Although i am not new to this website, i am rather inexperienced in all its functions, and previously have just used it as a refernece when reaserching various zoos. So i have decided to review my trip to Whipsnade yesterday, as a lot has changed from the last time i visisted in 2004.
After a complicated bus journey from Hemel station to whipsnade i reached the enterance at roughly 11:30, and had my photograph taken with my girlfriend by a man who worked for the zoo. After a speedy walk through the Ring tailed Lemurs - which wheer all tucked away in small groups keeing out of the cold wind - we came to the first of the new arrivals, European Lynx. As far as i could tell they only had one in the exhibit, and it took a while to spot it as it was lying underneath a fallen log, camoflauged so you could barely see it in the rubble and leaves. i could not really get a good photo here so decided to look at the exhibit again on my way out of the park. When i last visited the Lynx cage was inhabited by Cheetahs, which i remember constantly prowling along the back of the fencing. I then viewed the Wild Boars of which there where two, their newly put up exhibit was in my opinion quite a good one, as although it seemed very cheaply made, suited the needs of the boars very well giving them plenty of mush and mud to forage in.
I then came to the Eurasian Brown Bear cage which had not changed at all since i last came, par a small viewing house that had been built at the side just after the Wild Boars. The Bears where being fed which was very enjoyable to watch. On the other side of the raised viewing platform was the new Wolverine enclosure. I had never seen one before so this was new to me, but could not see it all that well as it was running around at the back looking at something out of its cage that we could not work out. The exhibit seemed once again cheap but very good for the animal, it was just a shame we could not get a better look at it, although that was no fault of the zoos. I only saw one? does anyone know if there are any others or if they are intending to get any more in the future? same question for the lynx? I remeber the last time i came there where white wallaby and stork in that section, and saw neither of them in a nother part ofthe zoo through out the day. The penguin and reindeers where as i remmebered, and the same for the bison chimpanzee and wolfs, but ofcourse the Moose enclousre was new. I had also never seen a Moose and got a decent look as it was right up by the fence, but once again would have liked to see more. i understand of course you cannot just throw animals in, you can only have a certain number per enclousre and all that, but it did seem a little lonely perhaps?
Giraffes where as i remembered, as was a lot of the park from here on, White Rhino, bongo, waterbuck etc. . . I then walked round to the Hippos, aknowledeging where the old lion dell was, that i have only a very slight memory of as i was three at the time. Pygmy Hippos and common where as i remembered, and on the other side there where some antelope, i think maybe kudus though i am not sure, but there was no yak in that paddock which i remember there always being a lone one in before. the new Cheetah Rock enclourse did not seem all that great to me, after seeing all its advertisement it seemed nothing more than a rock in a paddock? i mean the viewing area of it was very attractive, but the enclosure in my opinion was nothign special?
I only saw three lions in the Serengeti section, was under the impression there where more, it seemed like a nice enough enclousre but i did not stay for more than a minute as i was in a rush to watch the sea lion show. When i use to visit the zoo, i was too young to consider the enclousres them selves, but it really dawned on me that the pool for the sealions was appaling, i understand that it is not the easiest thing to renew, but i do think something needs to be done about that, its a real eye saw. The Tigers were as i remembered, and the enclosure was still as impressive. I then came to Sloth Bears, which have always been one of my favourite animals, (i used to see them regularly at the Mappin Terraces as a child), i felt that the enclousre was of decent size and seemed quite attractive, which i did not expect as i know it has had mixed reviews on other zoochat posts. I only saw two of the three bears and both where locked inside their houses, but it was nice to see them none the less. A quick look at the wild horses, (i know their real names but havent a clue how to spell it!) and came to the Referbished Rhinos of Nepal, which i also enjoyed, it is very strange to be able to look down on a Rhino like that. Nearing the end of my visit we went into the Elephant house and saw the newly born baby that was only three days old, it could barely stand and stayed very close to its mother. We had to be temporeraly shut into the house as the other elephants were being walked back into their enclosure, wlking in single file and holding the tail of the one in front.
We could not view the Bird garden as it was being referbished, so instead went straight to the Discovery Centre, which was also different to how i remember. There was no monitor lizard or electric eel, which was slightly dissapointing, nor could i find any chameleons? The burmese python had also been moved, but apart from that it was more or less the same. I enjoyed the Dwarf Crocodiles, but noticed there were no butterflies flying above anymore.
