Finest Small Zoos

[Next Stop Stapleton]

I was doing a vlog at Battersea Park Children's Zoo not long ago, and that's only about 3 acres. And although a children's zoo it still has a nice range of animals, Squirrel monkeys, Coatis, Scottish Wildcats. They even had an educational display I have not seen at any other zoos about the negative effect social media can have on captive otters. They are also currently the Stud Book holder for Otters!

 

[birdsandbats]

Of course, probably the best zoo under 20 acres is an aquarium, since aquariums tend to be small in area and have extremely large collections. Shedd Aquarium, for example, is about 8 acres but exhibits well over 1000 species.

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

Palm Beach Zoo, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, and Dallas World Aquarium(not sure if it counts here being indoors) are all really good smaller facilities.

 

[Jambi]

The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis in northern England is a fantastic one, it's only three acres but it manages to pack a lot into it, including a butterfly walkthrough, coral reef tanks, an African aviary, a nocturnal area, and a tropical house with free-flying birds and fruit bats. I love the place, it's up there as one of my favourite zoos.

 

[YWP fan]

One I visit regularly is Wolds Wildlife Park. Not huge but is home to a great variety of animals, including 2 brown bears, 2 tigers, 4 lions, 2 spotted hyenas, 4 pumas, an Indian leopard, a snow leopard, 2 Lynx and various others eg camels, zebras, tapir, lemurs, small monkeys, donkeys, reindeer, alpacas. They are constantly expanding and building better enclosures.

 

[Kalaw]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned Exmoor Zoo. An extensive collection of rarities, including Europe's largest collection of carnivores and the UK's largest of ibises in a wonderful, undulating setting of Devon's countryside. My local zoo, the Horniman Museum and Gardens, also deserves a mention, in my opinion. It is 16 acres (6.4 hectares), but the zoological offerings cover much less area. As well as the natural history museum, there is one of the largest and most lively Butterfly Houses in the UK, a wonderful Children's Zoo, and an Aquarium with a wave machine and a breeding programme for coral. Crocodiles of the World is also brilliant, with many species of crocodilian and one of the most memorable displays in the nation with the Nile Crocodile feeding!

 

[Moorhunhe]

One I visit regularly is Wolds Wildlife Park. Not huge but is home to a great variety of animals, including 2 brown bears, 2 tigers, 4 lions, 2 spotted hyenas, 4 pumas, an Indian leopard, a snow leopard, 2 Lynx and various others eg camels, zebras, tapir, lemurs, small monkeys, donkeys, reindeer, alpacas. They are constantly expanding and building better enclosures.

Good to read this. We're going here next month.

 

[RonBurrgundy]

The Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven is only about 2.9 hectares in size, but is home to chimpanzees, polar bears, cougars, penguins and various pinnipeds. In my opinion, the zoo was very nice a few years ago, but compared to the standards of enclosure sizes, those for polar bears and chimpanzees are not up to modern standards.