Best UK Chimpanzee enclosure Reboot

Best UK Chimpanzee enclosure?

  • Monkey World

    Votes: 8 11.9%

  • Chester

    Votes: 8 11.9%

  • Colchester

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • Dudley

    Votes: 2 3.0%

  • Whipsnade

    Votes: 5 7.5%

  • Edinburgh

    Votes: 31 46.3%

  • Blair Drummond

    Votes: 5 7.5%

  • Twycross

    Votes: 5 7.5%

  • Wingham

    Votes: 2 3.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    67
  • Poll closed .
felis silvestris

felis silvestris

Well-Known Member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Chimpanzees in the UK. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

If there are any outdated photos, collections that no longer hold them or people have photos for exhibits not in the gallery or with poor photos please let me know.

If you want to vote for Belfast, Wales A&M S or Welsh Mountain vote for the "Other" option.
Monkey World

full

@MagpieGoose

full

@MagpieGoose

Belfast

full

@MagpieGoose

full

@Bhutan

Wales A&M S

full

@MagpieGoose

full

@MagpieGoose

Chester

full

@gulogulogulo

full

@MagpieGoose

Colchester

full

@twilighter

full

@MagpieGoose

Welsh Mountain

full

@MagpieGoose

full

@MagpieGoose

Dudley

full

@Lafone
(note this is during construction of a new platform so it usually isn't this muddy)

full

@Benosaurus

Whipsnade

full

@twilighter

full

@MagpieGoose

Edinburgh

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

Blair Drummond

full

@felis silvestris

Twycross

full

@MagpieGoose

(indoors on next post)
 
I'm trying to think if any of these have been built since the last time, one of these was done and I'm thinking not so just wondering if that will throw up a change in the result this time?
 
Laboratory 7 said:
I'm trying to think if any of these have been built since the last time, one of these was done and I'm thinking not so just wondering if that will throw up a change in the result this time?
Click to expand...

Dudleys outside area was demolished and rebuilt recently - the updated structure is the one in the photo, it was always pretty sizeable though it’s had even more platforms and resting areas added - perhaps that’s the one you were thinking of?
 
Laboratory 7 said:
I'm trying to think if any of these have been built since the last time, one of these was done and I'm thinking not so just wondering if that will throw up a change in the result this time?
Click to expand...
I guess Wales A&M S wasn’t in the last one, though it doesn’t pose as a contender imo.

I also realised the poll was private, apologies. All my others you will be able to see who voted in them.
 
Lafone said:
Dudleys outside area was demolished and rebuilt recently - the updated structure is the one in the photo, it was always pretty sizeable though it’s had even more platforms and resting areas added - perhaps that’s the one you were thinking of?
Click to expand...

Well that's a game changer a new climbing frame, still it would be nice to give Edinburgh a bit of competition.
 
I visited Edinburgh Zoo for the first time in February and was genuinely in awe at the the fantastic home they have built for their chimpanzee troop at the Budongo Trail facilty. The indoor enclosures are amazing. While the outdoor isn't amazing, it offers great enrichment opportunities for the apes and provides them with good climbing opportunities. The chimps have the opportunity to hang in a group or have time alone which is also a nice inclusion. Sorry if this is too long I just loved this exhibit so much! It's safe to assume they get my vote!!!
 
I think chimps get a good break in the U.K. at the moment with good spaces and activity areas across all the exhibits. I haven’t seen them all in person (Colchester, Whipsnade, Dudley, Chester and Twycross are the only ones I have).

Colchester is a well structured space outdoors and inside though I’ve rarely seen the Chimps use the outdoor space. Their enrichment is interesting and seems engaging for the chimps.

The same goes for Dudley which has greatly improved its outdoor area in a massive space with lots to do (it’s not a new climbing frame in a small way they rebuilt the entire thing which is larger than some adventure playgrounds). It’s an older group of chimps however and their limited use of the space appears to be a reflection of their wants vs the enclosure.

Chester has a good mix of different areas and excellent climbing and the chimps there seem happy and active and are very watchable from a variety of viewing areas - would be second for me.

Twycross has good outdoor and indoor areas but the viewing inside is dreadful - if I wanted to be trapped between multi child strollers in a space the side of a 19th century hallway I could just go to a toy shop. That’s no reflection on the habitat for the chimps and I don’t begrudge people visiting but I do like to see the animals and have time to do so. Unlike all the other places, Twycross doesn’t support lingering to enjoy.

I still enjoy Whipsnade the most as it has the two outdoor spaces - the chimps choose to spend much of their time in the smaller outdoor space with the heaters - and although the indoor area isn’t as substantial as say Twycross’s it’s spacious for the troop it has. The outdoor island has good viewing and good climbing frames and they make use of it all year round.

Overall chimps are pretty well catered for and there doesn’t seem to be a ‘bad’ location which is not the case for all species polls. I hope the U.K. continues to hold this amazing animal at a large number of collections.
 
