For those interested in zoo architecture and zoo history, the Lubetkin structures at Dudley are well worth seeing. Personally, though, I don't think Dudley deserves a place in "Europe's 50 Must See Zoos". Years ago, when the Twycross collection included proboscis monkey, red uakari, Kloss' gibbon and various other choice primates, I would definitely have included Twycross in such a list. However, I don't think the collection today justifies its place in the list. Of course, though, it's a matter of personal opinion and that's what makes it so interesting. I'm certainly intrigued to know what the final choices are.
United Kingdom - Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford Founded: 1970 Size: 64 hectares Species and subspecies (including domestics): Mammals 67 Birds 108 Reptiles & amphibians 54 Fish 8 Few zoos are as good a representation of the country where they are situated as Cotswold. There is a manor house (with White rhino on the lawn though), a walled garden and other botanic highlights and it is nearly impossible to reach with public transport. Even though it might not be the most spectacular zoo in the country, it is most certainly one of the most pleasant. Enclosures may sometimes be relatively simple, but they fit well within the surroundings and are also fitting for their inhabitants. Cotswold has a good mix of ABC species, spiced up with zoo nerd favorites such as Crowned sifaka, Great blue turaco and Greater bamboo lemur. The Walled garden and surroundings is home to a range of smaller mammals and birds, with a Madagascar walkthrough as highlight, all with beautiful botanical displays. A patch of woodland is home to larger mammals and the larger hoofstock have large lawns with sometimes perfect Manor views. Reptiles and amphibians are mostly limited to a reptile house, but here again there is a good mix between crowd pleasers and rarities. Cotswold may not be the most elaborately themed zoo, but it is very pleasant and well laid out. There is a good mix for everybody, with a size-able mammal, bird and reptile collection full of interesting species in an agreeable garden, only fish lovers will leave slightly disappointed... @Maguari , Madagascar walkthrough @ro6ca66 , Manor house and White rhino @Maguari , General view @Nanook , Walled garden Zoochat gallery: Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens | ZooChat www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk Zoo map: https://cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CWP-Park-Map-2018.pdf
Me neither, but for its setting, history, and architecture it may get on to this list which already has some obscure and unusual zoos on it. Another shock, albeit a pleasant one which no-one(?) predicted. Only three left, the tension is mounting...
Cotswold was predicted at an earlier stage in this thread, but just not recently . Tonight the next one will follow (and that one will be very predictable for a change), the last two will follow early next week and might be somewhat unexpected again , though I hope those will also be pleasant surprises. Afterwards I will have a list with near-misses or zoos that are good but weren't even really considered...
I was going to go for Brighton Aquarium but we're past B. Chester, Slimbridge and ? There has to be a safari park represented somewhere so if not longleat or Woburn then maybe Knowsley?
Cotswold is a great addition to the list, lovely place. For those still to go...London, Chester and Woburn or Highland Wildlife Park. Edit: I'm going to add Marwell as a wildcard, it was one of the zoos I kept hearing about as a child, it did so much conservation work.
Chester and London seem like the obvious ones. I would have Slimbridge there too. But how about Living Coasts instead?
I don't think London is there, @lintworm said there was only one obvious one left which I personally think is Chester. Living Coasts is definitely a worthy contender but let down by the uninspiring aquarium and mangrove section below the aviary.
I think if that @lintworm really wanted to surprise, he'd pick something out of England (or maybe an English zoo but a small one with an interesting concept no one came up with) , perhaps Scotland (I don't think Edinburgh is a must-see but you never know)? A shame there is no zoo in Vatican City, as that is the last country by alphabetical order.
I'm predicting Chester, Hamerton and London. Chester because it is a genuine contender for best in Europe and lintworm has consistently included those. Hamerton because it represents a 'type' that is so far unrepresented in the list: the belt-and-braces stuffed with rarities zoo. There are more of these in Europe and, especially on a ZooChat list, one of them has to make the cut. London because it is historically the most significant zoo in Europe. I think that lintworm does have the balls to leave it out, and has probably considered it with other alternatives like Vienna, Antwerp and Artis already in, but really London trumps them all. (A close reading of 'might be somewhat unexpected' leaves room for London I think. Or it's a plain red herring.)
There have been a number of other, some of them arguably more shocking, omissions - most notably: Basel, Hannover, Copenhagen, München; (aquaria) Genova, Lisbon. Following that pattern, in fact I would expect London to not make the list.
...and objectively I would say it is a rather unjustified and harsh omission. But then it is precisely the subjective nature of this list and its sometimes unorthodox selection that makes reading it a lot of fun. I do however feel, that Basel as of late doesn't seem to get the love/recognition it imo objectively deserves from this community.
I never expected anyone to agree with some of my choices and I doubt whether we even could come up with a consensus list of must sees.... Basel is a perfectly good zoo and better than some that made the list and has been my home zoo for the past 3 years, so I do have some love for the place. The reason I did not include it was because it is also quite a standard zoo without many surprises (a bit like Planckendael in Belgium). Apart from the Etosha house there is nothing extremely original or out of the ordinary and though I love the Ape enclosures myself, they are quite standard, though very successful in their simplicity. As it was put on zoochat last year "Basel is everything a zoo should be, but nothing it could be". Basel has its fans on this site and nobody will say it is a bad zoo, but it is just a little bit boring... Like Cologne it would be a perfect zoo to show an alien the concept of a zoo, but I don't think it is interesting/different enough to be a must see. I won't have time to upload the next zoo, but as a compensation I can tell that London will not make this list. The importance of London Zoo in zoo history cannot be overstated and has long been one of the must sees in the zoo world. But currently it is neither here nor there and the heritage doesn't really show of well compared to historical zoos that made the list such as Antwerp, Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam and even Bristol imo. London zoo is clearly struggling with its heritage where these other zoos have found a way to make a strength out of it. Without knowing the history of the place, London is currently a pretty non-descript zoo at the European level and for what is currently is, it is certainly not a must see in my opinion. If just the historical aspect would be so important for me, Munich would have made the list, just as Basel would have, as both were at some point revolutionary or at least extremely good. Hagenbeck made the cut, even though it currently is not a great zoo, because it was the place of possibly the biggest innovation in zoo history and this is still very much visible and glorified, whereas London's heritage is much less there... Is Chemnitz a better zoo than London, no, but imo it has at least something unique, which London is lacking in it's current state....
