Your Five Favourite UK Zoos

mrcriss said:
See this is why I don’t like rating things because someone’s always going to say something unpleasant and it’s going to knock someone’s nose out of joint, whether that be publicly or privately. You need to remember that although they may not be very vocal, there are industry people on here, and you may be putting down their hard work. Not very nice, is it?

Speaking as an insider, some of the places that people on here hold in high regard are….well let’s say, ‘less than perfect’; and other folk that express negative opinions are even contradicting themselves somewhat hypocritically by raving on their reviews about places that are seriously questionable!

On the matter of Cotswolds seeming to be large/small, it might be worth remembering that Beale Wildlife Park is considerably larger than Colchester! It’s all a matter of perspective.;)
Click to expand...

And a very nice walk around the park Beale is too! I walk a load of km when I visit :)
 
pipaluk said:
In your case it must have been an additional 3 hour car journey and 3 hours train plus a taxi ride so it must be worth it!
Click to expand...

Plus your invaluable help :) And I will be happy to do it again one day. I see that Paignton also gets recognition, so could be even more exciting visit.

If small and remote zoo like Exmoor been mentioned so many times, given how many great zoos UK has, they obviously doing something right.

I don't think that the biggest Carnivore collection in Europe is the only reason. The special charm is also there.
 
My 5 favourite zoos:

howletts

Edinburgh

Colchester

port lympne

banham

all for different reasons I know quite a few people who don’t like aspinall parks because of the man himself but if ignore his antics and fact his a big hypocrite there 2 very good parks

Wingham I’ve left out due to it being a very over rated park who IMO should focus less on buying more land bringing in more species and using the extra land to improve the enclosures for there current species
 
twilighter said:
I don't think that the biggest Carnivore collection in Europe is the only reason. The special charm is also there.
Click to expand...

This is something I've read a few times, but wondered how true it was. I know when I last checked ZTL, the amount of species held was definitely out of date. My last visit to Exmoor, there was 30 species of Carnivore, 29 on show, 1 offshow. There is currently 31, with 29 on-show and 2 offshow.

Given the size of some of the major European Zoos, I wondered if 31 species of carnivore was in fact, still the highest held in one collection.

I guess, it also comes down to the definition of carnivore, in whether you would include Binturongs who are technically omnivores and all that?
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
This is something I've read a few times, but wondered how true it was. I know when I last checked ZTL, the amount of species held was definitely out of date. My last visit to Exmoor, there was 30 species of Carnivore, 29 on show, 1 offshow. There is currently 31, with 29 on-show and 2 offshow.

Given the size of some of the major European Zoos, I wondered if 31 species of carnivore was in fact, still the highest held in one collection.

I guess, it also comes down to the definition of carnivore, in whether you would include Binturongs who are technically omnivores and all that?
Click to expand...

Twilighter means Carnivorans (in the order Carnivora).
 
mrcriss said:
Speaking as an insider, some of the places that people on here hold in high regard are….well let’s say, ‘less than perfect’; and other folk that express negative opinions are even contradicting themselves somewhat hypocritically by raving on their reviews about places that are seriously questionable!
Click to expand...

You're not wrong, but as I said in my post at least, I chose my five favourites (mostly based on how much I enjoyed my visits) and not necessarily the five best... And I know many others have done the same.

I know, and I'm sure others would agree, that Axe Valley for example is no beauty or example of the best husbandry (not that I'd say anything is awful). That said, the zoo nerd side of me always has a terrific time despite the industry professional side of me picking up on some of the more negative aspects.

mrcriss said:
You need to remember that although they may not be very vocal, there are industry people on here, and you may be putting down their hard work. Not very nice, is it?
Click to expand...

As I've just mentioned, you can see earlier in the thread that I was quite fair in my comments on Axe, and always try to be when speaking about or reviewing zoos on the site (though as the aim of this thread was positive, I likely wasn't as critical of the collection as I could have been). Generally speaking, most people have been pretty fair with their comments in this thread, or have been called out on them if deemed unfair.

With that, I do think it's important to be honest. If something isn't up to scratch at a zoo, as long as you're fair a justified in your comments, I don't think being critical is a bad thing. Earlier in the year I visited Five zoos and was quite critical of two of them on this website, but also gave props when they were due. If challenged on my comments, I believe I would have been able to justify them easily and sure many others would have agreed.

*Not trying to start anything, as I completely see where you're coming from. I just feel like people should be able to make fair and justified criticism without the fear of upsetting people* :)
 
Last edited:
Alwaysevergreen said:
This is something I've read a few times, but wondered how true it was. I know when I last checked ZTL, the amount of species held was definitely out of date. My last visit to Exmoor, there was 30 species of Carnivore, 29 on show, 1 offshow. There is currently 31, with 29 on-show and 2 offshow.

Given the size of some of the major European Zoos, I wondered if 31 species of carnivore was in fact, still the highest held in one collection.

I guess, it also comes down to the definition of carnivore, in whether you would include Binturongs who are technically omnivores and all that?
Click to expand...

Yes, I meant order Carnivora. And I mean species level, not subspecies. At the moment of my visit last year Exmoor had 34 species of Carnivores and was on the top of Europe. ( Not counting Russia )

I saw now that European Polecat, Tayras and New Guinea singing dog are no longer at the collection.

So they are with 31 spieces now. This number still put them on top AFAIK, but I could be wrong. The closest contenders Prague and Park des Felines stay on 30 at the moment.

