Best UK Polar Bear enclosure

[britishzoofan]

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 perhaps list the enclosures in order of what they determine to be the best.

YWP

Highland

 

[Zorro]

Perhaps to close to call between these two?

 

[Andrew Swales]

Perhaps, as TLD said, the 'Best UK Meerkat Enclosure' will be a bit more interesting, or maybe the 'Best UK Goldfish Tank' - at least there would be some to chose from.
They might even get a few more views - lets hope the server has plenty of capacity.

 

[britishzoofan]

Perhaps, as TLD said, the 'Best UK Meerkat Enclosure' will be a bit more interesting, or maybe the 'Best UK Goldfish Tank' - at least there would be some to chose from.
They might even get a few more views - lets hope the server has plenty of capacity.

Sorry, but I don't understand your problem with the competition. It is just meant to be a bit of fun and give members something to discuss and learn more about the different exhibits around the UK and others opinions on them.

If that doesn't interest you then just ignore it. However, it would be great to get your input as you are obviously one of the most knowledgeable members on the site.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Yorkshire wildlife park is definitely on my list of places to visit! Polar Bear enclosures look amazing! Will make a change from the polar bear enclosures I saw years ago in North America

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Perhaps to close to call between these two?

Not really - the Highland Wildlife Park exhibit is far better it is merely poorly served by the choice of photograph in the opening post, which is a poorly-lit shot of the smaller female enclosure. Not only are the enclosures in question rather larger than those of the exhibit complex at Yorkshire, at around 17,000 m² for the main enclosure and around 10,000 m² for the female enclosure, but in terms of both design, local climate and suitability for the inhabitants (providing open areas, hillside, deep pools and scrubby vegetation) it also has the edge. In my opinion it is not only the best polar bear exhibit in the UK, but also in Europe.

MAIN ENCLOSURE

FEMALE ENCLOSURE

 

[Maguari]

design

Is there any real difference in designed elements, though? Apart from the fact one is two completely separate areas for breeding and one is laid out as efficient bachelor holding, I think the only major differences are mostly accounted for by the fact one was built in an effectively undeveloped patch of the Scottish Highlands and the other was built on a field on the edge of a South Yorkshire (ex-)industrial town. If Highland wins, and it probably does, it's largely because Highland had an inherently more dramatic site to start with, I would say!

 

[britishzoofan]

Not really - the Highland Wildlife Park exhibit is far better it is merely poorly served by the choice of photograph in the opening post, which is a poorly-lit shot of the smaller female enclosure. Not only are the enclosures in question rather larger than those of the exhibit complex at Yorkshire, at around 17,000 m² for the main enclosure and around 10,000 m² for the female enclosure, but in terms of both design, local climate and suitability for the inhabitants (providing open areas, hillside, deep pools and scrubby vegetation) it also has the edge. In my opinion it is not only the best polar bear exhibit in the UK, but also in Europe.

MAIN ENCLOSURE

FEMALE ENCLOSURE

Thank you for your detailed reply and strong argument in favour of Highland. I do understand what you mean about the photo I chose. However, I try to include only 1 photo for each collection, to be fair and to save time for myself. Unfortunately in the case of Highland there wasn't one photo that showed the true nature of the enclosure. Therefore, it is great you have provided more to give a better overall picture.

 

[amur leopard]

In my opinion it is not only the best polar bear exhibit in the UK, but also in Europe.

I regard Scandinavian Wildlife park's enclosure as equally good, if not better. It is 6 acres in size and has a massive pool and a walkway going through the enclosure. Equally, one could also say that Vienna's newish polar bear exhibit is better due to the multi-level viewing, the excellent underwater viewing opportunities and the combination with other polar species as well as the spectacular environment and signage on the polar bears. I think any of these are as good, if not better than Highland's sectioned off bit of land (and I know I'm simplifying but... )

Skandinavisk Dyrepark Djursland - ZooChat

Tiergarten Schönbrunn - Page 14 - ZooChat

But presiding over them all majestically is @FunkyGibbon's fantasy exhibit for the Helsinki zoo

Fantasy Polar Bear Exhibit at Helsinki Zoo

 

[TeaLovingDave]

. If Highland wins, and it probably does, it's largely because Highland had an inherently more dramatic site to start with, I would say!

That is definitely a factor but design-wise I was mostly thinking about the fact that the viewing into the main HWP exhibit is on multiple levels, and located within both the pedestrian and drive-through areas, which adds an element lacking in the YWP exhibit..... and of course, you could flip the argument around and note that YWP had lots of open, flat, undeveloped space to make use of, whilst HWP had to cope with the local terrain and conditions when designing their exhibits.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Equally, one could also say that Vienna's newish polar bear exhibit is better due to the multi-level viewing, the excellent underwater viewing opportunities and the combination with other polar species as well as the spectacular environment and signage on the polar bears. I think any of these are as good, if not better than Highland's sectioned off bit of land (and I know I'm simplifying but... )

I'll give you the Scandanavian exhibit, which does indeed look excellent and is about the same size as the two HWP exhibits combined..... but I can't give you Vienna in a million years

The Vienna exhibit does look pretty good - and in the upper tier of European exhibits for the species - but there is no way that this:

...is better than what HWP has to offer. Not only is it ten times smaller than the main HWP exhibit (at 1,640 m²) but all of your other points - barring the underwater viewing - are aspects which are either equalled or surpassed at HWP; as I remarked above to @Maguari the exhibit complex at HWP allows viewing from several angles and levels; the polar bear exhibit is located within an entire zoo devoted to polar, mountainous or boreal species; if you think the surrounding environment at Vienna is spectacular then you may actually expire due to sensory overload if you ever visit Highland; and the signage there is also consistently good.

