My Comprehensive Review of Whipsnade » Whipsnade Zoo

28-08-2008

Like its urban cousin, Whipsnade has had its ups and downs over the years. It hasn't the breadth of animals nowadays- chiefly deer and antelope- it once had in the 1940/50's era, but despite 'thinning out' most of the main species are still there and flourishing. Despite there being no Gorillas(!!) and few primates generally I still think it ranks one of the top UK collections, particularly since its been enjoying the attentions of the Architects again with the newer carnivore enclosures, rhino house etc.

28-08-2008

There's also a free bus which goes round the park for visitors who leave their cars outside the zoo, but this does not go into the Asian drive through exhibit.

I'm going in October and I'll do a bird review. Here is a quick summary from memory.

The bird garden has a very large macaw aviary opposite some smaller aviaries each containing a pheasant species and an aboreal species. Next to these is the tarictic hornbill aviary and opposite that the duck pond. A path leads to the area where the birds used in the flying displays are kept. At the end of this path are the ground hornbills. There is a small pool near the bird gardens entrance for hand-rearing penguins.

Offshow and behind the bird gardens are the crane paddocks and the corncrake breeding complex.

Alongside the Cafeteria is the waders aviary where scarlet ibis breed.

Caribbean Flamingos are also in a breeding group.

Most of the other birds are in the wooded area near the park's entrnace. Ravens and various owls are kept here.

Finally the penguins are kept on the edge of the downs as CZJimmy said.

28-08-2008

Some pictures...

Gaur

Indian Rhino Paddock

Elephant Paddock

Elephant Paddock

Tiger enclosure

Hippo enclosure

brown bear enclosure

wolf wood

28-08-2008

Great shots Jimmy

28-08-2008

My apologies, Jimmy. I'd inadvertently skipped that para. I've never seen any of those animals near the main entrance I'd also completely forgotten the muntjac, which I have hardly ever seen.

Alan

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28-08-2008

Good photos jimmy

28-08-2008

Great review Jimmy, I dont know if I would call Whipsnade number two in the uk because of the Howletts/Port Lympne collection which I feel could be better and also many of their animals are in huge paddocks as well, I dont know if you have been there but it maybe worth the trip, again great review thanks

28-08-2008

great review jimmy, i see you didnt think much of cheetah rock me neither

and the hidden fences at the lions, go round the corner then you can see them very clearly! (but down a ditch)

and did you see the baby prezwalskis?

28-08-2008

Yeah, I haven't visited the Aspinall parks yet, so one of them may overtake Whipsnade, but I don't think I should rank a zoo if I haven't visited it yet.

28-08-2008

I think Cheetah rock is a good enclosure, but it was a bit busy, so I didn't stay long enough to get a full impression.

I didn't see the baby przewalskis

28-08-2008

Maybe when you can visit the Aspinall parks you could do a review on them as well

28-08-2008

CZ Jimmy- re the Gaur- that's the mother and calf in the photo. I'm hoping the bull is still in the other quarters- where you'd never get a decent photo.

Port Lympne is vaguely similar to Whipsnade in some respects-open downland etc though very hilly. Also you won't see any fancy exhibits there as at Whipsnade.
Even though PL has all those Gorillas, on balance I probably prefer Whipsnade and its more 'formal' approach (and also I've been visiting Whipsnade more years than I care to remember..)

28-08-2008

Also they have all those Black rhinos to plus a good big cat collection and rare primates

28-08-2008

Yes, I'd forgotten about all PL's monkey species. Its a very difficult call- I think perhaps I would rate Whipsnade & PL equally though for entirely different reasons.

29-08-2008

There seem to be two quite similar threads on Whipsnade at the moment.

just to add my thoughts...

I was at Whipsnade yesterday, and it was lookig as good as it ever has. One aspect Jimmy didn't touch upon in his review is the shows which are offered to the public - I appreciate that many on this forum would steer clear of such things. But I have to say that the Whipsnade ones are pretty good: sealions okay (but a bit naff), birds pretty decent (with toucan, jungle fowl and seriema as well as the more predictable macaws and harris hawk), elephants excellent. None is too long, and the information conveyed is reasonable (with the possible exception of the sealion show). I was with my four year old daughter, and she loved them.

A couple of random observations:
The Arabian oryx mentioned by Jimmy are currently in the paddock which borders the Asian drive-through - you see them as you go in. The Nile lechwe are in the paddock between there and the cheetahs - although the male (oddly) is in the Asian drive-through. The paddock which did have the Arabian oryx in last time I went - next to the hippos = now has kudu in it.

Does anyone know why the lemur species choice is so conservative (ring-tailed) for what could be such a great walk-through exhibit?