How many zoos have you visited? (poll 2)

What! Nooooooo! I wanted to go there because if I travel to the UK and then someone asked me "what did you do on vacation?" And I'd reply " Matlock Bath Aquarium of course!"

 

I...uh, have no idea. More than ten though.

Let's see...

Sacramento Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park (we'll never call it that other thing)
San Francisco Zoo
Safari West
St. Louis Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Oakland Zoo
Audubon Zoo
St. Louis Zoo
National Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo
Monterrey Bay Aquarium
Aquarium of the Bay
California Academy of Sciences
Hong Kong Zoo
Delhi Zoo
Vakona Forest Reserve

 

If my memory serves me right, I have visited exactly sixty zoos in my time (depending on your definition of zoo):

United Kingdom

1. Africa Alive!
2. Aquarium of the Lakes
   
3. Banham Zoo
   
4. Birdland
   
5. Bournemouth Oceanarium
   
6. Bristol Aquarium
   
7. Bristol Zoo
   
8. Chessington World of Adventures
   
9. Chester
   
10. Colchester Natural History Museum (a few terraria briefly holding green anoles, apple snails and a neotenous smooth newt)
    
11. Colchester Zoo
    
12. Cotswold Wildlife Park
    
13. Edinburgh Zoo
    
14. Flamingo Land
    
15. Hamerton Zoo
    
16. Houghton Hall Deer Park
    
17. Howletts
    
18. Jersey Zoo
    
19. Jimmy’s Farm
    
20. Leeds Castle Aviary - now closed
    
21. Linton Zoo
    
22. Living Coasts
    
23. London Aquarium
    
24. Longleat Safari Park
    
25. Manor House Wildlife Park
    
26. Marwell Zoo
    
27. Mole Hall Wildlife Park - now closed
    
28. New Forest Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park
    
29. New Forest Reptile Centre
    
30. Newquay Zoo
    
31. Oxford University Museum of Natural History (several displays of invertebrates on its upper floor)
    
32. Paignton Zoo
    
33. Pensthorpe Nature Park
    
34. Poole Serpentarium - now closed
    
35. Rare Species Conservation Centre - now closed
    
36. Rutland Butterfly House - now closed (reopened as Bugtopia)
    
37. SEALIFE Scarborough
    
38. SEALIFE Southend
    
39. Silent World Aquarium and Reptile Centre - now closed
    
40. South Lakes Wild Animal Park
    
41. St David’s Aquarium - now closed
    
42. Stratford-Upon-Avon Butterfly House
    
43. The Deep
    
44. Tropical Wings Zoo - now closed
    
45. Twycross
    
46. Wildwalk @ Bristol - now closed
    
47. Wildwood Trust
    
48. Wingham Wildlife Park
    
49. Woburn Safari Park
    
50. WWT Slimbridge
    
51. ZSL London
    
52. ZSL Whipsnade

Netherlands
53. Amersfoort Zoo
54. Apenhuel
55. Burgers Zoo
56. Rotterdam Zoo

Germany
57. Wilhelma

Spain (Mallorca)
58. Safari-Zoo Sa Coma
59. An aquarium I clearly remember but cannot recall its name or location - it definitely wasn't the Palma aquarium and housed a single sea turtle in a small indoor tank

Costa Rica
60. Selvatura Herpetarium

 

I just spotted this reply - I quite agree. I think by that point my brain was simply slinging out any animal-related place it could dredge up from my memories! I did not include the likes of Cotswold Farm Park and Prinknash Bird and Deer Park. Wasn't sure about a little falconry which is just does experiences.

 

Having only decided this month to seriously start visiting and photographing zoos it comes as no surprise that I am the sole person to have visited fewer than 10 zoos.

England
1. Belle Vue, Manchester (closed in 1977) < not seen any other mention of this on the site
2. Blue Planet Aquarium, Ellesmere Port
3. Chester Zoo
4. Knowsley Safari Park
5. West Midlands Safari Park

Wales
6. Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay

Thailand
7. Dusit Zoo, Bangkok
8. Safari World, Bangkok

Plans are afoot to at least double that this year, and revisit some of those. Just waiting for some warmer weather...

