Ventura Wildlife Park Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens

Nisha

Nisha

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
A new zoo is due to open near Ware, Hertfordshire on 23rd July. Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens will be based on the same site as the Van Hage Garden Center

Species already on site include Wallaby, Lhama, Alpaca, Grants Zebra, Racoon Dogs, Greater Tenrec, Owls, Meerkats, Bugs, Reptiles and Insects

Fossa also mentioned on the website (although they don't appear to have arrived yet)

https://www.facebook.com/VenturaWildlife/

Zoological Gardens WELCOME TO VENTURA EVENTS
 
Nisha said:
A new zoo is due to open near Ware, Hertfordshire on 23rd July. Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens will be based on the same site as the Van Hage Garden Center

Species already on site include Wallaby, Lhama, Alpaca, Grants Zebra, Racoon Dogs, Greater Tenrec, Owls, Meerkats, Bugs, Reptiles and Insects

Fossa also mentioned on the website (although they don't appear to have arrived yet)

https://www.facebook.com/VenturaWildlife/

Zoological Gardens WELCOME TO VENTURA EVENTS
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Interesting! I was there a few months ago & saw meerkat, racoon, coati racoon dog, common marmosets, degu, ferret, Sulcata tortoise & various domestics, but nothing like has been listed, just a reasonable children's zoo. Now their website shows giraffe, lion & rhino!
 
As I understood it the official opening date was going to be the 18th July, but obviously that may now have changed ? One Fossa is to be kept initially I think.
 
pipaluk said:
Interesting! I was there a few months ago & saw meerkat, racoon, coati racoon dog, common marmosets, degu, ferret, Sulcata tortoise & various domestics, but nothing like has been listed, just a reasonable children's zoo. Now their website shows giraffe, lion & rhino!
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That is the zoo van hages own themselves and has been there for many many years, mainly with non changing stock but this is on the other side of van hages near the railway and is a new venture separate from van hages itself.
 
Looks interesting! Might have to take a trip if they do get Fossa
 
stubeanz said:
That is the zoo van hages own themselves and has been there for many many years, mainly with non changing stock but this is on the other side of van hages near the railway and is a new venture separate from van hages itself.
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Thanks for the clarification.
 
Interesting. Though I would say that the larger mammals ie; rhino, giraffe and lion mentioned on the website would be rather optimistic. I think the smaller mammals etc will be the mainstay of this collection.
 
stubeanz said:
That is the zoo van hages own themselves and has been there for many many years, mainly with non changing stock but this is on the other side of van hages near the railway and is a new venture separate from van hages itself.
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so are they getting rid of the van hagues animal site
 
garyjp said:
so are they getting rid of the van hagues animal site
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I'm confused as to how this will operate effectively. The existing animal gardens were a freebie for customers to the garden centre where they could take the kids while shopping. It wasn't particularly pretty nor an amazing collection - lets face facts it is run on a shoe-string and contains mostly domestics. Ventura is a completely different kettle of fish and a seperate entity to the garden centre, paying rent (just like any of the other concessions). So customers will visit a garden centre with a possibility of also visiting a zoo??? And paying extra to get in.

Now I am fully aware that this isn't the first time a garden centre has been married up to a zoological collection. I can think of a couple including the ex Tropical Oasis in West Midlands and Shorelands in Norfolk. Also a butterfly house near Swindon. I visited the former which consisted of large greenhouses and looked similar to the garden centre across the carpark. Haven't visited the second but from all accounts sounds like a small zoo slotted into a garden situation. I can see that working with a garden centre.

Ventura is mostly an events group with animals - far enough. Just can't see it working as a 'zoo' with the garden centre. I believe that it is based towards the back of Van Hage, so anybody visiting Ventura specifically will need to go through the garden centre. Just think the reason for people visiting a garden centre and a zoo is very different, particularly if the free entry to the animal gardens is replaced by a fee-paying entity. I might be wrong... good luck to them. They seem to have spent alot of money already on the setup from what I have been told.
 
I cant see why animals such as lions are shown on their website when they are not kept at the zoo. Are there plans to add giraffes and lions in the future because I am really confused as to whats going on here.:confused:
 
tetrapod said:
I'm confused as to how this will operate effectively. The existing animal gardens were a freebie for customers to the garden centre where they could take the kids while shopping. It wasn't particularly pretty nor an amazing collection - lets face facts it is run on a shoe-string and contains mostly domestics. Ventura is a completely different kettle of fish and a seperate entity to the garden centre, paying rent (just like any of the other concessions). So customers will visit a garden centre with a possibility of also visiting a zoo??? And paying extra to get in.