That was more or less the end of my visit, but on the whole i very much enjoyed it, especially the new exhbits.
one thing i forgot to mention was that there where short clawed otters where the seals used to be, which i now realise what a ridiculous exhibit for a seal as the water was far too shallow? does anyone have a photo of the seals in that enclosure?
i welcome any feed back to my review as this is my first on the website, and would love to hear how they remember the zoo and what has changed about it now,
After a complicated bus journey from Hemel station to whipsnade i reached the enterance at roughly 11:30, and had my photograph taken with my girlfriend by a man who worked for the zoo. After a speedy walk through the Ring tailed Lemurs - which wheer all tucked away in small groups keeing out of the cold wind - we came to the first of the new arrivals, European Lynx. As far as i could tell they only had one in the exhibit, and it took a while to spot it as it was lying underneath a fallen log, camoflauged so you could barely see it in the rubble and leaves. i could not really get a good photo here so decided to look at the exhibit again on my way out of the park. When i last visited the Lynx cage was inhabited by Cheetahs, which i remember constantly prowling along the back of the fencing. I then viewed the Wild Boars of which there where two, their newly put up exhibit was in my opinion quite a good one, as although it seemed very cheaply made, suited the needs of the boars very well giving them plenty of mush and mud to forage in.
I then came to the Eurasian Brown Bear cage which had not changed at all since i last came, par a small viewing house that had been built at the side just after the Wild Boars. The Bears where being fed which was very enjoyable to watch. On the other side of the raised viewing platform was the new Wolverine enclosure. I had never seen one before so this was new to me, but could not see it all that well as it was running around at the back looking at something out of its cage that we could not work out. The exhibit seemed once again cheap but very good for the animal, it was just a shame we could not get a better look at it, although that was no fault of the zoos. I only saw one? does anyone know if there are any others or if they are intending to get any more in the future? same question for the lynx? I remeber the last time i came there where white wallaby and stork in that section, and saw neither of them in a nother part ofthe zoo through out the day. The penguin and reindeers where as i remmebered, and the same for the bison chimpanzee and wolfs, but ofcourse the Moose enclousre was new. I had also never seen a Moose and got a decent look as it was right up by the fence, but once again would have liked to see more. i understand of course you cannot just throw animals in, you can only have a certain number per enclousre and all that, but it did seem a little lonely perhaps?
Giraffes where as i remembered, as was a lot of the park from here on, White Rhino, bongo, waterbuck etc. . . I then walked round to the Hippos, aknowledeging where the old lion dell was, that i have only a very slight memory of as i was three at the time. Pygmy Hippos and common where as i remembered, and on the other side there where some antelope, i think maybe kudus though i am not sure, but there was no yak in that paddock which i remember there always being a lone one in before. the new Cheetah Rock enclourse did not seem all that great to me, after seeing all its advertisement it seemed nothing more than a rock in a paddock? i mean the viewing area of it was very attractive, but the enclosure in my opinion was nothign special?
I only saw three lions in the Serengeti section, was under the impression there where more, it seemed like a nice enough enclousre but i did not stay for more than a minute as i was in a rush to watch the sea lion show. When i use to visit the zoo, i was too young to consider the enclousres them selves, but it really dawned on me that the pool for the sealions was appaling, i understand that it is not the easiest thing to renew, but i do think something needs to be done about that, its a real eye saw. The Tigers were as i remembered, and the enclosure was still as impressive. I then came to Sloth Bears, which have always been one of my favourite animals, (i used to see them regularly at the Mappin Terraces as a child), i felt that the enclousre was of decent size and seemed quite attractive, which i did not expect as i know it has had mixed reviews on other zoochat posts. I only saw two of the three bears and both where locked inside their houses, but it was nice to see them none the less. A quick look at the wild horses, (i know their real names but havent a clue how to spell it!) and came to the Referbished Rhinos of Nepal, which i also enjoyed, it is very strange to be able to look down on a Rhino like that. Nearing the end of my visit we went into the Elephant house and saw the newly born baby that was only three days old, it could barely stand and stayed very close to its mother. We had to be temporeraly shut into the house as the other elephants were being walked back into their enclosure, wlking in single file and holding the tail of the one in front.
We could not view the Bird garden as it was being referbished, so instead went straight to the Discovery Centre, which was also different to how i remember. There was no monitor lizard or electric eel, which was slightly dissapointing, nor could i find any chameleons? The burmese python had also been moved, but apart from that it was more or less the same. I enjoyed the Dwarf Crocodiles, but noticed there were no butterflies flying above anymore.
That was more or less the end of my visit, but on the whole i very much enjoyed it, especially the new exhbits.
one thing i forgot to mention was that there where short clawed otters where the seals used to be, which i now realise what a ridiculous exhibit for a seal as the water was far too shallow? does anyone have a photo of the seals in that enclosure?
i welcome any feed back to my review as this is my first on the website, and would love to hear how they remember the zoo and what has changed about it now,
?
just purchased for a very reasonable price second hand from a well known jersey based company 
I have also visited Chester from the early 1960's onwards, but much less frequently than Whipsnade.