Your Five Favourite UK Exhibits

pipaluk said:
Your list is remarkably similar to the one I had prepared!
Only one I didn't have on my shortlist was the Hamerton bear enclosure and I had Exmoor sitatunga which you give a mention as well.
Lady Yule's Walk at Whipsnade will probably always be my favourite area of any zoo. How a 90 plus year old bear enclosure has stood the test of time is quite remarkable. It was probably 60 years ahead of its time considering how bears were being kept into the 90s ( and still are in some places).
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It’s a lovely spot isn’t it! On an active day it’s hard to know which side of the walk to look at. You’re right, much ahead of its time and still thriving.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
I think these are my top five exhibits or exhibit spaces I have seen at a UK zoo, all of which provide something quite different and/or interesting – only one of them has appeared on any other list, and it is the one I am probably least familiar with overall. Also, just to mention, these are not listed in any particular order of preference.

1. OTTER CREEK – COLCHESTER ZOO
I think I was always going to include a Colchester exhibit on my list, as it is my local zoo that I have spent so much time visiting and enjoying. Of all the displays at Colchester, I still think this one is its biggest triumph. It combines an old harbour seal pool and a water retention pond to make a large and varied enclosure for an active group of smooth-coated otters. A lot of existing vegetation means that part of the enclosure is quite private, so you may only see snatches of the otters moving through the undergrowth. I especially like the two pool options – the old seal pool section has clear-water and is lined with large stones, so you can really see the otters speeding around underwater, while the old water retention pond is muddy and lined with dead leaves and twigs that helps mimic the sort of water that these otters would encounter in the wild. Even the bank of mock-rock behind the seal pool section has a good function, serving as a spot for the otters to rub their coats dry. There is a lot to this space, even including the rather secret on-show indoor area around the back of the enclosure. When the otters are up and moving, which is a regular thing, it is perhaps the most interesting enclosure at Colchester.

2. HINTON HOUSE – THE BUG PARC
In some circumstances, what I really want to see in a zoo display is a lot of diversity without necessarily having to make each display super-naturalistic. Invertebrates are among my favourite animal groups precisely because of their variety, but a number of invertebrate houses often keep relatively small numbers of species. Of the three houses currently at the relatively new Bug Parc, this is by far the most speciose. With a total of 125 species, this fairly small building is probably one of the most species-rich invertebrate houses anywhere in Europe. I was able to spend easily over an hour in here, encountering some species I had never even heard of before, like the Guadeloupe Island giant katydid, the Cameroon green wolf snail and the semi-aquatic Nigerian rust-leg tarantula. It was great to be able to walk from room-to-room and see the entire perimeter of each surrounded by tanks of certain orders or classes of invertebrate – comparing the different crickets, mantises, cockroaches, snails, crabs and the especially rich collection of spiders was an absolute joy. The arrival or bringing on-show of other new species, like the jumping spiders, African variegated grasshoppers and American red-eyed katydids, means that this house will continue to have exciting things to see on any subsequent visit.

3. WADER AVIARY – PENSTHORPE
This is my ‘relaxation’ option – the sort of exhibit that you can simply stop in and soak up the atmosphere. The aviary is a walkthrough, but is simply a short dead-end path that you can walk up and then go back and exit the way you came. But with a couple of convenient benches, the aviary can be a place that rewards waiting. It is lovely to be able to sit and watch the antics of the larger and more active groups of waders, such as the avocets and ruffs, but there are plenty of other species to look for as well. Seeing the turtle doves and bearded reedlings flying overhead and looking for the shoveler and garganey in the reeds can all distract from a couple of more interesting species, as this aviary also have the only black-tailed godwit and corncrake on-display in a UK zoo.

