Best UK Polar Bear enclosure Reboot

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If there are any outdated photos, collections that no longer hold them or people have photos for exhibits not in the gallery, share them here.

YWP

full

@RonBurrgundy

HWP

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

Jimmy's Farm

full

@Lafone

Peak WP

full

@Mr.Weasel
 
I have only seen Highland Wildlife Park in person, so will not vote until I have heard the thoughts of members who have seen the other three collections, but would like to say that the Polar Bear enclosure at the Scottish collection is outstanding, and I will be massively surprised if any of the others surpass it (although they all look great). Its enclosures are absurdly big, at 1.2 hectares (3 acres) for the female and 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) for the males, the combined area is allegedly the largest Polar Bear complex in Europe. It has multiple deep pools, good separation options, appropriate, boreal vegetation (benefitting there from the climate and nature of the Cairngorms) and a good breeding record to show for it all (although the other enclosures are too young to be fairly compared there). Visitors won't complain either, with multiple sheltered viewing areas, and in the case of the male enclosure, a pathway that fully stretches one side of the enclosure and a road on the other that allows the bears to be seen by car. An unbelievably good exhibit.

That said, Yorkshire's (which I am led to believe has several further enclosures as well as the one pictured above) looks good too, and Jimmy's Farm, while not all too impressive in the photo above, reportedly has a forested section and several further enclosures, which could put it in contention. Peak's enclosure doesn't look great, but is by no means bad either - for that, turn to Hagenbeck! It does seem as though the standard of enclosures for this species in the UK is very high, although I cannot help but hope that somewhere, some day, tries underwater viewing akin to some continental enclosures.
 
The only one I have seen is Peak.

Undecided on what to vote for but from what I have read it is between Highland and Yorkshire.

The picture of Peak's only shows half of it. It is an L shaped enclosure that could be divided into two if needed.The photo only shows one side of it.

Agree that the bar for polar bear enclosures in the UK has been set very high. I think all 4 are very good.
 
I've seen YWP & Highland and the latter is great but (and am biased as local) YWP is better in my opinion and much bigger - obviously can't beat HWP for breeding success though. The male enclosure (split into 3 areas) is over 8 acres and the, currently empty, female enclosure is over 3 acres. The picture above is just one of the 3 equally sized male enclosures with an area zoned off for a 4th if needed.
All areas have at least 1 properly deep pool in them and paths are all raised above the fence line so great viewing - not much shelter in bad weather though.
Agree with Kalaw that generally the standard in the UK is very good these days. I'll leave judgement re Jimmy's until I visit in the near future and would be interested to hear what people think of both this and Peak although a couple of fellow YWP members I have spoken to have been and were a bit dissapointed with that one.
 
Kalaw said:
I have only seen Highland Wildlife Park in person, so will not vote until I have heard the thoughts of members who have seen the other three collections, but would like to say that the Polar Bear enclosure at the Scottish collection is outstanding, and I will be massively surprised if any of the others surpass it (although they all look great). Its enclosures are absurdly big, at 1.2 hectares (3 acres) for the female and 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) for the males, the combined area is allegedly the largest Polar Bear complex in Europe. It has multiple deep pools, good separation options, appropriate, boreal vegetation (benefitting there from the climate and nature of the Cairngorms) and a good breeding record to show for it all (although the other enclosures are too young to be fairly compared there). Visitors won't complain either, with multiple sheltered viewing areas, and in the case of the male enclosure, a pathway that fully stretches one side of the enclosure and a road on the other that allows the bears to be seen by car. An unbelievably good exhibit.

That said, Yorkshire's (which I am led to believe has several further enclosures as well as the one pictured above) looks good too, and Jimmy's Farm, while not all too impressive in the photo above, reportedly has a forested section and several further enclosures, which could put it in contention. Peak's enclosure doesn't look great, but is by no means bad either - for that, turn to Hagenbeck! It does seem as though the standard of enclosures for this species in the UK is very high, although I cannot help but hope that somewhere, some day, tries underwater viewing akin to some continental enclosures.
Click to expand...

Now that you mention it, is there any Polar Bear paddock in the UK that has underwater viewing?

As for me I'd have to say Highland Wildlife Park just for how beautiful it looks. Although I do prefer Yorkshire Wildlife Park for it's pool.
 
SSLees said:
Now that you mention it, is there any Polar Bear paddock in the UK that has underwater viewing?

As for me I'd have to say Highland Wildlife Park just for how beautiful it looks. Although I do prefer Yorkshire Wildlife Park for it's pool.
Click to expand...
No, none of the four have underwater viewing anymore, although back when London held them on the Mappins there was, at one point, an underwater viewing window - they were one of the first collections in the world to attempt this for the species.
 
Kalaw said:
No, none of the four have underwater viewing anymore, although back when London held them on the Mappins there was, at one point, an underwater viewing window - they were one of the first collections in the world to attempt this for the species.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Was the underwater viewing part of the aquarium?
 
ZooNut23 said:
Interesting. Was the underwater viewing part of the aquarium?
Click to expand...
Not sure, seeing as I never saw it in person, but I highly doubt it as the bear grottos, from the outside, appear to mostly be either too far above or in front of the Aquarium.

The video below shows it, and it was discussed in more detail in the thread linked below that:

"

London Zoo discussion thread
 
ZooNut23 said:
Interesting. Was the underwater viewing part of the aquarium?
Click to expand...
The underwater viewing for polar bears on the Mappin Terraces was not part of the aquarium; in fact the windows into the polar bear pools predated the aquarium.
 
Polar bears appear well catered for in the UK. Have seen Peak, YWP and Jimmy's. All three look very much like they were designed to a pattern tbh.

Peak is a good space with large pond in each of the two paddocks (only one enclosure is shown above, there are two captured in the gallery), well built housing and great viewing from elevated areas, as well as eye level with the bears. Restaurant viewing was also under construction while I was there. Spacious and well constructed. I didn't find it disappointing compared to YWP, indeed it feels like another rendition. The second enclosure wasn't open to the bears when Peak first opened, as the planting was growing in, which may have lead some people to misjudge it.

Jimmy's has been mentioned as the largest enclosure acreage wise, with three paddocks (including one which rotates with wolves), good housing and a couple of large water areas, again with similar elevated and level with bear viewing. Bit harder to see the bears in that one but great spaces. The photo shows only one side, further views are in the gallery.

YWP has two seperate polar areas, the first, project polar one, holds the male bears in three large enclosures with ponds and a central house in the middle. The photo above shows only one of the three areas in polar one and polar two is not shown. All three areas in polar one have a bit of additional terrain / banking and the bears dig it out, slide down it etc.

The second YWP area, Polar two, which held the female bear and her two cubs before she went to Jimmy's with the female cub, the male having already joined the other group in polar one, is also spacious with a good sized pond, enclosure furniture and it's own housing. While currently empty it is a great space.

Both areas have good viewing, polar one in particular has lots of angles to enjoy. YWP also has a donation scheme for the public to gift in old canoes and kayaks which the bears seem to enjoy a lot.

I voted YWP as it has the best all round number of enclosures of the ones I have seen, this coupled with the number of bears which makes for some lovely viewing. But all three of those I have visted work really well, have spacious enclosures with deep water features and good housing and are super enjoyable to visit, with playful and active bears. HWP also looks good.
 
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