Pootle
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, from the 16 new collections visited recently, which two or three impressed you the most and briefly why?
How many zoos/aquariums have you visited?
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Out of interest, from the 16 new collections visited recently, which two or three impressed you the most and briefly why?
Alpenzoo - wonderful setting, fantastic collection of European native species, some very nice enclosure design, a LOT of wildlife visible on and around the grounds.
Wilhelma - beautiful gardens and buildings, some very nice species displayed, combination of zoo and botanical garden is rather appealing.
Tierpark Hellabrunn - very good enclosure design on the whole, some unusual and interesting species displayed, quite a bit of wildlife visible around the site, just a pleasant feel to the place.
Pootle
Well-Known Member
They all sound attractive, albeit all are outside the UK!
Any UK new collections been impressive? (I have a week off work early September so may get an idea or two and I need to stay UK based then).
What with the UK Zoochat Challenge being based on birds of prey, many of the new collections I have visited this year within the UK have been based along these lines. Of these, Scottish Owl Centre is definitely worth a visit - a lot of unusual taxa considering how small and relatively new the collection is. I'd also strongly recommend the Hawk Conservancy at Weyhill.
In terms of collections I have done this year which were *not* first-time visits, if you have never been down to the Cotswolds I definitely recommend you do some of the following:
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Cotswold Falconry Centre
Crocodiles of the World
Birdland
A little further south, and Bristol is improving by leaps and bounds in the past few years
In terms of collections I have done this year which were *not* first-time visits, if you have never been down to the Cotswolds I definitely recommend you do some of the following:
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Cotswold Falconry Centre
Crocodiles of the World
Birdland
A little further south, and Bristol is improving by leaps and bounds in the past few years
My total stands at 119 collections I know I've visited. I was on 104 at the start of 2015 and back then I decided to set a nice round target of 150 by 2020, averaging 10 new collections a year. Already on 16 new collections with potentially more to come, so could hit 20+ for this year. I will be reviewing my target at the start of 2017 to see if it should be increased.
Currently standing at 106 (in 16 countries), which is an increase of 30 zoos since I voted in this poll. This year has been a slow year with only 4 new collections and as I will spend the rest of the year, minus 6 weeks, in Africa, I doubt there will be many additions...
I tend to agree with this; yet another holiday in Berlin, spending two or three days in Berlin Zoo and two or three days in Berlin Tierpark (with probably a visit to the zoology museum too), appeals to me far more than visiting a number of small collections for the first time.
Of course, I like to visit somewhere new if there are exciting species in the collection or some noteworthy exhibits but I am not really interested in visiting a minor zoo just to add another one onto to the list. I must have visited almost 400 different zoos over the years but it is not very often that I go anywhere new now.
Like you, I will be Stuttgart this autumn to attend ZooHistorica and, in addition to Stuttgart (Wilhelma) Zoo, I’ll certainly take the opportunity to visit various other zoos in the area. My exact itinerary is still to be decided but I expect that I’ll return to zoos that I’ve been to many times before.
I have visited 14 different zoos but have visited many of them multiple times. I have been to Belfast Zoo over 20 times and Dublin Zoo 5 times. It's hard to visit a lot not being in mainland Britain but will hopefully be going to Whipsnade and a couple of others around there soon. What good zoos are there around Luton as that's were I may be going?
As well on an off topic note, is there a gallery for Majorca? I can't seem to find it anywhere as i have pictures from a safari zoo in Sa coma.
As well on an off topic note, is there a gallery for Majorca? I can't seem to find it anywhere as i have pictures from a safari zoo in Sa coma.
I have visited 6 zoos as I just started being a zoo nerd 7 months ago.
What about your zoo tour, has that not gone quite to plan?
Because looking at that, you should be on seven with just that trip alone.
Guessing he'd forgotten that he claimed that was a real thing 
Unfortunately I've only been to a few. When I was younger I went to Baton Rouge Zoo, possibly Alexandria Zoo, a wildlife park called Gators and Friends, Houston Zoo, Knoxville Zoo. Does Animal Kingdom at Disney count? The only places I've been to recently are a safari park Global Wildlife, my home zoo Audubon Zoo, and I went to the Berlin Zoo when I was abroad in 2012. The main thing limiting me from visiting more zoos is that I'm poor as hell (college student life). One of these days I'm gonna go on a zoo tour!
Lets see, I've been too....
Seneca Park
Bronx Zoo
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium
Phoenix Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Seaworld San Diego
Columbus Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo
Toledo Zoo
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
London Zoo
Paris Zoo
Menagerie du Jardin des plantes
St. Louis Zoo
Zoo Miami
Jacksonville Zoo
Santa Fe Teaching Zoo
Central Park Zoo
Alligator Adventure
Cape Fear Serpentarium
New York Aquarium
New England Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Taipei Zoo
Toronto Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Philadelphia Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo
Mystic Aquarium
Franklin Park Zoo
Beardsley Zoo
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
Seneca Park
Bronx Zoo
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium
Phoenix Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Seaworld San Diego
Columbus Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo
Toledo Zoo
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
London Zoo
Paris Zoo
Menagerie du Jardin des plantes
St. Louis Zoo
Zoo Miami
Jacksonville Zoo
Santa Fe Teaching Zoo
Central Park Zoo
Alligator Adventure
Cape Fear Serpentarium
New York Aquarium
New England Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Taipei Zoo
Toronto Zoo
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Philadelphia Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo
Mystic Aquarium
Franklin Park Zoo
Beardsley Zoo
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
I'm up to approximately 325 zoos all-time. I know that I just toured a lot of rinky-dink little zoos but of all the AZA-accredited zoos in the United States I've already seen about 80% of them.
