Best UK Barbary Sheep enclosure

Best UK Barbary Sheep enclosure?

  • Total voters
    23
  • Poll closed .
felis silvestris

felis silvestris

Well-Known Member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Barbary Sheep 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 list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

WMSP

full


Dudley

full


Africa Alive

full


Five Sisters

full


Watatunga

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone can describe it or provide a photo that would be great.

Photo credits to @mhale @MagpieGoose @felis silvestris @gulogulogulo
 
felis silvestris said:
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Barbary Sheep 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 list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

WMSP

full


Dudley

full


Africa Alive

full


Five Sisters

full


Watatunga

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone can describe it or provide a photo that would be great.

Photo credits to @mhale @MagpieGoose @felis silvestris @gulogulogulo
Click to expand...
The Watatunga animals will have free range over many acres
 
Have seen a few of these.

For me Dudley is the worst in terms of size and style - it does have stepped terrain but no grass etc. It seems rather barren and small and in my view could do with an upgrade. Of all the enclosures at Dudley I found it one of the most disappointing particularly as lots of the others are improving or positive spaces. The sheep do breed there successfully.

Watatunga isn’t so much an enclosure as c170 acres of marsh, lakes, woodland and pasture where the animals are free roaming. The Barbary sheep there came from Dudley - quite a change. It’s a mellow and enjoyable place to visit with little predictability on what you’ll see which is part of the fun (for me). I didn’t see the sheep on either of my visits there but the wider angle photo below possibly helps the idea of scale.

Africa alive is a good size and has good viewing. From a pure enclosure space I’d say it would rank highly although it has just the one rocky hill / climbing terrain piece in it.

Voting Watatunga as from a free roaming point of view it’s impressive and the animals can choose where to spend their time.
 

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The barbary sheep at Wmsp don't live in this enclosure they love in the Grasslands area with fallow deer and blesbok. The enclosure pictured is the former elephant enclosure which now houses Camels.
 
Dudley used to have a very large group in that small space. I suspect they have thinned them out.
 
Don't really see how Watatunga qualifies as an enclosure for a single species?!
Anyway I won't vote for it on principle.

5 sisters is the best fore comfortably
 
Lafone said:
Have seen a few of these.

For me Dudley is the worst in terms of size and style - it does have stepped terrain but no grass etc. It seems rather barren and small and in my view could do with an upgrade. Of all the enclosures at Dudley I found it one of the most disappointing particularly as lots of the others are improving or positive spaces. The sheep do breed there successfully.

Watatunga isn’t so much an enclosure as c170 acres of marsh, lakes, woodland and pasture where the animals are free roaming. The Barbary sheep there came from Dudley - quite a change. It’s a mellow and enjoyable place to visit with little predictability on what you’ll see which is part of the fun (for me). I didn’t see the sheep on either of my visits there but the wider angle photo below possibly helps the idea of scale.

Africa alive is a good size and has good viewing. From a pure enclosure space I’d say it would rank highly although it has just the one rocky hill / climbing terrain piece in it.

Voting Watatunga as from a free roaming point of view it’s impressive and the animals can choose where to spend their time.
Click to expand...
One thing against Dudley , it's hard work to clean it out, haha
 
Poll closed. Congratulations to Five Sisters for having the Best UK Barbary Sheep enclosure. Like the takin enclosure at Paignton, the hilly and rocky terrain and large enclosure gave them a win over everyone else. This is their first win.

Five Sisters: 60.9%
WMSP: 21.7%
Africa Alive: 13.0%
Watatunga: 4.3%
 
felis silvestris said:
Poll closed. Congratulations to Five Sisters for having the Best UK Barbary Sheep enclosure. Like the takin enclosure at Paignton, the hilly and rocky terrain and large enclosure gave them a win over everyone else. This is their first win.

Five Sisters: 60.9%
WMSP: 21.7%
Africa Alive: 13.0%
Watatunga: 4.3%
Click to expand...
Spot on , this should not have been as close as it was though. I suspect Five Sisters has not been seen by many who voted against
 
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