Denmark, Sweden & Poland Zoo Tour 2018

Day 2
Givskud Zoo or Zootopia as on all signage.

Wow up there with the best, only 1 bad exhibit! Poor elephants... Sadly it’s also apparently the largest elephant exhibit in Denmark. 3 cows provided with allot of enrichment.

The zoo is drive through and walk around! Only in Denmark have I seen people and cars show each other so much respect! Apparently people being hit is incredibly rare. Many intersections and short paths are mixed for cars and people.

The gorilla exhibit is huge and stunning to look at, the only fault is no canopy....
2 babies and a 15yo Silverback who was born at the zoo. Aside from Aspinals how many Silverbacks can claim this?
 
Day 3
Ree Park Safari.

A privately owned zoo that in 10 years will give Pairi Daiza a run for its money.

Imagine a zoochatter had 600 million and brought a old zoo?

Ree Park Safari is very close to what we might all fantasies about!

Seriously it’s come from nowhere to now being amazing!

Can a zoo exhibit be to big??

Many of the enclosures may just have that problem as most of the public are just not interested in waiting to see an animal.

It took awhile to find the lions and when I did well wow!

First I heard then found a lioness with 3 cubs maybe 6 months old all tearing apart a zebra leg. (I have amazing photos to post, but can’t till I figure out how to get them off my new camera)

The exhibit is huge and on a hill with woods and clear areas.

The walk through primate islands are your standard design however they look stunning and are huge.

I watched as they placed a horse carcass in the wolf exhibit with a special built tractor with giant claw to carry carcass.

Interesting the wolves were incredibly shy and just not interested in tearing into the meat l came and went to the exhibit many times and no change.

Should zoo animals be afraid of people? As with these wolves they would be a much better exhibit to watch them rip into the carcass, maybe they will in time?

I really struggled to leave....
 
Huh, did you make a mistake in the title? It says 2019... Anyways, nice to hear that you're enjoying the Danish zoos.

zooman said:
Ree Park Safari.

A privately owned zoo that in 10 years will give Pairi Daiza a run for its money.
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You shouldn't hold your breath on that - as much as I like Ree Park, the collection has been downsized to a crazy degree during the last 15 years, and it seems to only continue. In that regard, you could almost call it Denmark's Marwell Zoo, as they surely have the room for lots of animals, and yet keep shrinking the collection. When I first visited in 2004, they had at least 150 on-show species, and now they have 40 or something... And the exhibits were also perfectly good back then, even though some of the zoo's signature exhibits hadn't opened yet. When Karsten Ree bought the zoo, he decided to completely phase out the birds, reptiles and most of the smaller mammals. A few of the huge hoofstock paddocks have also been emptied in recent years. If this doesn't change, it honestly seems more likely that they won't have other animals than camels, black rhinos, giraffes, black bears, lions, and maybe a monkey or two in 10 years...

Ree Park will always have lovely exhibits for the species it has, but it's not going to expand the way that Pairi Daiza does.

Well, enough complaining, I just wanted to point out that the only real similarity between Ree Park and Pairi Daiza is that they both have a big surface area.
 
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zooman said:
Day 1
Odense Zoo,
Highlights,
Tiger exhibit & Walk through indoor manatee exhibit with roaming pigmy marmoset, sloth, golden headed tamarin and White faced saki. All very active.

Interesting that the pigmy marmosets are still highly fearful of threats, as they have probably not experienced a real threat for maybe 20 generations at least!

Brand new Giraffe mixed zebra exhibit small and plenty of money spent on new grass that only Zebra can access and will destroy in weeks.

Huge rat problem throughout zoo and Denmark apparently however have only noticed rats here and have been to 3 zoo’s so far.

The zoo lost government funding as the standard of public education was not up to scratch.

An old zoo with many old exhibits. Worth a visit but completed in 2 hours.
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It's hard to believe you are describing the same zoo I loved last summer. With the exception of the macaque enclosure (and possibly the seals) I can't think of a disappointing exhibit; if they are old they are certainly modernised.

I'm surprised to hear that about the government funding; it's not something I pay close attention to but I certainly didn't notice any problems, and the general standard of the zoo was so high. Bit of confusing decision.
 
Hvedekorn said:
Huh, did you make a mistake in the title? It says 2019... Anyways, nice to hear that you're enjoying the Danish zoos.



