UK - The difference between wildlife parks & zoos?

M

MoroFenrir

New Member
So this question came up recently and I didn’t have an answer for it .

what is the difference between a wildlife park and a zoo ?

obviously Safari parks like Whipsnade, Woburn , longleat and West Midlands are self explanatory as you’re essentially driving or walking through the animals habitats.

However what criteria differentiates a zoo from a wildlife park ?

why are Cotswolds Wildlife Park & Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Lincolnshire Wildlife Park , not zoos despite housing rhinoceros, polar bears, wolves, big cats etc ?

what differentiates a wildlife park from a zoo?
 
MoroFenrir said:
So this question came up recently and I didn’t have an answer for it .

what is the difference between a wildlife park and a zoo ?

obviously Safari parks like Whipsnade, Woburn , longleat and West Midlands are self explanatory as you’re essentially driving or walking through the animals habitats.

However what criteria differentiates a zoo from a wildlife park ?

why are Cotswolds Wildlife Park & Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Lincolnshire Wildlife Park , not zoos despite housing rhinoceros, polar bears, wolves, big cats etc ?

what differentiates a wildlife park from a zoo?
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They're all zoos. Some just prefer to use the other term, sometimes to distance themselves from the negative connotations "zoo" has to some.
 
TinoPup said:
They're all zoos. Some just prefer to use the other term, sometimes to distance themselves from the negative connotations "zoo" has to some.
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Thank you

by any chance do you know why Cotswolds is allowed to be dog friendly when others aren’t ?
 
MoroFenrir said:
Thank you

by any chance do you know why Cotswolds is allowed to be dog friendly when others aren’t ?
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That I don't know. There is just one zoo in the USA that allows dogs, and you have to have a letter from a vet saying the animal has had consistent care for their entire life, heartworm meds and vaccines, etc. and then buy a ticket for the dog. They're further restricted from some areas of the zoo (where the carnivores are, mainly). It's the only zoo willing to go through all of that legal work, getting their insurance to approve it, etc. to make it happen.
 
MoroFenrir said:
So this question came up recently and I didn’t have an answer for it .

what is the difference between a wildlife park and a zoo ?
Click to expand...
Technically, nothing. As Tino Pup says, they are all zoos. However I think the term arose post 1950's for new zoos outside urban areas on rural land, generally therefore more spacious in their layout.

Re your question on dogs, historically it would not have been unusual for people to walk their dogs in zoos. I don't know if there are any regulations in the UK now however I imagine Cotswolds is just a holdout in continuing what is a dubious practice on animal health and welfare grounds.
 
Zoos are/were traditionally in urban settings, with accompanying images of smaller enclosures, concrete paths and substantial buildings etc.. Wildlife Parks are situated in the countryside, larger enclosures, more grass, less major buildings. Those I think were the main differences originally.
 
For what it’s worth I’ve seen only a couple of badly behaved dogs at CWP. The animals appear unconcerned about them which I guess is habituation. I think the CWP dog thing dates from when it opened. They also support various dog charities. I was quite surprised to see dogs when I first visited but now it’s just a regular thing. Dogs are restricted from the wolf / capybara / Tapir area, houses and lake walkthrough, lemur walkthrough and the restaurants etc. Zoos make a choice on dogs including assistance dogs - most don’t allow any.

On zoos / wildlife parks and safari parks, Whipsnade appears in the first post but doesn’t actually call itself a safari park as although cars are allowed in some parts of the zoo it’s not a drive through (with the exception of passage through Asia) and you can’t access all areas or see all the animals from a car. Unlike the safari parks designed as drive through that now have walking areas, Whipsnade is a walk through zoo that allows cars in.
 
Just to add to what others have said, that places called zoo tend to be in or close to a town or city and wildlife parks tend to be in more rural locations. What species they hold makes no difference.

It is also worth noting that it is a generalisation and there are exceptions, for example the Welsh Mountain Zoo, Exmoor Zoo and Dartmoor Zoo (which was originally called Dartmoor Wildlife Park before new owners changed the name). Interestingly, all the exceptions I can think are rural collections being called a zoo. Off the top of my head I cannot think of any the other way around.
 
mrcriss said:
It's got nothing to do with BIAZA. Jimmy's Farm allow dogs and they're in BIAZA. It's to do with BALAI (of which both parks have accreditation), and how they deal with the BALAI inspection.

Of course the other factor is in personal choice. Most parks just don't want dogs there.
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I love all animals, as I’m sure we all do on this site. However, one of the reasons I enjoy family visits to zoos & ‘wildlife parks’, is because I like the fact my kids can respectfully play & explore without having to look down and check for dog faeces. I’m sick & tired of poo smears & poo bags in the open spaces I run & walk in. I really hope my local zoos don’t allow dogs, it’s bad enough having them around you in pubs & cafes. Quite how CWP get away with it is incredible! Rant over!
 
NMM said:
Just to add to what others have said, that places called zoo tend to be in or close to a town or city and wildlife parks tend to be in more rural locations. What species they hold makes no difference.

It is also worth noting that it is a generalisation and there are exceptions, for example the Welsh Mountain Zoo, Exmoor Zoo and Dartmoor Zoo (which was originally called Dartmoor Wildlife Park before new owners changed the name). Interestingly, all the exceptions I can think are rural collections being called a zoo. Off the top of my head I cannot think of any the other way around.
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There are very few truly urban zoos left in the UK, but the best example I can come up with of one not calling itself a zoo is Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park. Only other one I can think of is Tilgate Nature Centre
 
I always feel that Wildlife Parks are ones that seem to give more space, larger exhibits, but less animals, but Zoos tend to be smaller City zoos. I know they aren't, but often Wildlife Parks seem to have bigger exhibits.
 
TriUK said:
I love all animals, as I’m sure we all do on this site. However, one of the reasons I enjoy family visits to zoos & ‘wildlife parks’, is because I like the fact my kids can respectfully play & explore without having to look down and check for dog faeces. I’m sick & tired of poo smears & poo bags in the open spaces I run & walk in. I really hope my local zoos don’t allow dogs, it’s bad enough having them around you in pubs & cafes. Quite how CWP get away with it is incredible! Rant over!
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Just from personal experience (and I don’t have children or dogs and can find both annoying in equal measure tbh) I’ve never seen dog poo / bags or general grimness left at CWP or had a bad experience with it being ‘around’. Of course it’s just me but I don’t find it a big deal as a regular visitor.
 
Lafone said:
Just from personal experience (and I don’t have children or dogs and can find both annoying in equal measure tbh) I’ve never seen dog poo / bags or general grimness left at CWP or had a bad experience with it being ‘around’. Of course it’s just me but I don’t find it a big deal as a regular visitor.
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I have only noticed a few dogs at Cotswold on any of my visits, even on a very busy day last summer, that's even with the massive increase in dog ownership in recent years. I've certainly never seen faeces or bags lying around there-ever. Where they do score over other parks in rural locations which are a whole 'day out' venue is that for dog owners there is no issue of what to do with the pet on the day out- leave it at home all day or with a dog-minder are other options- okay for well trained dogs but many aren't. And not an option anyway if you are, for example, on holiday in the area staying away from your home, or visiting while en route from one place to another. The other option of leaving it in the car is not one at all really- very dangerous for the dog and some zoos like Twycross nowadays actively check their car parks on warm days and may even prosecute(?) offenders I believe.
 
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