I think zoos are taking over my life

Gigit and zooman a zoo tour sounds a fantastic idea :D and with likeminded people, people that dont mind you reading every sign in the zoo and spending ages gazing into the same enclosure :D

Gigit a orangy forum sounds a good idea but a neverending post would be a start :D
We were due to go to paignton this summer (before my fellas accident) we were going to do paignton, dartmoor, living coasts ? Newquay then up to monkeyworld and marwell!
He sounds a right character, their intelligence astounds me :p i am sure if they gave Demo a saw and some wood he would have built a better platform for his self :p :D Aww hope I get to go see him next year
 
I love going to zoos by myself. I can go at my own pace. Going with someone else I worry about if they're having a good time and then if they complain I get frustrated like they're ruining my experience. I do like to share the experience with special people in my life, but I don't have a problem about going alone.

Since the beginning of the year, I have gone to my local zoo at least once a week. I've never been one that sticks to a routine for a long period of time, but I've stuck to this one. Even on weeks where I may be sick of the zoo, I have to go at least once. Because even on days where I may be bored, something new or exciting can happen and I'll be glad I went. I usually like to go before work or on my days off because it relaxes me. I like watching the animals and to get away from the stresses of life.

To outsiders, I've very bizarre and obsessive. I've had people comment to me that I'm zoo obsessed after seeing all my photos on my facebook page. "How can you go to a zoo so much???" They just don't understand and I just smile and shrug it off. We all have our hobbies, this is mine. So I pretty much keep it to myself and only let close ones know about my experiences in detail.

And as you can see how this is consuming my life, I'm currently bored at work so I'm looking through old zoochat threads, haha.
 
blospz said:
.... Because even on days where I may be bored, something new or exciting can happen and I'll be glad I went.

... "How can you go to a zoo so much???" They just don't understand and I just smile and shrug it off. We all have our hobbies, this is mine. So I pretty much keep it to myself and only let close ones know about my experiences in detail.
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I know what you mean.
I recently went for a meal with relations the day after my birthday. I was asked if I'd been anywhere nice on my birthday so I replied that I'd been somewhere really enjoyable - the zoo. Cue much tutting and :rolleyes::rolleyes: "Was it any different to the last time you went?" I just said it was always different. I only talk about it to people who I know are interested.
 
I must say I have found this thread absaloutly hilarious. I love going to the zoo with my mum, but no one else. My mum was willing to learn right from the start and now shes just as enthusiastic as me! Heck, she is even excited about the RSCC having Potto and Rofous & Black Sengi. She was over joyed to see the Red Natal Duiker.

I guess I am just lucky. Most people I take to the zoo are willing to learn, most of my friends go round slower than me as they want to read all the signs I have read before.
 
Gigit said:
I know what you mean.
I recently went for a meal with relations the day after my birthday. I was asked if I'd been anywhere nice on my birthday so I replied that I'd been somewhere really enjoyable - the zoo. Cue much tutting and :rolleyes::rolleyes: "Was it any different to the last time you went?" I just said it was always different. I only talk about it to people who I know are interested.
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I say exactly the same thing, but like others have said, they never seem to grasp why. I usually come back saying "When you visit so often you start to learn the individuals, you start to know individuals, you know the news and situations and there is always something going on.
 
Gigit said:
I know what you mean.
- the zoo. Cue much tutting and :rolleyes::rolleyes: "Was it any different to the last time you went?" I just said it was always different. I only talk about it to people who I know are interested.
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NO 2 visits to any zoo are the same.:D:cool:
 
I enjoyed reading this thread. If I didn't go to zoos on my own I'd never go at all as none of my friends are interested and I can only persuade my family to 'take' me once a year or so.

I can relate to people saying 'what's the difference to last time', they don't seem to get how excited I am when there has been even a minor change although they did get it when I saw the baby okapi for the first time. Somehow that made more sense to them than something like 'the zebras now have access to the left hand stalls in the giraffe house'.

Anyway, the point I was going to make is that the level of my obsessiveness fluctuated slightly.

I was completely obsessed throughout childhood but through university was still interested but less obsessively (shockingly I even visited towns with a zoo and didn't go to the zoo, including Cologne and Philadelphia amongst others) but now I'm completely obsessed and am trying to visit as many new collections as possible as well as going to my local zoo most weekends (sometimes twice but not at all if it will be too crowded).

I also have thousands of clips on Evernote of zoo maps, enclosure pictures, plans etc. I can (and do) spend hours looking over them.

So glad this site exists so we all know we are not alone!
 