You shouldn't hold your breath on that - as much as I like Ree Park, the collection has been downsized to a crazy degree during the last 15 years, and it seems to only continue. In that regard, you could almost call it Denmark's Marwell Zoo, as they surely have the room for lots of animals, and yet keep shrinking the collection. When I first visited in 2004, they had at least 150 on-show species, and now they have 40 or something... And the exhibits were also perfectly good back then, even though some of the zoo's signature exhibits hadn't opened yet. When Karsten Ree bought the zoo, he decided to completely phase out the birds, reptiles and most of the smaller mammals. A few of the huge hoofstock paddocks have also been emptied in recent years. If this doesn't change, it honestly seems more likely that they won't have other animals than camels, black rhinos, giraffes, black bears, lions, and maybe a monkey or two in 10 years...

Ree Park will always have lovely exhibits for the species it has, but it's not going to expand the way that Pairi Daiza does.

Well, enough complaining, I just wanted to point out that the only real similarity between Ree Park and Pairi Daiza is that they both have a big surface area.
Click to expand...

Hello H, you are 100% correct in your comparison I could have been more objective.

My zoo addiction! Has always focussed on gorillas and all exhibit design concepts. That’s why I made the comparison. I seriously did not notice the lack of diversity or reptiles!

I think the average zoo goer maybe 95% of visitors also do not notice. I think the future of zoo’s and already is with many, is less diversity and better exhibits.
 
Say 4
Randers Tropical Zoo

Allborg Zoo
Only in Denmark! ( & China )
The door was deliberately wide open to food prep area. In Lion & Tiger building.Screenshot_20180628-205619_Gallery.jpg
 
zooman said:
Hello H, you are 100% correct in your comparison I could have been more objective.

My zoo addiction! Has always focussed on gorillas and all exhibit design concepts. That’s why I made the comparison. I seriously did not notice the lack of diversity or reptiles!

I think the average zoo goer maybe 95% of visitors also do not notice. I think the future of zoo’s and already is with many, is less diversity and better exhibits.
Click to expand...

It's not like Ree Park is a bad zoo in any way. It's a great zoo for what it has. I just didn't want you (or anybody else reading) to get your hopes up for Ree Park becoming a mega-collection like Pairi Daiza, when their direction is clearly "only a handful of charismatic megafauna species" - and as I mentioned, while Pairi Daiza's collection is growing like crazy, Ree Park is probably beating Marwell or Edinburgh on collection shrinkage.

But if you want to see charismatic megafauna species in neat exhibits (and that's indeed what most average zoo goers want), Ree Park is lovely. That being said, I've also heard some of these "average zoo goers" who are regulars complain that the entry price gets higher every year and there are fewer animals to be seen every year.
 
Day 5
Boras Zoo

The famous mixed exhibit African plains does not dissapoint it’s stunning. Not as large as I thought however still very big. With 3 main hills in the space providing plenty of opportunity for animals to escape each other.

What I did not realise until heading out is that there is a 2nd elephant exhibit off to the side behind the elephant barn. Large and full of enrichment as the elephants had just entered as I approached watching them search out the food was brilliant, with 2 baby elephants maybe a 1yr old running around excited as the adults energy/activity seemed to spur them on even more activity.

Rhino and cheetah sharing a exhibit.

Seems the zoo world has totally figured out how to breed cheetah unlike the 80’s when it seemed only Whipsnade could do it. As several cheetahs seem to be at every zoo. I always thought they were solitary, seems not as most exhibits have at least 3-5 animals.

The Brown bear exhibit WOW! With 2 adults and 3 very active Cubs. Fascinating how different each Cubs personality is, adventurous & independent, mummies boy and shy and a follower who never went first.

I understand that they will very likely be euthanasied at 2 years of age with blow dart.
 
Day 6
Parker Zoo

The zoo was purchased by a large corporation Mimiar Capital AB for the sum of one swedish krona the company are specialists in turning around failed businesses ( can’t find date of purchase )

When you enter through main gates, first exhibit is camel. Camel is almost always 1 first animal on show at zoo’s in Scandinavia are they really that interesting??

Then next you encounter a minion theme park with app 10 rides, games and lots of food concession. All very busy with screaming kids!