4. SPIRIT OF THE JAGUAR – CHESTER ZOO
I only saw this enclosure in the early 2000s, not long after it opened, but from what I can remember it was a very impressive display. I can definitely recall the enormous indoor areas, and seem to remember (I am sure someone can correct me if I’m wrong) that there were CCTV screens allowing views of the cats if they were not visible. I cannot remember what else, if anything, was on view in the jaguar house on my visit, but hearing about all the new auxiliary species added in the meantime like the aquarium, the sloths and the Titicaca frogs makes me think the place has only improved since my visit.

5. SLIME – THE DEEP
So many displays use either zoogeography or taxonomy to theme an exhibit area, so something more unique always catches my attention. While small, and perhaps not as visually impressive as the nearby Endless Ocean tank, this section has always appealed to me because of its unusual theme and strong collection of species. Some species have changed since my first visit – the fascinating Pacific hagfish were replaced by spotted garden eels, and I don’t think the leopard slugs are still in residence, but this little section combined a strong selection of more popular creatures (clownfish, land snails and poison-dart frogs) with more unusual creatures (sea apples, Eschmeyer's scorpionfish and scribbled pipefish). The theming of this section is decidedly for younger audiences, but the originality of the display more than makes up for it in my opinion.

Here are a couple of displays I have seen that missed out from my top spots:

KINGDOM OF THE LION – AFRICA ALIVE
Perhaps it’s because I go to Colchester so much, and their lion enclosures have never been anything special, but this display really impressed me when I first saw it. A large bowl-like depression in the rather large enclosure, several big live trees that the lions will sometimes climb and an elevated viewing area overlooking the whole space all definitely stand out in my mind. This was originally in my top five, until I remembered seeing the Spirit of the Jaguar display at Chester.

THE RESERVE – WATATUNGA WILDLIFE RESERVE
I guess this could be seen as cheating, as the enclosure is 170 acres in size and contains basically all of the park’s animals together. Being able to drive around in a convoy of golf buggies through woods, across meadows and around lakes really does make it seem like a proper safari. The collection of deer and antelope is especially impressive, with a large breeding herd of blackbuck, Malayan sambar, roan antelope and Pere David’s deer all highlights, but the collection of free-roaming birds is not to be sniffed at either with the great bustards being an excellent feature. Since my visit more species have arrived, like the bongo and eland (I cannot imagine how impressive it would be to see this one from a low golf buggy), plus new birds like the green peafowl and capercaillie.

And one exhibit I haven’t seen in person, but the photos I saw of it left me really impressed:

SPOTTED DEER ENCLOSURE – BRISTOL ZOO PROJECT
It seems a simple exhibit, being simply a patch of fenced-off woodland, but the pictures I saw of this space when the arrival of the deer was first announced are incredible. It may impact how easy they are to view, but for such a reclusive forest species this sort of enclosure is one that I imagine suits them down to the ground.
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I didn’t realise the otters at Colchester was a former Seal pool - how interesting! It’s a quality exhibit too. Watatunga is also a fantastic way to see hoofstock and birds.
 
Lafone said:
I didn’t realise the otters at Colchester was a former Seal pool - how interesting! It’s a quality exhibit too. Watatunga is also a fantastic way to see hoofstock and birds.
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Here is a picture of the otter exhibit back when it housed seals:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/common-seal-exhibit-at-colchester-28-08-10.117355/

Looking at the old picture, I'm quite surprised by how much has been retained - I think the island in the middle of the otter pool is where that half-sunken island in the seal pool is, and the waterfall is in the same place in both exhibits.
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
Can we pick enclosures that either no longer exist (closed or renovated) or enclosures that we were impressed with at the time but was from a zoo visit a while back and the enclosures may not be quite the same?
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Its your list, and you can decide what counts and what doesn't. Personally, I excluded now-closed exhibits and those at stand-alone aquariums, or else Eddystone Reef at Plymouth and Twilight World at Bristol would have probably displaced Whipsnade's Aquarium and CWP's Walled Garden respectively, but you can decide what an exhibit needs to qualify for your personal list! :)

I created this thread hoping to see what the consensus was on the best exhibits, but in doing so, it has been equally eye-opening to see what exhibits I hadn't even heard of are praised by zoo enthusiasts.

