How many zoos have you visited? (poll 2)

The Museum of Science is accredited by the AZA and houses 50+ species, most of which are in the Live Animal Center. There's a lot of North American wildlife like North American porcupines and northern red-bellied cooters but they also participate in the species survival plan for cotton-top tamarins. The Calvert Marine Museum has mostly wildlife native to the Chesapeake Bay region and the river estuaries, including chain dogfish, river otters, and native turtles like terrapins. I don't know how many species are kept off the top of my head but by space the Estuarine Biology Gallery and otter habitat take up about 1/3 of the total space at the facility. The National Museum of Natural History has a reef display in the Sant Ocean Hall, as well as a butterfly pavilion and the O. Orkin Insect Zoo, which is the oldest continuously operating insect zoo in the US.

 

Now on 98, following visits to Tropical World Leeds, Heythrop, Suffolk Owl Sanctuary in the last month. Going to big cat sanctuary in Kent end of July, but if my West Country trip precedes that I will already have 100

 

This morning I hit 500 with Malta National Aquarium

Wales:
493. Welsh Falconry Centre

Malta:
494. Villa Rundle Gardens Aviary (Gozo)
495. Malta Falconry Centre
496. Malta Bird Park
497. Mediterraneo Marine Park
498. L-Arka Ta' Noe
499. Malta Wildlife Park (really rubbish)
500. Malta National Aquarium

 

Congratulations my friend! Malta National Aquarium should erect a tiny plaque to honour your achievement...it might drum up some business....haha! My 500th zoo will happen this summer and I hope it's also some obscure little facility that hardly anyone has ever heard of. For example, my 400th was the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Michigan, an unknown zoological establishment.

 

Updated version - June 2019.

I am updating my list since I have since discovered I forgot to mention one facility that definitely counts, the Aquarium-Muséum de Liège (aquarium and zoological museum of the University of Liège). That, together with two visits I did since posting my previous list, brings my total to 50 zoological facilities visited so far.

Without realizing it at the time, Faunapark Flakkee was in fact my 50th zoo when I visited on June 1st. I guess that means something, right, having visited 50 different zoos? And even if it doesn't, it still kinda makes me feel good. That said, it probably will be a while before any more will be added to this list.

In the updated list below I have removed all comments, except those indicating closed facilities, I added to my previous list, quoted above, and readable on the previous page of this topic.

The facilities are not listed in any sort of particular or deliberate order.

Belgium (17 facilities)
1) Zoo Planckendael
2) Zoo Antwerpen
3) Olmense Zoo
4) SeaLife Blankenberge
5) Serpentarium Blankerberge
6) Pairi Daiza
7) Monde Sauvage
8) De Zonnegloed Sanctuary
9) Wildpark Domein van de Grotten van Han
10) Bellewaerde
11) Familiepark Harry Malter
12) Insectarium Lieteberg
13) Aquarium-Muséum de Liège
14) Vlindertuin Knokke-Heist (Closed)
15) Vogelpark Zwin (Closed. Nature reserve and nature park still exist)
16) Aquatopia (Closed)
17) Museum Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen (Museum still exists, but currently no living animal displays)


Netherlands (24 facilities)
18) GaiaZoo
19) Burgers' Zoo
20) Safaripark Beekse Bergen
21) Diergaarde Blijdorp - Rotterdam Zoo
22) Natura Artis Magistra - Artis Royal Zoo
23) Ouwehands Dierenpark
24) Dierenpark Amersfoort
25) Vogelpark Avifauna
26) AquaZoo Leeuwarden
27) Zoo Parc Overloon
28) Apenheul Primate Park
29) Dolfinarium Harderwijk
30) Dierenrijk
31) Zoo Veldhoven
32) Kasteelpark Born
33) Mondo Verde
34) Het Arsenaal Vlissingen
35) Reptielenzoo Iguana Vlissingen
36) Zie-Zoo
37) BestZoo
38) Faunapark Flakkee
39) Kasteeltuinen Arcen
40) Dierenpark Emmen (Old Emmen Zoo, I haven't visited Wildlands yet).
41) Dierenpark Wissel Epe (Closed)

Germany (6 facilities)
42) Zoo Duisburg
43) Kölner Zoo
44) Zoo Wuppertal
45) Allwetterzoo Münster
46) Weltvogelpark Walsrode
47) ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen

France (2 facilities)
48) Nausicaä - Centre National de la Mer
49) Zoo de Maubeuge

United Kingdom/Great Britain (1 facility)
50) Sea Life London Aquarium

 

Thanks very much! I think my 400th was Tama zoo in Japan - not bad, although my records are so poorly maintained (and qualifying criteria so indecisive) I fear that a newly- remembered collection will skew the numbers.

It felt weird to try and organise my visits on this trip in order to make the aquarium number 500. I don't think I'll be doing that kind of thing again for a long time!

 

Recently I made the 50 zoos and am now on 53. I just started with making a list and for sure I missed some from my childhood. Without knowing my 50th was Emdoneni cat rehabilitation center.
As a Dutch guy the Netherlands is with 24 zoos the biggest bulk, second is the UK (8 in one trip), Germany & Spain (6), Belgium (3) and several with 1 (France, The Gambia, Laos, Cambodia, Qatar, South Africa). So still enough to discover for me.

