Hoo Farm Hoo Farm zoo news

I've read a couple of news articles saying Hoo Zoo has been ranked on TripAdvisor as the second best zoo in the UK behind the obvious Chester, so it's piqued my interest enough that I might look into visiting some time next year. I've visited the nearby Exotic Zoo in Telford town park a couple of times and have been meaning to go back to Telford for a while, I'll see if I can squeeze in a visit to Hoo next time I'm down there.
 
Jambi said:
I've read a couple of news articles saying Hoo Zoo has been ranked on TripAdvisor as the second best zoo in the UK behind the obvious Chester, so it's piqued my interest enough that I might look into visiting some time next year. I've visited the nearby Exotic Zoo in Telford town park a couple of times and have been meaning to go back to Telford for a while, I'll see if I can squeeze in a visit to Hoo next time I'm down there.
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Depends who is doing the voting, I guess?
 
ZooNews2024 said:
Depends who is doing the voting, I guess?
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I don't really get this- I went there once and it is a tiny collection compared to most of our major zoos and from memory all very 'homemade'. It can't have grown by much I don't think.
 
The thing with surveys like this is they can be swayed if places have very dedicated fanbases, regardless of actual quality - particularly as when you're polling the general public there will be a fair number who only ever really go to 1 or 2 different zoos at most.

For all its positives I certainly wouldn't want people going to Hoo expecting to find something comparable to Chester, or for that matter, London, Whipsnade, Colchester, Edinburgh, Marwell, or Paignton. But of course, different people want different things..!
 
Maguari said:
The thing with surveys like this is they can be swayed if places have very dedicated fanbases, regardless of actual quality - particularly as when you're polling the general public there will be a fair number who only ever really go to 1 or 2 different zoos at most.

For all its positives I certainly wouldn't want people going to Hoo expecting to find something comparable to Chester, or for that matter, London, Whipsnade, Colchester, Edinburgh, Marwell, or Paignton. But of course, different people want different things..!
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The TripAdvisor one is not done by survey, they do their rankings based on the aggregate score of reviews/ratings given on the site. It does seem very odd to see Hoo come out so high. I guess a lot of families visit and have left good reviews?
 
JamesB said:
The TripAdvisor one is not done by survey, they do their rankings based on the aggregate score of reviews/ratings given on the site.
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Yes, I was using the word 'survey' to cover any rating based on mass opinions - I didn't mean it was literally a survey team with clipboards or web forms so probably not the best choice of word. As we know even from general elections, people do well for reasons other than being good at what they do sometimes. And a 'proper' survey would in theory see less of this distortion in fact, though in this specific case it would still run up against the issue that most people simply don't go to dozens or hundreds of different zoos to compare places to!

None of this is to do Hoo down, I should stress - it's not my intention to trash them at all - it's just that I suspect this is why they seem oddly high when looked at objectively - they are outperforming others at converting satisfied customers into Tripadvisor reviews, rather than being necessarily 'better', per se.
 
JamesB said:
The TripAdvisor one is not done by survey, they do their rankings based on the aggregate score of reviews/ratings given on the site. It does seem very odd to see Hoo come out so high. I guess a lot of families visit and have left good reviews?
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Some zoos 'require' positive reviews to be left as part of the visitors 'payment' for experiences, feeds and contact sessions. This might distort numbers too.
(I have simplified this comment by italicising a couple of words)
 
2 Pieces of February 2025 News Not Mentioned:

On February 3rd, the zoo announced that a (1.0) Arctic wolf named Dakota passed away due to a sudden illness.

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

On February 21st, the zoo announced that a (1.0) spectacled owl named Specsavers passed away due to a short battle with an illness earlier in the week.

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

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On May 14th, the zoo announced that a red-necked wallaby was born, which is on exhibit.

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

On May 31st, the zoo opened a new building called 'Prehistoric Park HQ' which features props and replicas from the Prehistoric Park TV series.

3K views · 27 reactions | Get ready to step back in time! Our Prehistoric Park exhibit opens TOMORROW! Discover real TV props, explore ancient fossils, and discover the... | By Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World | Facebook
Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

* Worth mentioning their (1.0) red (platinum) fox named Thor passed away on October 9th, 2024, at ~age 12 due to advanced kidney failure.
 
Zorilla has over to Cedars Nature Centre, and they are now the only holders of the species, perhaps in the world outside of Africa and private holders, according to the zoo director.
 
LittleRavenwood said:
Zorilla has over to Cedars Nature Centre, and they are now the only holders of the species, perhaps in the world outside of Africa and private holders, according to the zoo director.
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We managed to see it on our last visit, well, we saw some black/white fur, lol.
Cedars Nature Centre says on their website "Zorilla - We are one of only two zoos in all of Europe with these unusual smelly creatures"
 
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