Like a Rhinestone Cowboy: FunkyGibbon in Europe

With the Hamburg photos uploaded the Germany portion of the trip is over and Denmark is up next. Before that though I will probably upload a few 'colour' shots from my travels, just to buy a little time to write up the Danish zoos.

Incidentally, Walsrode finds itself in a tricky spot. It's in between two major zoos which in their own ways are major disappointments, albeit ones with upside. I suspect it'll be longer than I'd prefer before I'm back there.

 

Non-zoo photos from Germany and Switzerland are now in the respective 'Other' galleries.

Hamburg is really a fantastic city, such a pity about the zoo

 

It would be whimsical to suggest that Hamburg is one of Europe's great zoos, but it is, surely, a very good zoo, undeserving of this level of disdain! The polar area is, mostly, tremendous (size of bear exhibit notwithstanding); the Orang Utan house offers spectacular viewing of the animals; the Asian Elephant herd is large (and thus interesting); the tropical house has a lot to commend it. The historical exhibits - notably the African panorama - still have the capacity to thrill. The gardens are beautiful (and improved by the presence of free-ranging Mara). A number of smaller displays - for Mandrills, for Baboons, for Tigers - offer excellent viewing. No, not up there with Cologne, the Berlins, Munich, Leipzig, but in the next chunk of German zoo-dom, alongside Dortmund, Magdeburg, Dresden, Wuppertal....

 

It is not a bad zoo, not an extremely good one either, but it is laudable that it still has parts that show why it is/was so famous. Apart from the Walruses there is nothing to let me revisit soon, it is unfortunate that not a lot seems to have happened in the past 30 years and what has happened has major flaws....

 

Glad I'm not the only one who's actually fond of Hamburg, both the city and the zoo (and another shocking relevation: I don't think Hannover is too bad either). Of course, all of us can agree that it's a must-see place if you're interested in zoo history, but even if it wasn't a historical pioneer, I find that it would still have a lot to offer; just like you mention, the beautiful and cosy gardens, and the free-ranging animals waiting to be discovered around every corner made for a very pleasant day out to me.

Now, if Hamburg didn't have its gardens and free-ranging animals either, it wouldn't be something to travel for, but it wouldn't be a terrible zoo either. Most of the exhibits are perfectly decent, and I didn't find the collection to be as mediocre as many claim. The bird house and Eismeer are stocked with rarities, and you can find some semi-uncommon species like giant otter and onager elsewhere in the zoo, not to mention the aquarium. Their waterfowl collection is also top-notch, which is a big plus if you're me (but likely not if you're someone else).

Of the major German zoos I've visited, I'd put Hamburg comfortably in the middle - not as interesting as Berlin, Leipzig and Walsrode, but better than Hannover, Dresden and Rostock (though the last one is close).

 

I tend to agree with your views on Hamburg, "Sooty", in particular your comments on the historical exhibits.

Even though I've seen it many times, I think it is impossible to look at the impressive African panorama without being in awe of Carl Hagenbeck's tremendous imagination and vision.

 

Hamburg to Copenhagen Train | ZooChat

Fourteen months after this comment, and ten months after the journey, here are the pictures

 

My tongue was somewhat in cheek, and disdain is of course a very subjective emotion. I think the reason that Hamburg receives the level of criticism that it does is that it is a disappointing zoo. Relative to its history and 'major zoo status' (and certainly price) it mostly doesn't deliver. It also feels like it isn't living up to its own goals or expectations. The Eismeer is fantastic (bears notwithstanding); where is this spirit elsewhere in the zoo? There is too much that is drab and dull, at least in my eyes. In some ways I prefer Hannover, with a clear sense of direction that I don't like, to Hamburg, which has much more to offer the zoonerd, but does so in such a haphazard, and occasionally mediocre, fashion.

