I've only been in here twice, and many years apart. But the first time I was quite shocked how scruffy it was, a very 'run-down' sort of exhibit and probably very much the same now.
I've only been in here twice, and many years apart. But the first time I was quite shocked how scruffy it was, a very 'run-down' sort of exhibit and probably very much the same now.
IMO I think that the Ape house, Elephant inside and out and the indoor Big Cat exhibit are the Zoo's worst enclosures. I know that the current plans involve updating both the Elephant enclosure and house and Ape House (and Orangutan outdoor are).
I've just been browsing through Tim Brown's "IZES Guide To British Zoos" and it says that Blackpool Zoo is built on an old aerodrome and this building was originally an aircraft hangar which explains the look (I know most of the UK people will probably already know that, but I thought it was interesting). Also interesting to me is that they used to (or tried to) keep army ants in this building as well. Anyone have any further information on that?
I've just been browsing through Tim Brown's "IZES Guide To British Zoos" and it says that Blackpool Zoo is built on an old aerodrome and this building was originally an aircraft hangar which explains the look (I know most of the UK people will probably already know that, but I thought it was interesting).
Yes, I think I only found this out after my first visit there. I believe when it opened Blackpool was the first large Council owned/run Zoo( they sold it off later) to open in the UK for many years(ever?). As you said, its on marginal ground adjoining Stanley Park and used to be an airfield- hence it is very flat but they have managed to disguise and improve its appearance over the years.
And as you say above too,The Elephant House is an old Hangar which is why its not really up to today's standards.
I've just been browsing through Tim Brown's "IZES Guide To British Zoos" and it says that Blackpool Zoo is built on an old aerodrome and this building was originally an aircraft hangar which explains the look (I know most of the UK people will probably already know that, but I thought it was interesting). Also interesting to me is that they used to (or tried to) keep army ants in this building as well. Anyone have any further information on that?
Correct about aircraft hangers. There are 4-5 of them. While the zoo was under council-control they were used for various things: one held elephants/herptiles/bugs/education, another is stores, another quarantine/off-show animals, another had various council stuff including illuminations for Blackpool, and I think the final one was maintenance. Something like that. The zoo couldn't afford to knock them down and used them as best they could, but really they are fit for purpose. Interesting to see what happens in the future.
And yes army ants were kept at the zoo... for a brief period (or possibly twice). They were collected from somewhere in the Neotropics (maybe Trinidad) from a bug collector, but the end result was a decline in numbers without any successful breeding. A lack of expertise probably resulted in a waste of resources and animals really. I never saw them, just second-hand info from staff.
thanks terapod. Army ants are an interesting idea, but I do wonder if they can be kept properly in captivity given their bivouac-and-move-on lifestyle.
Originally the house held white rhinos, giraffes, and Asian elephants. A white rhino was born here, which together with another from Whipsnade, went to Beijing as a return gift following the arrival of the last pair of pandas in London.
By virtue of having been an aircraft hangar, over the last four decades this building has provided significantly more spacious indoor quarters for its giraffes and pachyderms than many, many other temperate zoos.
Its no less attractive an elephant house than a lot of other collections that don't allow public access - perhaps Blackpool's mistake was allowing the public in, and then trying to make the building more interesting by creating the reptile/invertebrate displays within. However, during the days of the giraffe and rhino being housed here, these two species were given rotational access to the left-hand outside yard (were there ever attempts to mix them?), so visitors would have missed one or the other had there not been public access indoors.
Blackpool could have done something really special with this house when the latter two elephants arrived, and used the entire space for indoor sand paddocks for them, but to be honest since they stopped giving the elephants access to their grass field/woodland area I've not felt Blackpool should continue with elephants at all. Assuming they're fit to travel, I'm wishing they end up somewhere more spacious and possibly warmer.
