Best UK Brown Bear enclosure Reboot

[felis silvestris]

This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Brown Bears 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.

If there are any outdated photos, collections that no longer hold them or people have photos for exhibits not in the gallery, share them here.

If you want to vote for Scottish DC, Camperdown or Welsh Mountain please vote for the "Other option", the last option on the poll.
Bristol ZP (European)

@gulogulogulo

Welsh Mountain (European)

@zoogiraffe

Scottish DC (European)

@felis silvestris

Camperdown (European)

@felis silvestris

Whipsnade (European)

@twilighter

Wildwood Escot (European)

There was a photo posted in the gallery by @littleRedPanda, but all of their photos seem to have been locked or inaccessible in the galley. If anyone has any other photos of the enclosure, or can describe it, post it here.

Wildwood (European)

@MagpieGoose

Wolds WP (European)

@Mr.Weasel

Port Lympne (European)

@MagpieGoose

Five Sisters (European)

@felis silvestris

Jimmy's Farm (European)

This is a new addition to the collection, so there are no photos of it in the gallery. If someone that has seen it could describe or provide a photo that would be great.

Hamerton (Syrian)

@twilighter

 

[cerperal]

I don't think there's much of a debate to be had on this one - Wild Place (sorry, Bristol Zoo Project) is one of the best exhibits in the country full stop. Plenty of space and enrichment, a relatively large group, phenomenal viewing for guests both from above and through the window and of course a pack of European wolves mixed in. I think Whipsnade's exhibit is fantastic, especially for its simplicity and historical value but BZP easily takes it for me.

 

[Lafone]

Bears are catered for pretty well all round.

Hamerton is a great space with sizeable pond, two outside areas, great viewing particularly with the new platform in place (which is good for kites if you like birds). The bears romp around it with obvious enjoyment - it is hard not to smile when at that enclosure. The swimming there is actually the best in my view, well constructed with deep water and they dive in from all sides.

Whipsnade, which has my heart really, is lovely and I cannot count the hours I have spent there watching the bears one one side and wolverine the other. The housing is a bit out of date now, though the new separation area is excellent and made for good introductions between the new bears and Cinderalla so they can now all mix together well. In it's historical context too it is a wonderful example of early innovation in keeping and displaying wonderful animals.

Bristol takes it for me however, with it's multiple well planted areas, paddock spaces outside the well structured house and fantastic viewing. It is a great experience all round. The mix of wolves adds to the drama. There are spaces for bears to play, lounge and be removed from the wolves in a good outside space if they need to be. There is also a glass viewing pod at ground level to enjoy the sights. as the one thing I would say is that 'top down' viewing is not my favourite all the time. The design of the whole European space, with it's lynx. wolverine, bear and wolf walkways also has great educational messages as you 'travel through time' and the clear signs and floor markings always seem to be a focus for visiting kids, which you can't say in many places.

I love visiting all these three places though, some of the best times I have at the zoo and all have great facilities for their bears.

The Wolds is a bit bare (ahem) in comparison, though it has good frames and a good sized house and the bears have been making good use of their pond when I have visited. Wildwood looks nice though I haven't seen it in person. Jimmy's farm was under construction when I was there so haven't seen it, but they had great woods to build in.

 

[Kalaw]

Whipsnade deserves a serious honourable mention here; 92 years old, possibly the first enclosure on the planet to move away from concrete grottos and towards naturalistic woodland for bears, and yet still one of the very best enclosures in Europe. To be nearly a century old, with only one significant change (improved separation options) in that entire time, and still undeniably world-class, is so rare in zoos and deserves tremendous praise.

That said, there is no argument that can justify voting against Bristol here. At 3 hectares (7.5 acres) it is the largest of the lot, and with the network of towering trees (I would estimate at least 20 metres tall), the deep pool, the multitude of logs and bushes to forage among, and the variety of the landscape, it is also the most enriching and structurally unique for the bears. From a visitor perspective, it benefits tremendously from the multitude of viewing angles, the mix with the wolves, and the heavy conservation links, as well. It is probably one of the best bear enclosures for any species in any country, never mind the best for Brown Bears in the UK. It also has a large separation area.

On a personal note, I will never forget the experience of having two or three huge bears climbing trees so close and so elegantly, with so seemingly little stopping them from climbing onto the boardwalk.

Five Sisters and Wildwood, neither of which I have seen in person, also look amazing from photos, although they don't quite seem to be on Bristol's level. That said, all of these except Wolds seem excellent - bears in general seem to be some of the most successful species in the UK when it comes to the quality of enclosures that they receive.

 

[Dr. Loxodonta]

That said, there is no argument that can justify voting against Bristol here. At 3 hectares (7.5 acres) it is the largest of the lot, and with the network of towering trees (I would estimate at least 20 metres tall), the deep pool, the multitude of logs and bushes to forage among, and the variety of the landscape, it is also the most enriching and structurally unique for the bears. From a visitor perspective, it benefits tremendously from the multitude of viewing angles, the mix with the wolves, and the heavy conservation links, as well. It is probably one of the best bear enclosures for any species in any country, never mind the best for Brown Bears in the UK. It also has a large separation area.

This is the factor which persuaded me to choose Bristol over Wildwood. Wildwood is a personal favourite of mine due to the conservation steps they take to help the wildlife of the U.K become more well known to the average person what was once in the archipelago. The enclosure at the site is amazing, especially watching the bears play in the high foliage or in the pool. The rope-bridge also makes one feel inside the enclosure, with the bears directly below. Im unsure on what facilities Bristol has, but the area where the bears are kept during the winter months at Wildwood is very impressive. Bristol on the overhand (as brilliantly stated by @Kalaw) has a number of impressive features for the bears, such as the mixing of the two apex predators, a huge step for the Society which I believe has payed off. You must admit it, once you see Bristols, you really see “Building a zoo of the future” in action.

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

It always surprises me how few holders of brown bears there are in the UK, especially given how common they are in mainland Europe (especially Germany) and how Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) used to be native.

In any case, my vote has to go to Bristol despite not having seen it myself, it just goes above and beyond. I don’t think there are any bad brown bear enclosures based on the pictures, though I may be wrong.

 

[felis silvestris]

Poll closed. Congratulations to Bristol ZP for, perhaps unsurprisingly, retaining its title as the Best Brown bear enclosure in the UK. The sheer size and the mixing of wolves in the enclosure made them easily claim this title once again, even with more competition than last time.

Bristol ZP: 78.4%
Wildwood: 16.2%
Whipsnade: 5.4%