I noticed that on ZTL too. None now but there are photos of the species in the gallery.
A Weekend of Learning, Adventure, Nature and a Milestone.
- Thread starter TNT
- Start date
I noticed that on ZTL too. None now but there are photos of the species in the gallery.
Hello folks! I know some of you have been eager to see my thoughts on Bede's Zoo and Knockhatch. I failed to deliver my thoughts on the two zoos last week, and I'm afraid that I'm only delivering half of that promise today. Please see my thoughts on the lovely Bede's below:
(3) Bede’s Zoo
College zoos have become commonplace in the UK. The likes of Sparsholt, BCA, Shuttleworth and Reaseheath all keep a range of taxa in zoo standard exhibits. On the flip side, Bede's Zoo stands on its own and is part of a private school in the South East of England. It is not only unique for its setting, but it's Grandidiers Vontsira. This was the last species of it’s family on display in Europe that I needed to see, so I welcomed the opportunity for a visit.The genesis of Bede's is down to two former zoo professionals (or current, depending on how you look at it), Paul Juniper and John Tuson, who are now living a zoo nerd's dream. Their passion and perseverance has allowed Bede's Zoo to become what it is today (with the help of many others), and I hope to share a snapshot of what I saw with you here.
Bede's previously had an impressive bird collection that included grey hornbill, Bruce's pigeon and white-headed barbet (very unusual!). Although these species and others are no more, they still hold a Northern white-faced owl and hope to see more birds return to the collection in the future. Opposite the owl aviary is a large metal enclosure for a group of 2.2 black and white belted lemurs that recently arrived from Port Lympne. This enclosure most recently held black alongside ring-tailed lemurs, but the harmonious mix eventually fell apart. Squirrel monkeys and Azara’s agouti share half of the lemur house and have their own similar outdoor enclosure.
Two species share the next house. A pair of binturongs, of which the male was especially friendly, and a trio of kinkajou. The binturong enclosure is like that of the primates and previously housed many of the rare birds, whilst the kinkajou enclosure looks older. It is smaller but is well filled and has an overhead tunnel for the animals to use. Looking behind the binturong and kinkajou house, I also saw an outdoor enclosure for hazel dormouse. A nearby empty enclosure has recently held long-nosed potoroo and there are plans to refurbish and occupy it again. The space is small so would function better as an aviary for when they rebuild the bird collection.
The largest building is multifunctional, with a classroom, kitchen, herptile, and mammal room. You enter into the newly refurbished herptile room (Credit to ZooFab), with three larger “zoo looking” exhibits for various iguanas, other lizards and red-eyed tree frog. The Eastern casquehead iguana have bred particularly well and have been sent off to other zoos. There are more than a dozen vivarium’s lining the wall of the room, all of which are nice and cater to the species they hold. Not being particularly into herptiles, I didn’t pay much attention to the species held (Sorry John, I know you’ll be disappointed reading this), but I liked the room very much.
The mammal room was more to my taste with the species it holds, so I can provide a more comprehensive overview. There you’ll find spinifex hopping mice, a species that I would never have imagined seeing prior to their 2019 arrival at Hamerton Zoo. It is from there that they have quickly been dispersed following incredible breeding successes, and although difficult travellers, they do settle and reproduce. This means they are becoming more readily available to private keepers; good luck for me as they are a favourite of mine. There are basic yet well done enclosures for acacia rats and Nuemans grass rats, with the latter numbering upwards of 60 individuals, separated by sex to limit any further breeding. Harvest mice are accompanied by chinchilla, guinea pigs and a pair of recently acquired wild-line golden hamsters (in separate enclosures, of course). Historically, Bede’s have kept Siberian chipmunk, a species becoming rarer in captivity each year due to their status on the EU’s Invasive Species List, and Mongolian jird.
