Best UK Dik Dik enclosure

Best UK Dik Dik enclosure?

  • Total voters
    33
  • 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 Dik Diks 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 you want to vote for Axe Valley, Curraghs, Folly Farm, Chessington, Northumberland, Hamerton, Wolds WP, Flamingo Land, Fenn Bell, Newquay, Wild Discovery, Dartmoor, Drayton Manor, Longleat or Marwell please vote for the "Other" option in the poll.

Lotherton

full


Axe Valley

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

Curraghs

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


Folly Farm

upload_2023-9-26_20-57-22.jpeg

YWP

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

Cotswold

full


Chessington

full


Chester

full


Colchester

full


Edinburgh

full


full


Northumberland

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

Hamerton

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

Wolds WP

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

Flamingo Land

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

Fenn Bell

full


Lakeland WO

full


Newquay

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

Paignton

full


Wild Discovery

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

Dartmoor

full


Drayton Manor

full


Twycross

full


Longleat

full


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

Marwell

full


Peak WP

full


full


Photo credits to @MagpieGoose @gulogulogulo @Mr.Weasel @Springbok @Rupert89 @felis silvestris @zoogiraffe @TNT
 

Attachments

  • upload_2023-9-26_20-57-22.jpeg
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Chester's is currently off show due to the new development and it might actually no longer exist but not 100% sure about that.
 
Chester's used to be outside the Tsarvo Aviary near the Monkey Islands, but are currently held in a couple of small exhibits behind the Black Rhino houses near the entrance of the Zoo. They are off show to the public.

I've voted Peak. and although there is no picture, they have a small inside, but their outdoor is the best I've seen.

It's spacious, well planted, gives lots of areas for them to go off show, and it's good viewing for the public without mesh. It's next to the Squirrel walkthrough and from the walkthrough you get a second viewpoint.

I like they have allowed the grass to grow long in places and it looks very good, and it's the fact it's very well planted I like the most, when most Dik-Dik exhibits tend to be just grass lawns and basic. Therefore, for me, Peak is a very easy decision.
 
I've enjoyed most of the exhibits I've seen for Dik Dik, though Marwell disappointed me being so sparse.

CWP has an interesting area outside little Africa, sharing with birds like the Sacred Ibis. Spotting the Dik Dik in the plants can be a challege and can't knock that. I like Hamerton's new exhibit as although it's not got much hiding yet the planting is coming along and while it's not huge the Dik Dik appear to confident in it. Enjoyed Peak's too, as mentioned above has lots of interesing plants and is a good size, the best viewing was from the squirrel enclosure. YWP is interesting in that you look down on it from the walkway but it feels a bit like a holding space and not finished though there is a good amount of room.

Colchester has the edge for me, variation in terrain, not massive but thoughtfully laid out, sharing with the cranes which is interesting and good spaces for concealment and sheltering. The planting is good quality.
 
There really isn't much between these enclosures for me, which makes it difficult to vote.

From a visitor's perspective, I enjoy Cotswold the most, thanks to it being an aviary, and doing well to convey a wetland-like aesthetic with many reeds. But from the animal's perspective, Colchester definitely edges it, with much more space and privacy. I also loved Paignton, Edinburgh and Chester, the latter being where I first got a prolonged view of the species, which I have always found to be frustratingly shy. Its a shame which that enclosure is no longer visible, so I hope that the species returns to public view when Heart of Africa is complete. The only one of these enclosure which I found truly disappointing was Marwell's, which felt way too barren for an elusive species native to shrublands, while the lack of an onshow indoor viewing area meant that they were still problematic to see.

All things considered, I voted Cotswold, as it is excellent for visitors and hardly awful for the inhabitants, while Colchester, from experience, offers an almost non-existent chance of actually seeing the animals. As mentioned elsewhere, zoos should strike a balance between the two.
 
I think Axe’s is poor. I have enjoyed seeing Paigntons become more confident in their habitat over time but it’s not ideal from a visitor perspective. I’ve always had really good viewings at Wild Place & enjoy the mix in the aviary. At Longleat I felt like they were in a museum, behind glass and deserved more privacy? It’s a difficult one?
Im going to vote Cotswold as I like their set up, similar to Wild Place’s but more mature & embedded somehow?
 
Chessington actually has two DikDik enclosures - the old image posted is what now is the Black Crowned Crane display. There is actually still a DikDik presence there mainly in back and sometime tortoise..
The main DikDik display is opposite in a much more scenic exhibit grassy area with pond with path all round and window viewing of indoor area.- (was used in past for the Gentie Lemurs)
 
TriUK said:
At Longleat I felt like they were in a museum, behind glass and deserved more privacy?
Click to expand...
Longleat splits their house in half so they always have the option to be off-show. I've been thinking from looking at the photos of other exhibits and the descriptions that Longleat probably offers one of the better exhibits - sure, you can view around the whole enclosure, but it's so densly planted around the edge that they still have plenty of privacy. Not bad for an old coati exhibit
 
cerperal said:
Longleat splits their house in half so they always have the option to be off-show. I've been thinking from looking at the photos of other exhibits and the descriptions that Longleat probably offers one of the better exhibits - sure, you can view around the whole enclosure, but it's so densly planted around the edge that they still have plenty of privacy. Not bad for an old coati exhibit
Click to expand...

The only downside of Longleats, is it's tiny.
 
Poll closed. Congratulations to Colchester for having the Best UK Dik Dik enclosure. The large dense exhibit gave them a close win over Cotswold’s aviary one vote behind. This is only their fourth win so far. @Keelan @HelloCrossy67 what did you vote for?

Colchester: 30.3%
Cotswold: 27.3%
Lotherton: 12.1%
Twycross: 9.1%
Peak WP: 6.1%
Paignton: 6.1%
Lakeland WO: 3.0%
Other: 6.1%
 
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