 

[amur leopard]

I'll give you the Scandanavian exhibit, which does indeed look excellent and is about the same size as the two HWP exhibits combined..... but I can't give you Vienna in a million years

The Vienna exhibit does look pretty good - and in the upper tier of European exhibits for the species - but there is no way that this:

...is better than what HWP has to offer. Not only is it ten times smaller than the main HWP exhibit (at 1,640 m²) but all of your other points - barring the underwater viewing - are aspects which are either equalled or surpassed at HWP; as I remarked above to @Maguari the exhibit complex at HWP allows viewing from several angles and levels; the polar bear exhibit is located within an entire zoo devoted to polar, mountainous or boreal species; if you think the surrounding environment at Vienna is spectacular then you may actually expire due to sensory overload if you ever visit Highland; and the signage there is also consistently good.

What about the Helsinki exhibit?

As for your Vienna points, all valid, all valid. What about signage though? I would argue that one of a zoo's most important objectives is education. HWP didn't seem to have signage of this calibre, nor multi-level viewing allows visitors to view the polar bears form 3 metres below the water or 20 metres above to exhibit and anywhere in between, nor possibilities for really close viewing such as this:




Signage example:

The PolarDom, a building with a circular central hall, with a winding and gradually ascending path going around it for easy viewing of the polar bears from at least 20 glass windows.

Some more photos of the different parts of the exhibits:

Map:

 

[snowleopard]

Just to put the cat among the pigeons, as I have not visited either Yorkshire Wildlife Park or Highland Wildlife Park...when talking about 'best' exhibits, are zoo nerds considering the visitor experience? Both Yorkshire and Highland appear to have enclosures that are great for polar bears, but isn't there the risk of paying customers at the zoo seeing white specks from a great distance? From a visitor perspective, the better polar bear exhibits in the world would probably be all the ones with underwater viewing, especially if there is a tunnel section like at Detroit Zoo or ZOOM Gelsenkirchen. Setting aside what the bears think, having an underwater viewing of a polar bear is a phenomenal zoo experience. Even Vienna or Helsinki, having exhibits much smaller than Highland or Yorkshire, can at least offer visitors the opportunity to be within a few inches of a swimming bear rather than seeing white blobs on a Scottish moor that could well be sheep.

* I'm playing the Devil's Advocate here, but there is some truth to the fact that a smaller polar bear exhibit with underwater viewing is arguably better than a larger, more natural enclosure from the visitor perspective.

I've seen countless polar bear exhibits in my lifetime, but the 'best' would be the one at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada. As part of the $94 million Journey to Churchill complex, visitors get the best of both worlds because many bears (11 of them!) can be seen via meadows and underwater!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

What about signage though? I would argue that one of a zoo's most important objectives is education. HWP didn't seem to have signage of this calibre

The signage there is pretty good, actually - there aren't too many photographs in the gallery of said signage unfortunately, barring one informational panel and a size-comparison chart.

nor multi-level viewing allows visitors to view the polar bears form 3 metres below the water or 20 metres above to exhibit and anywhere in between

Well, as noted there isn't the underwater viewing - but there IS viewing from multiple levels, and I rather suspect you are exaggerating rather terribly about the height range of the exhibit in question at Vienna bearing in mind that 20 metres is about the height of a 6-story building......

nor possibilities for really close viewing such as this:

You mean like this?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Both Yorkshire and Highland appear to have enclosures that are great for polar bears, but isn't there the risk of paying customers at the zoo seeing white specks from a great distance?

Even Vienna or Helsinki, having exhibits much smaller than Highland or Yorkshire, can at least offer visitors the opportunity to be within a few inches of a swimming bear rather than seeing white blobs on a Scottish moor that could well be sheep.

As I think I have just demonstrated, the public viewing areas at Highland *do* allow people to see the bears up close

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Look sheep in the distance!

~Thylo

 

[snowleopard]

Look sheep in the distance!

~Thylo

I wouldn't want to shear those sheep...yikes!

 

[Zia]

I've seen countless polar bear exhibits in my lifetime, but the 'best' would be the one at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada. As part of the $94 million Journey to Churchill complex, visitors get the best of both worlds because many bears (11 of them!) can be seen via meadows and underwater!

Well that looks incredible! Thanks for posting about it.

 

[Andrew Swales]

I have to admit (hic!) more interesting now this has gone off-thread, as it were.
I would say though in regard to 20 metre high zoo viewing platforms (mmm... I doubt it), that the wind-turbines at Hamerton which can be seen for many miles are 36 metres high. I have pictures taken from the nacelles (by engineers!!) and at that height the curvature of the earth is very clear.

 

[Antoine]

It seems that everybody (except me ) forgot Orsa Björnpark in Sweden :


@Jodea on Zoochat Gallery

Total : 41.000 m²