Tropiquaria

Tropiquaria Zoo
Location Washford Cross, West Somerset, United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°09′39″N 3°20′56″W / 51.1609°N 3.3489°W / 51.1609; -3.3489Coordinates: 51°09′39″N 3°20′56″W / 51.1609°N 3.3489°W / 51.1609; -3.3489
Memberships BIAZA[1]
Website www.tropiquaria.co.uk

Tropiquaria Zoo is a small tropical house and zoo in West Somerset, England. It is located 16 miles (26 km) from Taunton and 9 miles (14 km) from Minehead.

It is based in a 1930s art deco BBC radio transmitter hall of Washford transmitting station, which is now a Grade II listed building.[2][3][4]

A zoo has been run from this site since the early 1990s. There is a mainly African theme to the tropical hall and aquarium as well as the large number of outside enclosures. The zoo is a member of BIAZA,[1] the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and has successfully bred a number of endangered species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish.

Tropiquaria includes a Tropical Hall with a variety of snakes and lizards, and birds. The zoo also features an aquarium with several species of endangered, critically endangered and even extinct in the wild species of fish. Outside are macaws, helmeted curassow, cockatoos, parrots, agoutis, gibbons, serval, wildcats, wallabies, emus, rheas, tapir, cotton-top tamarins, red-handed tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, ruffed lemurs, brown lemurs, coatis, yellow mongoose and meerkats amongst many others.[5]

There is also a number of outdoor play areas, and an indoor play area and cafe.

Tropiquaria also has a reputation with the locals as not being very good at keeping the animals in their cages. As seen on 3 August 2018, when a Tapir got loose on the main road. Fourteen police cars were called to shut the nearby roads. The Tapir was tranquilised and returned to its cage where it recovered quickly and is completely fine.[6]

Emu at Tropiquaria

References

  1. 1 2 "BIAZA Zoos and Aquariums". biaza.org.uk. BIAZA. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Washford Radio Museum". Washford Radio Museum. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  3. ↑ "Washford Transmitting Station, Williton". Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Washford Transmitting Station (1057461)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "Tropiquaria Wildlife Park". Everything Exmoor. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  6. ↑ "Animal on the loose sees police cars called to Tropiquaria". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 2018-08-09.

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