Aren't Exmoor planning few new species like Dholes and Hyenas ?
 
Last edited:
twilighter said:
Yes, I meant order Carnivora. And I mean species level, not subspecies. At the moment of my visit last year Exmoor had 34 species of Carnivores and was on the top of Europe. ( Not counting Russia )

I saw now that European Polecat, Tayras and New Guinea singing dog are no longer at the collection.

So they are with 31 spieces now. This number still put them on top AFAIK, but I could be wrong. The closest contenders Prague and Park des Felines stay on 30 at the moment.

Aren't Exmoor planning few new species like Dholes and Hyenas ?
Click to expand...

Hyenas, Snow Leopard are confirmed. There is another carnivore wanted in the near future, but not for me to say what.
One carnivore however has now gone offshow and to leave collection.
Dholes who knows, but unlikely to be anytime soon.

They want more Singing Dogs, and Fishing Cat which they currently don’t hold, but not proving easy to source.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
Hyenas, Snow Leopard are confirmed. There is another carnivore wanted in the near future, but not for me to say what.
One carnivore however has now gone offshow and to leave collection.
Dholes who knows, but unlikely to be anytime soon.

They want more Singing Dogs, and Fishing Cat which they currently don’t hold, but not proving easy to source.
Click to expand...
There has been a recent Fishing Cat birth at Newquay?
 
Very enjoyable reading previous posts here. My 5 favourite zoos:

#5 Paignton - would previously have been higher, but recent years seem to have seen a decline in the collection and a lack of clarity in forward movement. I hope things improve as their work in science and conservation has always been strong, and the site is one of the most beautiful in the UK IMHO.

#4 Marwell - a nice site with a diverse collection, but also an interesting ungulate specialism. Recent developments have added to the overall experience and been completed well.

#3 Whipsnade - another beautiful site with a strong collection potential for future development. As part of ZSL, a strong commitment to animal welfare, science and conservation.

#2 London - historic and cultural significance, with a site that (despite maintenance issues that plague the vast majority of zoos and public sites) is generally well presented and provides a diverse collection for inner-City demographics. Some of the flagship exhibits are amongst the best for the species in the UK (tigers, giant tortoises, colobus monkeys) and the Society commitment to science and conservation is unrivalled in the UK (possibly in the World).

#1 Chester - From a zoo visitor perspective alone this is the clear winner in the UK - large site, impressive immersive exhibits and a diverse collection with conservation impact. Their commitment to science and conservation (including having the strongest zoo science department in the UK) is commendable.
 
1. Chester. Visited 2018 and 2022. Arguably the only world class zoo in the UK that’s capable of standing alongside the European giants of Berlin, Beauval etc etc
2. Cotswold WP. Visited 2021. The most charming of any zoo I’ve ever visited, very well kept grounds and a very nice collection.
3. Highland Wildlife Park. Visited 2022. Very interesting collection and very efficient and smart way of collection planning in terms of selecting species which can survive in the Scottish highlands without heating etc.
4. London Zoo. Visited 2018 and 2019. I’m a massive zoo history nerd so this makes London both very appealing and disappointing at times. Some very nice exhibits such as BUGS and the rainforest house alongside a quite well rounded collection.
5. Edinburgh Zoo. Visited 2022. Lots of charm and a nice collection. Looking forward to what the post panda years have to offer!
 
In February 2017, here were the 10 most popular UK zoos:

Chester - 32 votes
London - 18
Whipsnade - 17
Cotswold - 12
Bristol - 11
Colchester - 11
Paignton - 10
Dudley - 8
Edinburgh - 7
Twycross - 7

In June 2023, here is the new list with all the votes compiled on this thread:

Chester - 22 votes
Cotswold - 14
Whipsnade - 11
Exmoor - 10
Paignton - 9
Dudley - 8
Hamerton - 8
Colchester - 7
Highland Wildlife Park - 7
London - 7

Say goodbye to Bristol, Edinburgh and Twycross.

Say hello to Exmoor, Hamerton and Highland Wildlife Park.
 
Last edited:
snowleopard said:
In February 2017, here were the 10 most popular UK zoos:

Chester - 32 votes
London - 18
Whipsnade - 17
Cotswold - 12
Bristol - 11
Colchester - 11
Paignton - 10
Dudley - 8
Edinburgh - 7
Twycross - 7

In June 2023, here is the new list with all the votes compiled on this thread:

Chester - 22 votes
Cotswold - 14
Whipsnade - 11
Exmoor - 10
Paignton - 9
Dudley - 8
Hamerton - 8
Colchester - 7
Highland Wildlife Park - 7
London - 7

Say goodbye to Bristol, Edinburgh and Twycross.

Say hello to Exmoor, Hamerton and Highland Wildlife Park.
Click to expand...

I'm amazed that YWP is not on that list, especially with the expansion over the last few years, each to there own I guess
 
sparkes12 said:
I'm amazed that YWP is not on that list, especially with the expansion over the last few years, each to there own I guess
Click to expand...
YWP got 5 votes so it's rated pretty highly. I would guess it falls down in people's rankings due to it not being much of an all-rounder, instead focusing almost entirely on medium-large mammals.
 
YWP was on my previous top 5 in the first survey but over recent years I have found its development a little mixed and their priorities a bit of dissapointment even though some areas like the sea lions are very impressive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top