Now I am fully aware that this isn't the first time a garden centre has been married up to a zoological collection. I can think of a couple including the ex Tropical Oasis in West Midlands and Shorelands in Norfolk. Also a butterfly house near Swindon. I visited the former which consisted of large greenhouses and looked similar to the garden centre across the carpark. Haven't visited the second but from all accounts sounds like a small zoo slotted into a garden situation. I can see that working with a garden centre.

Ventura is mostly an events group with animals - far enough. Just can't see it working as a 'zoo' with the garden centre. I believe that it is based towards the back of Van Hage, so anybody visiting Ventura specifically will need to go through the garden centre. Just think the reason for people visiting a garden centre and a zoo is very different, particularly if the free entry to the animal gardens is replaced by a fee-paying entity. I might be wrong... good luck to them. They seem to have spent alot of money already on the setup from what I have been told.
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You've currently got Hagley Falconry Centre at the back of WEBBS Garden centre in West Hagley for now.
 
Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre is also accessed via a garden centre.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre is also accessed via a garden centre.
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Yes, it is quite common.
As I said, the larger mammals mentioned on the website are perhaps a bit optimistic, and most likely to be an ambitious attempt to create interest?;)
 
Nanook said:
Yes, it is quite common.
As I said, the larger mammals mentioned on the website are perhaps a bit optimistic, and most likely to be an ambitious attempt to create interest?;)
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Yes small wildlife collections and specialised collections such as falconry centres seem to be the norm for connections with garden centres. A full-on zoo with large megafauna is not, though. Doubt there is the space to do it properly. Keeping a zebra in a basic paddock doesn't get me excited about a visit... My original point was that in all the other examples you don't tend to walk through the garden centre to get to the zoo. Maybe a shared carpark, however separate entrances though!

Agree that there is a confusion with their other activities, possibly intentionally to drum up interest.
 
For anyone confused about Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens and what animals they shall be stocking the best thing to do is read both the website and their facebook page - the animals listed on the website are some (not all) of the animals that will be at the Zoo. At current it says nowhere on the facebook page (or the website) about Lions and Giraffe at the Zoological Gardens. The website advertises all aspects of Ventura Wildlife, of which the new Zoological Gardens is one. The opening date of Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens is Saturday 23rd July and yes it is in the Van Hage garden centre grounds. Hope this clears up some confusions
 
twlog said:
For anyone confused about Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens and what animals they shall be stocking the best thing to do is read both the website and their facebook page - the animals listed on the website are some (not all) of the animals that will be at the Zoo. At current it says nowhere on the facebook page (or the website) about Lions and Giraffe at the Zoological Gardens. The website advertises all aspects of Ventura Wildlife, of which the new Zoological Gardens is one. The opening date of Ventura Wildlife Zoological Gardens is Saturday 23rd July and yes it is in the Van Hage garden centre grounds. Hope this clears up some confusions
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the website quite clearly depicts lion, giraffe and rhino on the banner at the top of the page, in what to anybody opening the page appears to be an advertisement for the zoo.

I don't think they will have these species at all, but the "confusion" (as you put it) comes from what the website itself shows in a misleading way.
 
Chlidonias said:
the website quite clearly depicts lion, giraffe and rhino on the banner at the top of the page, in what to anybody opening the page appears to be an advertisement for the zoo.

I don't think they will have these species at all, but the "confusion" (as you put it) comes from what the website itself shows in a misleading way.
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To which I then reiterate from what I wrote above: "The website advertises all aspects of Ventura Wildlife, of which the new Zoological Gardens is one" - Wildlife Travel is another, as is Zoological Consultancy.

To me it's quite clear that this banner is advertising the organisation as a whole, not the Zoo.
 
Many parents are lazy and will see the lion picture and expect to see a lion on their visit; it will give people an excuse to moan, and people love moaning when they can sniff a refund.
 
twlog said:
To me it's quite clear that this banner is advertising the organisation as a whole, not the Zoo.
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yes, but that is because you are already familiar with the place. People hearing about the zoo for the first time and wanting to visit will go the website and see pictures of those animals and think they will see those animals at the zoo.
 
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