Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo?
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djaeon
Well-Known Member
I get annoyed by the same things at the San Diego Zoo. Undisciplined little kids chasing around the free peacocks. Banging on glass. Etc. The most disrespectful thing I've seen that really got to me was when I saw people leaning over the top of the Galapagos tortoise exhibit and spitting on them. Some people just shouldn't be allowed out of the house.
Blackduiker
Well-Known Member
Blackduiker
Feeding the animals when the signs clearly tell you not to. My wife once tried telling a few others that the animals could get sick. She was met with very nasty stares and remarks; so now we just alert security or a keeper.
Tapping on the glass.
And the most irritating for me; seeing a glass-fronted exhibit scratched with graffiti!!! That really burns me up, and hopefully if the individual is caught in the act, stick them with a huge fine. I'd suggest replacement cost for the window.
Feeding the animals when the signs clearly tell you not to. My wife once tried telling a few others that the animals could get sick. She was met with very nasty stares and remarks; so now we just alert security or a keeper.
Tapping on the glass.
And the most irritating for me; seeing a glass-fronted exhibit scratched with graffiti!!! That really burns me up, and hopefully if the individual is caught in the act, stick them with a huge fine. I'd suggest replacement cost for the window.
Ajkwba
Well-Known Member
People ignoring the signs (particularly the safety signs) do my head in. 
at Birdland we have several 'These Birds Bite' signs. About 3 weeks ago I was called to the shop where a young child had been bitten by our Umbrella Cockatoo Claude. The irrate Dad was going nuts saying that his child hadn't been anywhere near the aviary and the bird had grabbed the child by its beak.....the funny thing is that the bite was right at the base of the finger and the aviary mesh is 1 inch by 1 inch, the first case of a slender billed cockatoo i have ever heard of
We also have signs at another Cockatoo (who is out free) please do not remove or feed this Bird, we removed bread, chocolate, fish food and crisps everyday
She also gets removed at least once a week and then won't get off until either a keeper arrives or she bites (there are 2 signs warning of this). In the worse case we have had people actually throwing her forcibly to the floor. When we tell people off they say 'she jumped on me', never seen her jump in 7 years 
Children chasing the wild ducks, pigeons, chicks and moorhens is quite frustrating, just once I would like to let the Cassowarys out and turn the tables
at Birdland we have several 'These Birds Bite' signs. About 3 weeks ago I was called to the shop where a young child had been bitten by our Umbrella Cockatoo Claude. The irrate Dad was going nuts saying that his child hadn't been anywhere near the aviary and the bird had grabbed the child by its beak.....the funny thing is that the bite was right at the base of the finger and the aviary mesh is 1 inch by 1 inch, the first case of a slender billed cockatoo i have ever heard of
We also have signs at another Cockatoo (who is out free) please do not remove or feed this Bird, we removed bread, chocolate, fish food and crisps everyday
She also gets removed at least once a week and then won't get off until either a keeper arrives or she bites (there are 2 signs warning of this). In the worse case we have had people actually throwing her forcibly to the floor. When we tell people off they say 'she jumped on me', never seen her jump in 7 years Children chasing the wild ducks, pigeons, chicks and moorhens is quite frustrating, just once I would like to let the Cassowarys out and turn the tables
Meaghan Edwards
Well-Known Member
People blatantly ignoring zoo rules; when the sign says do not feed the animals, it means just that. Doesn't even have to have words for those who don't speak English, the symbol says it all. Crossing over barriers is a huge pet peeve of mine, be it for feeding, "taking a better look", photography, whatever.
http://www.zoochat.com/2/could-they-not-have-waited-until-68311/
People leaving their children unattended, letting them misbehave. For this reason I avoid school days in the summer at the Toronto Zoo and go on the weekends.
http://www.zoochat.com/2/could-they-not-have-waited-until-68311/
People leaving their children unattended, letting them misbehave. For this reason I avoid school days in the summer at the Toronto Zoo and go on the weekends.
Marwell's got a good few 'pesky' visitors too. On my last visit, the September Oryx Club meeting, I saw or heard about the following happening on the day:
- The Heart of Africa became EastEnders at the zoo: Worried-looking visitors had to form a circle around two particuarly chavvy women having a screeching argument. I half expected to hear the 'Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo Doo, Doo Doo!' of the end tune as I walked out!
