Nice species!
Best looks like a nice collection with a few rarities thrown in too, I've not really heard much about this place. Is it worth a visit if you're in the Netherlands? Or should you keep to the big guns? (Rotterdam, Apenheul, Burgers.)
The ID of these squirrels (the whole captive population, not just at Best) has been much debated, actually - for the sake of sanity I'm following the labels (and Zootierliste) in saying S. lis. Nice things though - the first I'd seen.
Re: Best - it all depends how much time you have! I certainly wouldn't drop any zoos you mentioned in order to do Best unless you're very keen on squirrels, maras or wallaroos as there's not a lot to it, but I quite like the place, despite the occasional rather basic exhibit. It doubles up nicely with Papagaaien Park (NOP) at Veldhoven if you have a car; on this trip we squeezed in De Paay on the same day as well without too much hurrying but if it were your first visit to all three I wouldn't recommend it - with Best and Veldhoven as repeat visits it was just about workable. This trip had double-up zoos almost every day - most of our combinations would be difficult if they weren't generally repeat visits to zoos we were previously familiar with and very carefully planned to take advantage of various zoos' opening hours (like Burgers' 7pm closing time, which was very handy!).
Re: Best - it all depends how much time you have! I certainly wouldn't drop any zoos you mentioned in order to do Best unless you're very keen on squirrels, maras or wallaroos as there's not a lot to it, but I quite like the place, despite the occasional rather basic exhibit. It doubles up nicely with Papagaaien Park (NOP) at Veldhoven if you have a car; on this trip we squeezed in De Paay on the same day as well without too much hurrying but if it were you're first visit to all three I wouldn't recommend it - with Best and Veldhoven as repeat visits it was just about workable. This trip had double-up zoos almost every day - most of our combinations would be difficult if they weren't generally repeat visits to zoos we were previously familiar with and very carefully planned to take advantage of various zoos' opening hours (like Burgers' 7pm closing time, which was very handy!).
I've been planning a trip to the Netherlands for a while and definitely want to see Rotterdam and Burgers, Apenheul (sp?) may be missed as it's pencilled in for November and I know that it's only open seasonally. We're probably going to based in Amsterdam for at least 2 nights so Artis is a definite, the smaller collections possibly won't be visited as I'm the only zoo lover going and there's only so much the missus can tolerate...
We won't be driving either, it'll be a plane to Amsterdam, 2 nights there, a day trip to Rotterdam and hopefully a day in Burgers then home. If not then just Artis and Rotterdam.
DEFINITELY a trip to Rotterdam though!
Apenheul closes at the end of october, so that won't be doable. Apenheul also is a real "good weather zoo" which is best visiting in spring (or summer).
Both Arnhem (Burgers) and Rotterdam are very easily reached by train from Amsterdam main station. Both will take about one hour with a direct train. Artis Amsterdam is also in the top-5 of dutch zoos (together with blijdorp, burgers, apenheul and gaiapark), but that is my personal opinion
Apenheul closes at the end of october, so that won't be doable. Apenheul also is a real "good weather zoo" which is best visiting in spring (or summer).
Both Arnhem (Burgers) and Rotterdam are very easily reached by train from Amsterdam main station. Both will take about one hour with a direct train. Artis Amsterdam is also in the top-5 of dutch zoos (together with blijdorp, burgers, apenheul and gaiapark), but that is my personal opinion
Thanks for the rundown lintworm, I have heard lots of good things about Artis from (none-zoo) friends and would like to see it myself. It's good to hear a locals perspective. I've not heard too much about GaiaPark but from photo's it looks very pleasant.
The Netherlands is going to be my first international (specific) zoo visiting experience, it's mainly just to test the water and see how the family cope with being dragged around different collections!
It probably wouldn't fit in easily with the itinary you describe, but I was at Gaiapark last week and thought it was brilliant - a real revelation. It's very nicely done, with a string of beautiful enclosures and an air of absolute quality throughout. To be honest, while I thought it would be good, I was expecting somewhere a little worthy, a little dull. On the contrary, this place is wonderful. The collection lacks many real rarities, but is still filled with wonderful species. In pretty much any other country, it would stand out as a remarkable zoo. In the Netherlands, however, there is quite a lot of competition! I'm not sure that that competition includes the ironically named Best, however: it's quite British in flavour, a bit scruffy, and can be seen very comfortably in a little over an hour.
It probably wouldn't fit in easily with the itinary you describe, but I was at Gaiapark last week and thought it was brilliant - a real revelation. It's very nicely done, with a string of beautiful enclosures and an air of absolute quality throughout. To be honest, while I thought it would be good, I was expecting somewhere a little worthy, a little dull. On the contrary, this place is wonderful. The collection lacks many real rarities, but is still filled with wonderful species. In pretty much any other country, it would stand out as a remarkable zoo. In the Netherlands, however, there is quite a lot of competition! I'm not sure that that competition includes the ironically named Best, however: it's quite British in flavour, a bit scruffy, and can be seen very comfortably in a little over an hour.
Thanks for a nice summary Sooty, how were you travelling around the Netherlands though?
As already mentioned unlike Maguari and Shorts (his thread was the main reason I decided on the Netherlands in the first place) I won't be driving and ideally need places that are easily accessible by train from Amsterdam.
Thanks for a nice summary Sooty, how were you travelling around the Netherlands though?
As already mentioned unlike Maguari and Shorts (his thread was the main reason I decided on the Netherlands in the first place) I won't be driving and ideally need places that are easily accessible by train from Amsterdam.
Yes, I was driving, which does make things easier (although it's worth noting that even when they are in the middle of nowhere, most Dutch zoos do charge for parking). Given the number of brilliant zoos that are easily reachable by public transport in the Netherlands, it makes absolute sense to stick to those - especially if you have not seen them before.
Yes, I was driving, which does make things easier (although it's worth noting that even when they are in the middle of nowhere, most Dutch zoos do charge for parking). Given the number of brilliant zoos that are easily reachable by public transport in the Netherlands, it makes absolute sense to stick to those - especially if you have not seen them before.
I've never been to any zoos on mainland Europe, I visited a "wildlife park" in Spain as a (very) young child and the only things that stuck out were dromedaries, mouflon or aoudad and prairie marmots.
I also visited Loro Parque around the same era and the dolphinarium and safari park in Mallorca a couple of years later. I really need to expand my horizons in the zoo world!
