zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Having just got back from a mini tour of Norfolk and Suffolk,in 3 days I visited 8 collections,so I thought I would just write a few words about each one!
Day 1
Pensthorpe Natrue Reserve,Well this place doesn't have as much captive,as when I last visited.Atleast 3 walk through Aviarys have been closed to the public,some because of damage from snow the others nothing could be found why they had been closed!But the best part of the place is its wild reserve,it is a great place to spend sometime just trying to spot,the many wild creatures that live here,saw many Damselflies and Grasshoppers,was even lucky enough to catch a brief view of a wild Bearded Reedling!
Amazona Zoo,This place is very much like its sister park Thrigby Hall in that it never seems to change much,but it had changed a bit with a few species like Margay having left the collection,due to them now keeping a pair of Ocelot,but over winter they plan to build a new enclosure so that Margay can be kept again!Was great to see a Puma kitten again,have to say the staff could not have been any more helpfull and friendly if they tried,even got the chance to see the Pacu and Catfish get fed just before the place closed,have to say anybody stupid enough to put there fingers in the pool,takes a very big risk of the Pacu taking a finger off!
Day 2
Suffolk Wildlife Park,I have always said I will not call this place its AA name until,they only have African species.Well I have to say they now only have 3 Asian species left at the park,and they are Asian Short-clawed Otter,Turkish Spiny Mouse and Asiatic Water Buffalo.This place has a great collection of odd species not often seen in the UK,including Striped Hyena,Straw-colured Fruit Bat and Vervet Monkey and for this reason alone is worth a visit.They probably have the best African Lion enclosure in the UK
Great Yarmouth Sealife Centre,Well I think the fact itsa Sealife Centre says it all,if you have done one then you have seen them all,but then every now and again they do give you a surprise this ones was a group of Sandsmelt,as well this one does have a group of Humboldt Penguin,in an enclosure that can be best described as just about okay,as for the new West African Dwarf Crocodile enclosure all I can say is,CRAP does not do it justice it little over 4 foot wide,even a Dwarf Croc struggles to turn around in the pool!Think I will leave it at that for
Amazonia Reptiles Great Yarmouth,Just 2 minutes walk from the Sealife Centre,best thing I can say is don't bother entering,95% of the species kept you could see in any good Reptile shop,and you would probably see them housed better as well,did take a few pictures of the place but the owner made it very clear,that they were not allowed to be posted anywhere on-line,the way he said it you got the feeling he does actually check to see if anyone has posted anything on-line!
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens,This place is always a joy to visit small but very pleasant,describe it very well,great collection of Crocodilians always please me so Mugger,American Alligator and Salt Water Crocodiles,certainly helps for me.Added to a nice Cat collection and a superb setting and in some case unique way of exhibiting things,and like the place alot.
Day 3
Shorelands Wildlife Gardens,The place is not open fully yet and will not be until next year.In fact it was actually closed the day I tried to go round,but thanks to the fact that I have known the owner a good number of years,I managed to have a very quick look round,before he had to disappear to go and pick some animals up from Edinburgh Zoo.This place is going to be very different when its open,with many bird species being free roaming round the visitors,at the moment alot of building work is going on and not all the site,is safe for visitors to walk round,but I think this is very much going to be a place that WILL keep some species that will draw the zoo nerds among us to visit.
Banham Zoo,Not sure what I can say about this place apart from its a very pleasant zoo to walk round,it has a few odd species like Sri Lankan Leopard and South African Fur Seal.The new Eureka exhibit is pretty good but its not the sort of exhibit that will ever make this place a must see collection.
Day 1
Pensthorpe Natrue Reserve,Well this place doesn't have as much captive,as when I last visited.Atleast 3 walk through Aviarys have been closed to the public,some because of damage from snow the others nothing could be found why they had been closed!But the best part of the place is its wild reserve,it is a great place to spend sometime just trying to spot,the many wild creatures that live here,saw many Damselflies and Grasshoppers,was even lucky enough to catch a brief view of a wild Bearded Reedling!
Amazona Zoo,This place is very much like its sister park Thrigby Hall in that it never seems to change much,but it had changed a bit with a few species like Margay having left the collection,due to them now keeping a pair of Ocelot,but over winter they plan to build a new enclosure so that Margay can be kept again!Was great to see a Puma kitten again,have to say the staff could not have been any more helpfull and friendly if they tried,even got the chance to see the Pacu and Catfish get fed just before the place closed,have to say anybody stupid enough to put there fingers in the pool,takes a very big risk of the Pacu taking a finger off!
Day 2
Suffolk Wildlife Park,I have always said I will not call this place its AA name until,they only have African species.Well I have to say they now only have 3 Asian species left at the park,and they are Asian Short-clawed Otter,Turkish Spiny Mouse and Asiatic Water Buffalo.This place has a great collection of odd species not often seen in the UK,including Striped Hyena,Straw-colured Fruit Bat and Vervet Monkey and for this reason alone is worth a visit.They probably have the best African Lion enclosure in the UK
Great Yarmouth Sealife Centre,Well I think the fact itsa Sealife Centre says it all,if you have done one then you have seen them all,but then every now and again they do give you a surprise this ones was a group of Sandsmelt,as well this one does have a group of Humboldt Penguin,in an enclosure that can be best described as just about okay,as for the new West African Dwarf Crocodile enclosure all I can say is,CRAP does not do it justice it little over 4 foot wide,even a Dwarf Croc struggles to turn around in the pool!Think I will leave it at that for
Amazonia Reptiles Great Yarmouth,Just 2 minutes walk from the Sealife Centre,best thing I can say is don't bother entering,95% of the species kept you could see in any good Reptile shop,and you would probably see them housed better as well,did take a few pictures of the place but the owner made it very clear,that they were not allowed to be posted anywhere on-line,the way he said it you got the feeling he does actually check to see if anyone has posted anything on-line!
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens,This place is always a joy to visit small but very pleasant,describe it very well,great collection of Crocodilians always please me so Mugger,American Alligator and Salt Water Crocodiles,certainly helps for me.Added to a nice Cat collection and a superb setting and in some case unique way of exhibiting things,and like the place alot.
Day 3
Shorelands Wildlife Gardens,The place is not open fully yet and will not be until next year.In fact it was actually closed the day I tried to go round,but thanks to the fact that I have known the owner a good number of years,I managed to have a very quick look round,before he had to disappear to go and pick some animals up from Edinburgh Zoo.This place is going to be very different when its open,with many bird species being free roaming round the visitors,at the moment alot of building work is going on and not all the site,is safe for visitors to walk round,but I think this is very much going to be a place that WILL keep some species that will draw the zoo nerds among us to visit.
Banham Zoo,Not sure what I can say about this place apart from its a very pleasant zoo to walk round,it has a few odd species like Sri Lankan Leopard and South African Fur Seal.The new Eureka exhibit is pretty good but its not the sort of exhibit that will ever make this place a must see collection.
Last edited:
