Fantastic thread so far, @lintworm ! Genuinely thank you for your efforts into this, it has really brought many obscure and unique exhibits to my attention, along with the obvious ones
Just a couple ideas for the last entry, unless you have already decided (I can only comment on the uk collections as the ones on mainland Europe I have visited more for rarities than exhibitry)
Apologies if any of these have already been mentioned elsewhere…
The Cool seas of the deep is a very interesting exhibit, focusing on the marine life of ‘twilight’/‘midnight’ zones, and has an interesting species lineup including spotted ratfish and multiple jellyfish. I’m sure there will be similar exhibits somewhere but I am yet to visit one as extensive (with that said it is still not a very large area within the aquarium)
Many areas of Thrigby hall wildlife gardens are also quite interesting. The swamp house is currently being renovated, however if its previous state is any indications of the refurbished house, then it is a brilliant little asset within the zoo. The boardwalks around the enclosures at the top of the zoo are also very nice as the visitor can experience the exhibits of snow leopards, Amur leopards, lar gibbons, and crab eating macaques at different viewpoints. Cat cloisters shows many interesting species housed in a smartly crafted ‘cloister’ of enclosures (unfortunately the Asian golden cat passed away but it is still an interesting idea). Finally within this zoo is the willow garden which incorporates East Asian wildlife into a beautiful setting. In this exhibit there is a raccoon dog enclosure, a small walkthrough with different bird species and a separated binturong enclosure, a large pond with waterfowl, and storks. This can also be viewed from the ‘Jubilee tree walk’ which again gives a different viewing perspective of the exhibit.
The hedgerow of British Wildlife Centre is my favourite from this list, as it focuses on small native British fauna. The species lineup consists of harvest mice, hedgehogs, European rabbits, wood mice, yellow necked mice, water shrew(?), and up until relatively recently it also held moles which I unfortunately visited after they left the collection. The copse is also a great feature, a red squirrel walkthrough. It is fantastic seeing such a precious animal in UK conservation being so active! They are also mixed with muntjac which provides another species to find.
The tropical house of Marwell if I remember correctly is very nice, however probably doesn’t merit a place on the list due to superior competitors.
The loris house in Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Centre is extremely interesting as it showcases slender and slow lorises in adjacent enclosures, highlighting the differences between the two. I was very impressed by this on my last visit
mission possible of WWT Slimbridge is a walkthrough Nene enclosure landscaped to mimic a gold course. There is a conservation hut here which highlights the conservational efforts WWT offer to endangered species such as the star species of this exhibit, of course, the Nene. Back from the brink is also very unique, a house showcasing small endangered British wetland life, such as natterjack toads and water voles.
I would say the hedgerow is what I believe to be the standout of this list
Just a couple ideas for the last entry, unless you have already decided (I can only comment on the uk collections as the ones on mainland Europe I have visited more for rarities than exhibitry)
Apologies if any of these have already been mentioned elsewhere…
The Cool seas of the deep is a very interesting exhibit, focusing on the marine life of ‘twilight’/‘midnight’ zones, and has an interesting species lineup including spotted ratfish and multiple jellyfish. I’m sure there will be similar exhibits somewhere but I am yet to visit one as extensive (with that said it is still not a very large area within the aquarium)
Many areas of Thrigby hall wildlife gardens are also quite interesting. The swamp house is currently being renovated, however if its previous state is any indications of the refurbished house, then it is a brilliant little asset within the zoo. The boardwalks around the enclosures at the top of the zoo are also very nice as the visitor can experience the exhibits of snow leopards, Amur leopards, lar gibbons, and crab eating macaques at different viewpoints. Cat cloisters shows many interesting species housed in a smartly crafted ‘cloister’ of enclosures (unfortunately the Asian golden cat passed away but it is still an interesting idea). Finally within this zoo is the willow garden which incorporates East Asian wildlife into a beautiful setting. In this exhibit there is a raccoon dog enclosure, a small walkthrough with different bird species and a separated binturong enclosure, a large pond with waterfowl, and storks. This can also be viewed from the ‘Jubilee tree walk’ which again gives a different viewing perspective of the exhibit.
The hedgerow of British Wildlife Centre is my favourite from this list, as it focuses on small native British fauna. The species lineup consists of harvest mice, hedgehogs, European rabbits, wood mice, yellow necked mice, water shrew(?), and up until relatively recently it also held moles which I unfortunately visited after they left the collection. The copse is also a great feature, a red squirrel walkthrough. It is fantastic seeing such a precious animal in UK conservation being so active! They are also mixed with muntjac which provides another species to find.
The tropical house of Marwell if I remember correctly is very nice, however probably doesn’t merit a place on the list due to superior competitors.
The loris house in Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Centre is extremely interesting as it showcases slender and slow lorises in adjacent enclosures, highlighting the differences between the two. I was very impressed by this on my last visit
mission possible of WWT Slimbridge is a walkthrough Nene enclosure landscaped to mimic a gold course. There is a conservation hut here which highlights the conservational efforts WWT offer to endangered species such as the star species of this exhibit, of course, the Nene. Back from the brink is also very unique, a house showcasing small endangered British wetland life, such as natterjack toads and water voles.
I would say the hedgerow is what I believe to be the standout of this list