- A girl dropping her dummy in the coati enclosure, which one of the animals subsequently ran off with in it's mouth like Maggie Simpson! Though I think this was accidental.
- A girl dropping her pencil in the chipmunk aviary. Again, accidental I believe.
- The Walk-Through Tamarin exhibit and Australian Bush Walk were closed because one visitor had purposely let one of the tamarins loose from it's enclosure by holding open the doors. It had run into the bush walk and keepers were desperately trying to get it back.
- Apparentley, two children gained cut fingers from a penguin's tounge whilst leaning over to stroke them.
I trust you've seen the sign about dropping things into the Penguin Pool. Someone dropped a pencil. The penguin that swallowed it died.
Glad that they've fixed the Tamarin enclosure. Sad that they had to resort to such measures. They need to do this for the Australian Walk too, however. The amount of times I've been just about to go out of the second door only to close it straight away cause I've heard the clink of the other door behind me.
Other things from recent visits to Marwell:
I absolutely hate people who window-guard. On my last visit there was someone by the Snow Leopard window all day. Every single time I was there, he was and he was stood directly in front of the snow leopard at all times. And with his professional camera etc I'm guessing he 'has the right to do this' for photographic purposes. Another place bad for this is the Ocelots. All four were asleep inside and one woke up. This man stands in front of the whole window for the entire duration of it being awake. As soon as it fell asleep again, he moved on. Fortunately, the pictures I managed to get over his shoulder are quite good.
Other little bits that have annoyed me recently is about five times Ive heard visitors say 'This place could really do with Elephants'
'Why do they sell toys in the gift shop of animals they dont have?'
And the VERY WORST thing I have heard walking past someone is
'Oh that Tiger would make a lovely coat'
I was genuinly shocked to hear that.
dragon(ele)nerd
Well-Known Member
ok being still in school, I probably have a different view on annoying but my personal hates are:
People who continously bug to do do something, you politely decline then they go off and start verbally abusing you. In my case several groups of people in my year and other year levels bug me to break dance and/or shuffle for them,
people who act all goodie two shoes and won't own up to anything to just save their gut.
ragers in arcades, my fav games of DDR and Final Furlong involve exercise and movement, all the DDR machines I know of are now in bad condition and the pads don't work well thanks to beginners mashing the pads like their trying to kill a 6 inch thick roach.
People at exhibits who walk by and start yelling out facts to other people that are wrong. As well as people who interuppt me rudely when I'm trying to have a chat with a zoo keeper. I can accept a "umm excuse me could you tell me.." etc. But some people are like " WHY DON'T THEY HAVE TUSKS?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
Racists.... I hate them. And teachers that are racists. As well a teachers who target out bright students and when they don't do that well on a test they give them a hard time.
In class when you put up your hand and you try to answer a question and you get it wrong they say " OMG Jonno got something wrong!!!!"
People who brag, especially people who say they can do all this stuff. But when the real thing comes they go ' oh no, I have a bad leg, or nah man .... not today"
People who pretend that they something there not.
Human Sheep.
People who make fun of handicapped or autistic people. And don't appreciate what they have to go through to make other people accept them Maybe perhaps because I'm mildy autistic in the social sense.
People who act like jerks over all in public who stand in the way of a footpath.
People who have a crush and become obsessed with that particular person no matter how they are towards them.
Gee that's a massive amount. Though that is only like a 10th like I said being a kid you tend to pick up on likes and hates differently.
People who continously bug to do do something, you politely decline then they go off and start verbally abusing you. In my case several groups of people in my year and other year levels bug me to break dance and/or shuffle for them,
people who act all goodie two shoes and won't own up to anything to just save their gut.
ragers in arcades, my fav games of DDR and Final Furlong involve exercise and movement, all the DDR machines I know of are now in bad condition and the pads don't work well thanks to beginners mashing the pads like their trying to kill a 6 inch thick roach.
People at exhibits who walk by and start yelling out facts to other people that are wrong. As well as people who interuppt me rudely when I'm trying to have a chat with a zoo keeper. I can accept a "umm excuse me could you tell me.." etc. But some people are like " WHY DON'T THEY HAVE TUSKS?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
Racists.... I hate them. And teachers that are racists. As well a teachers who target out bright students and when they don't do that well on a test they give them a hard time.
