Hi everyone Hope you can help. I'm a journalist trying to find out which are the most exciting and innovative zoo exhibits in Britain and Ireland. As resources and time don't allow me to visit them all for myself (sadly!), I'm relying on websites and press officers at the moment, but what i really need is some subjective opinions. So far I've uncovered things like: In with the Spiders at ZSL London; Islands at Chester; cheetahs at Wild Place; chimps at Edinburgh, the Bat Island at Durrell Wildlife Park (which deserves inclusion for its focus on sustainability); gentoos at The Deep, Sealion cove at Dublin, lions at Folly Farm and the diving tufted ducks at the Lakes Aquarium. Anything else come to mind? obviously, I can't attempt to cover everything, but let me know if there's anything really special that's missing. Would be really grateful for any input! Thanks all!
"Seal and penguin coast" at Bristol Zoo The snow Leopard enclosure at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis has a Plexiglas tunnel that leads straight through the middle of the enclosure.
I would add the polar bears at Highland Wildlife Park. Innovative in the lack of heavy fencing and in having two enclosures - one for males and another quite separate for female.
The whole aviary section at Living Coasts is extremely well done and Auk Cliffs is a very impessive exhibit in itself. It features underwater viewing and has some very unusual species in there!
Shirokuma mentions the Polar bear exhibit at Highland Wildlife Park. I haven't seen this yet, though I have heard it's very good, but I was extremely impressed with the Polar Bear exhibit at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Many of the other enclosures at YWP are also of a very high standard, particularly those for lions, leopards (arguably the best in a UK zoo), tigers and Guinea baboons.
The suggestions so far have all been new or relatively new exhibits. But I think that some of the best exhibits in British zoos have been developed by imaginative redevelopment of older enclosures. For example Chester's elephant house has been on the same site for over 40 years, but has been extended and entirely renovated in that time. I would suggest that the redeveloped gorilla house at Bristol is novel, because the gorillas can walk over the glass roof of the public space. It is also interesting as the house was originally built in 1872 for giraffes and is a Grade II listed building. One of the nicest areas of any British zoo is the walled garden at Cotswold wildlife park, which was originally laid out when the park opened over 40 years ago. The aviaries and enclosures have been progressively upgraded since that time and I believe that the large walk-through aviary is being refurbished now and is due to reopen soon. The large Madagascar walk-through at CWP is another very fine exhibit which is unusual because it houses a number of lemur species with Malagasy birds and tortoises. It was opened about 6 years ago. I have not seen Edinburgh's penguin pool since it was refurbished, but I like it because it is large enough for the penguins to 'porpoise' as they swim along it, the same is true of London's new penguin pool. Alan
I am surprised no one is mentioning Islands at Chester Zoo. Do those of you who have seen it think it belongs here?
I would add not just spiders ZSL London but the whole of BUGS, which is probably my favourite zoo exhibit in the whole of the UK. Nowhere else does a zoo exhibit try to include so many themes and so many ideas in one exhibit. Its basically an encyclopedia in zoo form
I haven't been to so many UK zoos, but of the 28 that I have been to, I would agree that B.U.G.S at London is the most innovative or exciting zoo exhibit.
I would describe Islands as an extension of the zoo with several exhibits within rather than a exhibit itself. These exhibits still need time (and animals ) to develop into the finished article. In time, yes some of these exhibits will be very good indeed.
I have to say that I am surprised by the suggestions for BUGS! I suppose it depends where your interests lie, but personally, I think many of the tanks are very basic and there are quite a few species that can be seen elsewhere in the zoo. Innovative or exciting? Not for me! Even when compared just to other London Zoo exhibits! That's not to say anyone who likes it is wrong though!
What about the sealions at Longleat? Can't think of another place in the UK where you can go boating on an animals enclosure.
I would be interested to know which UK zoos have the innovative exhibits for the modern ABC zoo animals: lemurs, SC otters, meerkats, raccoons, coatis, marmosets etc. We see them time and time again but which zoos think outside the box with displaying the common species that the public like to see?
