I'm making plans to visit London Zoo on the 22nd. I've not got a lot left of this month's money, so is it really worth the ticket to get it? I haven't been for many years and I can't remember much of it, so it's not like I'm visiting a zoo I know well. I'm just wondering if its worth it, or if its going to be a bit... dissapointing. I'll be getting there for about 10am so will I need to spend until close there to see everything properly? Also, does anybody have any recommendations of must-see exhibits and advice on what times are best for where? Cheers in advance.
I think it is worth it. If you arrive around 10am head straight for the aquarium and reptile house before they become crowded. My only criticism was the huge amount of empty cages in the nocturnal section of the Clore. I've visited London regularly for the last 25 years and I remember how interesting this area used to be. I would also go to the gorillas early, I missed seeing them last week. When I entered gorilla kingdom it was so busy that I went straight through. If you want to see an active aardvark they are fed at 4.15pm in the meerkat enclosure (Children's Zoo one, not the one by the Clore). You will have to share the experience with a lot of small children though, but after all, it is the Children's Zoo area.
B.U.G.S is the exhibit that I reccomend most at London. It's got a good range of species (mostly inverts, but some mammals, birds and herps as well) which are displayed well in an informative setting
Aha, thanks for that. I shall head to these early on and do the smaller, 'less interesting' exhibits during the day. Thank God for public ignorance, at least these areas will be less crowded during the day. Its often the 'less interesting' exhibits that are the more interesting ones. I'm also banking on it being a school day to lessen the crowds. Clutching at straws a bit, though. Can anyone tell me whats now kept on the big mountainy area where the bears used to be kept. I can't remember where it was on the map so I'm not certain what's in it.
ZSL is expensive, but there is a lot to see which you'll only find in one or two other places in the country: from my last visit, in no particular order, I particularly remember - king cobra, Philippine crocodile, San Francisco garter snake, pig-nosed turtle, blue-crowned & Mount Apo lorikeets, black-winged lories, emerald hummingbirds, Congo peafowl, slender & pygmy slow loris, tamandua, Francois' & hanuman langurs, white-crowned mangabeys, red-tailed black cockatoos, bearded pigs, harrier hawks, king vultures - and I haven't even mentioned the fishes or insects etc. I had no trouble spending the whole day there, and I didn't get to the Mappins or the butterfly display. Alan PS You may get a discount if you book on-line
Awesome. Thanks very much. I'm really looking forward to this visit, I haven't been for about a decade. According to the website, there's no discount for booking online.
But as I recall from using the system before you do get to queue-jump a bit on arrival so may be worth considering! Regent's Park may not have all the animals it used to but it's still well worth a visit and still one of the top British zoos. It has a more diverse collection than almost any other British zoo - with large buildings for birds, fish, reptiles/amphibians (including some real stars such as King Cobra, Black Mamba and Philippine Croc), invertebrates and small mammals. For all the talk of the big animals having gone, there are still giraffe, zebra, okapi, tapir, lion, tiger, wild dog, camel, pygmy hippo and gorilla (certainly more big mammals than Twycross, for example!). Be sure not to miss the Hanuman Langurs (tucked behind Gorilla Kingdom), Bearded Pigs in the Casson Pavilion and the hummingbirds in the Blackburn Pavilion.
Nit-picking I know (but then I am a primate and we like that sort of thing). I wouldn't say "certainly" more than Twycross who, to be fair, have a roughly similar amount of big mammals -Tapir (x2 species), Camel, Gorilla, Orang Utan, Giraffe, Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Dholes.
I'll admit to two mistakes - forgetting the second tapir (and, thinking about it, the sealion), and using the word 'certainly' on a message board! Just to counter-nit-pick, though, I don't think you can really count Dhole as a large mammal. I was a bit unsure about the Pygmy Hippos and wild dogs being 'large' enough; if we're allowing Dhole, then Twycross can add Babirusa, Tufted Deer, Chimp, and Bonobo at the very least. Likewise London can add Bearded Pig, Warthog, Lowland Anoa, Giant Anteater, Aardvark... Anywho, that notwithstanding, the point remains that London is not so devoid of big animals as zoo enthusiast opinion would sometimes have it.
All fair points, I suppose it depends on definitions of "big mammal". I went with Dholes on the basis you'd included (admittedly more stocky) Hunting Dogs, but forgot the Sealions. I wasn't sure whether to include Chimps and Bonobos. We'll call it honours even between London & Twycross on the "big mammals" then? Your main point is spot on though, people do forget that London still has a fair amount of "big mammals" (and some very interesting other stuff which you've pointed out elsewhere).
You should really make time for the Clore Rainforest lookout, especially as it now also hold tamandua and trumpeters in with the primates, aracari and sloths. The nectar-feeder room in the blackburn pavilion is another highlight. I suspect this collection will dwindle over time unless lots of breeding commences so do spend some time with the sunbirds and hummingbirds. B.U.G.S. is always worth seeing. Don't forget the Asiatic Lion cubs, Malayan tapirs and now heavily pregnant Okapi. If you're short of time, the North Bank, Mappin Terraces and Casson can be skipped in my opinion.
Well Ive decided I'm going to try to be there from open to close, and I'm really hoping the fact that it's a school day will mean there will be less people there than normal. I'll try and see everything, I mean, I'll have 7 1/2 hours, lol. The lion cubs, into Africa, gorilla kingdom, B.U.G.S, reptile house, and the Clore Rainforest are all high on the list but (as I work in an aquatic pet shop) I have a particular interest in seeing the marine fish being kept there, especially since its quite often I'll see something I sell. Are bears still kept there? I'm looking on the map, and theres an image of what looks like a bear of some sort next to a sea horse?
There aren't any bears now, most recently there were sloth bears on the mappin terraces which are next to/above the aquarium so maybe that's why. I think it's fairly quiet now on weekdays as the holidays are over. The giant anteaters are often hard to see outside so maybe check with a keep if they will be fed - this happens late in the afternoon from memory but it wasn't posted anywhere. A full day will be plenty time to see everything and you won't have to rush at all.
I few tips seeing as I went for the first time this summer (see my London zoo review for more information ). We found we had the best view of the gorilla's last thing as they were active on their island and most visitors had gone by then. There is indoor viewing for the giant anteaters, so dont dispair iuf you cant see them outside (the indoor viewing is close to the meet the monkeys entrance). the entrance to gorilla kingdom is on the siode of the reptile house (this confused us as it didn't indicate this on the map and it meant we went round the bird of prey aviaries and monkey cages first). And the large mechanical clok outside the blackburn pavilion is cool to watch please excuse spelling for a while I can't get used to this keyboard
Aaah, there's different maps about. I see. Well then assumingly on the one you're looking at its a Regal Tang. On the one I've got, its a seahorse.
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