Looking for UK Zoo recommendations

Mark Andrew Cox

Mark Andrew Cox

New Member
Hey guys,
I'm a big fan of zoos and wildlife parks, and love going to photograph the animals.
I live in Lincolnshire UK, and looking for recommendations of places to visit for some good photo opportunities. Currently, I have only visited YWP, Lincs Wildlife Park, and twycross.

I have Chester and Whipsnade on my list, but they're about a 3 1/2 - 4 hour each way drive, but I will get to them eventually one day. Are there any hidden gems closer by that you'd reccomend ?

Thanks,
Mark
 
Mark Andrew Cox said:
Hey guys,
I'm a big fan of zoos and wildlife parks, and love going to photograph the animals.
I live in Lincolnshire UK, and looking for recommendations of places to visit for some good photo opportunities. Currently, I have only visited YWP, Lincs Wildlife Park, and twycross.

I have Chester and Whipsnade on my list, but they're about a 3 1/2 - 4 hour each way drive, but I will get to them eventually one day. Are there any hidden gems closer by that you'd reccomend ?

Thanks,
Mark
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What sort of distances are you looking at?
 
Dassie rat said:
Here is a website with recommendations about zoos in Lincolnshire: THE 10 BEST Zoos & Aquariums in Lincolnshire (Updated 2024)


Wolds includes African civets, Bengal tigers and Guyanan bearded sakis
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Just a footnote, the African Civets, Eagle Owls, Umbrella Cockatoo, Marmosets, Macaws, Golden Pheasants, Highland Cows, and Caracal are not on show to the public at Wolds, so for all they are listed as currently held species, they are not animals the public as access to.
 
I’d have a read of this review and the rest of the thread - it inspired a few trips for me to Lincolnshire (I’ve since also visited Woodside which I enjoyed, nice tropical house and the wolves are a particular highlight) and I’d recommend a visit to all the collections captured here (you’ve been to LWP of course).

The Good, The Bad, And The Surprisingly Well Done - Thoughts On An Afternoon In Lincolnshire

Aside from that it depends how far you’re happy to go in a day. There are a few things in addition to Hamerton that are under 3 hours away which might be good and which are good photo trips as well as visits (Dudley, Trentham etc).

Each zoo also has its own news thread where you can read about visits and worth checking out the gallery for each one in the media section too as there are photos of enclosures, maps etc as well as the animals so you can see what things look like.
 
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Mark Andrew Cox said:
Anything upto around 2 1/2 - 3 hours drive...

I'm open to further distances, but id probably look at an overnight stay..
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I would definitely look at Dudley which is a nice collection around the castle and Trentham monkey forest which is an unusual single species (macaques) in a forest place but which is lovely for photos and tbh just the atmosphere (personal view).
 
Dassie rat said:
I thought this may be the case, but they are listed as Panthera tigris tigris on Zootierliste
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I don’t believe there are (actual) Bengal tigers left in any U.K. collection are there?

Woodside have a breeding recommendation for Sumatran tigers but have a generic too. They had Blackpool’s female Amur tiiger holidaying there for a while. The other tigers are nice to look at though but eveyone is a generic.
 
Watatunga wildlife reserve (near King's Lynn) will give you a different experience, travel around in a golf buggy (or in a trailer if on a budget) through large open reserves. Only birds and ungulates are kept and viewing can be from a bit of a distance.
 
Ned said:
Watatunga wildlife reserve (near King's Lynn) will give you a different experience, travel around in a golf buggy (or in a trailer if on a budget) through large open reserves. Only birds and ungulates are kept and viewing can be from a bit of a distance.
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Banham is also doable if you’re over that way. I’d also recommend the photo days at Watatunga - they let you get out of the buggies (supervised) for photos and it’s really an interesting day (they also do ones with professional photographers I didn’t do one of those just the one that’s you and your camera).
 
I was going to say Banham too. Depends how far you are but it doesn't take too long to get round and they have a good collection of animals, particularly primates and cats
 
Dassie rat said:
I thought this may be the case, but they are listed as Panthera tigris tigris on Zootierliste
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Only because someone (and I have my suspicions who :rolleyes:) added it recently with their sole provided evidence being that the collection claim this is true despite the facts....

Of course, if "the zoo labels them as Bengal" was reliable evidence we'd have dozens of entries for the taxon.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Only because someone (and I have my suspicions who :rolleyes:) added it recently with their sole provided evidence being that the collection claim this is true despite the facts....

Of course, if "the zoo labels them as Bengal" was reliable evidence we'd have dozens of entries for the taxon.
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They were offspring of a pair of Tigers who were Bengal/Amur hybrids, so their parents were hybrids and it would be one of their grandparents that was a Bengal. They were bred at Heythrop, and are not Bengal, they are a hybridised Tiger with Bengal distant decent, and Amur.
 
Lafone said:
I don’t believe there are (actual) Bengal tigers left in any U.K. collection are there?

Woodside have a breeding recommendation for Sumatran tigers but have a generic too. They had Blackpool’s female Amur tiiger holidaying there for a while. The other tigers are nice to look at though but eveyone is a generic.
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No pure Indian (‘Bengal’) Tigers outside India to my knowledge
 
FBBird said:
No pure Indian (‘Bengal’) Tigers outside India to my knowledge
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There are (were?) some purebred in South East Asia at some point in the very recent past, exchanged with an Indian zoo. But yeah, definitely none in Europe or the USA currently.

As for UK day trip advice, you're not too far from the Midlands and we have a plethora of collections - Hoo, Wild, Dudley, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park, All Things Wild, Exotic Zoo, Drayton Manor... And that's just off the top of my head! :)
 
I would recommend Hemsley Conservation Centre for seeing the UK's only Aardwolf as well as other rarities in the UK like Echidna and Geoffroy's Cat plus Maned Wolves, Rusty Spotted Cats, and I think they still hold a Ring-Tailed Vontsira too.
 
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