Polar bear enclosure in the late 60s

Polar bear enclosure on the downs, long since demolished.

I miss polar bears at Whipsnade, and I wish that use had been made of the old carnivore enclosures on the Downs,..

BUT I don't miss polar bears being in that cage. From start to end it had the probably unique result of making the polar bear setup at RP look spacious.

It was a wonderful example of how a zoo set in acres of rolling countryside can get away with exhibits that would be howled down in a small urban setting.

How bad was it?
Looks like a concrete/chalk?? floor, was it of a small size?

Hi Riziki

Can you imagine the disused pond near the white rhinos on the downs, just before the bus route turns down to the giraffes?

Well, that space is just about the same size as that polar bear enclosure. Big it wasn't...The floor was concrete; there was quite a big pool.

To be fair, bears bred quite well there. I think it may hold the UK record for most successful cubs reared.

What are you doing for your A levels? Do you take them next summer, and what do you want to do then?

Best wishes

Ian

IanRRobinson said:

I miss polar bears at Whipsnade, and I wish that use had been made of the old carnivore enclosures on the Downs,..

It was a wonderful example of how a zoo set in acres of rolling countryside can get away with exhibits that would be howled down in a small urban setting.

Click to expand...

The Lion and Tiger Dells were quite spacious and innovative, yet the Kodiak Bear pit(formerly tigers) and Polar Bear enclosures were in contrast very poor. As you said, the Polar Bear enclosure in particular was tiny, quite ridiculous in such an enormous Park. I think it was only eclipsed by the truly atrocious kennel-like cage the Spectacled Bears were kept in after being transferred from London in the 1960's. Whipsnade has a great zoological History and I love the place, but it hasn't always served all of its animal inhabitants that well.