How do you think they compared with zoos in the Netherlands or others in Europe that you have visited?
To be honest, in general the top zoos in Europe are much more spectacular then those in the UK in my humble opinion, and take more time to visit . Some superficial comparisons that come up in mind immediately.
Dudley Zoo felt a bit like a shabby combination between Rotterdam Zoo (because of the struggle to honor an Ravensteyn vs Tekton buildings ) and Amersfoort Zoo (very children oriented with the merry-go-rounds etc.). Shabby, because many exhibits and parts could use some love (the large education building, the restaurant, the penguin and sealion pools for example), a lot of dirty old benches and ugly concrete. That doesn't mean it isn't a nice zoo. The atmosphere is very nice and the situation (on a hill with the castle) is sublime!
Chester Zoo was very nice! I Islands and spirit of the jaguar are awesome! As are some of the older parts (not good per se, but lovely to walk in) like the giraffe and forest buffalo part and other larger paddocks for other ungulates). Somehow I always think this is what Rotterdam could have looked like when it was a top zoo some 25 years ago and would have developed in the
right direction, which hurts a bit (since Rotterdam Zoo is the zoo where my zoo passion started). That said, I would say that top zoos like Prague, Schönbrunn and Berlin (zoo) outrank Chester with overall more pleasant exhibits and atmosphere. The older parts of Chester felt a bit like München (Hellabrunn) or Köln. Islands could have been a one of Beauvals new developments.
The Hamerton and Exmoor Zoos where very charming nice zoos with surprisingly good collections. That these zoos looked a bit like hobby projects that got out of hand, added to this charm. In the Netherlands there is this Zoo in Volkel called Zie Zoo that has the same charm and interesting collection (though on a much smaller scale then Exmoor and Hamerton).
I really wanted to visit Dartmoor because of the book and personal reasons. As a zoo, is was nothing special, a bit like Zoo Neuwied in Germany. but on a much smaller scale and not that well maintained.
The Bristol Zoo Project was a bit of a mistake, because I didn't realize the
old Bristol Zoo is closed and this project thing is a whole other zoo. I wouldn't suggest this one, and i don't know any zoo to compare with.
Cotswald I really liked, but here too hard to make comparisons. I know there are some zoos in France around a manor house, but I haven't visited these yet. Exhibit wise nothing special here. The walled garden part is lovely, and I suspect typically British? The large amount of full grown trees and already very big sequoia's was exceptional (you could see these too at Wilhelma (Stuttgart)).
Whipsnade is another zoo that is hard to compare with another European Zoo I've visited. The concept feels a bit awkward (drive or walk, you decide) but can be seen in for example Hilvarenbeek (Beekse bergen), Dvur Kralove and Sigean; but at these zoos it is more clear/divided where to drive and where to walk (which for me was sometimes a bit confusing at Whipsnade). Whipsnade was together with Chester the only zoo where I really needed all opening hours to see everything.
Paignton and Colchester zoos - although very different - seemed like very ordinary zoos. Colchester felt a bit like a maze sometimes, but nonetheless both nice pleasant zoos! In the Netherlands and western part of Germany there are a dozen zoos like this: Rhenen (Ouwehands), Amersfoort, Eindhoven, Duisburg, Dortmund, Wuppertal, etc.).
A first quick insight while I'm at work (tumdidumdidum). Of course, feel free if you need more clarifications of have questions!
I haven't been much impressed on my previous visits there and now they have lost their Okapi too, albeit on a temporary basis. I do miss the old Zoo too, with which I had a long association.
What I ment: Colchester felt sometimes like a maze; the gibbon complex at Twycross was amazing!