 

Aquarium of Niagara - Niagara Falls, NY
Buffalo Zoo - Buffalo, NY
Catskill Game Farm - Catskill, NY (Closed)
Cleveland Metropark Zoo - Cleveland, OH
Dallas Zoo - Dallas, TX
Disney's Animal Kingdom - Orlando, FL
Gatorland - Orlando, FL
Marineland Canada - Niagara Falls, ON
Maryland Zoo - Baltimore, ML
National Aquarium in Baltimore - Baltimore, ML
Rosamond Gifford Zoo - Syracuse, NY
SeaWorld Ohio/Six Flags Worlds of Adventure - Aurora, OH (Closed)
SeaWorld Orlando - Orlando, FL
SeaWorld San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
Seneca Park Zoo - Rochester, NY
Smithsonian National Zoo - Washington DC
The Wild Animal Park - Chittenango, NY

 

Since Feb of 2018, I’ve been rather busy visiting with zoos/animal collections and have increased my total from 28 to 50! (Some additions have been made as they were forgotten when making the original list) Whilst this is sure to increase in the coming months, I thought it appropriate to update my list now. It may be small, but I am a somewhat regular visitor to certain collections such as Exmoor, Hamerton and Bristol… and soon to be Paignton on my placement.

1. Bristol Zoo
2. London Zoo
3. Exmoor Zoo
4. Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
5. Wild Place Project
6. Noahs Ark Zoo Farm
7. Longleat Safari Park
8. Shandon Wildlife Trust
9. Paignton Zoo
10. Living Coasts
11. Dudley Zoo
12. Twycross Zoo
13. West Midlands Safari Park
14. Monkey World
15. Cricket St Thomas
16. Isle of Wight Zoo
17. Pafos Zoo
18. Tropiquaria
19. Slimbridge
20. Seaquarium Weston
21. Oceanarium Bournemouth
22. Amazon World Zoo Park
23. Marwell Zoo
24. New Forest Wildlife Park
25. Birdland
26. Yorkshire Wildlife Park
27. Dartmoor Zoo
28. Wingham Wildlife Park
29. Alstone Wildlife Park
30. Crocodiles of the World
31. Cotswold Wildlife Park
32. Chester Zoo
33. Blackpool Zoo
34. Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
35. Wild Discovery
36. South Lakes Safari Zoo
37. Hamerton Zoo Park
38. The Deep
39. Woodside Wildlife Park
40. Birmingham Wildlife conservation Park
41. Flamingo Land
42. Ventura Wildlife Park
43. Paradise Wildlife Park
44. Stonebridge City Farm
45. Whipsnade Zoo
46. All things Wild
47. Wolds Wildlife Park
48. Axe Valley Wildlife Park
49. Lemurs Park, Madagascar.
50. Brean Down Bird Garden.

 

Hoping to finally reach 100 next week if all goes to plan on my 3 day Devon tour

 

What zoos will this include? I've been revisiting all of the Devon zoos recently

 

*= 1st visit
Definitely planned
Living Coasts *
Paignton
Exmoor *
Axe Valley *

Probably
Shaldon

Possibly
Combe Martin *
Dartmoor *

The last 2 would depend on how long I need for 1st visits to Living Coasts and Exmoor. How long would you recommend?

 

You can easily do Exmoor and Combe Martin in one day - I recommend CM first, and then Exmoor second as the carnivores are more likely to show in the afternoon. Keep an eye out for the Amur leopards at the top of the valley, and the wolf pups at CM!

I haven't done living coasts since I was tiny, so couldn't comment

 

It's a tricky question as it depends on personal visiting styles/favourite species but I'd cater about 90 minutes for Living Coasts and at least three hours for Exmoor* (personally I'm quite happy spending the best part of a day there). Note that getting from Paignton/Living Coasts to Dartmoor can be a nightmare if you're driving through/near Totnes (very bad traffic).

* Thinking about it, however long you spend at Hamerton -add between an extra one to two hours (to cover the extra number of species).

 

Thanks Shorts, that's very useful to know

 

Somehow missed Berlin Zoo from my list - total now stands at 51.

 

Made it to 100 today
99 Combe Martin
100 Exmoor, probably the best zoo in England I hadn't visited and fitting that it was my 100th!
Ive wanted to visit for years and had a visit cancelled 3 years ago.

 

My whole trip has changed as a result of Axe Valley being closed on a Monday currently.
Went to Combe Martin and Exmoor today.
Tomorrow it will be 1st visits to Living Coasts at opening time ( as Combe Martin was today after leaving at 5am)and Newquay. Next day will be my now annual Paignton visit, I may still manage axe valley on the way home, but looking less likely ...

 

Zoos:
Bergen County Zoological Park
Central Park Zoo
Franklin Park Zoo
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Metro Richmond Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Seneca Park Zoo
Smithsonian National Zoo
Turtle Back Zoo
ZooAmerica

Aquariums:
Alaska SeaLife Center
Atlantic Sea-Park
Bergen Aquarium
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
National Aquarium (Baltimore)
National Aquarium (DC - closed)
New England Aquarium

Theme Parks:
Busch Gardens Tampa
Disney's Animal Kingdom
SeaWorld Orlando

Museums:
Calvert Marine Museum
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Also have plans to go to Discovery Cove and may go to New York Aquarium and Toronto Zoo

 

Where is Atlantic Sea-Park?