Reviewed Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Aquariums
Each zoo will get a rating out of five stars, one star each representing something I feel is important for such places to have.
Stars are awarded for:
- The animals you can see. The variety and rarity of the collection at the facility
- How well treated the wildlife or captive animals are. What are the enclosures and enrichment like for the animals. To me this is the most important part of paying to see animals, both in the wild or in captivity.
- The quality of the information on the animals given to the public. This is another facet of animal experiences that is very important to me, if companies are charging people to see animals, in zoos or in the wild, then I believe it’s their duty to educate people about what they are seeing, to raise awareness of the species and of any conservation issues facing them. At zoos it means the information signs around the exhibits, how staff respond if asked questions about the animals and what any animal ‘shows’ or displays are like.
- The quality of the boat or zoo grounds and the facilities available to you. Not as important but something that some places really put effort into so I want to be able to show it’s appreciated! Basically means how nice is it to spend time there as a visitor and how easy is it to meet your basic needs.
- How friendly and helpful the staff or company is. Pretty self-explanatory! Includes any staff member of the company or organisation, from the naturalists, boat captains and deck hands, cafeteria staff, the people selling the tickets at the office… anyone!
Review List:
Coming soon: Twycross Zoo, one of the best places to see all sorts of primate species in Europe.