In class when you put up your hand and you try to answer a question and you get it wrong they say " OMG Jonno got something wrong!!!!"
People who brag, especially people who say they can do all this stuff. But when the real thing comes they go ' oh no, I have a bad leg, or nah man .... not today"
People who pretend that they something there not.
Human Sheep.
People who make fun of handicapped or autistic people. And don't appreciate what they have to go through to make other people accept them Maybe perhaps because I'm mildy autistic in the social sense.
People who act like jerks over all in public who stand in the way of a footpath.
People who have a crush and become obsessed with that particular person no matter how they are towards them.
Gee that's a massive amount. Though that is only like a 10th like I said being a kid you tend to pick up on likes and hates differently.
my biggest biggest hate is the ...looks board / sad. What exactly does a board owl look like? I once confused a visitor who told me our python looked board, i told him we had removed its xbox as it was having trouble with the controls. Adults poorly educating their kids, this morning, I got out one of my hawks, he called at a couple of kids as I put him in his weatheing, adults response, 'he doesn't want to be tied up, he wants to fly away'. No he actually wanted to eat your toddler!
Went to Dudley Zoo today & yet again got really annoyed with the idiots. Why do they go to zoos if they are going to be so stupid.
1. Why when I am standing trying to photograph a snow leopard do people walk in front of you then stare at you knowing they have walked in your way. When busy I take a back seat till its quiet then step back, why can't everyone have consideration for others.
2. Why do people think it is okay to sit their little ones on the wall of a pit with a 20 ft drop into a sumartran tiger. Have they no common sense.
3. I do not expect everyone to know the name of every animal in the zoo but thats why signs are there. Here is the conversation I heard in chester zoo a few weeks ago.
Woman: F****** h*** look at those monkeys
Man: They are called Chimpanzees
Woman: What a stupid name for f****** monkeys
Why the language? They are the nearest primate next to humans but sometimes they must be classed as more intelligent than some humans
4. DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMALS How much clearer can this be. Lemur wood walk I have to witness kids trying to catch the lemurs & the parents laughing & taking pictures of them. Sometimes I really worry what will people do next.......
1. Why when I am standing trying to photograph a snow leopard do people walk in front of you then stare at you knowing they have walked in your way. When busy I take a back seat till its quiet then step back, why can't everyone have consideration for others.
2. Why do people think it is okay to sit their little ones on the wall of a pit with a 20 ft drop into a sumartran tiger. Have they no common sense.
3. I do not expect everyone to know the name of every animal in the zoo but thats why signs are there. Here is the conversation I heard in chester zoo a few weeks ago.
Woman: F****** h*** look at those monkeys
Man: They are called Chimpanzees
Woman: What a stupid name for f****** monkeys
Why the language? They are the nearest primate next to humans but sometimes they must be classed as more intelligent than some humans
4. DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMALS How much clearer can this be. Lemur wood walk I have to witness kids trying to catch the lemurs & the parents laughing & taking pictures of them. Sometimes I really worry what will people do next.......
I can't be bothered by humen stupidity, this happens everywhere and not only in zoos.
I really do have problems where
- they feed animals (where they shouldn't be fed and signs say so)
- parents not managing their children - and children are children, they can do things they shouldn't be doing
- flashing in non-flashing area's, so it upsets the animals
- ticking on windows to "stimulate" the animals
- trying to touch animals
I don't really care when someone pays the entrance fee and just walks by exhibitions and makes silly comments, just don't hurt the animal in any way!
I really do have problems where
- they feed animals (where they shouldn't be fed and signs say so)
- parents not managing their children - and children are children, they can do things they shouldn't be doing
- flashing in non-flashing area's, so it upsets the animals
- ticking on windows to "stimulate" the animals
- trying to touch animals
I don't really care when someone pays the entrance fee and just walks by exhibitions and makes silly comments, just don't hurt the animal in any way!
