Quiet Areas

Zambar

Zambar

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
So where's the place(s) in you're local zoo where you can guarantee being able to get away from the crowds, and have some quiet time just sitting and watching the animals? At Marwell, it's an area that starts at a left turn opposite the Red Panda enclosure and ankole paddock, and goes into the yew tree walk, passing two large aviaries for Demoiselle Cranes, Hammerkop and my favourite birds in the park, the Southern Ground Hornbills. Once you've got past these you take a sharp right turn up a slightly sloping path past a paddock housing a single Somali Wild Ass stallion, before the path evens out to a sort of viewpoint, a large paddock containing Champman's Zebra & Ostrich to the right and two okapi paddocks to the left. The path then slopes back down between the two okapi paddocks and into their housing, equally calm. This zone is always quiet with only occasional passing visitors, and there used to be a picnic shelter at the point of the viewpath where I would sit and have lunch always, just cause of this reason. However, the zebra/ostrich paddock is the designated site for the gorilla enclosure which will be built in the next two or three years, and whilst I am very excited at this prospect, the quietness probably won't last.
This was the case with a previous quiet area, the Aridlands house. Since however the new restaraunt was built just ahead of it, meaning it is much
more busy.

Although the whole zoo van be quiet; after an oryx club meeting on a spring/summer day, there is nothing better than buying a hot drink before walking through a sunset bathed zoo, the animals active as you walk about watching them with hardly any disturbance at all, just you and the animals.
 
The quietest area at Chester is probably in the furthest corner by the Bongo, Parrots, Red Pandas, Cranes, Owls, Otters, Kangaroos, Cassowaries and Mongoose.

Some very interesting species to observe without lots of visitors making noise.
 
At Bioparc Valencia, maybe the aviary between 13:00 -14:00 (lunch time for the tour groups)
 
The quietest place at the Toronto Zoo has got to be the Eurasia section (aside from the Siberian Tiger exhibit which is popular), the Canadian Domain being a close second (with the exception of the Grizzlies in tourist season). These places are rather out of the way and don't have as many "big ticket" animals like the African area does (although they're all fascinating :)).
 
Another quiet one is the Mayan Temple Ruins at Toronto Zoo, its so beautifal and peaceful
 
The quietest area of Edinburgh zoo is probably right at the top of the hill near to the vicuna and white lipped deer paddocks, it is such a trek up there a lot of people don't bother with the climb, but once up there the views over Edinburgh and the surrounding area are stunning
 
@kiang: you could probably just visit the Highland Wildlife Park any day of the year...haha. With an annual attendance of about 75,000 that place doesn't see too many visitors.
 
At the LA zoo is at the Cape Griffon Vulture aviary. It appears that nobody knows about that exhibit. It's always nice being there as there are about 12 vultures and it seems as there is always a hatchling being taken cared by it's parents.
 
In Amersfoort I'm always amazed how quiet it could be in the labyrinth, especially in the corner near the golden-headed tamarins, and the Geoffroy's marmosets. Even when the zoo is very crowded, you can find a quiet place here to watch the monkeys.
 
CZJimmy said:
The quietest area at Chester is probably in the furthest corner by the Bongo, Parrots, Red Pandas, Cranes, Owls, Otters, Kangaroos, Cassowaries and Mongoose.

Some very interesting species to observe without lots of visitors making noise.
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That's what I would have said Jimmy. Another quiet area ia the path going past the oryx/zebra and turning north to the Przewalski's horses and rhinos. I often eat my sandwiches on a seat across from the horses.
 
bongorob said:
That's what I would have said Jimmy. Another quiet area ia the path going past the oryx/zebra and turning north to the Przewalski's horses and rhinos. I often eat my sandwiches on a seat across from the horses.
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There is also the Sunken Garden at Chester which is pretty much vacant (although not really a place to view animals quietly)
 
At the San Diego Zoo, right now with Elephant Odyssey construction going on, I'd say the quietest place is over by the Takin exhibit.
At the Wild Animal Park, I think the quietest place is the California Condor exhibit.
 
At Bronx, the guanaco and sika deer exhibits behind the Birds of Prey are probably the quietest area of the zoo--tied with the bison exhibit upper grounds (it's off most off the major 'trail' routes).
 
At Whipsnade or Port Lympne- anywhere that is more than a few hundred yards away from the Entrance area....;)
 
I haven't replied to this before because from November to February, it is a joy to be anywhere at Paignton. However, today I've been cruelly reminded that the future is bleak. As the snowdrops appear, so do the dreaded school parties. My morning was ruined by groups of unsupervised children rampaging round the zoo with their tick sheets while the teachers enjoyed coffees in the restaurant. The children appeared to have no interest in or respect for animals, frightening some and letting a goat out of its enclosure. They sound as though they are learning nothing at all, although I was interested to hear that orangutans have retractable thumbs, that macaques are actually gorillas and that mandrills are racoons.
I can understand the zoo encouraging these visits, but are there any teachers out there who can justify them on educational grounds?
 
Gigit said:
I haven't replied to this before because from November to February, it is a joy to be anywhere at Paignton. However, today I've been cruelly reminded that the future is bleak. As the snowdrops appear, so do the dreaded school parties. My morning was ruined by groups of unsupervised children rampaging round the zoo with their tick sheets while the teachers enjoyed coffees in the restaurant. The children appeared to have no interest in or respect for animals, frightening some and letting a goat out of its enclosure. They sound as though they are learning nothing at all, although I was interested to hear that orangutans have retractable thumbs, that macaques are actually gorillas and that mandrills are racoons.
I can understand the zoo encouraging these visits, but are there any teachers out there who can justify them on educational grounds?
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hahaha that made me laugh
mandrills are racoons hahahahah:D
 
I was laughing about the fact that orangs have retractable thumbs;)
 
Gigit said:
My morning was ruined by groups of unsupervised children rampaging round the zoo with their tick sheets. The children appeared to have no interest in or respect for animals.. They sound as though they are learning nothing at all.
I can understand the zoo encouraging these visits, but are there any teachers out there who can justify them on educational grounds?
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I agree 100% with you on this. In very many zoo visits at different zoos, I've never seen well-behaved school groups and somtimes their behaviour is quite appalling.

We once visited Chester Zoo on a weekday in termtime and the whole zoo was overrun by screaming, shouting hords of unsupervised secondary school children, until at 3 p.m. when thankfully they all piled back into their coaches and left. It was a very unpleasant experience and I complained on our way out.

Teachers are rarely in evidence on these trips which seem to be treated as just a 'fun' day out. I'm all for zoos being used as educational tools but this isn't the way.
 
Pertinax said:
I agree 100% with you on this. In very many zoo visits at different zoos, I've never seen well-behaved school groups and somtimes their behaviour is quite appalling.

We once visited Chester Zoo on a weekday in termtime and the whole zoo was overrun by screaming, shouting hords of unsupervised secondary school children, until at 3 p.m. when thankfully they all piled back into their coaches and left. It was a very unpleasant experience and I complained on our way out.

Teachers are rarely in evidence on these trips which seem to be treated as just a 'fun' day out. I'm all for zoos being used as educational tools but this isn't the way.
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yes i must agree
 
When I was a school teacher, many years ago now, I took parties of students to Regents Park and to Whipsnade. The kids in my group moaned like mad because I wouldn't let them go straight to the gift shop or to rampage around the zoo - they had to stick together, behave themselves and spend some time looking at the animals. Wasn't I mean?
From a teacher's point of view, a safari park is a much better bet because the little dears have to stay in the coach and listen to you as you go round the reserve. Then they can have a little time off for good behaviour (probably in the gift shop).

Alan
 
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