Best UK Bongo enclosure

Best UK Bongo enclosure?

  • Total voters
    42
  • 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 Bongos 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.

Folly Farm

full


full


Howletts

full


Belfast

full


Chester

full


Whipsnade

full


Paignton

full


full


Longleat

full


Watatunga

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

Marwell

full


full


Woburn

full


Photo credits to @Nanook @Zambar @Maguari @MagpieGoose @gulogulogulo @Kalaw
 
For me it’s between Whipsnade and Woburn (with Longleat and Paignton not far behind), both of whom have extensive enclosures with sizeable stables, abundant grass and a large wooded areas that, although not geographically convincing, offer plenty of shade and are great for aesthetics. Woburn’s, a drive-through which they share with Barbary Macaques, is slightly larger, but from experience, it is near impossible to actually see the bongo in there with limited viewing from a car. Whipsnade, however, with an on show indoor area and viewing from many angles, gives you a very high chance of actually being able to locate the animals, and doesn’t fall too far short of Woburn in terms of space and privacy. A great enclosure should be able to find a balance of animal welfare and visitor experience, and for that reason, I gave Whipsnade a slight edge.
 
Kalaw said:
For me it’s between Whipsnade and Woburn (with Longleat and Paignton not far behind), both of whom have extensive enclosures with sizeable stables, abundant grass and a large wooded areas that, although not geographically convincing, offer plenty of shade and are great for aesthetics. Woburn’s, a drive-through which they share with Barbary Macaques, is slightly larger, but from experience, it is near impossible to actually see the bongo in there with limited viewing from a car. Whipsnade, however, with an on show indoor area and viewing from many angles, gives you a very high chance of actually being able to locate the animals, and doesn’t fall too far short of Woburn in terms of space and privacy. A great enclosure should be able to find a balance of animal welfare and visitor experience, and for that reason, I gave Whipsnade a slight edge.
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Kalaw said:
For me it’s between Whipsnade and Woburn (with Longleat and Paignton not far behind), both of whom have extensive enclosures with sizeable stables, abundant grass and a large wooded areas that, although not geographically convincing, offer plenty of shade and are great for aesthetics. Woburn’s, a drive-through which they share with Barbary Macaques, is slightly larger, but from experience, it is near impossible to actually see the bongo in there with limited viewing from a car. Whipsnade, however, with an on show indoor area and viewing from many angles, gives you a very high chance of actually being able to locate the animals, and doesn’t fall too far short of Woburn in terms of space and privacy. A great enclosure should be able to find a balance of animal welfare and visitor experience, and for that reason, I gave Whipsnade a slight edge.
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When considering where they originate from, I completely agree with you, especially your last sentence
 
Watatubga has no enclosures as such and given they just have one bingo amongst all the other (lovely of course) animals I think it’s not a comparison in this case (I think it would be if they had a herd).

Marwell is a good size but a bit empty feeling though it is distant enough from visitors for privacy. The bongo there seem happy to be near the fencing in the enclosure outside their stabling.

Whipsnade is a good mix of viewing and hiding as Kalaw mentioned and though there is only one bongo I hope they add more in future. Good size and easy to see different angles. So Whipsnade for me.
 
It’s a pity the paddock at Whipsnade isn’t pushed more in towards the woodland (on the left hand side of the picture). If it was, it would be a clear winner imo. When there was a group, when they did venture off their hard standing they tended to hug the tree line. I’ve never seen them out in the open.

Of interest, some may remember when this was a mixed exhibit with Thompsons gazelle. Sadly, the Thommies never got going even though offspring were produced.

For me, it’s Howletts partly because it was where I first saw a Bongo!
 
Bongo are pretty hard to exhibit well, as you can see in most of the images the bongo are either indoors/in the shade or just not present. At Chester, they were one of the animals I saw the least and when I did see them they were never too far away from shelter.