Panthera Puss
Well-Known Member
Adults who join school tour groups uninvited and then proceed to make a nuisance of themselves by getting in the way or talking.
dragon(ele)nerd
Well-Known Member
zoos are probably amongst the places where you can find the some of the most annoying people. I'm going to Melbourne zoo today by myslef as usual I entertain myself but finding how many annoying people I see...
Probably have the zoo to yourself today. Miserable cold melbourne day today. So nobody to annoy you.
dragon(ele)nerd
Well-Known Member
well, today a kid knocked over over my food twice... and there was a bunch of times so other older teenagers were being annoying to everyone at the elephant exhibit. And two women worked their way from the bamboo to see Ramalon. As he was growling very loud, but then they were told off by a keeper.
reptile1517
Well-Known Member
I just hate other visitors
Where do you start on such a subject. I really need to tour a Zoo when it is closed to the public. I have found that most adults are an ill-informed bunch of cretins whilst their children are rude, aggressive, noisy and all deserve a good clip round the ear.
So, touring the Cotswold Wildlife Park last summer. Watching a beautiful hornbill when a woman with 3 children, said "Look kids, its got a banana stuck in its gob". At the "old" Chessington Zoo's Aquarium. Watching some blind cave fish. An old couple came in and he said to her "If they were blind they would bump into each other". With my first wife so that's bad to start with. London Zoo. Watching a particularly beautifully coloured frog (Can't remember the species) Two women looking at it. "Thats plastic" Ye gods woman. At Battersea Park Zoo before the new regime. Woman and children trying to feed a male capuchin. Apart from not being allowed to feed, they were throwing fruit which was much too big to go through the bars, so ended up on the floor. When I mentioned it I was told to go forth and multiply. I should have learned my lesson years ago not to say anything but I still do occasionally.
Whilst in the States a few years ago, I was at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Their gorillas are to be seen mostly behind glass. There was a man who was teasing a young female with his three children also being egged on by father. I drew myself up to my full height of 6'1" and said the famous Clin Keeling line. "Only people of low intellect tease animals". A deathly hush and then they moved off. Probably to tease something else.
I could go on and on and on and on...............
Where do you start on such a subject. I really need to tour a Zoo when it is closed to the public. I have found that most adults are an ill-informed bunch of cretins whilst their children are rude, aggressive, noisy and all deserve a good clip round the ear.
So, touring the Cotswold Wildlife Park last summer. Watching a beautiful hornbill when a woman with 3 children, said "Look kids, its got a banana stuck in its gob". At the "old" Chessington Zoo's Aquarium. Watching some blind cave fish. An old couple came in and he said to her "If they were blind they would bump into each other". With my first wife so that's bad to start with.
London Zoo. Watching a particularly beautifully coloured frog (Can't remember the species) Two women looking at it. "Thats plastic" Ye gods woman. At Battersea Park Zoo before the new regime. Woman and children trying to feed a male capuchin. Apart from not being allowed to feed, they were throwing fruit which was much too big to go through the bars, so ended up on the floor. When I mentioned it I was told to go forth and multiply. I should have learned my lesson years ago not to say anything but I still do occasionally.Whilst in the States a few years ago, I was at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Their gorillas are to be seen mostly behind glass. There was a man who was teasing a young female with his three children also being egged on by father.
I drew myself up to my full height of 6'1" and said the famous Clin Keeling line. "Only people of low intellect tease animals". A deathly hush and then they moved off. Probably to tease something else.I could go on and on and on and on...............
I hate the people who go to listen to talks with small children who do nothing but cry/scream/chatter throughout the talk, and the parents continually tell them to be quiet because other people want to listen. What is wrong with taking the children away and leaving everyone else in peace?
Lizardgirl1983
New Member
So many stories...
I have just joined this website and see this topic as an interesting introduction for me! I have worked in a public aquarium and been a student studying at a local zoo for the past year and have seen some pretty strange / annoying things... where to begin...!
- Some people can't even get it right upon arriving... when I worked at the aquarium, some people would walk in, look around and see the signs, the colourful images of fish, the smaller exhibits that line the entrance, even pick up a leaflet... and then go on to say "so what is this place then?"
Can you not tell from the attire of the building?!
- Why is it that some people pay to look around, but then proceed to do nothing but moan and complain all the way round?
