Anthony Sheridan Award at Vienna, 14/06/13

For Best European Zoological Gardens 2008, 2010 and 2012.

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Except that I shall be awarding the Ben Gilbert Award very shortly, and I invite you all to join me in awarding random prizes.

(not a dig at the excellent Schoenbrunn, of course!)

how does the Anthony Sheridan award work? Did he just send them to the zoos he ranked in his book, or did this zoo just make their own trophy?

I believe that, in typically modest style, he presented his eponymous trophy to them for coming top in his 'study'.

Is it really called "the Anthony Sheridan" award? If so, that is quite simply extraordinary.

Very tasteful piece of glassware, btw!

If Vienna won the award in 2008, 2010 and 2012 then is there only a presentation of it every two years? Perhaps I should come up with the "Scott Richardson Award" for the odd-numbered years, and then I'll pop over to Europe and present it in style. Mine will be a snow leopard image in glass, and I'll have to consider the notion of an award if I ever embark on another epic road trip across North America.

I'm probably stepping on a metaphorical landmine by asking this based on the comments here, but who is Anthony Sheridan and why is there an award named after him?

DavidBrown said:

I'm probably stepping on a metaphorical landmine by asking this based on the comments here, but who is Anthony Sheridan and why is there an award named after him?

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Many ZooChatters already own the book on the link below, and its 400 pages are exceptional in many ways. The controversy comes from the fact that Anthony Sheridan has ranked Europe's 80 best zoos in innumerable categories and come up with a system that essentially places the zoos in order from #1 to #80 on a master list. Many animal exhibits are given grades and while the book is superb in many ways (it is a fantastic overview of top-notch European zoos) some individuals have taken exception to the whole ranking business.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/What-Zoos-Can-Do-Zoological/dp/3865231837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371865885&sr=8-1&keywords=what+zoos+can+do]What Zoos Can Do: The Leading Zoological Gardens of Europe 2010 - 2020: Anthony Sheridan: 9783865231833: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

snowleopard said:

If Vienna won the award in 2008, 2010 and 2012 then is there only a presentation of it every two years? Perhaps I should come up with the "Scott Richardson Award" for the odd-numbered years, and then I'll pop over to Europe and present it in style. Mine will be a snow leopard image in glass, and I'll have to consider the notion of an award if I ever embark on another epic road trip across North America.

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given the honour of receiving such an award, I imagine the zoos would have to pay for your trip to present it in person.

snowleopard said:

Many ZooChatters already own the book on the link below, and its 400 pages are exceptional in many ways. The controversy comes from the fact that Anthony Sheridan has ranked Europe's 80 best zoos in innumerable categories and come up with a system that essentially places the zoos in order from #1 to #80 on a master list. Many animal exhibits are given grades and while the book is superb in many ways (it is a fantastic overview of top-notch European zoos) some individuals have taken exception to the whole ranking business.

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I think there's much more than the ranking system that causes the controversy amongst Zoochatters. (I have never seen the book myself, but that's the impression I get from the UK forums).

snowleopard said:

the book is superb in many ways (it is a fantastic overview of top-notch European zoos)

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Other opinions are available!

sooty mangabey said:

Other opinions are available!

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Please share them...interested in what you think.