Edinburgh is the clear favourite for me. Between its massive climbing frame, excellent use of the hillside setting for better landscaping, good choice of plants for a rainforest-like environment and the sheer height of the three excellent indoor stalls, I don’t think anywhere comes close. Top it all off with great viewing angles and an additional indoor room where chimpanzees can interact with a variety of enrichment items while keepers observe and take notes for scientific research, and you surely have one of the very best chimpanzee enclosures in Europe.

In terms of runners-up, Chester and Whipsnade both have beautiful, spacious islands with abundant climbing, dense foliage and, in the case of Chester, a very large and active group which makes for great entertainment. However, they are both let down by poor indoor areas, as is Monkey World, which is enormous and has great climbing, but a little lacking in terms of foliage and very weak indoors.

Overall, I would vote Edinburgh any day, but there does seem to be a fair few lovely chimpanzee enclosures throughout the UK, and it certainly seems that they have it far better than orangutans overall.

Thank you for these polls, @felis silvestris . Even if there hasn’t been much change between the initial poll and the reboot, it is brilliant for members such as myself to be able to get involved in the discussion. Looking forward very much to future threads!
 
Kalaw said:
Overall, I would vote Edinburgh any day, but there does seem to be a fair few lovely chimpanzee enclosures throughout the UK, and it certainly seems that they have it far better than orangutans overall.
Click to expand...

I'd tend to argue with you on that point; none of the orangutan exhibits in the UK reach the lows that certain chimpanzee exhibits in the UK do, and although there *are* some very good chimpanzee exhibits in the UK, I'm not sure that they reach the highs that the best orangutan exhibits in the UK do.

I suspect your sentiment is more a result of there being a lot *more* chimpanzee exhibits than orangutan exhibits, with the result that a wider sample produces a more consistent average.
 
Dudleys outdoor enclosure ,when first built, was regarded as the largest in the UK. As I've mentioned before ,the original climbing frame was made from telephone poles which were supplied by my wife's ex boss who had a surplus of them after building a new business park. After I made the zoo aware of them the zoo quickly put them to good use.
 
Strathmorezoo said:
Dudleys outdoor enclosure ,when first built, was regarded as the largest in the UK. As I've mentioned before ,the original climbing frame was made from telephone poles which were supplied by my wife's ex boss who had a surplus of them after building a new business park. After I made the zoo aware of them the zoo quickly put them to good use.
Click to expand...
Forgot to say the outside enclosure is just over one acre
 
TeaLovingDave said:
I'd tend to argue with you on that point; none of the orangutan exhibits in the UK reach the lows that certain chimpanzee exhibits in the UK do, and although there *are* some very good chimpanzee exhibits in the UK, I'm not sure that they reach the highs that the best orangutan exhibits in the UK do.

I suspect your sentiment is more a result of there being a lot *more* chimpanzee exhibits than orangutan exhibits, with the result that a wider sample produces a more consistent average.
Click to expand...
Yes, I suppose you are right - I was more thinking that, although the two Chester exhibits for orangutans are far superior to anything for chimpanzees, no other zoo with orangs (although I have never visited Jersey) can come close to what Edinburgh, Chester, Whipsnade or Monkey World offer their chimpanzees, at least now that Paignton no longer has the live trees in their enclosure. You are certainly right to say that the lows of chimpanzee exhibits are considerably lower than those of chimpanzees, and that sample size may have played a role in my initial statement.
 
I’ll only rank the ones I’ve seen in person:

1. Edinburgh
Undoubtedly the best, phenomenal outdoor space with thick foliage, different elevations and an outstanding climbing frame. Then the large indoor pods work perfectly - they blow other indoor areas completely out of the water.

2. Twycross
A really well thought out indoor area with excellent climbing opportunities. Outdoors is spacious with good climbing, will be even better when the plants grow in.

3. Chester
Whilst the indoors is small, it still does the job and the outdoor space is on a level similar to that of Edinburgh, both in size and foliage. Points are docked for me however as Chester have two groups and the enclosure of the second group consists of the back of the chimp house 93% of the time.

4. Dudley
Decent enough indoor space, outdoors is large with great climbing opportunities - hugely improved from what it used to be.

5. WMZ
The indoors is quite small but well thought out. The outdoors is a decent size, with better climbing/enrichment than Belfast and a couple of large shrubs at either side.

6. Belfast
Bang average indoor space. The outdoors, whilst similar in size to WMZ, is really quite sparse.
 
Just a point that plans are in place for the future for a new Chimpanzee exhibit @ Chester zoo, once the giraffes are relocated to the new 'Heart Of Africa' exhibit. This will not be happening for a few more years as Heart of Africa is not planned to be fully completed and the animals settled in the new exhibits until 2025. But definitely something to look forward to.
 
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