That’s definitely a criticism I would have when it comes to the Bronx Zoo’s social media presence.
I'll go one further: I have complaints about Bronx's presence, period. And this is coming from someone who loves this zoo and the work they do. I say all of this from a place of support, and wanting the zoo to be better at spreading their mission and messaging.
The lack of opportunities for visitors to do more than just look at the animals in the collection is actually astonishing for a zoo that 1.) is one of the most popular, famous and respected zoos on Earth and 2.) had a hit T.V. show for several years that dove into the particulars of the zoo's collection and operation. It's as if when the T.V. show ended, WCS decided to revert back to a tight-lipped, elusive policy regarding their animals as individuals.
The fact that the Bronx Zoo does not offer within their standard ticket price hardly any keeper talks, presentations, or additional talks/eductational programs beyond the animal feedings [which are all scheduled for pretty much the same time every day] is really just indefensable. Almost all keeper and educator access is through paid programming. You compare Bronx to places like Columbus or San Diego, and it's night and day.
Trying to find a keeper or even a volunteer at Bronx is like finding a needle in a haystack, and often times, the keepers I have met did not exactly have the most friendly or helpful aura to them (There are certianly some lovely keepers I have met, and I am NOT judging anyone on a personal level as we never know what might be happening behind the scenes, but it has really gotten to a point where I don't even feel all that comfortable approaching keepers because it always feels like I am a bother to them. If the organization wants a separation of duties between keepers and educational staff, that's completely fine, but perhaps they should actually have educational staff available to do that portion of the job so keepers aren't bombarded by guests when they're the only person they see during their visit).
Even for sea lion feedings, they play a recording now for facts and info about the animals and their training, and keepers come and go very quickly. Surely there HAS to be a person on site that can narrate this and be available for questions? The bee-eater feeding is fun and unique/interesting to see, and I have always had positive experiences with the keepers there, but my question is, why schedule it at the exact same time as one of their only other programs of the day? And their third feeding is penguin at 3:30, so if you chose bee-eater instead of sea lion, you're probably sprinting to be at aquatic aviary in time.
The next time you visit, make a mental note of how often you see someone [besdies food and retail/attraction staff] ready and willing to answer questions, or just plain represent the zoo in a friendly way. The Bronx Zoo has its fair share of controversies in the public eye, i.e. Patty and Happy. While the monorail is at least some form of education while you ride around Wild Asia, where is the outreach beyond that? Where does someone with a question go to find an answer?
When questions go unanswered, the zoo's mission is compromised. It's really just downright upsetting and wrong how much bad information I overhear, and from people LEAVING the zoo. The general idea should be that guests are leaving with their misconceptions corrected, not reinforced because there was no one there to properly interperate what people are seeing through their anthropomorphic eyes.
Jim Breheny always said that it's not enough for people to just see animals, they need to understand there is a higher purpose to what is happening at the zoo and the organization's conservation sites around the world. Keeping this level of plain, museum-style visits is not helping them. They may be wary of sharing too much for fear of backlash when an animal inevitably dies, but we see time and time again that silence winds up speaking louder to the public than honesty and openness. Let us learn the animals' names, like they did for so many years on national television. The sudden slamming shut of their windows into these animals as individuals is extremely disappointing, and I just would like to see more happy faces willing and eager to share the zoo's mission on a daily basis to the thousands of people who visit this world-famous zoo.
***Disclaimer that the Wild Encounters I have done were wonderful, as were the keepers and educators in those programs. Bronx Zoo has my full love and support. There are so many good people working here. Why not let the public see them and learn from them?