Who would have thought that the UK's closest thing to a kelp forest tank was at an obscure Scottish aquarium, in a village of not even 4,000 residents? Or that what may be Europe's most speciose invertebrate house is in a specialist zoo in Norfolk, its whereabouts so obscure that its address reads 'Nowhere Lane?' :p Or that the country's greatest rodent collection is a nocturnal house on a literal farm?! Its making me feel quite guilty that all of my choices were at major zoos.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Here is a picture of the otter exhibit back when it housed seals:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/common-seal-exhibit-at-colchester-28-08-10.117355/

Looking at the old picture, I'm quite surprised by how much has been retained - I think the island in the middle of the otter pool is where that half-sunken island in the seal pool is, and the waterfall is in the same place in both exhibits.
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That's really cool as you say you can see the reuse. Thanks for sharing the info and indeed to Maguari for the capture.
 
My choices are somewhat limited as I haven't visited many zoos recently. They're also influenced by the fact that I like to take photographs without having any fencing in the shot.

1) Project Polar at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. I love this exhibit and could happily spend hours watching the bears exploring, foraging and play fighting.

2) Gibbon enclosure at Dudley. A super enclosure for gibbons, in my opinion, with plenty of mature trees for them to swing through and with the castle walls making a stunning backdrop.

3) Spirit of the Jaguar at Chester. I think this exhibit displays the jaguars in a relatively naturalistic setting.

4) Lemur Wood at Dudley. Again, a naturalistic enclosure that displays the lemurs well with plenty of opportunities to get close up photographs. It's also great to see the interaction between the different species. (I'm still not keen on the metal sculpture though!)

5) Tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The pool and waterfall make an aesthetically pleasing enclosure and there's plenty of long grass for Tschuna (my favourite tiger) to hide in.
I also like the view across the wetlands from the walkway.
 
I don’t know my full top 5, but i do have some underrated exhibits. (I know there all yorkshire wildlife park but they do have many underrated exhibits)

1. Amazonas - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - An amazing renovation of the south american viva and one of the uk’s best walkthroughs. The golden lion tamarins, silvery marmoset and red titi monkey are great in the rainforest section of the exhibit. Also, the capybara and agouti are great in the grasslands section of the exhibit.

2. Red Howler And Giant Anteater Exhibit - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - Easily one of the UK’s best primate exhibits. The trees, ponds, wetland shrubs and overall how good it is for the red howlers is amazing. Easily top 3 primate exhibits i’ve visited, and a bonus giant anteater.

3. Into Africa Rhino Reserve - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - A huge space for the rhinos, and it really is like being on the savannah. Easy to spot them in some areas but they also have some areas to get away from guest view.

(If anyone has any photos of these exhibits, please post them)
 
Willem123 said:
I don’t know my full top 5, but i do have some underrated exhibits. (I know there all yorkshire wildlife park but they do have many underrated exhibits)

1. Amazonas - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - An amazing renovation of the south american viva and one of the uk’s best walkthroughs. The golden lion tamarins, silvery marmoset and red titi monkey are great in the rainforest section of the exhibit. Also, the capybara and agouti are great in the grasslands section of the exhibit.

2. Red Howler And Giant Anteater Exhibit - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - Easily one of the UK’s best primate exhibits. The trees, ponds, wetland shrubs and overall how good it is for the red howlers is amazing. Easily top 3 primate exhibits i’ve visited, and a bonus giant anteater.

3. Into Africa Rhino Reserve - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - A huge space for the rhinos, and it really is like being on the savannah. Easy to spot them in some areas but they also have some areas to get away from guest view.

(If anyone has any photos of these exhibits, please post them)
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Any chance this list is influenced somewhat by your visit today?
 
