Planning a south-west England zoo trip

[komodoskar]

Hi all,

I'm currently based around Bristol and whilst I'm here I thought I should check out some of the zoos in this corner of the country that I've never been to.

I'm on a bit of a bird kick at the moment after visiting Walsrode recently and the collection at Paradise Park seems pretty interesting so I thought I'd go there first. Currently, my plan is to travel down from Bristol to Hayle (Paradise Park), then hop up to Newquay, then to Exmoor, but I'd be very open to suggestions and recommendations of other places to visit in Cornwall or Devon like Shaldon or Tropiquario, which im currently not 100% sold on.
I'll be mainly using public transport so I'll probably spend a night in and around Exeter, as that's where the train route between Newquay and Exmoor takes me anyway. I have visited Paignton before, 7-ish years ago, and based on reports from the forum here, it seems like it's deteriorated in quality since my last visit so I'm not too fussed about going again.

 

[TriUK]

Definitely do Exmoor & Hayle.
You are correct about Paignton, but they do have Oriental Stork, Baers Pochard, Mitchell’s Lorikeet & Black Hornbill.

 

[komodoskar]

Definitely do Exmoor & Hayle.
You are correct about Paignton, but they do have Oriental Stork, Baers Pochard, Mitchell’s Lorikeet & Black Hornbill.

Luckily, I've seen all of those species pretty recently, apart from the Black Hornbill. However, I am planning a trip to Farnham (Birdworld) later this year as well, so I should be able to see them there

 

[Kalaw]

If bird rarities are your interest, then Noah's Ark Zoo Farm may be of interest due to it having the only Spix's Guan inn Europe, a lovely species, as well as Brahminy Kites and a few other noteworthy species. A lot of the offputting controversies from over the last decade or so are no longer issues, and as well as the guans you get the biggest elephant enclosure in Northern Europe, an excellent South American zone and a lot of high-profile large mammals. In its current state, the only weak link is the small and deteriorating reptile house.

I cannot recommend a visit to Shaldon enough, although I understand that if birds aren't your thing then it may not be too interesting. However, it has a great collection of small mammals and amphibians that includes rarities such as Owston's Civet and Lemur Leaf Frog in a very charming setting. The unlimited re-entry policy allows you to leave and re-enter throughout the day if there is anything of interest elsewhere in the town, and the zoo's conservation impact is enormous. I understand your scepticism of Tropiquaria, which for the most part is a very standard zoo within an unappealing industrial setting, but interesting species such as Northern Flying Squirrel, Dwarf Snakehead and many more fish (including goodeids, very endangered fix that Tropiquaria is heavily involved in the conservation of) set it apart somewhat.

Haven't visited Hayle or Newquay, but you are correct about Exmoor - definitely a must-see. Would also recommend a visit to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth if you have any level of interest in aquaria, as it may well be our nation's best.

 

[komodoskar]

If bird rarities are your interest, then Noah's Ark Zoo Farm may be of interest due to it having the only Spix's Guan inn Europe, a lovely species, as well as Brahminy Kites and a few other noteworthy species. A lot of the offputting controversies from over the last decade or so are no longer issues, and as well as the guans you get the biggest elephant enclosure in Northern Europe, an excellent South American zone and a lot of high-profile large mammals. In its current state, the only weak link is the small and deteriorating reptile house.

I cannot recommend a visit to Shaldon enough, although I understand that if birds aren't your thing then it may not be too interesting. However, it has a great collection of small mammals and amphibians that includes rarities such as Owston's Civet and Lemur Leaf Frog in a very charming setting. The unlimited re-entry policy allows you to leave and re-enter throughout the day if there is anything of interest elsewhere in the town, and the zoo's conservation impact is enormous. I understand your scepticism of Tropiquaria, which for the most part is a very standard zoo within an unappealing industrial setting, but interesting species such as Northern Flying Squirrel, Dwarf Snakehead and many more fish (including goodeids, very endangered fix that Tropiquaria is heavily involved in the conservation of) set it apart somewhat.

