Europe's 50 must see zoos
- Thread starter lintworm
- Start date
Including your last post, I think this is a fantastic list of Europe's most noteworthy, especially for a beginner to Europe's zoos like me. 
This thread has been a great source of knowledge and discovery, and along with the galleries and Zootierliste it's helped me pinpoint the zoos I'd most like to visit whenever I'm able to travel Europe.
Thank you so much for all your hard work!
This thread has been a great source of knowledge and discovery, and along with the galleries and Zootierliste it's helped me pinpoint the zoos I'd most like to visit whenever I'm able to travel Europe.Thank you so much for all your hard work!
Superb work Lintworm, this has been an exceptional thread to follow, and will certainly help when I come to plan the next 'big trip'.
I'm chuffed you've ended with WWT Slimbridge as well, the combination of zoo and nature reserve is unique as far as I'm aware, and one I feel more zoos should try to emulate. Slimbridge is by no means perfect (ideally it would have more ducks) and it has its issues, but the concept of a zoo and reserve in equal measure is sublime.
I'm chuffed you've ended with WWT Slimbridge as well, the combination of zoo and nature reserve is unique as far as I'm aware, and one I feel more zoos should try to emulate. Slimbridge is by no means perfect (ideally it would have more ducks) and it has its issues, but the concept of a zoo and reserve in equal measure is sublime.
Reptilium Landau, Gifttierhaus Eimsheim, Freiland-Aquarium und -Terrarium Stein (all three in Germany), Reptilienzoo Nockalm (Austria)...might be worth considering for another list.
FunkyGibbon
Well-Known Member
Is Prague's reptile collection really that impressive?
I was aware of those, but I still don't think any of them is good and unique enough as standalone zoo to compete with.
Copenhagen was never really considered, it is not really a special zoo and very much an ABC zoo. If I would have taken another Danish collection it would have been Givskud.
I was a bit surprised by how often Whipsnade was brought up. I can understand why on an English scale it might be ranked highly, but it doesn't seem very impressive on a continental scale and especially full of missed opportunities. But I am happy to hear from you why it is actually so good.
It is quite big and often kept in nice tanks, but the collection is divided between the Cat house, Salamander house, Gharial house, old Elephant house, Africa Rocks, Indonesian jungle and the native species terraria on the hill. Adding it all together makes for an impressive list.
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
I would say that the behind the scenes list is impressive, but the public reptile collection is not so much. I don't remember a properly reptile house, but instead some reptiles in Africa at Night, and of course the gharial exhibit at other side.
At the moment it's a two-horse race between @lintworm and @LaughingDove, let's see who else can pull something out of the bag!
FunkyGibbon
Well-Known Member
At the moment it's a two-horse race between @lintworm and @LaughingDove, let's see who else can pull something out of the bag!
Everyone should know, it's better to release an Oscar contender later in the year......
At the moment it's a two-horse race between @lintworm and @LaughingDove, let's see who else can pull something out of the bag!
I wouldn't rule out the original Zoochat cup by @CGSwans ....
Everyone should know, it's better to release an Oscar contender later in the year......
There is no sequel in the pipeline for now though
Is this the biggest exaggeration ever published on ZooChat?
Hamerton is an interesting little collection, with some very nice species - but want to see far more rare and common species than it will ever hold
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
Yes, I doubt a lot that it will ever hold in it's whole history even a 10% of all the species that appears in "all what a Zoochatter would ever want" thread here: Zoo animals you want to see but haven't yet , particularly from my looong list 
Is this the biggest exaggeration ever published on ZooChat?
Hamerton is an interesting little collection, with some very nice species - but want to see far more rare and common species than it will ever hold
It was intended as a hyperbole
I was going through the thread again to see exactly how many likes each zoo got as I think that in general it is a pretty good indicator of whether people agree with the inclusion (though I feel there is some correlation with the number of zoochatters who have visited).
17 likes: Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Chester
16 likes: Cologne, Grafenau
15 likes: Jardin des Plantes
14 likes: Nuremberg, Burgers' Zoo, Diergaarde Blijdorp
13 likes: Alpenzoo, Antwerp, Zoo Berlin, Frankfurt, Magdeburg, Highland Wildlife Park
12 likes: Plzeň, Prague, Besancon, Zurich, Bristol
11 likes: Beauval, Cabarceno, L'Oceanogràfic, Bern, Slimbridge
10 likes: Ostrava, Artis, Boras, Nordens Ark
9 likes: Nausicaa, Tierpark Berlin, Walsrode, Durrell, Apenheul, Howletts
8 likes: Duisburg, Leipzig, Loro Parque, Cotswold
7 likes: Dvur Kralove, Odense, Doué-la-Fontaine, Parc des Félins, Obterre, Hagenbeck, Wroclaw
6 likes: Pairi Daiza, Chemnitz
5 likes: Helsinki, Wilhelma, Bioparc Valencia
In this ranking I am surprised at the low positions of Pairi Daiza, Wilhelma, Doue, Hagebeck, Leipzig and Wroclaw, but for the rest it pretty well reflects my expectations
The Berlins are a lot lower than I'd expected, they always seemed to have legendary status to me. But I figure that's mainly due to collection size and rarities, and I have seen disagreements over things like exhibit quality.
Not quite as surprising but it's interesting how comparatively low the four taxon-specialist zoos were. Slimbridge is the highest (the conservation aspects are definitely a draw compared to the others), and Walsrode and Apenheul are tied farther down. But then there's poor Parc des Felins at only 7! I guess it's understandable since not everyone will be interested in those specific taxa when other zoos have more variety (I admit I'm less into primates than cats or birds), but I really appreciated the inclusion of them. There are definitely a bigger variety of notable ones than here in the US.
It does warm my heart that Grafenau is near the top!
Not quite as surprising but it's interesting how comparatively low the four taxon-specialist zoos were. Slimbridge is the highest (the conservation aspects are definitely a draw compared to the others), and Walsrode and Apenheul are tied farther down. But then there's poor Parc des Felins at only 7! I guess it's understandable since not everyone will be interested in those specific taxa when other zoos have more variety (I admit I'm less into primates than cats or birds), but I really appreciated the inclusion of them. There are definitely a bigger variety of notable ones than here in the US.
It does warm my heart that Grafenau is near the top!
I think I liked every inclusion whether I agreed with it or not (I'm looking at you Obterre and Nordens!), just simply because I enjoyed the write-ups and the effort that went in to the thread in general.