Norfolks zoos
- Thread starter stubeanz
- Start date
Not been to any of them, but if you want to see a few nice little oddities you could do worse than to visit Thrigby Hall - the only Chinese Golden Cat in captivity outside the native range, the only Mugger Crocodiles in the UK and one of the few collections in the UK to hold Stump-tailed Macaque and Owston's Palm Civet.
I've visited 3 in the last 2 years and whilst all Banham & Africa Alive have their merits and relative rarities, my personal favourite would be Thrigby Hall, as that has more species I don't regularly see elsewhere.
Having said that, it is also the smallest of the three and not a full day. It's considerably cheaper than the other two as well.
Having said that, it is also the smallest of the three and not a full day. It's considerably cheaper than the other two as well.
AA is not technically in Norfolk, indeed it used to be called Suffolk Wildlife Park. That said, it's a nicely done place, virtually all the exhibits are pretty well done and it has a few nice oddities -Aardvark (best seen first thing) Fossa, Striped Hyena, Somali Wild Ass, Barbary Sheep, Straw-colored Fruit Bat, Blesbok and African Barn Owl.
Banham Zoo is is a similar set-up (reasonable enclosures, some oddities), but quite a bit bigger, with good animal shows (armadillo, amongst others) and Bird of Prey Display (multiples vultures flying in low, just above your head).
Amazona and Thrigby are smaller, have are a little more "homespun" feel, and don't change much year to year. They both have a handful of extreme rare species (in terms of little or no other UK zoos holding them) but a lot of them can be inactive, and barely, if at all, visible -if you go to either prepar to be patient if you really want to see a specific species. Finally, the cafe veranda at Amazona is, in my opinion, one of the nicest places in a UK to sit and have a drink and snack/cake.
Shorelands sounds a nice place if you like birds and the owner has a great track record but I've not visited yet and am unsure if it's properly open.
Finally, if you've got a time machine I'd check out Kilverston (and take me with you
).
AA is not technically in Norfolk, indeed it used to be called Suffolk Wildlife Park.
Good point Shorts! Don't know why i forgot that, it's just somewhere i associate with visiting on a weekend in Norfolk and it is only a few miles over the border & appears in Norfolk tourist brochures.
Finally, if you've got a time machine I'd check out Kilverston (and take me with you
I visited Kilverstone regularly in the late 70s/80s and wish I could go back there now, as i'd appreciate some of its rarities much more today!
Damn you
If we're talking time machines, then the Norfolk Wildlife Park of the early 1970's would be another to visit
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Where are you staying, Stu? Norfolk is a big county, and many of its roads are slow. If you're not careful you could end up driving a long way and seeing very little.
One other place worth mentioning if you like birds is Pensthorpe, in the north near Fakenham. A big collection of waterfowl, with storks, cranes and waders , plus Corn Crakes and Red Squirrels.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Damn you
If we're talking time machines, then the Norfolk Wildlife Park of the early 1970's would be another to visit
It was. The pheasant collection was a joy to behold, and it was where I first saw Booted Eagle, Stone-curlew, Wolverine, and Alpine Ibex, amongst a lot of other lovely species.
Thanks allthrigby hall sounds like the place to go then! I am hoping to also go to shorelands wildlife park and maybe some sort of sealife/aquarium place. I shall go have a search on thrigby's website for more details
If i remember rightly, Thrigby's website is pretty poor and out of date.Don't be put off by that though. When I visited last year, I got more info from zoochat.
Agreed, it also has the only South African Fur Seals in a 'zoo', plus Sclaters(aa also has these) & lesser bamboo lemur, which last time i looked on ZTL were down to only about 3 public holders in the UK each.
* checked again, it's actually 2 for each!
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