Not really new news but the Zoo has a few more animals on show. Chincilla, Provost squirrel, ground squirrel and southern ground hornbill. The Cusimanse have moved to a new enclosure. The Servals had a kitten last month but it wasn't there today when I visited. I presume it must of passed away - it had been wiped off the babies board as well. Non animal wise on trip advisor Axe Valley is the 10th 'best Zoo in the UK.' I've only been to a few others Zoo's so can't comment but I think Exmoor is better and it isn't on the list. New entrance as well. Before you went in through the café but now they have a separate entrance. I've been a few times since they've had this and only once has it been manned. Anybody could just walk in without paying, doesn't seem a good idea to me!
Hopefully Bush Dog(s) will be going on show soon. The enclosure is nearly complete and it already has a sign up for Bush Dogs.
Visit Britain (Travel tips | Britain for kids & families | Top 10 zoos in Britain) lists the following 11zoos in its Top 10: Banham, Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Drusillas, Dudley, Edinburgh, London, Marwell, Newquay and Twycross.
Tripomatic (10 Best Zoos in England) lists the following: Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Howletts, London, Marwell, Paignton, Port Lympne, Twycross and Whipsnade. TripAdvisor (Paignton Zoo and Axe Valley Wildlife Park named in top 10 UK zoos TripAdvisor list | Western Morning News) lists the following: 10 best rated zoos in the UK: 1. Chester Zoo; 2. Colchester Zoo; 3. Blackpool Zoo; 4. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens; 5. Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo; 6. Paignton Zoo; 7. Durrell Wildlife Park; 8. Drusillas Park; 9. ZSL Whipsnade Zoo; 10. Axe Valley Wildlife Park. 10 best rated zoos in Europe: 1. Loro Parque; 2. Prague Zoo; 3. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn; 4. Chester Zoo; 5. ZooParc de Beauval; 6. Colchester Zoo; 7. Bioparc Valencia; 8. Zoologischer Garten (Berlin Zoo); 9. Novosibirsk Zoo; 10. Blackpool Zoo. 10 best rated zoos in the world: 1. San Diego Zoo; 2. Loro Parque; 3. Singapore Zoo; 4. Prague Zoo; 5. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn; 6. Henry Doorly Zoo; 7. Chester Zoo; 8. St. Louis Zoo; 9. Zoological Wildlife Foundation, Miami; 10. ZooParc de Beauval.
Just epitomizes the "great unqualified to judge".Ive been to all the above zoos except,curiously,Beauval,oh, and Novosibirsk..the place in Miami is a tiny encounter-only place,privately run,and NOT Zoo Miami! Reminds me of the Ryanair magazine article which listed the Jardin D`Acclimatation as one of Europes top ten!..and Axe Valley is better than London and Bristol is it? Why do they bother?Why am I bothering?
Visited today. A few things going on/happened. Births - Bush Dogs, Serval and an Alpaca. Raccoon dog pups have left now, leaving the parents. A new encounter zone building being built. Happened very quick, wasn't there when I visited a few weeks ago! New enclosures set for down in the paddocks. A sign says plans for new Raccoon, Coati and Owl enclosures. Also two new enclosures for Arctic Foxes and Tree Porcupines. One thing I really like about Axe Valley is they are constantly changing, for the better. Oh and Tim Brown I'm guessing the Trip advisor top ten is most likely on there reviews. Axe valley has no terrible reviews and only 2 poor, my guess on that matter anyway.
Arctic Foxes, eh? Between here and Wildwood, I am glad there is a resurgence in this taxon after many years of only being able to see them in the back of beyond, up at Highland Wildlife Park.
The Wildlife park is now closed until February Half term. Can't wait to see what will arrive in the next two months.
I believe this is due to the tragic death of their head keeper, Bill Morgan, who was killed in a road accident in New Zealand a few days ago.
news article here: Tributes pour in for former Axe Valley student who died in New Zealand road accident. | Pulman's Weekly News and View from Axminster
I visited last week for the first time in about a year. They still have six crane species on show, but the flock of Greater Flamingos seem to have been replaced by Caribbean. There seemed to be some building of additional enclosures in progress, and I could see an Arctic Fox in a currently off-show area. A surprise was what appeared to be a family group of Bushdogs, two adults and three half grown. Two Blackbuck appeared to be adult female and juvenile male; I don't see enough of this very attractive species. A Boat-billed Heron was labelled but not visible.
Last year I was told they came( I think) from the defunct Blackbrook. I think they also had a male but lost it. It would be nice if they could breed them up but suspect the young male(?) is the female's offspring. Agree it would be nice to see more of these in the smaller places.
Axe Valley..... This is probably the case. Hoofstock can I believe stand a certain amount of inbreeding......
Some of the herds of antelope and deer held by, for example, ZSL have had little or no fresh outcrossing, for decades. Signs of inbreeding such as wall eyes, white points or antler deterioration are apparent in some species but overall they seem relatively unaffected. The ZSL Blackbuck herd formerly on the Cotton terraces were very inbred also- a frequent characteristic of this was either overshot or undershot lower jaws.
The Fozwarren (Alfred Ezra) herd of Axis Deer (dispersed at the outbreak of World War Two -- some went to Whipsnade) was descended from a single son to mother mating. I need to check whether Whipsnade still have Axis, maybe even with this ancestry.....