Two non-rodents also share this room, a trio (1.2) of grandidiers vontsira and a pair of common marmosets. If I’m being honest, the marmosets do get the short end of the stick here, and I feel they deserve more space. They are offered two small indoor pens, and a small cage outside. The vontsira are better catered for, with three well sized indoor pens that are gradually being refurbished. The trio are maintained in a 1.1 pair and a lone female (0.1), each with outdoor enclosures. We were lucky to watch the animals get fed, and they put on a great show for the group of nerds that were so eager to see them. Looking at photos of the mammal room overall, you would be justified in saying things are a little cramped. As the zoo develops, I hope they will take the opportunity to improve the space on offer to some of the inhabitants and create something more modern like the herptile room next door.
Despite being small in size, Bede’s is a great little place and an asset to the school and it’s students. Though I have offered some minor criticisms, I hope you can see that I have been fair and have provided a good overview. It is a collection that should be on any self-respecting zoo nerds radar, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to develop in the future. Knowing John and Paul, I’m sure they’ll have more zoological rarities up their sleeves too.
Later this week I hope to speak briefly about the "IZES" meeting held at Bede's, followed by my Thoughts on Knockhatch. For those of you that are as impatient as I often am, I have uploaded some photos to this gallery: United Kingdom - Other - ZooChat
(3) Bede’s Zoo
College zoos have become commonplace in the UK. The likes of Sparsholt, BCA, Shuttleworth and Reaseheath all keep a range of taxa in zoo standard exhibits. On the flip side, Bede's Zoo stands on its own and is part of a private school in the South East of England. It is not only unique for its setting, but it's Grandidiers Vontsira. This was the last species of it’s family on display in Europe that I needed to see, so I welcomed the opportunity for a visit.The genesis of Bede's is down to two former zoo professionals (or current, depending on how you look at it), Paul Juniper and John Tuson, who are now living a zoo nerd's dream. Their passion and perseverance has allowed Bede's Zoo to become what it is today (with the help of many others), and I hope to share a snapshot of what I saw with you here.
Bede's previously had an impressive bird collection that included grey hornbill, Bruce's pigeon and white-headed barbet (very unusual!). Although these species and others are no more, they still hold a Northern white-faced owl and hope to see more birds return to the collection in the future. Opposite the owl aviary is a large metal enclosure for a group of 2.2 black and white belted lemurs that recently arrived from Port Lympne. This enclosure most recently held black alongside ring-tailed lemurs, but the harmonious mix eventually fell apart. Squirrel monkeys and Azara’s agouti share half of the lemur house and have their own similar outdoor enclosure.
Two species share the next house. A pair of binturongs, of which the male was especially friendly, and a trio of kinkajou. The binturong enclosure is like that of the primates and previously housed many of the rare birds, whilst the kinkajou enclosure looks older. It is smaller but is well filled and has an overhead tunnel for the animals to use. Looking behind the binturong and kinkajou house, I also saw an outdoor enclosure for hazel dormouse. A nearby empty enclosure has recently held long-nosed potoroo and there are plans to refurbish and occupy it again. The space is small so would function better as an aviary for when they rebuild the bird collection.
The largest building is multifunctional, with a classroom, kitchen, herptile, and mammal room. You enter into the newly refurbished herptile room (Credit to ZooFab), with three larger “zoo looking” exhibits for various iguanas, other lizards and red-eyed tree frog. The Eastern casquehead iguana have bred particularly well and have been sent off to other zoos. There are more than a dozen vivarium’s lining the wall of the room, all of which are nice and cater to the species they hold. Not being particularly into herptiles, I didn’t pay much attention to the species held (Sorry John, I know you’ll be disappointed reading this), but I liked the room very much.
The mammal room was more to my taste with the species it holds, so I can provide a more comprehensive overview. There you’ll find spinifex hopping mice, a species that I would never have imagined seeing prior to their 2019 arrival at Hamerton Zoo. It is from there that they have quickly been dispersed following incredible breeding successes, and although difficult travellers, they do settle and reproduce. This means they are becoming more readily available to private keepers; good luck for me as they are a favourite of mine. There are basic yet well done enclosures for acacia rats and Nuemans grass rats, with the latter numbering upwards of 60 individuals, separated by sex to limit any further breeding. Harvest mice are accompanied by chinchilla, guinea pigs and a pair of recently acquired wild-line golden hamsters (in separate enclosures, of course). Historically, Bede’s have kept Siberian chipmunk, a species becoming rarer in captivity each year due to their status on the EU’s Invasive Species List, and Mongolian jird.