Willem123 said:
3. Into Africa Rhino Reserve - Yorkshire Wildlife Park - A huge space for the rhinos, and it really is like being on the savannah. Easy to spot them in some areas but they also have some areas to get away from guest view.
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Not even in the top three rhinoceros exhibits/enclosures in the UK :P
 
1. Orangutan nursery, monkey world. The enclosure is an adequate size for youngsters with a great climbing frame and an indoor house with plenty of height, but it's great watching them play all day under the watch of foster mum Oshine.

2. Golden cheeked gibbon enclosure, Monkey World. This is the enclosure that currently houses Kim and Tien near the Woolly Monkeys although the other golden cheeked gibbon and the siamang enclosures are both great too. All three use the natural trees of the new forest to create excellent opportunities for brachiation and you get incredible views of Kim and Tien outdoors.

3. Ring tailed lemur and red fronted lemur enclosure, Northumberland Zoo - Walk-through exhibit (although not open all day) on a natural slope with woodland. In the winter when the leaves disappear it is easy to watch the lemurs jump from tree to tree and there are many good viewpoints inside and outside the enclosure, both at an upper or lower level.

4. Polar bear enclosure, Highland Wildlife Park - as great as project polar is, the enclosures at the Highland Wildlife Park also have stunning views of the Cairngorm mountains which just enhances them that little bit further.

5. Penguins rock, Edinburgh Zoo - The biggest and best penguin enclosure in the country with three different species; King, Gentoo and Rockhopper. I remember being blown away by it as a child 20 or so years ago with it's big pools and underwater viewing. Still great today.
 
Have thought about this further, and here are mine. The list will be ZSL London Zoo-heavy, partly because this is the zoo I'm most familiar with, and also because it's the place I am most myself. This list also shows that I like to feel surrounded by animals on all sides, and I have a fondness for animal houses. This was very hard to trim down to five, and any of the honourable mentions could have been on the list too!

1. Rainforest Life/Night Life, ZSL London Zoo - This is as much nostalgia as anything, but I can spend ages in here. Downstairs the nocturnal area has a great variety of Loris and Potto, endless Bushbabies, and Giant Jumping Rats. The Rakali are missed, but new species are in the pipeline, such as Harvest Mice. (Will admit to missing the London Underground-styled Brown Rat enclosure, which was a nice touch for a London collection!). Upstairs has a small but very well-done rainforest with free-ranging small primates and sloths, plus side-exhibits for Bokiboki, further Tamarins, and larger primates. Plus there is a secondary nocturnal area for Aye-aye (kept in an outdoor enclosure covered with sheeting, so the animals get to experience some weather) and other small primates. Considering the old 1960s building they had to work with, London have done very well with this exhibit I feel.

full
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/rat-exhibits-at-london-16-11-11.171492/ by @Maguari

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/rainforest-life-180322.572640/ by
@gulogulogulo

2. Desert House, Paignton Zoo - This is based on visits from a few years ago now, so not sure how it stands currently. A well-done desert landscape, populated by a nice selection of desert birds, with plenty of hiding areas if the birds decide they don't want to be seen. Wouldn't be out of place in a botanical garden glasshouse, Paignton does take it's horticulture seriously

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/desert-house-201121.564973/ by @gulogulogulo

3. Into Africa, ZSL London Zoo - This choice covers the whole Into Africa area. Like the rest of London it has to fit into historic buildings (Burton Giraffe House and Cotton Terraces), but it has been done well, with Pygmy Hippos, African Hunting Dogs, rather prolific Okapi and a bit of a planned mix in the middle for Zebra, Ostrich and Giraffe; admittedly the mix has been tried before but wasn't successful, but it's good to see the Zoo trying something again and the recently arrived Ostrich are a lovely addition. The 1837 Decimus Burton Giraffe House is very special, partly because it's nearly 200 years old and still being used for it's original purpose, but also it's just a lovely quiet place to sit and soak up the atmosphere.