 

My issue is that I see it as as a swing-and-a-miss zoo. It's hard to think of one of their recent mega-developments that doesn't have something seriously "What were they thinking?!" wrong with it, from the Tropen Aquarium's lemurs to the Eismeer's bears and, really, the whole orangutan thing. It's harder to swallow exhibits like that in a new build than as a relic of history. Outside those pockets of development, there are also quite a few outdated bits that feel like they wouldn't have been forgotten at some of Germay's other zoos, including Hannover, Dresden, and Rostock (all of which I prefer).

That said, of course, there's a lot to commend as well: the African panorama, the free-roaming mara, and the final window in the Tropen Aquarium. It's certainly a zoo everyone should see, even if I struggle to enjoy it as a whole.

 

I have to agree on hamburg

Somehow i managed to visit many major zoos without hearing a single word about and got happily suprised

for example zurich odense and amsterdam are quiet unpopular to people outside of the zoo fan community

While Hagenbeck was the total opposite being constantly mentioned in documentaries and zoo guides of other zoological gardens

Therefor my expectation was to see a zoo that may still be on the top of pushing boundaries when it comes to design

But it felt like the opposite
Exhibits that were droped out of time in case of space and the others were neither representative nor well design most often dark

Especially the carnivores were unbearable
The bear exhibit is too small for a breeding couple
The polar bear exhibit is way too small (should leave)
The lion and tiger exhbits are tiny (could easily be enlarged)
The orangutan have no outdoor exhibit which should not be to hard to realize

The management lacks discipline amd tries to put way to many species in too little space like in the eismeer panorama and the aquarium

The local tv documentary shows how they reguarly buy new species for the aquarium in a shop like giant petstore which does not appeal sustained to me like child buying as many fish to squeeze them in the tank

Eventhough they have some good exhbits
(enough space and nice design)
walrus, fur seal and humboldt penguin tanks
african panorama (except the lions)
Australian out and indoor und exhibit
nile crocodiles
amazonas tank
big ocean tank
the bitter taste of the other exhibits would not go away

The main feeling of the exhibits and the zoo is that they missed the chance to keep up with the other zoos lacking interesting and representative landscape design

Will you remember hagenbecks giant tortoise exhibit noooo

will you do in odense yes

 

My favourite thing about that train was that the ferry - which goes back and forth between Denmark and Germany - is named the Schleswig-Holstein.

 

The Giant tortoises are unforgettable in Hagenbeck with all those tacky Dinosaur statues

In a way I tended to compare Hagenbeck with Burgers' Zoo, whose first directors were friends and Burgers' was heavily influenced by Hagenbecks thinking and one of the first to apply it. Both zoos have been in the same family for years and had a great love for open concrete heavy enclosures. But most of the concrete enclosures that were the trademark of Burgers' have been replaced, the bear and lion pits are now integrated in the Desert, the Monkey and Thar rocks are now replaced by a Tiger enclosure etc. Whereas in Hamburg many are still very much visible. Both zoos are still privately owned, but where Hagenbeck is full of infighting and rather egoistic people, nothing ever seems to happen in Burgers' in that regard. In many ways Hagenbeck still lives in the past with their elephant feeding and ridiculous Polar bear enclosure, whereas the future has been embraced very rigorously in Burgers'. Another difference that sets them apart is the feeling that "less is more" in Burgers' makes it a much better zoo than Hamburg. This is maybe most clear when comparing the Tropen-Aquarium with the Ocean, whereas one is crammed full without a clear theme (and many somewhat strange enclosures), the Ocean only has 10 tanks which are consistently good.

It is interesting that such zoos can develop themselves completely differently and by now the only thing I would like to see replicated in Burgers' are the Penguin and Walrus enclosures....

 

How do you come to this conclusion? Zurich at least is immensely popular with locals, as well as visitors from its extended home range Switzerland, northern Italy and southern Germany. Especially Masoala and the elephant park are real crowd-pleasers. A small minority of visitors complain about animals not being visible enough, while another minority laments inadequately small enclosures. Zurich has surpassed Basel as the most popular zoo in Switzerland and is the most visited 'cultural institution'/museum of the country. If anything, I would say Zurich is more popular with ordinary visitors than zoonerds, where I feel a small minority are disappointed with it due to a comparatively small collection and modest numbers of rarities.

