mhale
Well-Known Member
I visited Dartmoor Zoo last Friday for the first time in seven years (it was still Dartmoor Wildlife Park then), and like other people have already said, it is much improved. There have been a lot of changes made to the enclosures and the animals look to be in very good health. The bears in particular are so much healthier than the overweight specimens I saw last time I visited (thank goodness the public don't feed them anymore).
Firstly, apologies for repeating some of the information already given in another thread regarding the positions of the enclosures.
After parking at the bottom of the driveway and paying at the booth, the first animals to be seen are in a mixed enclosure of sika deer, capybaras and rheas. There were two young capybaras and some young rheas. This enclosure has the pool which used to house the lone grey seal.
In the next enclosure are Blitzen, Comet and Donna the reindeers and a pair of Brazilian tapirs. They have half each of a new house, as well as hardstandings and a grass paddock.
Beyond this, is a walk-through petting zoo housing African pygmy goats.
On the opposite side of the driveway, in front of the Jaguar Restaurant, Education Centre and Gift Shop is a large paddock housing fallow deer, llamas, alpacas and one male ostrich, as well as the meerkat enclosure immediately in front of the restaurant.
Behind the restaurant, there is an enclosure housing Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (which are free to a good home!). Along a path, a family of ring-tailed coatis live in a cage, and alongside them are a pair of Northern raccoons with two young, and then next to them is the European brown bear enclosure housing Ben, Hayley and Fudge. It said on the information board, that they hope to do a DNA test on Fudge soon, to see if she is a Syrian brown bear. It was good to see water in the moat this time, because seven years ago, the moat was dry. Fudge was looking her age (31 years old), but she was still quite active and walked through the water.
Along the main path, there are a couple of aviaries, one housing a Bengal eagle owl and the other housing a tawny eagle. A bit further along the path, there are two adjoining enclosures for the red foxes, Foxy and Bramble, one of which is the original pit.
At this point, I bumped into the three reindeer (who are one year old) being walked around the park, and the keepers said it was OK to stroke them. I have never touched a reindeer before, so I was surprised at what velvety antlers they have. It was a real privilege to be able to do this.
Going uphill, there is an enclosure being built for giant tortoises, in front of the grey wolves, and to the left of the wolves, the old Close Encounters / Education Centre area is going to be an Amphibian Centre. The stand-off barrier for the wolf enclosure is better than I remembered it. Up the side of this enclosure is where Tazmin the Amur tiger is housed. She was lying right at the top of the enclosure. In front of her enclosure are two aviaries housing a European eagle owl and a great horned owl.
The next enclosure houses Solomon and his daughter Josie, the African lions. They were lying around (as cats do!). Josie's mother, Emma, died a few years ago of old age.
Next to them in the Tiger Rock enclosure are twin sister Amur tigers Blotch and Stripe, and their younger brother Vladimir. Tazmin is their auntie (her twin sister Tammy was their mother). Vlad has been castrated so that he can live with his sisters. They have a very open enclosure with a moat at the front.
In front of this enclosure is Tiger Mountain which houses Sita the cheetah. I didn't actually see her, which was a shame. The enclosure has a dry moat around the edge of it and a big hill in the middle.
Down the hill and to the left, there is an enclosure for the silver foxes Jabba and Buddy. Opposite them is an aviary housing three tawny owls. At the end of the path is the enclosure housing Sovereign the jaguar. He was a young cat when I last saw him and he had a mate back then.
Near to these enclosures is the revamped puma enclosure now housing a pair of Siberian lynxes, Leslie and Kiruna.
The next enclosure houses twin sister Asian short clawed otters, Snowdrop and Attitude. I saw them being fed and heard the keeper talk, which was very informative.
Next to them are Azara's agoutis, and along from them are common cusimanses, vervet monkeys (currently still in their old enclosure) and some more aviaries. Opposite the aviaries is a walk-in enclosure which houses macaws, crested porcupines, Indian peafowl, barnacle geese, helmeted guinea fowl, Reeves' muntjacs (I didn't see any) and one lone Chilean flamingo. There is also access into the petting zoo from this side.