Two non-rodents also share this room, a trio (1.2) of grandidiers vontsira and a pair of common marmosets. If I’m being honest, the marmosets do get the short end of the stick here, and I feel they deserve more space. They are offered two small indoor pens, and a small cage outside. The vontsira are better catered for, with three well sized indoor pens that are gradually being refurbished. The trio are maintained in a 1.1 pair and a lone female (0.1), each with outdoor enclosures. We were lucky to watch the animals get fed, and they put on a great show for the group of nerds that were so eager to see them. Looking at photos of the mammal room overall, you would be justified in saying things are a little cramped. As the zoo develops, I hope they will take the opportunity to improve the space on offer to some of the inhabitants and create something more modern like the herptile room next door.
Despite being small in size, Bede’s is a great little place and an asset to the school and it’s students. Though I have offered some minor criticisms, I hope you can see that I have been fair and have provided a good overview. It is a collection that should be on any self-respecting zoo nerds radar, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to develop in the future. Knowing John and Paul, I’m sure they’ll have more zoological rarities up their sleeves too.
Later this week I hope to speak briefly about the "IZES" meeting held at Bede's, followed by my Thoughts on Knockhatch. For those of you that are as impatient as I often am, I have uploaded some photos to this gallery: United Kingdom - Other - ZooChat
(3a) IZES Meeting
Delayed due to an awful illness that killed me off over Christmas. Sorry!
If you haven’t been to an IZES meeting before, I must say that you are missing out. I have been to three myself. My first was at Hamerton in the summer of 2018/19 (I can’t be sure), and we were treated to a 1-year membership and walk around with the owner, Andrew Swales. My second was at Banham Zoo, where due to my employment there, I helped to arrange a private animal display from the show team. Both were brilliant but surpassed by the most recent meeting at Bede’s. Aside from the zoo itself, which is lovely, we were hosted in the schools impressive cricket pavilion. Inside we were provided with breakfast rolls, coffee and sweet treats. Alongside this, we were able to swap, sell and buy old guidebooks, maps and zoo merchandise. My favourite purchase was an old Suffolk Wildlife Park plate - they don’t make them like this anymore! At these events, you will typically find that most people are happy to let you take any spare leaflets they might have and will swap guidebooks or ask for a small rehoming fee. Everyone likes to help each other!
We were welcomed by John and Paul, where they spoke about the school and genesis of the zoo, which was quickly followed by a tour of the collection. Later, we returned to the pavilion for a cooked lunch and more swapping/buying. Having eaten a large breakfast at the Premier Inn that morning, I couldn’t stomach much of the lunch, but I can assure you it was very good. We were then taken to the nearby Knockhatch Adventure Park in the school minibuses (I will talk about this trip in my next post). How strange these vehicles must have looked with a bunch of mostly middle-age (and above) male zoo nerds.
Upon returning from Knockhatch, most people that weren’t staying for day two made their way home. The rest of us took part in a zoo-themed quiz, with John as the quizmaster. Youth was not on my side here, with many of the questions relating to knowledge from before I was born (I’m a 99 baby), but I did manage to hold my own (just about). The quiz was very enjoyable, as it’s not often that you’re tested on your knowledge as a zoo nerd. The day was rounded off with a meal at a local Indian restaurant. Apparently ordering two peshwari naan’s is peculiar… I think not.
Photos of my pick-ups from the weekend!
Knockhatch review coming soon…
Delayed due to an awful illness that killed me off over Christmas. Sorry!