Considering they are nocturnal forest dwellers, open paddocks don't seem to do it for them and during visitor hours its most likely going to just be another empty paddock. I think the best bongo enclosure is one that is heavily covered by trees and has enough area away from the public that they don't feel too timid but can still be seen well. Because of these factors I have voted for Whipsnade.
 
Lafone said:
Marwell is a good size but a bit empty feeling though it is distant enough from visitors for privacy. The bongo there seem happy to be near the fencing in the enclosure outside their stabling.
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In my experience in Marwell in more recent years they seem to have taken a liking for the dark seclusion of their house. I think in years before when they had more animals they were more likely to go outside.
 
The Whipsnade paddock has given some fanstastic views of their male, especially with the mixed in sitatunga. However, it is just an open field.

The only one that I think actually gives a densly forested area for them is Longleat - the image used doesn't really represent the majority of the huge area they share with the eland, and it provides them with plenty of spots to hide in. Therefore I have chosen Longleat, with Whipsnade not too far behind
 
I’ve voted Longleat, with Paignton second IMO. I do, selfishly , enjoy being up close to Paigntons small herd in the stables, but I really enjoy seeing them on the hillside under tree cover at Longleat.
 
The Marwell outdoor photo is not of the Okapi enclosures, you can see a Giraffe on the left side of the photo.

I've often seen at least one outside on my visits to Marwell, to add on to the above comment.
 
JamesB said:
The Marwell outdoor photo is not of the Okapi enclosures, you can see a Giraffe on the left side of the photo.

I've often seen at least one outside on my visits to Marwell, to add on to the above comment.
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Glad someone confirmed that. I remember they were always kept out the back of the giraffes but mixing the two would be a bit odd

I haven't been to Marwell in about 7 years, but I only ever saw them in the house. But it is possibly the best indoor area for them in the country
 
Poll closed. Congratulations to Longleat for having the Best UK Bongo enclosure. The huge space and dense foliage gave them the win over second place finisher Whipsnade. This is their second win so far.

Longleat: 40.5%
Whipsnade: 19.0%
Paignton: 9.5%
Folly Farm: 7.1%
Woburn: 7.1%
Howletts: 7.1%
Chester: 7.1%
Marwell: 2.4%
 
This is just my opinion but I don't think it's fair to include safari parks on these lists as they're usually always bigger in terms of actual field space. However, I still understand that there's not really any point separate the two as it wouldn't be much good to have some polls with only two contestants :D
 
JamesB said:
The Marwell outdoor photo is not of the Okapi enclosures, you can see a Giraffe on the left side of the photo.

I've often seen at least one outside on my visits to Marwell, to add on to the above comment.
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Some confusion going on here; firstly I assume you meant bongo, not okapi, enclosure. If so, the enclosure shown in the photo IS the bongo enclosure but the photo was taken many years ago when giraffe and various antelope crossed the bongo paddock to access the (African) Valley field. This is why the tree is protected in this photo. The bongo currently share the paddock with the lesser kudu, adding interest to what is, probably, a unique zoo mix of species.
 
ZooTripper365 said:
This is just my opinion but I don't think it's fair to include safari parks on these lists as they're usually always bigger in terms of actual field space. However, I still understand that there's not really any point separate the two as it wouldn't be much good to have some polls with only two contestants :D
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I agree entirely on safari drive through enclosures, especially mixed ones and don't agree with mixed exhibits counting for a species where it is clearly secondary to the main species in the exhibit (eg binturong in Chester's sun bear exhibit)
 
Would note also that image is of the old bongo enclosure at howletts
There now along deer walk where the kudu used to be.
Sable are now in the old bongo enclosure
 
Just reviewing this and I am quite disappointed. Is there any danger of a zoo keeping their bongos in an enclosure which reflects their forested habitat?
 
Cat-Man said:
Just reviewing this and I am quite disappointed. Is there any danger of a zoo keeping their bongos in an enclosure which reflects their forested habitat?
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Longleat does (well did, given both their bongo have recently died). As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the photo doesn't really do how heavily wooded the enclosure is justice.
 
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