My sister is into zoos aswell so for family days out, they are always a good choice! :P

Now, of course I sometimes find myself thinking "this would a great photo for the zoochatters!" -which is good, but also a bit sad.

They obviously need to create some kind of "Zoo lovers match.com"!
 
I've enjoyed reading this thread, not least because I've visited an alarming number of zoos this year.
On Saturday I got to scratch behind the ear of a huge male rhino because HE chose to let me, not because anyone even encouraged him to, no one at work appreciates this fact! :-)
 
OrangePerson said:
I've enjoyed reading this thread, not least because I've visited an alarming number of zoos this year.
On Saturday I got to scratch behind the ear of a huge male rhino because HE chose to let me, not because anyone even encouraged him to, no one at work appreciates this fact! :-)
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Where was this? As you can imagine rhinos are my fave, so I'd love to know anywhere where it is possible to have contact with these fascinating creatures :)
 
We went to the Colchester Zoo's "Action for the Wild" event. Before the talks there was a tour. Amongst other things we saw Milena the Amur leopard demonstrating how she lets them check her over including the stethoscope on her chest and learned just how loud a leopard's purr is. We went to see Zamba who was lovely but I went over to Otto and he came right up & stuck his head right by the gap in the fence & seemed happy to be scratched behind the ear. It was an excellent really well organised event and everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic.
 
OrangePerson said:
We went to the Colchester Zoo's "Action for the Wild" event. Before the talks there was a tour. Amongst other things we saw Milena the Amur leopard demonstrating how she lets them check her over including the stethoscope on her chest and learned just how loud a leopard's purr is. We went to see Zamba who was lovely but I went over to Otto and he came right up & stuck his head right by the gap in the fence & seemed happy to be scratched behind the ear. It was an excellent really well organised event and everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic.
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Ahhh cool, that sounds really good. I am planning to do Keeper for a Day at Chester for my 21st and will hopefully be doing it on the rhino section (which includes the Blacks and the Indians :)). Hopefully I might get a chance of contact there (or so a presenter mentioned).
 
Have just arrived back from a little 10 day Dutch/German zoo tour with some friends,during which time we successfully managed to visit 30 different collections,on one day even managed to visit 8 different collections.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Have just arrived back from a little 10 day Dutch/German zoo tour with some friends,during which time we successfully managed to visit 30 different collections,on one day even managed to visit 8 different collections.
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I hear that in Germany if you throw a rock into the air you'll hit a zoo.:) I'm jealous, as over here in southwestern Canada I have to spend all summer driving on a gigantic road trip to see America's major zoos.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Have just arrived back from a little 10 day Dutch/German zoo tour with some friends,during which time we successfully managed to visit 30 different collections,on one day even managed to visit 8 different collections.
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Can you recommend any in particular? I am looking at doing a weekend break sometime next year (hopefully), so could only do a couple. I'm thinking Berlin and Tierpark.

Mind, I might stick to the original plan of Madrid yet. Don't know if you've been there, but would you say Madrid was better/worse than Berlin and Tierpark if you have?

Thanks :)
 
I think Berlin would be much more rewarding than Madrid zoo-wise.

Other combinations which might be possible if you're thinking about it are Zurich and Basel, Antwerp and Blijdorp or other Dutch zoos and various other German zoos.
 
Shirokuma said:
I think Berlin would be much more rewarding than Madrid zoo-wise.

Other combinations which might be possible if you're thinking about it are Zurich and Basel, Antwerp and Blijdorp or other Dutch zoos and various other German zoos.
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They all sound pretty good. Zootierlist does show most 'rare in Europe' animals can be seen in at least one German zoo. One reason for Madrid (all being well for survival etc) is the latest panda births (seeing a Giant Panda is my main reason for going, so if the cubs are still there it will be a bonus (looking at Feb for going)).

(I will end up doing Germany as well at some point, hopefully later next year/early 2012)
 
zoogiraffe said:
Have just arrived back from a little 10 day Dutch/German zoo tour with some friends,during which time we successfully managed to visit 30 different collections,on one day even managed to visit 8 different collections.
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Would you have time to do any reviews on those zoos :)
 
Pygathrix said:
You described on another thread visiting 4 places in the UK in one day but I just can't see how you would fit in eight! It must be a total blur :)
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Given that alot of places in Germany open at 9 am and are open until 9 pm it makes doing something like this very easy,mind you the only place you can do this in Germany is the Heidelberg area as it has so many small Bird Gardens in the area,some of which are nearly as small as my back garden!
 
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