Which is really the best zoo in the UK?

When you’re a parent, the zoo is an attraction that you’ll probably end up in at least once a year. To be honest, even before we became parents, we’d spent a lot of time in zoos and wildlife parks up and down the country. I can’t claim to tell you exactly which is the best zoo in the UK (since I haven’t been to all of them) but I can tell you which is the best of the ones I’ve visited.

11. Marwell Zoo

A large ‘walking safari’ in Hampshire, Marwell Zoo is unfortunately my least favourite. It might be down to us visiting on a cold, wet March morning, but we just didn’t enjoy it. The enclosures are large – which is excellent in terms of animal care and treatment – but they are spaced so far apart that we spent about 45 minutes walking around before we saw a single animal.

Size: 140 acres

Animals: 1208 animals, of 149 species

Related: Three days in Winchester

10. Call of the Wild

This small zoo is located in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex. It’s newly opened, and is yet to be completed, but it has great potential. Along with staples like meerkats, lemurs, and wallabies, Call of the Wild has a few fascinating species, particularly birds. They’re also currently installing an alligator enclosure, so we’ll be back when it’s complete.

Size: 9 acres

Animals: number unclear

9. Yorkshire Wildlife Park

We visited on the way up to York, solely to see polar bears. I’d never seen them before in real life, and Yorkshire Wildlife Park is the only zoo in England that houses them. The Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland is also home to polar bears, in conditions that are most like their habitat, but it’s a little out the way for a whistle stop tour.

Unfortunately, aside from the polar bears, Yorkshire Wildlife Park isn’t particularly memorable. What I found more interesting was actually the wild birds in the area – we spotted a kingfisher feeding inside the tiger enclosure, and a huge flight of swallows.

Size: 300 acres

Animals: 475 animals, of over 60 species

8. Cotswold Wildlife Park

The only dog friendly zoo of the list, Cotswold Wildlife Park is small but fun. There’s a petting zoo area, lots of birds, and a playground. The downside is that if you do visit with your dog, there are limits to where you can go – all indoor areas, and the walkthrough section of the zoo, are no go zones.

Size: 160 acres

Animals: Over 260 species

7. Edinburgh Zoo

The first of the ‘city’ zoos is Edinburgh. I wanted to go to see the pandas, but we made a slight error in visiting the day after the Edinburgh marathon – not because it was busy, but because it’s so hilly! The zoo is quite a way out from the city centre, so it’s a little awkward to get to, but once you’re there, it’s big enough to keep you occupied for pretty much a whole day.

Size: 82 acres

Animals: Over 2500 animals

6. Birdworld

I’m including Birdworld in this list, even though it’s technically and aviary rather than a zoo, because I thought it was pretty darn great. It’s probably on par with Call of the Wild and the British Wildlife Centre in size, but it’s absolutely stuffed with birds that I have never seen before – there are beautiful, tropical birds, flamingos, parrots, birds of prey – all sorts. The best thing about it is you can buy mealworms at the entrance and feed some of them.

Size: 26 acres

Animals: Over 1000 birds, of 180 species

5. London Zoo

Located inside Regent’s Park, London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. It’s small but packed with attractions. There are a number of large animals to see, including silverback gorillas, giraffes, okapi, and tigers, fun, interactive activities for children to participate in, and ample indoor areas for rainy days. London Zoo is also famous for its impact on culture – the location of the famous python scene in Harry Potter, the home of the real Winnie the Pooh, and the old art deco penguin enclosure – I actually remember it having penguins in it!

Size: 36 acres

Animals: Around 16,000 animals, of around 750 species

4. British Wildlife Centre

This mini zoo is home to creatures that originate from the British Isles. Although it’s tiny, and not stuffed with megafauna and exotic animals, it’s one of my favourite zoos. I love seeing critters that can be found in my own back yard (literally, since we’ve had a broad selection including foxes, bats, toads, and herons) so having them in the British Wildlife Centre is awesome. The highlights include Scottish wildcats, red squirrels, deer, and owls.

Size: 20 acres

Animals: Over 40 native species

3. Whipsnade Zoo

Whipsnade Zoo, part of the ZSL, holds a special place in my heart – I had my second date with Dan here! We visited in February, so the zoo was functioning in off season hours, and although the weather was naff, the experience was amazing. There were no animal displays, but the keepers were running training sessions with some of the animals, so we were able to watch sea lions practicing their acrobatics, and falconers flying kestrels. The most incredible thing was finding some of the keepers taking the Asian elephants for a walk around the grounds. There was even the odd wild red kite flying overhead too.

Size: 600 acres

Animals: 3626 animals, of 209 species

2. Longleat

Longleat is a fantastic combination of safari, zoo, and history. You can walk through a penguin enclosure, stare at grand decor, then stop your car a few feet from a pack of wolves. There is nothing like it that I have experienced, and I would go back in a heartbeat. Highlights include a boat trip across the lake in the estate, and dodging monkeys who are desperate to destroy your windscreen wipers.

Size: 9000 acres

Animals: Over 500 animals

1. Colchester Zoo

Colchester Zoo is, I guess, our local, major zoo, and probably my favourite. It’s one of the better English zoos, and is always listed as the number one attraction to visit in Essex. There is a collection of fantastic, fascinating animals, including tigers, African elephants, sun bears, and orangutans. There are walkthrough areas, net bridges, a train, and play areas which are fun for all the family.

Size: 60 acres

Animals: 5666 animals

Of course, this is a summary of just 11 zoos in the UK. There are so many more to see, so I’ll be adding to this list to hopefully be able to decide which really is the best zoo in the UK.

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