps
Beale Park - Google Maps
Birdland - Google Maps
Jersey Zoo - Google Maps
Cornish Seal Sanctuary - Google Maps
Flamingo Land Resort - Google Maps
Colchester Zoo - Google Maps
Twycross Zoo - Google Maps
Welsh Mountain Zoo - Google Maps
Paradise Wildlife Park - Google Maps
Shaldon Wildlife Trust - Google Maps
Curraghs Wildlife Park - Google Maps
Natureland Seal Sanctuary - https://goo.gl/maps/vPU62xdVZ2t
Bentley Wildfowl - https://goo.gl/maps/aUCFGX3gEDB2
Hawk Conservancy Trust - https://goo.gl/maps/HgKkuKsoGYr
ICBP (Newent) - https://goo.gl/maps/CihaHZsQ8GM2
Banham Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/pYQJQ8rQ6uS2
Birdworld - https://goo.gl/maps/J7HPvDnr6Vn
Camperdown Country Park - https://goo.gl/maps/N2Dz5YgMG9R2
Linton Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/P8ysVTgaawm
Newquay Zoo - https://goo.gl/maps/w3QZN7SH6MD2
Suffolk Wildlife Park - https://goo.gl/maps/aDo2xStZveG2

Thanks so much! :D
 
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