well the year is almost over and I'm not going to be visiting any more zoos between now and the new year, so I thought I'd get the ball rolling with the round-up-of-zoo-visits-for-2011 thread. My own total for 2011 is very small so just think of it as the appetizer for the lists from all those lucky northern hemisphereans who have dozens of zoos within viewing distance of their bedroom windows. My list (in order of visitation, with number of visits in 2011, and new zoos in bold): 1) Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House (Christchurch, NZ) - 40 or 50 times 2) Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (Christchurch, NZ) - 5 times 3) International Antarctic Centre (Christchurch, NZ) - once 4) National Aquarium (Napier, NZ) - once 5) Wellington Zoo (NZ) - 4 times 6) Parrot Ranch (Levin, NZ) - once 7) Natureland (Nelson, NZ) – once 8) Island Bay Marine Education Centre (Wellington, NZ) – once 9) Nga Manu Nature Reserve (Waikanae, NZ) – once 10) Melaka Zoo (Malaysia) -- once 11) Perth Zoo (Australia) -- once 12) Melbourne Zoo -- once
My zoo visits in 2011. I might have forgotten one or two but this is the most! Just in random order! I haven't been very far this year(atleast outside of the surrounding countries) but I have seen enough Zoo Duisburg - Germany Naturzoo Rheine - Germany Zoo Duisburg - Germany Zoo Wuppertal - Germany Tierpark Berlin - Germany Zoo Berlin - Germany Allwetterzoo Münster - Germany Zoo Osnabrück - Germany Gaiapark Kerkrade - Netherlands Apenheul Apeldoorn - Netherlands Artis Amsterdam - Netherlands Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam - Netherlands Burgers' Zoo Arnhem - Netherlands Ecomare De Koog - Netherlands Antwerpen Zoo - Belgium Papagaaienopvang Veldhoven - Netherlands Ouwehands zoo Rhenen - Netherlands
This year's been really great for me zoo-wise. I've visited my first international zoos and haven't been disappointed and I've also seen quite a few new species. Here are the zoos I've visited and I'll copy Chlidonias and put new zoos in bold. -Melbourne Zoo - too many times to count -Werribee Zoo - 4 or 5 times. It's hard to keep track when you don't have to pay. -Healesville Sanctuary - same as Weriibee Zoo -Kyabram Fauna Park - 2 or 3 times -Adelaide Zoo - Once. This should probably be in bold but it isn't because I visited once when I was very young and don't remember anything from then. -London Zoo - Once -Twycross Zoo - Once -Blackbrook Zoo - Once -Chester Zoo - Once I'll include some of the new species that were highlights of this year. -Giant Panda at Adelaide Zoo -Hyacinth Macaw at Adelaide Zoo (little did I know at the time that I'd be coming to the Uk, the same goes for sloths) -Potto at London Zoo -Aardvark at London Zoo -Bonobo at Twycross -Bat-eared Fox at Twycross -Striped Hyaena at Twycross -Visayan Warty Pig at Blackbrook Zoo (and later Chester Zoo) -Giant Otter at Chester Zoo -Spectacled Bear at Chester Zoo (I've only got sloth bears and both black bear species to see now) -Okapi at Chester Zoo There are simply too many new bird highlights to mention but if I were to pick one it would be saddle-billed storks at Blackbrook Zoo.
My 2011 List. (Bold = First Visit in 2011) Birdland UK Birdworld UK Birmingham Nature Centre UK Blackbrook UK Bristol Zoo UK Chester UK Colchester Zoo UK Cologne Zoo Germany Cotswold Falconry Centre UK Cotswold Wildlife Park UK Desford Tropical Bird Gardens UK Dudley Zoo UK Duisburg Zoo Germany Gentleshaws UK Hamerton UK Heythrop UK Howletts UK King Cobra Sanctuary UK (Now Closed) Kingsley Falconry UK Knowsley Safari Park UK Krefeld Zoo Germany Leeds Castle Aviary UK Lotherton Bird Garden UK Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary UK Newquay Blue Reef UK Newquay Zoo UK Paignton Zoo UK Paradise Park - Broxbourne UK Paradise Park - Hayle UK Port Lympne UK Reaseheath College Zoo UK Slimbridge WWT UK The Deep UK The Palms @ Stapley UK The Parrot Zoo UK Tropical Wings UK Twycross Zoo UK West Midlands Safari Park UK Weston-super-mare Seaquarium UK Wildwood UK Wingham UK Wingz Bird Sanctuary UK Woburn UK Wuppertal Zoo Germany Yorkshire Wildlife Park UK I think that adds up to about 45 different Collections this year...
Alphabetical Order, with * showing which collections are newly visited this year: Birmingham Nature Centre* Blackbrook Zoo* Blackpool SeaLife Centre Blackpool Zoo Bristol Zoo* Chester Zoo Colchester Zoo Cotswold Falconry Centre* Cotswold Wildlife Park* Crocodiles of the World* Dudley Zoo* Harewood House Bird Garden* Heythrop Zoo* Howletts Wild Animal Park* King Cobra Sanctuary* London Zoo* Lotherton Bird Garden* Marwell Zoo* Port Lympne Wild Animal Park* Rare Species Conservation Centre* Rhyl SeaQuarium Slimbridge WWT* Tropical World, Leeds* Welsh Mountain Zoo Whipsnade Zoo* Wildwood Discovery Park* Wingham Wildlife Park* Also hoping to get Twycross and South Lakes done before the year is out. I've visited both before, but have only visited SL as a child and I remember very little of it.
Blackpool Chester Mundo Mar South lakes Terra Natura Whipsnade I'll be visiting Edinburgh in a few days too.