Then walking further along past a huge stage and costumed entertainers, kids river boat ride and under giant slide you enter the zoo proper.

First exhibit here is are bizarre looking 2 circular buildings part of the large cat complex. I can’t post pictures yet as haven’t figure out how to off camera.

The zoo has many average to good exhibits.

The Fossa exhibits seemed very stagnant, don’t think I have seen a good sized well furnished exhibit for these incredibly active animal.
 
Day 7
Rest and soooo bored, I can’t be a typical tourist on my own.

Day 8
Skansen Zoo.

Skansen zoo is located at the rear of a huge area dedicated to showing how Swedish people use to live highlighting the different housing styles. I am sure very interesting for some but not for me.

Sadly Skanse Zoo has the lowestnumber of exhibits for any zoo on this trip, however the exhibits they do have are very large and full of enrichment. Many young on show wolves, bear and reindeer’s I wonder if all will be euthanised at 2 years?

The young wolves were very playful and entertaining.

On the map of Skanse Zoo and Museum shows more animals on the right of the map.

This disappointingly is actually a very small private enterprise with another fee for entry. Exhibiting a reptile and primate mix that was good but nothing exciting.
 
Day 9
Kolmarden Zoo

I was soooo not prepared for this zoo it’s amazing, huge and also a serious theme park!

After going through main gates first thing you see after merchandise.... Is a huge hill path, this is something you have to adapt to as the zoo is all up and down hills, a real workout!

Highlights are the snow leopard enclosure that like many exhibits here is mostly cut out of the stone surface of the area with a wall around it and of course electric fencing. How did zoo’s survive before electric fencing! Sadly the female is not breeding as SL Cubs here would be amazing.

The exhibit had a large water area that seemed to be a waste of space and could have been drained and filled with sand to create a superb enrichment space, otherwise a perfect exhibit. I do look forward to posting pics as have a panorama feature on the camera and the shots of this exhibit are great.

The seal exhibit was interesting as this seemed to be created by again using the natural rock and then building a wall with viewing windows in front and filling with water.

Gorilla exhibit large space with public viewing across water and looking up, only a couple of spaces for gorillas to not be on public view and absolutely no canopy.

Very new 2yrs and incredibly busy children’s area themed around a famous Swedish children’s story that revolved around 5 characters and hugging them. So not politically correct in 2018, but georgeous to watch the excited kids queuing for their hugz. (Santa’s in Australia are not aloud to touch the kids)
 
Day 10
Copenhagen Zoo

Separated in 2 areas either side of a road.


Some great old primate houses, I will miss seeing them architecturally when they are all gone.

Huge for a city zoo African plains exhibit area with baby white rhino. Interesting I have seen a few mother’s rhinos with babies on this tour and each time the mother and baby are away from the other rhinos and the mother becomes very protective when they come close.


The polar bear exhibit is structurally huge however I think the space provided for the bear is not do huge... The bear was able to swim underneath the walk through tunnel, a nice touch l thought as it seemed to love to do this to the delight of children.


Mary was not around today l called but she did not get back to me :]


The Australia area is well done with a great Tasmanian Devil exhibit. I am surprised they are not at more zoo’s given the huge and costly breeding program Australia is involved in for them.


Pandas are coming!!! The zoo is literally dedicating at least a 1/4 of its ground space in the first part of the zoo to them.....
 
Aquarium

I’m my opinion the best part is looking at it from the outside as the building architecture is very impressive.

Inside it’s really very small dedicated to 3 zones and only 1 Ocean tank.

3 things that really stood out

1 sea otters very small space

2 the ocean tank that was really without much depth and was simply continually restocked from the ocean.

3 many of the tanks were decorated with tree branches, this inhanced the look however not sure how realistic.
 
Now have run out of zoo’s in Denmark & Sweden, so rather than Spend 6 nights in Copenhagen, I hear it’s a tourist hot spot!

I am off to Poland, sitting in airport now.

Will tour
Krackow.
Opole
Wroclaw
Poznan

Am I missing any of significance?
 
migdog said:
Why will the bear cubs be euthanised when they reach 2 years of age?
Click to expand...

In Scandanavian countries it is acceptable by government and most of the population to breed animals for exhibit. Euthanasia can also be used for the killing of stock not suitable for breeding due to excess bloodlines.
 
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