 

I have been living only 20 minutes’ drive from Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port since May last year, but I still haven’t made it there just yet! I also haven’t visited Knowsley Safari Park since I was about ten years old; again, I only live 30 minutes’ drive away. I really need to pull my finger out!

 

I too am about 20 minutes drive from Ellesmere Port, or 29 minutes by bus to Cheshire Oaks, and have been only the once. I came away a bit disappointed wishing I had gone to Chester zoo instead. But that may have been because I was a scuba diver at the time and used to being in the water with the fishes. However my little nephew and his parents have been several times and always enjoy it.

I haven't been to Knowsley Safari Park since the 1970s but see that their minivan trips can be made wheelchair accessible with 48 hours notice.

 

My tiny list which reaches a not-so-grand total of 26:

UK
Southport Zoo
Knowsley Safari Park
Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Sealife Centre
Chester Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Colchester Zoo
Belfast Zoo

USA
Bronx Zoo
Central Park Zoo
Queens Zoo

Asia
Tokyo Ueno Zoo
Bali Zoo
Bali Safari
Bali Elephant Camp
Shenzhen Safari Park
Phnom Tamao Zoo & Wildlife Rescue Centre

Europe
Madrid Zoo
Wroclaw Zoo
Leningrad Zoo
Berlin Zoo
Berlin Tierpark
Münster Allwetterzoo
Cologne Zoo
Arnhem Burgers’ Zoo
Rhenen Ouewhands Dierenpark

 

I’m most interested in seeing their sea lions, which they didn’t have when I last went almost 20 years ago now. I’ve been very tempted to go for quite a while, but logistically it was going to be a bit of a nightmare as I didn’t have a car until I finally passed my driving test in June last year. Now I have absolutely no excuse!

 

Living virtually on the doorstep I never knew there was a zoo in Southport! Closed in 2004.

 

I was born, raised and lived in Southport up until last year, so it was my very first zoo as a child!

I posted elsewhere on the forum that one of my earliest memories relates to getting very upset over the smell of the binturong enclosure there!

 

I must re-count them but I must be at more than 100 zoos visited though only 6 were visited after 2016 (and none were new zoos for me, except COEX Aquarium).

I didn't even know Ouarzazate had a zoo!

 

Europe
Germany
Augsburg Zoo
Berlin Aquarium
Berlin Tierpark
Berlin Zoo
Cologne Zoological Garden
Dortmund Zoo
Duisburg Zoo
Frankfurt Zoological Garden
Hagenbeck Tropical Aquarium
Hagenbeck Zoo
Krefeld Zoo
Loebbecke Museum Aquazoo
Muenster Allwetter Zoo
Munich Zoo
Opel Zoo
TerraZoo Rheinberg
Weltvogelpark Walsrode
ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen

Netherlands
Burgers' Zoo

Switzerland
Basel Zoo

Australia
Adelaide Zoo
AQWA
Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park
Cleland Wildlife Park
David Fleay Wildlife Park
Featherdale Wildlife Park
Hall's Gap Zoo
Healesville Sanctuary
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Zoo
Monarto Zoo
Moonlit Sanctuary
Perth Zoo
Phillip Island Wildlife Park
SeaLife Sydney
Taronga Zoo
Territory Wildlife Park
Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre
Werribee Open Range Zoo
WildLife Sydney

Fiji
Kula Eco Park

Guam
Guam Zoo

New Zealand
Auckland Zoo
Hamilton Zoo
Island Bay Marine Education Centre
Kelly Tarlton
National Aquarium of NZ
Te Anau Wildlife Centre
Te Manawa Museum
Ti Point Reptile Park

Singapore
Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom
Jurong Bird Park
Live Tortoise and Turtle Museum
Night Safari
River Safari
S.E.A.
Singapore Zoo

Taiwan
Taipei Zoo

Thailand
Bangkok Snake Farm
Dusit Zoo
Pata Zoo
Pattaya Dolphin World

 

I have been to a total of 28 zoos. Its not many, but as I'm still in education I don't get much of an opportunity.
I've also visited some of the zoos many times... Bristol at least 20.

