Blackpool Zoo First trip to Blackpool

Crowthorne

Crowthorne

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I'll be going to Blackpool Zoo for the very first time in a few weeks, really looking forward to seeing a new zoo for me! I was wondering if anyone had any pointers for the visit? Any unusual species? Best times to see things? Good houses/enclosures? Anything of historical interest, as it is an older zoo? And is it worth eating at the zoo?

Everyone was so helpful with my Devon trip last year, it really made a great trip more enjoyable having picked your brains first (if nothing else, I would have missed Bruce the Echidna, unthinkable!) :) hoping some of the regulars to Blackpool can be just as helpful and generous

With many thanks! :)
 
Also the Iberian wolves, king colobus, mountain zebras and, of course since it is me, the Bornean orang-utans and western lowland gorillas :)
 
We visited for the first time last September, with the orangs being the main purpose of the visit. It poured with rain non-stop but we pretty much saw everything. The food was .......food, and the restaurant was noisy (it was a Sunday) but we were out of the rain for a while. The elephant, gorilla and orang talks were interesting - make sure you get near a gorilla window in advance as viewing is limited indoors. We made the mistake of exiting through the dinosaur area and thought we'd never get out with its endless winding paths - I suggest you avoid it!
 
All I can add to the previous posts is try not to miss the cuscus and Yacare caimans, also Amazonia is a very nice exhibit as well. As noted the penguins are pretty unusual too but look fairly similar to Africans and Humboldt's. And as Gigit said, skip the dinosaurs, they don't really add anything to a visit! As for history the most interesting aspect is the control tower by the elephants! ;)

Are you planning to visit the Sea Life Centre whilst in Blackpool as well? Nothing really unexpected but a pleasant diversion none the less.
 
Thank you @ShonenJake13 @Gigit and @Brum ! :) Gorillas are some of my favourite animals so will definitely make time for them. Haven't seen King Colobus since Paignton last year, so they will be great to see too. Thanks for the warning about the dinosaurs, I'd be happy to miss them, but my travelling companion has made a request for dinosaurs ;)

To be honest, I hadn't realised there was a Sea Life there! Not sure if there will be time on this trip as we'll only be there for two nights, and we know what we'll be doing for the days :D
 
Crowthorne said:
To be honest, I hadn't realised there was a Sea Life there! Not sure if there will be time on this trip as we'll only be there for two nights, and we know what we'll be doing for the days :D
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Well if you're on the "Golden Mile" then you should be able to squeeze it in in about an hour or so but try and find a two for one voucher as it can be a pretty expensive hour otherwise. If you do skip it then it's not a massive loss, it just features more sharks than your standard McSeaLife! ;)
 
You can't go wrong really Crowthorne, I don't think there's anything in hidden corners.

Brum makes a couple of good points, and I was also about to say, yes, the penguins are unique but I wonder how many of us could pick one out in a Humboldt/African/Magellanic penguin identity parade! :-)

I'm an aviation nut, so the control tower, and elephant house in a converted hangar, are very interesting to me on this old airfield site.

As for Sea Life, Blackpool is one of the better ones I've seen, and its open quite a bit later than the zoo from memory so its easy to pop in to mid-afternoon and do the double header.
 
@Crowthorne there are four Bornean orang-utans (male Ramon, and females Vicky, Cherie and Summer) and five western lowland gorillas (silverback Bukavu, females N'Jema and Miliki, infant female Meisie and infant male Moanda). I agree with @Brum, the caimans and the cuscus are not to be missed!
 
NigeW said:
Brum makes a couple of good points, and I was also about to say, yes, the penguins are unique but I wonder how many of us could pick one out in a Humboldt/African/Magellanic penguin identity parade! :)
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Humboldt/African/Magellanic is fairly easy (Magellanic especially as they have an extra chest-band) - crested penguins are the real nightmare! :D
 
Don't overlook the first enclosure you see after you enter the zoo: the big giant tortoise 'Darwin' is thought to be from the Seychelles, in spite of his name.
 
Another species at Blackpool which is something of an oddity - relatively speaking - are the Central American Agouti.
 
Thank you for all the advice everyone, really looking forward to the trip and seeing so much :D
 
Ok so we're here and really enjoying it :) one question though, where is the cuscus? Don't want to miss out. Thanks in advance :)
 
Last time I was there it was in a glass-fronted enclosure opposite the Monkey House entrance, mixed with some potoroos. :)
 
Thanks Maguari :) was there earlier but didn't see it, will head back over!
 
Agh, I just told my boyfriend and he says he saw them while I was watching the giant anteaters but didn't think to point them out to me! In his defence, he didn't know what they were :D
 
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