Johnsons of Old Hurst Johnsons of oldhurst

Visited today, mainly to see the bears. It’s so bizarre to me that they keep sloth bears! They really aren’t a species you would usually associate with small zoos. Especially as the entry is free and you literally just park your car and walk straight in.

In my opinion the exhibit is quite good given that it has clearly been created on a budget, I’d probably say I think it’s better than Whipsnade’s.

Things of note that others may be interested to know:

- There is an enclosure next to the cougars that currently contains chickens, that is sign posted to have a new arrival species planned for this year. The enclosure looks as though it’s intended for exotic species.

- Outside the tropical house, there is framework in place that’s almost identical to the style of the cougar exhibit. This seems likely to be the beginnings of another enclosure, but it’s much taller than the cougars home, so it could be intended for a more arboreal species perhaps.

- Work is being done to create smaller exhibits around the perimeter of the second set of pools in the tropical house. Once complete, it looks as though it would double the footprint of the currently accessible area.

Johnson’s is a place I will definitely keep an eye on in future and try to combine with a Hamerton trip, I’d definitely recommend the place!
 
After reading about this place on here visited today on the way to Hamerton.

The sloth bear enclosure is well done and a good size, no signs about the bears indicating residence and they weren’t visible at all but interesting to see the exhibit. Deer were good to see with a nice herd of different ages though guess they are sausage bound vs an exhibit in themselves. Saw the leopard cats who were very active - cool to get a great sight of them. No new resident yet in the mystery chicken enclosure mentioned above.

As mentioned above all the animals seem to have a decent amount of space. Not too much to see and wouldn’t have been worth a lengthy drive (except for the bears but they are hardly going to wander out to order!) but interesting on the way to somewhere else.

Place was however completely rammed with people parking in the approach roads and blocking each other in in the car park (with accompanying yelling etc) so might be worth going at opening time / late if visiting on a sunnier Sunday! Got in ok - had a few challenges on exit!
 
Just seen on their Instagram that a female Eurasian Lynx has gone on display, can’t tell for sure but I don’t think it’s in the “mystery chicken enclosure”.
 
nedpepper said:
Just seen on their Instagram that a female Eurasian Lynx has gone on display, can’t tell for sure but I don’t think it’s in the “mystery chicken enclosure”.
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Really? That cage would not be fit for anything much bigger than a chicken!
 
pipaluk said:
Really? That cage would not be fit for anything much bigger than a chicken!
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Agreed, that’s why I thought it was worth mentioning that it doesn’t look like it is that cage, being as that seemed the obvious choice for a new arrival what with the sign that was up.

I think the lynx enclosure might be newly built as I can’t recall seeing one that resembles it last month when I visited.
 
nedpepper said:
Agreed, that’s why I thought it was worth mentioning that it doesn’t look like it is that cage, being as that seemed the obvious choice for a new arrival what with the sign that was up.

I think the lynx enclosure might be newly built as I can’t recall seeing one that resembles it last month when I visited.
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Same here - I didn’t see anything new that would hold a lynx and I was there just a couple of weeks after you and only a few weeks ago. So something else must have gone up. Maybe at the end the other side of the parrots?

The mystery chickens live on.
 
There is an enclosure up past the sloth bears that was cordoned off on my visit and seemed to hold guineafowl. Perhaps the lynx is in there. Can't be the chicken coop!
 
migdog said:
There is an enclosure up past the sloth bears that was cordoned off on my visit and seemed to hold guineafowl. Perhaps the lynx is in there. Can't be the chicken coop!
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I think there was an owl in there when I visited if I am thinking of the same thing as you, could be the one but that enclosure seems too narrow and tall for a lynx…
 
nedpepper said:
I think there was an owl in there when I visited if I am thinking of the same thing as you, could be the one but that enclosure seems too narrow and tall for a lynx…
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It did seem quite tall but wasn't accessible when I visited. I just don't know where else it could be....
 
migdog said:
It did seem quite tall but wasn't accessible when I visited. I just don't know where else it could be....
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Yes was closed off too for me.

It was also mentioned on the Instagram post that they’ve had the lynx since last summer so maybe the enclosure is off show.
 
Saw the lynx (single) today in the small side of the puma enclosure. No pumas on show in the large side and it seemed the gate to indoor holding was shut so perhaps no longer held?

The tall aviary to the left (as you look at it) of the sloth bear enclosure had a large owl in today, eagle owl sized.
There is a further enclosure behind this which appeared to have a raccoon dog in it but was hard to discern through 4/5 layers of mesh.

The zoo is going to start charging a minimal entry fee from April. Clearly relying on voluntary donation doesn’t cut it sadly.

