I went for a visit this morning to BugzUK Parc, an invertebrate zoo in Norfolk that opened last year and a place I have wanted to visit for a while.
This first post will include my general review and an overview of the park, with the species list divided up into three other posts (referring to each of the three animal houses).
On first arrivals, the place is still looking like a bit of a building site - the project is very much still in its infancy, but while another thirteen animal houses are planned, a lot of the current building works are things to encourage younger families to visit (such as an outdoor play area).
What has already been built, I have to say, is done to a very high standard. The original plan for today was to spend a couple of hours at the park before moving on to Pensthorpe to have lunch and look around there. As it was, the park was so impressive we stayed there to eat and I managed to spend over three hours looking around at everything.
I would say all of the invertebrate enclosures are entirely suitable for their inhabitants. There is perhaps not much in the way of naturalistic displays, but equally all the animals have got areas where they can retreat out of view and the enclosures all allow natural behaviour.
The educational material is, I would say, exemplary. Each room is themed on a certain group of invertebrates and has permanent signage on the walls about these groups of animals. Each tank has a small laminated sheet either in front of it or on the wall next to the display, which can be easily removed as and when species are moved on or off display. These small sheets manage to pack a lot of information, including scientific names, locations and some facts about the species.
The park is commited to breeding all the species in its care. Certainly, while I was there, I noted a couple of tarantulas with egg-sacs, at least one display for orb-web spiderlings, many of the Orthoptera and stick insects had nymphs living in with the adults and there was a very impressive hatchery display for mantis ootheca, so a lot of breeding is already taking place.
If anyone is in the area and interested in invertebrates, it is a place I would definitely recommend - I certainly will be going again to see how it progresses.
This first post will include my general review and an overview of the park, with the species list divided up into three other posts (referring to each of the three animal houses).
On first arrivals, the place is still looking like a bit of a building site - the project is very much still in its infancy, but while another thirteen animal houses are planned, a lot of the current building works are things to encourage younger families to visit (such as an outdoor play area).
What has already been built, I have to say, is done to a very high standard. The original plan for today was to spend a couple of hours at the park before moving on to Pensthorpe to have lunch and look around there. As it was, the park was so impressive we stayed there to eat and I managed to spend over three hours looking around at everything.
I would say all of the invertebrate enclosures are entirely suitable for their inhabitants. There is perhaps not much in the way of naturalistic displays, but equally all the animals have got areas where they can retreat out of view and the enclosures all allow natural behaviour.
The educational material is, I would say, exemplary. Each room is themed on a certain group of invertebrates and has permanent signage on the walls about these groups of animals. Each tank has a small laminated sheet either in front of it or on the wall next to the display, which can be easily removed as and when species are moved on or off display. These small sheets manage to pack a lot of information, including scientific names, locations and some facts about the species.
The park is commited to breeding all the species in its care. Certainly, while I was there, I noted a couple of tarantulas with egg-sacs, at least one display for orb-web spiderlings, many of the Orthoptera and stick insects had nymphs living in with the adults and there was a very impressive hatchery display for mantis ootheca, so a lot of breeding is already taking place.
If anyone is in the area and interested in invertebrates, it is a place I would definitely recommend - I certainly will be going again to see how it progresses.