Haven't visited Hayle or Newquay, but you are correct about Exmoor - definitely a must-see. Would also recommend a visit to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth if you have any level of interest in aquaria, as it may well be our nation's best.

Thanks for the aquarium recommendation, it would definitely be nice to see some good aquatic exhibits .
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm has been on my radar for a while, with it being so close. How reliably can you see the guan from your experience?

 

[Kalaw]

Thanks for the aquarium recommendation, it would definitely be nice to see some good aquatic exhibits .
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm has been on my radar for a while, with it being so close. How reliably can you see the guan from your experience?

I don't visit regularly enough to say for certain, but from my very few visits and what others have informed me, it can usually be seen very regularly, although normally doing nothing more than resting motionless in its indoor area. That said, I did once manage to see it venture outside and roam around the border of its outdoor area for some time before vanishing into the bushes in the centre, so it may be worth a few returns to its enclosure throughout the day so as to increase your odds of seeing it do this at some point.

 

[komodoskar]

I don't visit regularly enough to say for certain, but from my very few visits and what others have informed me, it can usually be seen very regularly, although normally doing nothing more than resting motionless in its indoor area. That said, I did once manage to see it venture outside and roam around the border of its outdoor area for some time before vanishing into the bushes in the centre, so it may be worth a few returns to its enclosure throughout the day so as to increase your odds of seeing it do this at some point.

I'm thinking of visiting outside of this trip and seeing the collection this weekend instead. Is there anything I should keep my eyes out for that I might miss, like species present only at flight shows for instance.

 

[Kalaw]

I'm thinking of visiting outside of this trip and seeing the collection this weekend instead. Is there anything I should keep my eyes out for that I might miss, like species present only at flight shows for instance.

Can't answer for certain, as I have never attended the flight shows (although according to Zootierliste, the collection houses the rarely kept Aplomado Falcon which wasn't onshow in any aviary during my visit, so may well be a flight show exclusive), however, one detail worth noting is that some of the zoo's domestic animals are in fact rather rare breeds, such as the huge Suffolk Punch Horses or the attractively coloured British White Cattle. If these are of any interest to you, then it is worth checking all of the domestic areas, as they rotate often, usually in either the fields near the camels or the large barn near the playground. However, there are a few exceptions - for example on my most recent visit, a huge Tamworth boar was being kept in a wooded paddock between the lions and elephants. I gather that domestic's aren't everyone's interest, and indeed they aren't mine, but with these rare breeds, Noah's Ark offers something fairly noteworthy with them. Enjoy your visit!

 

[komodoskar]

I've also been floating the idea of going to Axe Valley Wildlife Park as I head between Exeter and Bristol, as it has some interesting species. However, im not particularly sold on the idea, does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[polarbear]

I've also been floating the idea of going to Axe Valley Wildlife Park as I head between Exeter and Bristol, as it has some interesting species. However, im not particularly sold on the idea, does anyone have any thoughts?

I haven’t been this year but I’d say it’s worth popping in for a few hours if you will be passing. They had started to build enclosures in a new area last year and things were looking good. It’s a friendly place too.

 

[pipaluk]

I've also been floating the idea of going to Axe Valley Wildlife Park as I head between Exeter and Bristol, as it has some interesting species. However, im not particularly sold on the idea, does anyone have any thoughts?

I'd go , I usually include it in my annual 3 day west country tour. There are alternative negative opinions I know

 

[FBBird]

I've also been floating the idea of going to Axe Valley Wildlife Park as I head between Exeter and Bristol, as it has some interesting species. However, im not particularly sold on the idea, does anyone have any thoughts?

Axe Valley is quite delightful, with a lot of birds and excellent small carnivore collection. Nice people, pleasant setting, good little cafe

 

[komodoskar]

Thanks everyone. I'd be particularly interested in seeing the 4 civet and genet species there, but I know how unreliable those small carnivores can be when it comes to visiting zoos. Is Axe Valley any different?

 

[FBBird]

Thanks everyone. I'd be particularly interested in seeing the 4 civet and genet species there, but I know how unreliable those small carnivores can be when it comes to visiting zoos. Is Axe Valley any different?

Nope. All the other small carnivores usually show themselves well