Tropical house was very interesting I thought… the ground floor utilised for sizeable enclosures for alligators and Siamese and Nile crocs which are heavily vegetated making viewing and sight lines complicated. The upper viewing level you walk round and look in to the crocodilians in the middle had exhibits around the edge which had multiple underwater views achieved by cutting Perspex into prefabbed ponds which was an interesting and cost effective way of giving underwater viewing. No effort has been made to hide plumbing or heating apparatus in the majority of enclosures adding to the home made feel of the place.

one disappointing exhibit was the snake head turtles which seemed too small and out of place/standard with the rest of the hall. Perhaps they will benefit from a new exhibit in the extension.

There were approx 15 crocs in a large pool in the extension and I wonder what the plan is as these grow…? I think they were Nile.

Final thought, the construction next to sloth bears and abutting the tropical house continues with a concrete pool on one side and an excavated pool and drainage on the right. They are tall spaces but I suspect perhaps they are crocodile extensions?

will add some pictures in due course.
 
Skukuza said:
Saw the lynx (single) today in the small side of the puma enclosure. No pumas on show in the large side and it seemed the gate to indoor holding was shut so perhaps no longer held?
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The pumas are still there, they are good at hiding in the rocks. We saw them (just) on Sunday.
 
migdog said:
The pumas are still there, they are good at hiding in the rocks. We saw them (just) on Sunday.
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Thanks. Good to know. I spent ages looking in all the crags as well. Though not as long as I spent at Hamerton waiting for an aardwolf! Can’t be far off measuring my wait for the aardwolves in days rather than hours now across my visits haha.
 
Couple of queries on crocodilians at the site...

ZTL lists Broad Snouted Caiman for Johnson's site.

Is this correct and if it is does anyone know where in the tropical house these are held or if they are even on show?

I saw Cuvier's and Spectacled signed in the first corner enclosure you reach when travelling "right" (counter clockwise) around the house.

But there was also a Caiman species in the long tank on the right in the upstairs extension, but no signage. And also either a juvenile croc species or another caiman species in the next corner as you circulate clockwise (before the Turaco/Turtle/Iguana cage) which was also unsigned.

(Sorry for the vague/confusing directions however hopefully if you have been they will make some sense!)

Any guidance/id's gratefully received.
 
They do have broad snouted caiman! We took part in the Ultimate experience on Saturday and saw them - they are in an enclosure on the left hand side of the extension, so not visible at this time. The spectacled caiman in the left hand side of the extension was in with the Cuvier's Dwarf crocodile recently, but has been separated due to fighting (could be the other way round).

The extension on the side of the tropical house near the bears is for the crocodiles/alligators. Plan is to have three species in the extension, with the American Alligators to get an outdoor enclosure as well.
 
The puma sisters are very shy/nervous, only one would come over for some food. The male sloth bears will not be mixed as one injured the other during introductions a while back. They rotate them in the outdoor paddock, both getting time each day.
 
migdog said:
They do have broad snouted caiman! We took part in the Ultimate experience on Saturday and saw them - they are in an enclosure on the left hand side of the extension, so not visible at this time. The spectacled caiman in the left hand side of the extension was in with the Cuvier's Dwarf crocodile recently, but has been separated due to fighting (could be the other way round).

The extension on the side of the tropical house near the bears is for the crocodiles/alligators. Plan is to have three species in the extension, with the American Alligators to get an outdoor enclosure as well.
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Thank you for that update. Very helpful. What did you think of the ultimate experience? Good value for money? What interactions did you have?
 
Skukuza said:
Thank you for that update. Very helpful. What did you think of the ultimate experience? Good value for money? What interactions did you have?
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There were three of us so it worked out pretty reasonable and is well worth doing. We started by feeding a puma but when she lost interest we got a bonus and fed the lynx. Then we headed into the tropical house to hold some very small tortoises, a snake then fed some crocs. Then we finished by feeding the sloth bears a lovely mealworm porridge. We had a tour in between, then at the end had a three course meal at the restaurant that was delicious. I'd highly recommend doing it.
 
migdog said:
They do have broad snouted caiman! We took part in the Ultimate experience on Saturday and saw them - they are in an enclosure on the left hand side of the extension, so not visible at this time. The spectacled caiman in the left hand side of the extension was in with the Cuvier's Dwarf crocodile recently, but has been separated due to fighting (could be the other way round).

The extension on the side of the tropical house near the bears is for the crocodiles/alligators. Plan is to have three species in the extension, with the American Alligators to get an outdoor enclosure as well.
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A pair? Not even crocs of the world have a pair.
 
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