Birmingham Nature Centre 2 Blackbrook Zoo 5 Bristol Zoo 1 Chester Zoo 24 Colchester Zoo 1 Cotswold Falconry Centre 1 Cotswold Wildlife Park 2 Crocodiles of the World 1* Dudley Zoo 3 Harewood House Bird Garden 1* Heythrop Zoo 2* King Cobra Sanctuary 1* London Zoo 1 Lotherton Bird Garden 1* Slimbridge WWT 1 Tropical World, Leeds 1* Twycross Zoo 2 Whipsnade Zoo 1 Wingham Wildlife Park 1* * first visit to the collection Also plan to do Twycross and South Lakes on 29th and 30th December.
In order i think:- London ZSL London Wetlands centre Chester Zoo Loro Parque Las Aquilas (Jungle Park) Siam Park ? Manchester Museum Reaseheath Zoo Berlin Zoo Berlin Zoo Aquarium Berlin Tierpark Twycross Zoo Blackbrook Zoo Blue Planet Aquarium (Chester) Blackpool Zoo I think thats it but might have forgot one
My list is extremely short and modest with no noteworthy zoos compared to those of yours, as I'm probably not that dedicated to be visiting zoos (I never go on holiday purely to visit zoos, for example; zoos are a bonus), I haven't got that many money, and I've had other things in my life like work and moving on my own. However, I've focused on trying to visit some of the Danish zoos I haven't been to yet. Here we go: February: Randers Regnskov May: Zoomarine Albufeira & the mini-zoo in Ayamonte (both new) June: Jesperhus July: Guldborgsund Zoo & Krokodille Zoo (both new) October: Munkholm Zoo (new)
My 2011 totals are a rather lacklustre 61 visits to 39 collections, both my lowest totals since 1999. Must try harder in 2012.
Well im definately going to have the lowest # My first trip to the U.S.A... Chattanooga Zoo. Tennessee Aquarium. Zoo Atlanta. Georgia Aquarium. Gonna try and sweet talk the wife into a trip to North Carolina when i go back in the new year.
Bonnie and I have had a very successful year of zoo visiting including some of the very best the Us has to offer. # indicates number of visits First time visits include National Zoo-1 National Aquarium Baltimore-1 Maryland Zoo-1 Philadelphia Zoo-1 Bronx Zoo-2 Virginia Zoo-1 North Carolina Zoo-1 Kansas City Zoo-1 Omaha Zoo-1 Central Park Zoo-1 Now visits to some of our regular zoos Cleveland Zoo-50 Columbus Zoo-7 Toledo Zoo-4 Pittsburgh Zoo-2 National Aviary-1 Detroit Zoo-1 Louisville Zoo-2 Cincinnatti Zoo-1 Brookfield Zoo-4 St Louis Zoo-2 Akron Zoo-5 Team Tapir
I had a bad year with zoos: bronx zoo (8) central park (2) ny aquarium (4) philladelphia zoo (1) zoo america (1) queens zoo (1) prospect park (1) -hopeing to go to lincoln park and staten island also next year
Taronga Zoo (4) Symbio Wildlife Gardens (1) Sydney Aquarium (2) Oceanworld (1) Australian Reptile Park (1) Featherdale Widllife Park (1) Coff's Harbour Pet Porpoise Pool (1) Wellington Zoo (1) Pukaha Mt Bruce (1) Zoolandia (Karori Sanctuary) (2) I went to the National Zoo in Canberra this morning, but when I saw all the cars spilling out of the carpark I decided there were other things I could do. Hix
Cant resist this type of thing...if only to remind myself! Overlooking British collections[about 25] then its- DALLAS WORLD AQUARIUM DALLAS ZOO FORT WORTH ABILENE WACO CAPITOL OF TEXAS ZOO AUSTIN ZOO NEW BRAUNFELS SNAKE FARM SAN ANTONIO GLADYS PORTER TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM TEXAS ZOO[VICTORIA] HOUSTON HOUSTON AQUARIUM ELLEN TROUT ZOO CALDWELL ZOO FAIR PARK AQUARIUM[DALLAS] BUDAPEST DEBRECEN SOSTO FRANK BUCK ZOO[TEXAS] OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM TULSA SEDGWICK COUNTY EMPORIA TOPEKA DICKERSON PARK MEMPHIS LITTLE ROCK ZOO BERLIN TIERPARK BERLIN LEIPZIG MAGDEBURG HALLE BERNBERG ASCHERSLEBEN DELITSCH DESSAU KOTHEN PARIS MENAGERIE Happy New Year!
Only one new collection for me this year - Wingz Bird Sanctuary (I loved it). Otherwise my usual culprits:- Paignton (3) Tropiquaria Exmoor Paradise Park Filey Bird Garden (5) Lotherton Bird Garden (2) Harewood Bird Garden Flamingo Land (2) Yorkshire Wildlife Park Park Rose Birds of Prey Centre and Sewerby Zoo (circa 150 + !). I'm usually there two or three times a week. Since I broke up from work last Wednesday the only day I have not been in is Boxing Day, but I did talk to the Head Keeper over the fence. I was even there early on Christmas Day, but that was really only to visit the staff so I went armed with a Christmas cracker.Today I made separate morning and afternoon visits, armed with more crackers as it happens.
Blimey...over 150 visits to one zoo must be some kind of record for someone who doesnt work there-you must live just around the corner!It therefore makes me smile to think that ive been all over the world and the UK looking at zoos but i havent made half the zoo visits that you have...amazing.
Quick switch on as I'd forgotten Park Rose. Yes Tim, I live about a mile away - I'll be there again this afternoon. In the couple of years I was on the Bank (casual) Staff there (2002-2004) I probably was there less, at least in terms of total visits. Before that it was pretty much like it is now.