Looking for UK Zoo recommendations

Brum said:
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! :)
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I haven’t done Hoo that’s a good thought. I’m always taking a list from a Brum post (Alwaysevergreen the same!). Haven’t done exotic either and while up that way…also haven’t ventured to the Kent collections like Helmsley (that’s a way from Lincolnshire!) but on my list for this year. Always good to get ideas from someone else’s thread!
 
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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Hi Mark, I suppose the big question here is what do you want out of a zoo trip? Are there any animals you're particularly interested in, as that could significantly affect which collections you may want to prioritise?

I'd definitely recommend Woodside Wildlife Park as a Lincolnshire zoo - its pretty small, but they have a good collection with quite a few typical zoo species like tigers and penguins. The white wolves are a highlight and there are a fair few other nice smaller species too. Its nice and easy to get round and return to anything you missed or want to see again.

Personally I love the Ark Wildlife Park, and if you like small cats and/or foxes then its an absolute must! On the minus side though, its not the best place for photography, most enclosures are wood/wire with barriers so getting good photos can be a challenge. It may be worth it if you don't have far to travel, or if you can combine it with another small collection, but again, it really depends on what species interest you.

Hamerton is brilliant for rarities as others have said, but again there's a lot of wood and wire. Chester is amazing and if you can get there I'm confident you won't regret it, as arguably its only big negative point is that its so big!

Photography-wise, I do think that Yorkshire Wildlife Park is pretty hard to beat, but hopefully you'll enjoy visiting some other places and seeing different species. Please keep us informed of where you go to and what you think, its always interesting to hear different perspectives on zoos!
 
Thanks for all the suggestions... I've now got a decent list of places to tick off now..

I have a couple of days off this week, but will probably head over to YWP. Once I get sorted out, I'll start making my way through the list
 
ZooNut23 said:
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
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Not sure how much further it is, as it’s down the coast from Lowestoft, but Africa Alive is also great for photography - especially the African Savannah but also a lot of other enclosures.
 
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
Click to expand...

Yes Hamerton, they have cheetah cubs. Adorable.
 
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