Trip to UK - Zoos to visit

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MRJ

MRJ

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Looks like I will be going to the UK early next year. I am interested in suggestions of smaller, low budget zoos to visit that have interesting exhibits for small mammals, birds and reptiles and/or have interesting and worthwhile conservation or education programs. Obviously a little different from most zoochatters requirements, and I don't tick off life species lists etc.
 
A collection that I think you'd particularly enjoy visiting is the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey. It's a native species collection with a number of particularly interesting exhibits and rarely-exhibited species, particularly for small mammals.
 
Hamerton!! An incredibly impressive carnivore collection (jaguarundi, oncilla, tayra, grison, Malayan tiger and aardwolf), plus some other rarities (rock cavy, collared lemurs etc.)
 
Given the parameters you suggest, I think it is possible you would find Slimbridge an interesting collection to visit based on historical significance, involvement in several ongoing conservation programmes and a number of exhibits for native wetland and freshwater mammal and amphibian species.
 
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is also a really nice zoo.It may be small but it makes up for that with interesting designs for enclosures,plenty of hands on interaction and interesting animals.
 
I'd suggest Cotswold. It's an attractive collection, with an interesting collection of lemurs plus a range of other small mammals including gundi, naked mole rats and Pallas cats, as well as a few larger mammals. It has a lovely Tropical House, a good bird collection and excellent reptiles.
It is quite near Slimbridge and not too far from Bristol - which is also well worth a visit for its high quality collection.
 
gentle lemur said:
I'd suggest Cotswold. It's an attractive collection, with an interesting collection of lemurs plus a range of other small mammals including gundi, naked mole rats and Pallas cats, as well as a few larger mammals. It has a lovely Tropical House, a good bird collection and excellent reptiles.
It is quite near Slimbridge and not too far from Bristol - which is also well worth a visit for its high quality collection.
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MRJ said:
Looks like I will be going to the UK early next year. I am interested in suggestions of smaller, low budget zoos to visit that have interesting exhibits for small mammals, birds and reptiles and/or have interesting and worthwhile conservation or education programs. Obviously a little different from most zoochatters requirements, and I don't tick off life species lists etc.
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Have a look in the South-west. Newquay is worth visiting for Owston's Civet, Black Wildebeest, Vine Snake (all breeding), some seriously good amphibians, a little gem of a tropical house, and a very attractive South-east Asian themed walk-through aviary. Plenty of unusual stuff breeding, including Blyth's Hornbill, Ecuadorian Amazon. Primates include Grey Slender Loris and Belted Ruffed Lemur. Interesting mixed exhibit of Crowned Lemur and Narrow-striped Mongoose.
Exmoor has as many Canid and felid species as you will find anywhere, and a serious number of Ibis species.
Paignton has most of the ABCs, plus Takin, bachelor group of Lowland Gorillas, Bornean Orang-utans, Hartmann Mountain Zebra, Lesser Adjutant and Oriental White Storks, Darwin's Rhea, Kiwi, breeding Toco Toucans, Australian desert themed walkthrough greenhouse, fine tropical houses with good bird and herp collections.
 
Komodo99 said:
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is also a really nice zoo.It may be small but it makes up for that with interesting designs for enclosures,plenty of hands on interaction and interesting animals.
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I know it's Komodo's near-local zoo and close to their heart (I've seen them bigging it up elsewhere) but, whilst perfectly "OK", it's not really "all that". It's a nice stop-off on the way to somewhere else but (in my opinion) it's not really worth going much out of the way for. On a list of UK zoos to suggest for a foreign visitor to visit it's quite a long way down.
 
Shorts said:
I know it's Komodo's near-local zoo and close to their heart (I've seen them bigging it up elsewhere) but, whilst perfectly "OK", it's not really "all that". It's a nice stop-off on the way to somewhere else but (in my opinion) it's not really worth going much out of the way for. On a list of UK zoos to suggest for a foreign visitor to visit it's quite a long way down.
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It's one of two places in the UK where you can see Black Wildebeest. The other of course is Newquay.
 
Adding to what @FBBird has already thrown out I would add Living Coasts which is pretty unique, Shaldon and Paradise Park (Hayle) as the latter two are extremely conservation orientated and Shaldon displays a great collection on a very small site.
 
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Brum said:
Adding to what @FBBird has already thrown out I would at Living Coasts which is pretty unique, Shaldon and Paradise Park (Hayle) as the latter two are extremely conservation orientated and Shaldon displays a great collection on a very small site.
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Couldn't agree more. That's six zoos well worth visiting, within a relatively small area.
 
gentle lemur said:
I'd suggest Cotswold. It's an attractive collection, with an interesting collection of lemurs plus a range of other small mammals including gundi, naked mole rats and Pallas cats, as well as a few larger mammals. It has a lovely Tropical House, a good bird collection and excellent reptiles.
It is quite near Slimbridge and not too far from Bristol - which is also well worth a visit for its high quality collection.
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I'd agree on Cotswold WP and Crocodiles of the World or Birdland are both nearby to there ( all 3 could be done in a day).
 
pipaluk said:
I'd agree on Cotswold WP and Crocodiles of the World or Birdland are both nearby to there ( all 3 could be done in a day).
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You could, but it would be like scoffing down fine dining -Cotswold is best savoured (let it soak in and enjoy it) especially if you're unlikely to return for a long time, not rushed to ensure two other places are "done" on the same day.

Other opinions are available.
 
Shorts said:
You could, but it would be like scoffing down fine dining -Cotswold is best savoured (let it soak in and enjoy it) especially if you're unlikely to return for a long time, not rushed to ensure two other places are "done" on the same day.l

Other opinions are available.
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I wouldn't dispute this at all and my first visit to CWP lasted virtually the whole day!

Maybe the 3 could be given 2 days! I was really just trying to say how close the 3 were!There are other places within an hour too (e.g Bristol or Slimbridge for starters) .
 
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FBBird said:
Couldn't agree more. That's six zoos well worth visiting, within a relatively small area.
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Indeed, and it's possible to do Living Coasts and Shaldon easily in a day. Possibly likewise with Hayle and Newquay if MRJ is driving around the UK.
 
Brum said:
Indeed, and it's possible to do Living Coasts and Shaldon easily in a day. Possibly likewise with Hayle and Newquay if MRJ is driving around the UK.
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I have managed to do Hayle and Newquay in a day, and shall be doing Shaldon, Living Coasts and Paignton all together in a day at the end of the month.
 
I didn't have time yesterday to promote Bristol properly. The highlights include aye-ayes, eastern quolls (breeding) and sand cat in the Nocturnal House, Livingstone's fruit bat walk-through, an Amphibian Ark (partly off display), a nice collection of reptiles (with a very good breeding record), a small Aquarium and a very good invertebrate collection. Plus a range of birds, lemurs and marmosets, Visayan warty pigs (quite common in the UK now), drills and gorillas. They also do regular animal shows on one of the lawns which are aimed at younger children. It's a historic city zoo on a small site, but well worth a visit.
 
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