If you haven’t been to an IZES meeting before, I must say that you are missing out. I have been to three myself. My first was at Hamerton in the summer of 2018/19 (I can’t be sure), and we were treated to a 1-year membership and walk around with the owner, Andrew Swales. My second was at Banham Zoo, where due to my employment there, I helped to arrange a private animal display from the show team. Both were brilliant but surpassed by the most recent meeting at Bede’s. Aside from the zoo itself, which is lovely, we were hosted in the schools impressive cricket pavilion. Inside we were provided with breakfast rolls, coffee and sweet treats. Alongside this, we were able to swap, sell and buy old guidebooks, maps and zoo merchandise. My favourite purchase was an old Suffolk Wildlife Park plate - they don’t make them like this anymore! At these events, you will typically find that most people are happy to let you take any spare leaflets they might have and will swap guidebooks or ask for a small rehoming fee. Everyone likes to help each other!
We were welcomed by John and Paul, where they spoke about the school and genesis of the zoo, which was quickly followed by a tour of the collection. Later, we returned to the pavilion for a cooked lunch and more swapping/buying. Having eaten a large breakfast at the Premier Inn that morning, I couldn’t stomach much of the lunch, but I can assure you it was very good. We were then taken to the nearby Knockhatch Adventure Park in the school minibuses (I will talk about this trip in my next post). How strange these vehicles must have looked with a bunch of mostly middle-age (and above) male zoo nerds.
Upon returning from Knockhatch, most people that weren’t staying for day two made their way home. The rest of us took part in a zoo-themed quiz, with John as the quizmaster. Youth was not on my side here, with many of the questions relating to knowledge from before I was born (I’m a 99 baby), but I did manage to hold my own (just about). The quiz was very enjoyable, as it’s not often that you’re tested on your knowledge as a zoo nerd. The day was rounded off with a meal at a local Indian restaurant. Apparently ordering two peshwari naan’s is peculiar… I think not.
Photos of my pick-ups from the weekend!
Knockhatch review coming soon…
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Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
Thoroughly enjoyable review so far, one can never have too many Peshwari naan’s by the way(3a) IZES Meeting
Delayed due to an awful illness that killed me off over Christmas. Sorry!
If you haven’t been to an IZES meeting before, I must say that you are missing out. I have been to three myself. My first was at Hamerton in the summer of 2018/19 (I can’t be sure), and we were treated to a 1-year membership and walk around with the owner, Andrew Swales. My second was at Banham Zoo, where due to my employment there, I helped to arrange a private animal display from the show team. Both were brilliant but surpassed by the most recent meeting at Bede’s. Aside from the zoo itself, which is lovely, we were hosted in the schools impressive cricket pavilion. Inside we were provided with breakfast rolls, coffee and sweet treats. Alongside this, we were able to swap, sell and buy old guidebooks, maps and zoo merchandise. My favourite purchase was an old Suffolk Wildlife Park plate - they don’t make them like this anymore! At these events, you will typically find that most people are happy to let you take any spare leaflets they might have and will swap guidebooks or ask for a small rehoming fee. Everyone likes to help each other!
View attachment 758362
We were welcomed by John and Paul, where they spoke about the school and genesis of the zoo, which was quickly followed by a tour of the collection. Later, we returned to the pavilion for a cooked lunch and more swapping/buying. Having eaten a large breakfast at the Premier Inn that morning, I couldn’t stomach much of the lunch, but I can assure you it was very good. We were then taken to the nearby Knockhatch Adventure Park in the school minibuses (I will talk about this trip in my next post). How strange these vehicles must have looked with a bunch of mostly middle-age (and above) male zoo nerds.
Upon returning from Knockhatch, most people that weren’t staying for day two made their way home. The rest of us took part in a zoo-themed quiz, with John as the quizmaster. Youth was not on my side here, with many of the questions relating to knowledge from before I was born (I’m a 99 baby), but I did manage to hold my own (just about). The quiz was very enjoyable, as it’s not often that you’re tested on your knowledge as a zoo nerd. The day was rounded off with a meal at a local Indian restaurant. Apparently ordering two peshwari naan’s is peculiar… I think not.