- People who get around the entire aquarium in literally 5 mins (average time is approx 1hr 30mins)
- People who shout at each other while I'm trying to give a talk, or people who ask questions after the talk when I gave the information DURING the talk...
- People who may recognise a species that they possibly have seen in the wild, then proceed to tell their friends about it in raised voices so everyone also will hear... please don't do that.. we really don't care...
- People who think they know it all when they are so blatantly wrong, but also not admitting they are wrong or making up answers to their kids.
- Uncontrollable children, screaming children, children with messy food, in fact, children in general with oblivious parents!
- The usual tapping glass, using flash, making funny noises at the animals, trying to feed, touch etc
- People making what they think are very funny and original jokes about keepers, when in actual fact, I've heard it a million times before...
- I have heard that the average time a visitor spends looking into an exhibit is 3 seconds... now that's just sad
I think that rather than just moaning over what visitors do to annoy you, it is important to address these issues and learn from them as well. Why are people tapping on the glass so much? Perhaps this means the establishment really needs better signage.. at the end of the day, its the welfare of the animal that takes highest priority in my opinion...
Although you do hear people say the strangest things, when I worked at the aquarium, I really tried my best to interact with people to change their views, teach them something or try to spark and interest in what they are seeing. It's all about getting a message across that people will hopefully remember and spread the word to other people they know.
I have just joined this website and see this topic as an interesting introduction for me! I have worked in a public aquarium and been a student studying at a local zoo for the past year and have seen some pretty strange / annoying things... where to begin...!
- Some people can't even get it right upon arriving... when I worked at the aquarium, some people would walk in, look around and see the signs, the colourful images of fish, the smaller exhibits that line the entrance, even pick up a leaflet... and then go on to say "so what is this place then?"
Can you not tell from the attire of the building?!
- Why is it that some people pay to look around, but then proceed to do nothing but moan and complain all the way round?
- People who get around the entire aquarium in literally 5 mins (average time is approx 1hr 30mins)
- People who shout at each other while I'm trying to give a talk, or people who ask questions after the talk when I gave the information DURING the talk...
- People who may recognise a species that they possibly have seen in the wild, then proceed to tell their friends about it in raised voices so everyone also will hear... please don't do that.. we really don't care...
- People who think they know it all when they are so blatantly wrong, but also not admitting they are wrong or making up answers to their kids.
- Uncontrollable children, screaming children, children with messy food, in fact, children in general with oblivious parents!
- The usual tapping glass, using flash, making funny noises at the animals, trying to feed, touch etc
- People making what they think are very funny and original jokes about keepers, when in actual fact, I've heard it a million times before...
- I have heard that the average time a visitor spends looking into an exhibit is 3 seconds... now that's just sad
I think that rather than just moaning over what visitors do to annoy you, it is important to address these issues and learn from them as well. Why are people tapping on the glass so much? Perhaps this means the establishment really needs better signage.. at the end of the day, its the welfare of the animal that takes highest priority in my opinion...
Although you do hear people say the strangest things, when I worked at the aquarium, I really tried my best to interact with people to change their views, teach them something or try to spark and interest in what they are seeing. It's all about getting a message across that people will hopefully remember and spread the word to other people they know.
I was at LondonZSL today and I think I was the first visitor in the Nightzone (the old Moonlight World). I was having some success in photographing the lorises - with very fast ISO setting, deliberate underexposure and my fastest lens (no flash of course) there was no problem about the other early visitors, except for one family - a husband, wife and three childen (ages about 8 to 3, I can't be certain, it was dark). I'm afraid that it was the father who was making all the noise - talking at the top of his voice as he lifted the children up to see the animals. In the end I could stand it no longer, particularly as there was a sign on the slender loris enclosure asking for no disturbance as the pair have a young one and there are only three breeding pairs in Europe (to be fair, the family hadn't reached that one). I approached the man and very politely asked him to be a bit quieter. To his credit, he did apologise and the kids all did stage whispers saying "Yes Dad, be a bit quieter" - which probably made him think 
I felt I had scored one for our side - and it worked, they spent a few more minutes in the Nightzone and were much better.
Alan
I felt I had scored one for our side - and it worked, they spent a few more minutes in the Nightzone and were much better.
Alan
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