I was very pleased with my visit this time, as my two previous visits had been so memorable for all the wrong reasons
Ben Mee is obviously getting the zoo up to scratch and has done well so far 
Firstly, apologies for repeating some of the information already given in another thread regarding the positions of the enclosures.
After parking at the bottom of the driveway and paying at the booth, the first animals to be seen are in a mixed enclosure of sika deer, capybaras and rheas. There were two young capybaras and some young rheas. This enclosure has the pool which used to house the lone grey seal.
In the next enclosure are Blitzen, Comet and Donna the reindeers and a pair of Brazilian tapirs. They have half each of a new house, as well as hardstandings and a grass paddock.
Beyond this, is a walk-through petting zoo housing African pygmy goats.
On the opposite side of the driveway, in front of the Jaguar Restaurant, Education Centre and Gift Shop is a large paddock housing fallow deer, llamas, alpacas and one male ostrich, as well as the meerkat enclosure immediately in front of the restaurant.
Behind the restaurant, there is an enclosure housing Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (which are free to a good home!). Along a path, a family of ring-tailed coatis live in a cage, and alongside them are a pair of Northern raccoons with two young, and then next to them is the European brown bear enclosure housing Ben, Hayley and Fudge. It said on the information board, that they hope to do a DNA test on Fudge soon, to see if she is a Syrian brown bear. It was good to see water in the moat this time, because seven years ago, the moat was dry. Fudge was looking her age (31 years old), but she was still quite active and walked through the water.
Along the main path, there are a couple of aviaries, one housing a Bengal eagle owl and the other housing a tawny eagle. A bit further along the path, there are two adjoining enclosures for the red foxes, Foxy and Bramble, one of which is the original pit.
At this point, I bumped into the three reindeer (who are one year old) being walked around the park, and the keepers said it was OK to stroke them. I have never touched a reindeer before, so I was surprised at what velvety antlers they have. It was a real privilege to be able to do this.
Going uphill, there is an enclosure being built for giant tortoises, in front of the grey wolves, and to the left of the wolves, the old Close Encounters / Education Centre area is going to be an Amphibian Centre. The stand-off barrier for the wolf enclosure is better than I remembered it. Up the side of this enclosure is where Tazmin the Amur tiger is housed. She was lying right at the top of the enclosure. In front of her enclosure are two aviaries housing a European eagle owl and a great horned owl.
The next enclosure houses Solomon and his daughter Josie, the African lions. They were lying around (as cats do!). Josie's mother, Emma, died a few years ago of old age.
Next to them in the Tiger Rock enclosure are twin sister Amur tigers Blotch and Stripe, and their younger brother Vladimir. Tazmin is their auntie (her twin sister Tammy was their mother). Vlad has been castrated so that he can live with his sisters. They have a very open enclosure with a moat at the front.
In front of this enclosure is Tiger Mountain which houses Sita the cheetah. I didn't actually see her, which was a shame. The enclosure has a dry moat around the edge of it and a big hill in the middle.
Down the hill and to the left, there is an enclosure for the silver foxes Jabba and Buddy. Opposite them is an aviary housing three tawny owls. At the end of the path is the enclosure housing Sovereign the jaguar. He was a young cat when I last saw him and he had a mate back then.
Near to these enclosures is the revamped puma enclosure now housing a pair of Siberian lynxes, Leslie and Kiruna.
The next enclosure houses twin sister Asian short clawed otters, Snowdrop and Attitude. I saw them being fed and heard the keeper talk, which was very informative.
Next to them are Azara's agoutis, and along from them are common cusimanses, vervet monkeys (currently still in their old enclosure) and some more aviaries. Opposite the aviaries is a walk-in enclosure which houses macaws, crested porcupines, Indian peafowl, barnacle geese, helmeted guinea fowl, Reeves' muntjacs (I didn't see any) and one lone Chilean flamingo. There is also access into the petting zoo from this side.
I was very pleased with my visit this time, as my two previous visits had been so memorable for all the wrong reasons
Ben Mee is obviously getting the zoo up to scratch and has done well so far 