Photos of my pick-ups from the weekend!
View attachment 758363
View attachment 758364
View attachment 758365
View attachment 758366
View attachment 758367
View attachment 758368
View attachment 758369
Knockhatch review coming soon…
Thanks! Agreed, they're delightful.Thoroughly enjoyable review so far, one can never have too many Peshwari naan’s by the way
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
⁸(3a) IZES Meeting
Delayed due to an awful illness that killed me off over Christmas. Sorry!
If you haven’t been to an IZES meeting before, I must say that you are missing out. I have been to three myself. My first was at Hamerton in the summer of 2018/19 (I can’t be sure), and we were treated to a 1-year membership and walk around with the owner, Andrew Swales. My second was at Banham Zoo, where due to my employment there, I helped to arrange a private animal display from the show team. Both were brilliant but surpassed by the most recent meeting at Bede’s. Aside from the zoo itself, which is lovely, we were hosted in the schools impressive cricket pavilion. Inside we were provided with breakfast rolls, coffee and sweet treats. Alongside this, we were able to swap, sell and buy old guidebooks, maps and zoo merchandise. My favourite purchase was an old Suffolk Wildlife Park plate - they don’t make them like this anymore! At these events, you will typically find that most people are happy to let you take any spare leaflets they might have and will swap guidebooks or ask for a small rehoming fee. Everyone likes to help each other!
View attachment 758362
We were welcomed by John and Paul, where they spoke about the school and genesis of the zoo, which was quickly followed by a tour of the collection. Later, we returned to the pavilion for a cooked lunch and more swapping/buying. Having eaten a large breakfast at the Premier Inn that morning, I couldn’t stomach much of the lunch, but I can assure you it was very good. We were then taken to the nearby Knockhatch Adventure Park in the school minibuses (I will talk about this trip in my next post). How strange these vehicles must have looked with a bunch of mostly middle-age (and above) male zoo nerds.
Upon returning from Knockhatch, most people that weren’t staying for day two made their way home. The rest of us took part in a zoo-themed quiz, with John as the quizmaster. Youth was not on my side here, with many of the questions relating to knowledge from before I was born (I’m a 99 baby), but I did manage to hold my own (just about). The quiz was very enjoyable, as it’s not often that you’re tested on your knowledge as a zoo nerd. The day was rounded off with a meal at a local Indian restaurant. Apparently ordering two peshwari naan’s is peculiar… I think not.
Photos of my pick-ups from the weekend!
View attachment 758363
View attachment 758364
View attachment 758365
View attachment 758366
View attachment 758367
View attachment 758368
View attachment 758369
Knockhatch review coming soon…
The IZES meeting sounds terrific and my my you did acquire a good variety of leaflets and memorabilia. Good to hear Bede's were also very welcoming and a quiz to boot.
(4) Knockhatch Adventure Park
Like Drusillas, Knockhatch aims to please young families and not a bunch of zoo nerds. Please keep this in mind when looking at the photos and reading my thoughts on the collection. Thanks to our IZES hosts arranging a visit, we were able to enjoy a tour of the animal facilities from the collection’s animal manager, Ben. Upon arriving we were escorted through the entrance and shown the domestic animal area, the first of three sections we were shown. You can find all the domestic animals you would expect, alongside a large wallaby walkthrough, a herd of fallow deer and a rhea paddock. Most of the paddocks were quite plain, but I can imagine they look much nicer in the warmer months.
The second area we were shown was for their owls. Admittedly, I paid little attention during this part of the tour as I was busy chatting with other IZES members. With this in mind, I’m unable to provide a species list, but I can say that most of the aviaries were quite nice and the collection of owls varied. Apparently, all of which are used in the zoos bird displays, though we were not fortunate enough to see this during our visit.
The final and most interesting area we were shown housed the zoos remaining exotic species and is named “Jungle Kingdom”. Upon entering you are greeted by a unique meerkat enclosure with a children’s slide running through it. Since visiting, three Indian crested porcupines have been mixed with the group.