Bristol Zoo – first birthday and weeks work experience.
London Zoo – 18th birthday. Berlin Zoo – Year 8 German Trip.
Exmoor Zoo – Keeper for the day experiences and 18th birthday.
Wild Place Project – End of exams celebration trip.
Shandon Wildlife Trust
Noahs Ark Zoo Farm
Paignton Zoo
Living Coasts
Dudley Zoo
Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Twycross Zoo
Longleat Safari Park
West Midlands Safari Park
Monkey World
Cricket St Thomas
Isle of Wight Zoo
Pafos Zoo
Tropiquaria
Slimbridge
Seaquarium Weston
Oceanarium Bournemouth
Amazon World Zoo Park
Marwell Zoo
New Forest Wildlife Park
Birdland
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Dartmoor Zoo
Wingham Wildlife Park

My total should increase this year! I'm hoping to visit Hammerton, Both Aspinall parks, Cotswold WP... maybe even a collection in Madagascar when I visit in the summer.

 

This was more than 20 years ago, so it may well no longer be present. In those pre-GPS days I remember spending longer looking for the zoo than looking round it. A patch of land with a fairly impressive perimeter wall; a camel or two; a donkey or two; a mangy jackal, I’m sure - and that may have been it. Not a great zoo - but not as horrible as the place in Casablanca, visited on the same holiday, which was simply awful!

 

Following a similar system to @beccasunbear :

UK
Amazona Zoo
Banham Zoo
Bison Centre
Bristol Zoo
Chessington World of Adventures
Chester Zoo
Colchester Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Exmoor Zoo
Hamerton Zoo
The Hawk Conservancy
Howletts Wild Animal Park
Linton Zoo
London Zoo
Longleat
Marwell Zoo
Monkey World
Newquay Zoo
Paignton Zoo
Paradise Park (Hayle)
Port Lympne Reserve
Shaldon Wildlife Trust
Tropiquaria
Twycross Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo
Woburn Safari Park
Wingham Wildlife Park
Porfell Wild Animal Sanctuary
Living Coasts
Wild Place Project

USA
Bronx Zoo
Central Park Zoo

Europe
Antwerp Zoo
Planckendael
Pairi Daiza
Vallee des Singes
Oceanopolis
Duisburg Zoo
Artis Zoo
Apenheul
Burgers' Zoo
Safaripark Beekse Bergen
Dierenrijk
Ouwehands Dierenpark
GaiaZOO
Diergaarde Blijdorp
Vogelpark Avifauna
Dolfinarium Hardewijk
Emmen Zoo (not Wildlands)
Loro Parque
Palmitos Park
Cocodrilos Park
Madrid Zoo

This leaves me at a total of 53 zoos visited in my lifetime (with at least 11 more to be added this year)

 

Australia:
1. Australia Zoo
2. Wildlife HQ
3. SEALIFE Mooloolaba
4. SeaWorld
5. Dream world
6. David Fleay Wildlife Park
7. Currumbin Sanctuary
8. Melbourne Zoo
9. Taronga Zoo
10. Wild Life Sydney
11. SEALIFE Sydeny
12. Melbourne Aquarium
13. Werribee Open Range Zoo
14. Taronga Open Plain Zoo
15. Darling Downs Zoo
16. Dolphin Marine Magic
17. Alma Park Zoo
18. Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre

Singapore:
19. Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom
20. Underwater World Singapore
21. Singapore Zoo
22. Jurong Bird Park
23. Singapore Night Safari
24. Singapore River Safari

New Zealand:
25. Kiwi Birdlife Park
26. Auckland Zoo

 

I found on another website it was still extent in November 2009, but that is the only mention I can find of it.

 

My list is pretty puny! I haven't seen any outside the US, and even then only the east coast. I haven't lived too long and don't have a lot of opportunities for travel :c

Zoo Atlanta
Georgia Aquarium
Birmingham Zoo
Montgomery Zoo
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Busch Gardens Tampa
SeaWorld Orlando
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Ripley's Aquarium (South Carolina)
Tennessee Aquarium
North Carolina Zoo
Smithsonian National Zoo
Bronx Zoo
Baltimore Aquarium

... and a handful of much smaller local places throughout the southeast whose names I just can't remember. Miami, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Memphis have been on the cards for a while.

 

I’ve had Smithsonian on my list for so long!