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/giraffe-enclosure-at-london-zoo-2019.600231/ by @Mr.Weasel

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/africa-view-from-inside-snowdon-aviary.461788/ by @Sarus Crane

4. The Dragon's Lair, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park - A lovely indoor house, with a small outside space which is used by the current inhabitant 'Pete'. It was a bit of a surprise that such a small collection got a Komodo Dragon, but they have created a lovely enclosure for him, which he uses all areas of.

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/komodo-dragon-indoor-enclosure.581181/ by @MagpieGoose

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/outdoor-komodo-dragon-enclosure.581130/ by @MagpieGoose

5. Bat Tunnel, Shepreth Wildlife Park - a simple but well-conceived design, this enclosure is built on one side of an embankment. Gives plenty of room for the bats to really fly!

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/nocturnal-house-egyptian-fruit-bats.399974/ by @Eric

5a. (because it had to make the list!) Blackburn Pavilion, ZSL London Zoo - wonderful bird house, with outside aviaries and two inside walkthroughs. Lives up to it's historic setting, and makes use of the building very well.

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/blackburn-pavilion-indoor-2.567159/ by @Fresco3

full
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/blackburn-pavilion-large-walk-through.541507/ by @MagpieGoose

Very honourable mentions go to the following exhibits:

Open
Nocturnal House and Loris House, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park
Tiger Territory, ZSL London Zoo
Snowdon Aviary/Monkey Valley, ZSL London Zoo
Takin Quarry, Paignton Zoo
Penguin Rocks, Edinburgh Zoo
Budongo Trail, Edinburgh Zoo
Lady Yule's Walk, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

Closed
Living Coasts, Torquay
Nocturnal House, Bristol Zoo
Big Cat Terraces, ZSL London Zoo
 
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Reading all these lists of peoples' favourites, here's some of mine. I visit zoos far less these days than in the past so I have not seen some of the more modern favourites mentioned, meaning I have not experienced them.

So in no particular order;

Walled Garden, Cotswold. One of the best places to spend time and so much to see.

Desert House, Paignton. Has always been my favourite exhibit at Paignton.

Blackburn Pavilion. London. How to effectively modernise an old bird house building but still keep its Victorian charm.

Javan Langur enclosure Howletts (or similarly the LT macaques nearby, or the modern sections of De Brazza/Colobus or Drills at Port Lympne.) Not so much just for the spacious enclosures- often with natural foliage and trees- but because they allow them to display larger groups of primates than most zoos do. One of the better aspects of Howletts/PL IMO.

Gorilla Island. Blackpool. Simply for the imaginative use of the old and very bare 'chamois' island, now a heavily-foliaged extension to the old gorilla enclosure and giving them a lot more outdoor space.

I haven't seen other highly-rated exhibits like Budongo(Edinburgh) or Polar Bears at YWP etc so can't comment on those.
 
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My 5.

1 Islands - Chester.
I love the concept. Very high quality exhibits for a range of interesting species.

2 Madagascar - Cotswold
Large and nicely landscaped lemur walkthrough. The addition of bird species from Madagascar is a nice touch. Topped off very nicely by having rare lemurs (sifaka and greater bamboo lemur) in adjacent enclosures.

3 Rhino paddock - Cotswold
Good sized paddock outside the Bradwell Grove manor house. The haha style fencing creates an interesting and strange illusion of a manor house with a crash of rhinos on the lawn. Cotswold Wildlife Park also have a fantastic breeding record with the species which almost makes it seem like you are unlucky if you don't see a little one running around.

4 Sitatunga paddock - Exmoor
A great example of using natural terrain to match a species. The paddock is marshland with a stream running through it.

5 European Brown Bear - Whipsnade.
Amazing to think how old this exhibit is. An 80-90 year old enclosure that holds up to modern standards. The secrets of its success is its simplicity.
 
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