 

Fair to say one zoo has gone on with it better than the other.

 

@lintworm
well i absolutely forgot about the other giants from aldabra

but to be serious for a minute
Most of the vistors do not learn something about the animals and how to protect them by purpose rather than by accident

Therefor presenting animals and plants with in a realistic replication of their natural enviorment enables the visitors to learn whichspecies live within the same area and therefor will be protected if a nature reserve will be built or funded

@antonmuster
well I have to say that my first visits were presocial media and therefor one had to trust the brochure or the locals recommendations

and the time i was in southern germany only one person recommended the Züricher zoo while many other told us to visit munich

 

I guess that makes sense: much has happened since the pre social media days

 

July 22nd 2018 - Jihlava have a bowl of Coco Pops

Back in Europe, back in the thread. I'm very jetlagged so you'll have to make do with a few quick thoughts on the first zoo of what will be a much shorter jaunt this summer.

The main entrance to Jihlava opens onto the African section, and what a section. It's very, very well-formed, not at all what I was expecting from a small town zoo. Although it lacks, for the most part, larger animals, the presentation and exhibit quality is first class. The theming is mostly tasteful, but has not been allowed to interfere with the main goal of cramming in as many exhibits as possible. And what a species line up!

Next door is the Australian section, themed around a farmhouse rather dubiously called Polack's Farm. Again, the attention to detail is second to none, as is the rather eccentric collection (apologies for not having the energy to go in to it). These two exhibit complexes are the modern face of Jihlava, and they represent it well. They are ambitiously conceived, brilliantly executed and lovingly maintained. To offer high praise (in my eyes), they could absolutely be transplanted into Zurich, and nobody would bat an eyelid, except for the fact that they are fairly cramped. Most of the enclosures feel on the small side. In a space-poor zoo this might be necessary and they are certainly not lacking in enrichment, however the all-indoor exhibits for small mammals are, imo, way too small. It's a bit of a blot on an otherwise fantastic first impression.

Other highlights of the zoo include a gibbon house and cages whose dry moat doubles as the babirusa exhibit, a really well presented tropical building focused on herps, a fantastic sun bear grotto and a South-American building whose exterior features three kinds of Guinea pig. However the heart of Jihlava is the cat collection. Sumatran Tiger, Sri Lankan and Persian Leopard, Snow Leopard, Serval, Caracal, Eurasian Lynx, Bobcat, Jungle Cat, Pallas' Cat, Gordon's and European Wildcat, Geoffrey's Cat, Margay and Sand Cat. Not bad eh? Obviously the catch is that while much of the above is attractively housed, a large part is still in what is unavoidably a pretty poor Cat House. It sticks out like a sore thumb in the zoo, and one assumes is far and away the highest priority for development. Fortunately, if they could just shift the tigers out (should be space in the woods somewhere), and lose a couple of the less choice species the existing structure would form a perfectly decent Small Cat House if the outdoors were to be extensively reworked.

The bird collection is very good in the Australian section, wobbly elsewhere and almost totally absent in Africa. Geese are a notable strength, and there is a giant aviary for White-tailed Eagle and a nice mixed waterfowl walkthrough. On the whole though, it just feels like the zoo would benefit from plenty more passetines!

I think the most striking thing about Jihlava, and it is perhaps sadly telling, is that it seems to really love being a zoo. Indoor areas are enthusiastically displayed, zoo smells are at times too dominant, enclosures for nerdy species are worked into exhibit complexes at every opportunity. There is a huge sense of confidence and ambition about the place, such that you almost wonder if the small site will eventually become a hindrance rather than a strength. Even though I have misgivings about the exhibit sizes in the new developments I couldn't help loving this wonderful zoo. It way exceeded my cautiously optimistic expectations and finds itself in the company of the likes of Odense and Bern as a really world class small to medium size zoo.

 

Very good, I'm impressed. But your review is lacking something... Oh yeah, the beer review at the start!

And what happened to Denmark?