New Zooguidebooks

07-08-2008

Zoo guidebooks are quite expensive to produce and must be produced in huge quantities to make it possible to sell them at a reasonable price. Another issue may be the fact that zoo collections are constantly changing for various reasons. If the zoo chooses to put species XYZ in a featured role and those animals die or are moved to another institution then there may be a problem for some visitors who are searching for this particular animal.

07-08-2008

for the first time in 3 years, Chester Zoo has produced a guide book (I picked it up today).

It is 85 pages and contains lots of information about the zoo's history, the conservation projects, the major exhibits and the other notable animals. It isn't too child orientated and is a brilliant guide book (one of the best that I own). It costs £5.00

07-08-2008

Wow, good news. Is it in the same stile like the other two guides before, and what is on the cover, a tiger, gorilla or a red panda ? But very expensive, do you think, the british people will but it ?

07-08-2008

No, the old style was a very narrow pocket guide book, this is a proper soft-cover book. The cover is green with an image of the elephants in their current paddock, an image of the zoo's first elephants (and their mahout), the gardens, a lion, a green tree frog and one of the zoo's lawns.

It is a bit expensive, but there is much more useful information than in previous editions and in my opinion, is good value for money. Previously the guides were sold on the entrance kiosks (and the cashier would often ask people if they would like to buy a guide book), but these new ones are only sold in one place and are not heavily advertised around the zoo, so I can't see many people buying one, unless they absolutely want to.

07-08-2008

Thats great news about Chester doing guide books again i think that the guides are so inportant as they help people to understand more about the role of the zoo or at least the good ones do

07-08-2008

Why didn't they sell the guidebook at the entrance, as like as most zoos do ? Most people buy a guidebook because they need it for orientation and information, but a guidebook is not very useful, if you buy it during or after the visit...

Its terrible hard to find the guidebook from Prague Zoo. I've visited the zoo in May 2007, I couldn't buy the guidebook at the entrance or in the giftshop, just one little kiosk sold it....

Guidebooks are very important for a zoo, it is a presantation of the zoo in the public and is is a very good advertising for the zoo.

08-08-2008

I don't think the zoo could sell them at the entrance because it is larger than usual zoo guide books. It also doesn't have a map, but the zoo gives out free maps at the entrance.

08-08-2008

Oh, I don't like it if a guidebook has no map inside, but a lot of international zoos do that now, because they have free maps, but german zooguidebooks have mostly a map inside, and the vistors didn't get a free map, because the zoos wants to sell their guidebooks. But a few zoos do have also a free map and a map within the guidebook, and some zoos have only a free map( Cologne,Hamburg,etc.)

There is a brandnew 2008 guidebook for Howletts, I've seen it in the web on ebay.Its the same stile as the 2007 guide and shows again a gorilla on the cover, a standing silverback. I bet, there is also a 2008 guidebook for Port Lympne, does anybody knows more about that ? Altough Howletts has an online giftshop, they didn't offer the guidebook in this.

A few british zoos do that, why not Howletts ?

08-08-2008

A few years back howletts used to sell their guides online just seems to be adpotions and memberships now tho with a few cuddly toys

09-08-2008

I agree with zebraduiker, my collection is focused around the maps and designs of a zoo, and it is a huge pet peeve (not to mention a great financial burden) to have a guidebook with no map. It's like caring for an animal during its pregnancy, only to find out it was a pseudo-pregnancy.

However, guidebooks still offer a historical value with its pictures and collection information that is still rather valuable.

13-08-2008

Got today the 2008 edition of Warsaw Zoo with a gorilla on the cover, altough they don't have gorillas in the zoo at this time ( they will get gorillas from Howletts )

A nice guidebook with a lot of brillant pictures, but unfortunately in polnish language. But mostly the zoo publish also an english edition.

Further I got today the 2008 edition of the West Midland Safaripark Bewdley with a cheetah head on the cover.

13-08-2008

Got the new Chester zoo guide book today and its a very good one loads off information on the history and some great pictures well worth the money

13-08-2008

Pity it costs so much as somebody who works in the print trade i hate to say it but we have been welll and truely riped off with the cost of £5 for the guide book,as i would be very surprised if it cost the zoo over £2 a copy to have printed for the numbers they will have had run.

13-08-2008

I want the Chester Guidebook too ! Hope, some of the british collectors will bring it to the collectors fair next month in Breslau.

13-08-2008

yes it does costs a bit more than most guide books but i think its worth it and the money is going to help with looking after animals so i dont mind