Best UK Aardvark enclosure

Best UK Aardvark enclosure?

  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .
B

britishzoofan

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Aardvark's in the UK. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to perhaps list the enclosures in order of what they determine to be the best.

Blackpool

full

full


Chester

full

full


Colchester

full

full


Africa Alive

full

full


Longleat

Unfortunately, there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. It would be extremely useful if someone who has visited can describe the exhibit and give an evaluation on its quality.
 
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pipaluk said:
I don't think it would win but any reason Shepreth isn't in the list?
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Sorry, completely missed it off. I think part of the reason I forgot is there are no photos in the gallery. If you want to vote for Shepreth I have added it as an option to the poll.
 
It is difficult do describe Longleat’s exhibit as it is merged in with the neighbouring enclosures.On my visit I was not even sure what was for Aardvarks and what was for Mongoose(outdoor enclosures).The indoor area is simple and covered in straw but is too open and did not seem to provide privacy.
migdog said:
Longleat's enclosure certainly won't be winning, it's pretty small.
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Agreed.
 
I don't think there is a stand out exhibit here. Longleat is small, so is Shepreth, though the mixing with Cusimanse does add a bit of interest.
Colchester have an excellent breeding record and mix them with Hyrax, but I don't think their exhibit is that great.
So for me it has to be one of the other 3. Africa Alive is the only place I've seen 4 Aardvark active outside at once, theirs are mixed with meerkat. I seem to remember Blackpool was a good outdoor enclosure too. Chester is ok, but I've only ever seen them asleep through the window so can't remember too much about the outside.
 
amur leopard said:
The Colchester enclosure is better than it seems in the phot but I think they focused too much on theming and not enough on the animals' happiness. That basically leaves Chester and Blackpool, and I think I like Blackpool's better although admittedly I have not seen it. I like both though.
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I agree on Colchester, but why have you dismissed Africa Alive?
 
amur leopard said:
The Colchester enclosure is better than it seems in the phot but I think they focused too much on theming and not enough on the animals' happiness. That basically leaves Chester and Blackpool, and I think I like Blackpool's better although admittedly I have not seen it. I like both though.
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I certainly agree with fact Colchester is focused on theming but combined with the immersion and an acceptable enclosure makes it one of my favourites.
pipaluk said:
I don't think there is a stand out exhibit here. Longleat is small, so is Shepreth, though the mixing with Cusimanse does add a bit of interest.
Colchester have an excellent breeding record and mix them with Hyrax, but I don't think their exhibit is that great.
So for me it has to be one of the other 3. Africa Alive is the only place I've seen 4 Aardvark active outside at once, theirs are mixed with meerkat. I seem to remember Blackpool was a good outdoor enclosure too. Chester is ok, but I've only ever seen them asleep through the window so can't remember too much about the outside.
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I do not think the Rock Hyrax share with Aardvark anymore,The Hyrax were moved to the L’hoest Monkeys,though they may have switched back.I do believe Colchester provides some behind the scenes space but I may be wrong.
I am not a fan of Chester’s.Africa Alive may be my favourite followed by Colchester and Blackpool though I am not sure.
 
The_melford_manatee said:
I certainly agree with fact Colchester is focused on theming but combined with the immersion and an acceptable enclosure makes it one of my favourites.

I do not think the Rock Hyrax share with Aardvark anymore,The Hyrax were moved to the L’hoest Monkeys,though they may have switched back.I do believe Colchester provides some behind the scenes space but I may be wrong.
I am not a fan of Chester’s.Africa Alive may be my favourite followed by Colchester and Blackpool though I am not sure.
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The hyrax were always in the L'hoest monkey exhibit, but last time I went earlier this year they were signed in both places
 
Blackpool for me - none really stand out that much but they have pretty good enclosures and good viewing inside and out. The fact that I once actually saw an aardvark outside there and was able to appreciate the outdoor area helped!
 
pipaluk said:
The hyrax were always in the L'hoest monkey exhibit, but last time I went earlier this year they were signed in both places
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There were definitely hyrax in both enclosures last year, and the aardvark were off-show whilst the hyrax got acclimatised to the exhibit.
 
To post photos of Africa Alive it appears I have to post them in the main gallery first, but as they are 3 years old it seems a bit daft really. I am not necessarily going to vote for AA anyway, I just find it irritating how Lesser zoos are always dismissed! I think it is easily better than Colchester, probably Chester too! My initial gut instinct was Blackpool though and I have seen them active there too!
 
pipaluk said:
To post photos of Africa Alive it appears I have to post them in the main gallery first, but as they are 3 years old it seems a bit daft really. I am not necessarily going to vote for AA anyway, I just find it irritating how Lesser zoos are always dismissed! I think it is easily better than Colchester, probably Chester too! My initial gut instinct was Blackpool though and I have seen them active there too!
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I would be interested to see photos of the exhibit and it will give a better picture of the different exhibits and may change voters minds. Especially if it is the case that the enclosure is of a decent quality.
 
Score update. Blackpool currently have a comfortable lead with just over 60% of the vote. In second place some way off are Colchester and Chester. Blackpool appears to have a good display for Aardvarks inside and out which has given them the edge. I would be interested to know which enclosure gives most space to the inhabitants and what it is about Blackpool that sets it apart so significantly from the others.
 
Based entirely on just having seen them all in person - I would guess that Blackpool provides the most space.

I've actually been inside the Africa Alive enclosure as have done the Aardvark experience there (very good btw) and I can't say it stood out as amazing or terrible. However - I'm going to be honest and say I don't really know what would constitute an amazing Aardvark enclosure.
 
Zia said:
I'm going to be honest and say I don't really know what would constitute an amazing Aardvark enclosure
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Just to start... soil rather than sand (or very loose soil), like is provided in most exhibits. As with Meerkats, so few zoos actually give an opportunity to develop real burrow systems as sand doesn't allow for that.
 
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