UK city zoos: do they have a future?

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Panthera1981

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
With news of Bristol Zoo’s closure (and transfer out of the city centre) does this, or rather should this, now set a precedent for other town/city zoos within the UK?

Obviously there’s an clear example I could mention-but let’s not try to make this a London focused thread! Are the options feasible? Or are there too many factors against?
 
Panthera1981 said:
With news of Bristol Zoo’s closure (and transfer out of the city centre) does this, or rather should this, now set a precedent for other town/city zoos within the UK?

Obviously there’s an clear example I could mention-but let’s not try to make this a London focused thread! Are the options feasible? Or are there too many factors against?
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If you leave off London, are there many?
 
Panthera1981 said:
London certainly should be discussed here of course, but Edinburgh and Paignton also come to mind.
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I've never thought of Paignton as a city zoo. It's on the edge of a town, although new housing is spreading outwards at quite a rate. I heard a rumour once that they'd considered selling the site and moving further out into what's left of the countryside round Torbay.
 
Panthera1981 said:
With news of Bristol Zoo’s closure (and transfer out of the city centre) does this, or rather should this, now set a precedent for other town/city zoos within the UK?

Obviously there’s an clear example I could mention-but let’s not try to make this a London focused thread! Are the options feasible? Or are there too many factors against?
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Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin (not UK), Colchester?, Dudley come to mind.
 
Gigit said:
I've never thought of Paignton as a city zoo. It's on the edge of a town, although new housing is spreading outwards at quite a rate. I heard a rumour once that they'd considered selling the site and moving further out into what's left of the countryside round Torbay.
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It’s a good (but troubling) point! However, would visitor numbers increase if, like Wild Place, Paignton Zoo was near the motorway between Plymouth & Exeter? The PZ land is not worth anything like what Clifton will be worth in Bristol though!
 
I think that zoos should be easily accessible by public transport.

I wanted to visit Hamerton Zoo last year. The nearest bus stop is about 4 miles away and I read that a taxi costs £10. The walk sounds nice, but health problems could pose a risk to me. The collection sounds really interesting and it's a shame it's hard to reach if you haven't got access to a car. Marwell Zoo is another zoo that's a bit of a hike from the nearest bus stop. So is Best Zoo for that matter.
 
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Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
I think ZSL London should be discussed too, what are the chances that they will survive without a move to Whipsnade ?
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I’d like to think that those at ZSL will be watching the Bristol news with some interest. I doubt it though. However there may come a time where they’re hand may be forced.

London itself isn’t the top dog it once was, though there’s some in ZSL that’ll no doubt say otherwise. That accolade belongs to a certain establishment up north, and has been for probably 30+ years now!
 
Panthera1981 said:
I’d like to think that those at ZSL will be watching the Bristol news with some interest. I doubt it though. However there may come a time where they’re hand may be forced.
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I know several members of staff at ZSL. I'd be surprised if they weren't watching the Bristol news with some interest.
 
Dassie rat said:
Marwell Zoo is another zoo that's a bit of a hike from the nearest bus stop.
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There is a regular bus service between Eastleigh railway station and Marwell Zoo that stops right outside the zoo entrance gates. This bus service operates during the spring and summer, on weekends, bank holidays and during school holidays.

Check the Marwell website for details.

It would certainly be nice if there were a similar bus service between Hamerton and the nearest railway station; I'd visit much more often if there were
 
Panthera1981 said:
I’d like to think that those at ZSL will be watching the Bristol news with some interest. I doubt it though. However there may come a time where they’re hand may be forced.

London itself isn’t the top dog it once was, though there’s some in ZSL that’ll no doubt say otherwise. That accolade belongs to a certain establishment up north, and has been for probably 30+ years now!
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They would be very silly indeed not to be watching and paying close attention to the situation unfolding in Bristol right now.

"Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee" , comes strongly to mind.
 
Panthera1981 said:
I’d like to think that those at ZSL will be watching the Bristol news with some interest. I doubt it though. However there may come a time where they’re hand may be forced.

London itself isn’t the top dog it once was, though there’s some in ZSL that’ll no doubt say otherwise. That accolade belongs to a certain establishment up north, and has been for probably 30+ years now!
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What is this certain establishment up north ? Chester ?
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
What is this certain establishment up north ? Chester ?
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Indeed!

I get the feeling that if you asked the question “should London Zoo close/transfer?” 20+ years ago, there’d be uproar. Nowadays, if the same question were asked, I don’t think there would.

Certainly there’s a generation of zoo goers and zoophiles that don’t see the place through rose-tinted glasses and that it’ll never return to past glories. Yes it’s upsetting, but I commend Bristol for putting its cards on the table. Maybe ZSL should do the same rather than putting sticking plasters over past triumphs.
 
Panthera1981 said:
Indeed!

I get the feeling that if you asked the question “should London Zoo close/transfer?” 20+ years ago, there’d be uproar. Nowadays, if the same question were asked, I don’t think there would.

Certainly there’s a generation of zoo goers and zoophiles that don’t see the place through rose-tinted glasses and that it’ll never return to past glories. Yes it’s upsetting, but I commend Bristol for putting its cards on the table. Maybe ZSL should do the same rather than putting sticking plasters over past triumphs.
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I agree, to put it bluntly they have had 30 years to get their **** together afterall.

As I've said, in sharp contrast to Bristol I feel really quite indifferent as to whether ZSL London remains within the city or relocates to Whipsnade.

My only concerns would be that their EDGE species programe remains intact and continues to function and that their small taxa make the journey to Whipsnade too and remain a focus.

However, beyond that I am utterly indifferent.
 
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I think Regent's Park is a special case for at least two reasons:

1. They don't own the site so there's no capital to be raised by moving (indeed, they would probably be required to restore much of it to parkland condition).
2. From my experience on recent visits a large proportion of their visitors are London tourists, many from overseas, so would not transfer to Whipsnade.
 
TriUK said:
Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin (not UK), Colchester?, Dudley come to mind.
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Bristol 5 hectares
Edinburgh 32ha
Belfast 6ha
Colchester 16ha
Dudley 19ha

(Figures from an old IZY so may no longer be accurate)

But it suggests only Belfast has the space issues faced by Bristol.
 
SHAVINGTONZOO said:
I think Regent's Park is a special case for at least two reasons:

1. They don't own the site so there's no capital to be raised by moving (indeed, they would probably be required to restore much of it to parkland condition).
2. From my experience on recent visits a large proportion of their visitors are London tourists, many from overseas, so would not transfer to Whipsnade.
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I think this is exactly right. London can (in a normal non-coronavirus year) rely on a certain large percentage of visitors being tourists with children 'doing the London sights. British Museum, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds (for some strange reason...), London Zoo.

It's a case of a captive audience, in a way.
 
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