No wonder there is a general consensus (by most British ZooChatters) that Chester Zoo is the #1 zoo in all of the United Kingdom. It comes down to money for world-class exhibitry, and I've been following the various threads on "Heart of Africa" with some interest because Chester comes across as a big-budget, mega-complex zoo in comparison to many of the "duct tape and super glue" collections that dot the British zoological landscape. (even "zoogiraffe" agreed with me on that one)
Yes I did agree with you on the whole most of the U.K zoo`s are ok for the money that they spend on building the exhibits,even I`m not stupud enough to defend the realy bad collections in the U.K.Although I agree with most of the British ZooCatters that Chester is the number 1,I would still swap it for any of the best Dutch or German Zoo`s to have on my doorstop.
Sorry couldn't help but notice this, having not been on zoochat for a while. But does this not seem like an incredible waste of money? when a fraction of that amount can be spent making a perfectly sufficient exhibit that delivers the same message, be it the message may not be installed so thoroughly and appealingly as the big exhibits.
PS I have yet to read the thread in the general forum so sorry if im posting in the wrong place or have missed something important.
@foz: I asked the same question ("at what cost?") in reference to mega-budget American zoo exhibits. Some of these $50 million complexes are brilliant, while others makes me scratch my head and ponder what could possibly be construed as a waste of money.
@Bele: it is great that the Valued Added Tax has been cancelled from admission, but the lack of government support makes it extremely difficult for U.K. zoos to open up mega complexes and expansive animal exhibits. In the U.S. many major zoos would probably go bankrupt without government support, and that allows the big guns to open expensive animal habitats every couple of years. I'd love to see such a program running in the U.K., but with the economic recession that isn't going to be happening anytime soon.
The VAT cancellation is only for a smallish number of mostly large zoos (the ones with gift aid). These are different from charity reg. rescue/rehab centres.
I've just browsed through the zoo's website, and also glanced through all of the photos here in the ZooChat gallery for the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Did this establishment used to be some sort of rescue centre or sanctuary or has it always been a full-scale zoo? ..... I'm assuming that this collection suffers from a lack of solid financial backing, and I'd be intrigued as to how the exhibits have progressed in quality over the years since the zoo's formation in 1963.
Welsh Mountain Zoo represents a typical small-medium privately owned UK Zoo with limited funds to build new enclosures. It occupies a high, windy position overlooking the sea. The enclosures are mostly pretty basic and the collection does not offer anything outstanding. However it has kept going for many years and is no doubt still an important visitor attraction for summer holidaymakers visiting the nearby seaside areas of Colwyn Bay & LLandudno.
This Chimpanzee exhibit is pretty basic and very ugly, reflecting the limited funds and lack of any grants etc for building elaborate housing. However they have a good history of breeding Chimpanzees- some are now in the large Chester group and the current group here is socially quite well balanced.
This is an enclosure that could be vastly improved without any structural changes.
The exhibit really only looks bad because of the painted brickwork. Repainting of the walls with a dark colour would do wonders for the exhibit. A few thousand spent on proper climbing structures would add a great deal of longevity to this enclosure. If Chester's 'telegraph pole forest' was to appear inside the space pictured above, I think the enclosure would be fantastic. Some semi-protected planting would also be good.
This exhibit was built around 1991, at this time very few collections were using hotwired fencing to contain great apes, so this really looks to me to be a 1980s attempt at decent open space for their chimpanzees. There were a couple of drownings/escapes from moated enclosures around this time and I think this is why some collections may have opted for the walled approach. However, the unfortunate result, especially with just grass, is that of a prison facility. It resembles a much larger and better version of the last Windsor Safari Park chimp exhibit, and was opened with a great deal of fanfare at the time.
Rather than the current piles of large branches placed on the ground with a few ropes tied to the walls, the indoor enclosures would benefit from some nesting platforms and hammocks.
I agree with that. Far more climbing equipment in the middle and upper areas, e.g. a 'pole forest' with interconnecting ropes, a few big boulders and platforms plus some thick chimp-resistant vegetation would all allow the chimps to use the enclosure much more effecively for not too much cost and improve the whole thing for chimps and visitors alike.