Around the perimeter of this area are simple yet adequate enclosures for banded mongoose, Asian small-clawed otter, and prairie dogs. That said, I would have liked to see the otters with access to more varied substrates.
Two large aviaries hold a pair kookaburra, and then a mix of galah, red and gold macaw, and cockatoo. Both are quite unique with their natural timber aesthetic and get props for allowing the birds a good opportunity to fly.
Nearby are open topped enclosures for an incredibly active group of coati, and a group of ring-tailed lemurs in the weirdest enclosure I think I’m yet to see. Inside is an old aeroplane with a human skeleton in the cockpit. Both enclosures are glass fronted with very large panes, a considerable expense for a zoo of this size.
As with many zoos of this scale, it’s not somewhere that you (as a zoo nerd) would drive far to visit. It’s a collection that you’d tick off alongside somewhere of more significance. Not to say that this place isn’t nice, because it is and the staff there were lovely. As said in the introduction, like Drusillas, we aren’t its target audience, but that doesn’t mean things couldn’t be done to satisfy a zoo nerd. All Things Wild (ATW) is a very similar collection and is known for housing unique species, though often not as well as Knockhatch has done. Species you might know ATW for include golden jackals (not replaced by bush dogs), tayra, American beaver and Cuban hutia.
The free hot drink towards the end of the visit was appreciated too!
Next up, the British Wildlife Centre.
Like Drusillas, Knockhatch aims to please young families and not a bunch of zoo nerds. Please keep this in mind when looking at the photos and reading my thoughts on the collection. Thanks to our IZES hosts arranging a visit, we were able to enjoy a tour of the animal facilities from the collection’s animal manager, Ben. Upon arriving we were escorted through the entrance and shown the domestic animal area, the first of three sections we were shown. You can find all the domestic animals you would expect, alongside a large wallaby walkthrough, a herd of fallow deer and a rhea paddock. Most of the paddocks were quite plain, but I can imagine they look much nicer in the warmer months.
The second area we were shown was for their owls. Admittedly, I paid little attention during this part of the tour as I was busy chatting with other IZES members. With this in mind, I’m unable to provide a species list, but I can say that most of the aviaries were quite nice and the collection of owls varied. Apparently, all of which are used in the zoos bird displays, though we were not fortunate enough to see this during our visit.
The final and most interesting area we were shown housed the zoos remaining exotic species and is named “Jungle Kingdom”. Upon entering you are greeted by a unique meerkat enclosure with a children’s slide running through it. Since visiting, three Indian crested porcupines have been mixed with the group.
Around the perimeter of this area are simple yet adequate enclosures for banded mongoose, Asian small-clawed otter, and prairie dogs. That said, I would have liked to see the otters with access to more varied substrates.
Two large aviaries hold a pair kookaburra, and then a mix of galah, red and gold macaw, and cockatoo. Both are quite unique with their natural timber aesthetic and get props for allowing the birds a good opportunity to fly.
Nearby are open topped enclosures for an incredibly active group of coati, and a group of ring-tailed lemurs in the weirdest enclosure I think I’m yet to see. Inside is an old aeroplane with a human skeleton in the cockpit. Both enclosures are glass fronted with very large panes, a considerable expense for a zoo of this size.
As with many zoos of this scale, it’s not somewhere that you (as a zoo nerd) would drive far to visit. It’s a collection that you’d tick off alongside somewhere of more significance. Not to say that this place isn’t nice, because it is and the staff there were lovely. As said in the introduction, like Drusillas, we aren’t its target audience, but that doesn’t mean things couldn’t be done to satisfy a zoo nerd. All Things Wild (ATW) is a very similar collection and is known for housing unique species, though often not as well as Knockhatch has done. Species you might know ATW for include golden jackals (not replaced by bush dogs), tayra, American beaver and Cuban hutia.
The free hot drink towards the end of the visit was appreciated too!
Next up, the British Wildlife Centre.