U.S.A. - 290
Australia 18
Canada - 15
Switzerland - 2
Trinidad - 1
U.S.A. - 290
Australia 18
Canada - 15
Switzerland - 2
Trinidad - 1
What about your zoo tour, has that not gone quite to plan?
Because looking at that, you should be on seven with just that trip alone.
And I don't think that zoo trip even includes some of the 6 zoos he's already been to
~Thylo
And I don't think that zoo trip even includes some of the 6 zoos he's already been to
~Thylo
Come on, give the guy a break -they made an error of youthful enthusiasm (something I'm sure we've all been guilty of to some extent or another).
At best yourself and others are just "shooting fish in a barrel" -something I'd hope you'd have the intelligence and dignity to be above. At worst, it's near playground bullying, ganging up on the playground newcomer who's not up to running with the wolves yet -something I'd hope everyone at ZooChat has the intelligence and dignity to be above.
Feel free to pull him up for any future errors but I think it's time to move along on this one -let's not completely extinguish the enthusiasm of someone who may, in time, become a valuable contributor to the site (we've all seen that story before
).
Whipsnade and Woburn are both very close (both around a 40-minute drive, or Whipsnade can be accessed via bus from Luton). London Zoo is very easy to get to by train from Luton too.
There are also collections nearby in Hertfordshire (Shepreth and Paradise Wildlife Park spring to mind) but I am less familiar with those and how to get there.
Thanks Crowthorne! I didn't realise Woburn was so close to Luton.
Jackwow
Well-Known Member
Looks like 61 for me.
UK (38)
Birdland Park & Gardens
Birdworld
Black Isle Wildlife Park
Blackbrook Zoological Park
Blackpool Zoo
Blair Drummond Safari Park
Bristol Zoo Gardens
British Wildlife Center
Chester Zoo
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Deep Sea World, North Queensferry
Dudley Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Exmoor Zoo
Five Sisters Zoo
Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park
Hawk Conservancy Trust
Highland Wildlife Park
Howletts
Knowsley Safari Park
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Living Coasts
London Sea Life Aquarium
London Zoo
Macduff Marine Aquarium
Marwell Zoo
New Forest Wildlife Park
Newquay Zoo
Paignton Zoo
Paradise Park
Port Lympne
Scottish Deer Center
Scottish Sealife Sanctuary, Oban
Slimbridge WWT
Twycross Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo
Wingham Wildlife Park
World Owl Trust
Middle East (3)
Al Ain Zoo
Doha Zoo
Dubai Zoo
South East Asia (20)
Edward Youde Aviary, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Zoo, Hong Kong
Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Lao Zoo, Laos
Jurong Bird Park, Singapore
Singapore Night Safari
Singapore River Safari
Singapore S.E.A. Aquarium
Singapore Zoo
Chainat Bird Park, Thailand
Chiang Mai Night Safari, Thailand
Chiang Mai Zoo, Thailand
Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, Thailand
Chiang Rai Zoo, Thailand
Doi Tung Wildlife Breeding Center, Thailand
Dusit Zoo, Thailand
Garden Birds of Thailand, Thailand
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Thailand
Korat Zoo, Thailand
Nong Khai Aquarium, Thailand, Thailand
UK (38)
Birdland Park & Gardens
Birdworld
Black Isle Wildlife Park
Blackbrook Zoological Park
Blackpool Zoo
Blair Drummond Safari Park
Bristol Zoo Gardens
British Wildlife Center
Chester Zoo
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Deep Sea World, North Queensferry
Dudley Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Exmoor Zoo
Five Sisters Zoo
Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park
Hawk Conservancy Trust
Highland Wildlife Park
Howletts
Knowsley Safari Park
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Living Coasts
London Sea Life Aquarium
London Zoo
Macduff Marine Aquarium
Marwell Zoo
New Forest Wildlife Park
Newquay Zoo
Paignton Zoo
Paradise Park
Port Lympne
Scottish Deer Center
Scottish Sealife Sanctuary, Oban
Slimbridge WWT
Twycross Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo
Wingham Wildlife Park
World Owl Trust
Middle East (3)
Al Ain Zoo
Doha Zoo
Dubai Zoo
South East Asia (20)
Edward Youde Aviary, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Zoo, Hong Kong
Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Lao Zoo, Laos
Jurong Bird Park, Singapore
Singapore Night Safari
Singapore River Safari
Singapore S.E.A. Aquarium
Singapore Zoo
Chainat Bird Park, Thailand
Chiang Mai Night Safari, Thailand
Chiang Mai Zoo, Thailand
Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, Thailand
Chiang Rai Zoo, Thailand
Doi Tung Wildlife Breeding Center, Thailand
Dusit Zoo, Thailand
Garden Birds of Thailand, Thailand
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Thailand
Korat Zoo, Thailand
Nong Khai Aquarium, Thailand, Thailand
Feel free to pull him up for any future errors but I think it's time to move along on this one -let's not completely extinguish the enthusiasm of someone who may, in time, become a valuable contributor to the site (we've all seen that story before
Tis a fair enough request
And a very true point.
~Thylo
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