Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo?
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nanoboy
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This pet peeve is not limited to zoos only: parents who let their kids run riot.
Too often I see kids pushing other visitors out of the way to get to the front, banging on the glass, talking really loudly (when the sign says to be quiet), and chasing free-ranging animals. All the while, the parents say and do nothing.
Too often I see kids pushing other visitors out of the way to get to the front, banging on the glass, talking really loudly (when the sign says to be quiet), and chasing free-ranging animals. All the while, the parents say and do nothing.
You've said exactly what I'd have said. You have to be responsible for your family and/or the people you are going with. Parents letting their children to do that with a sign inches away is extremely irresponsible. They have to learn that we aren't intending to run around after your children, you have to be a parent and just tell your precious child to stop.
I'm forever getting in trouble for suggesting that - the woman shrugging her shoulders helplessly after her small daughter ignores the 4th or 5th request by the keeper not to go off the path/touch the lemurs - it's not the keeper's job to stop her, it's the parent's - the man claiming it wasn't HIM feeding Quavers to the dwarf mongoose - no but I hold you responsible for your 4 & 5 yr olds, right next to you, who WERE feeding them - the child climbing over the stand-off fence at the chimp enclosure - yes you CAN make sure they don't or maybe you should stay away from the zoo!
Man, I went to Chester Zoo yesterday and my dad, who to be fair did have a conference call that day, talked on his BlackBerry at regular intervals, although not in the bat house. I also had to go to the elevated tiger viewing area as a toddler was screeching in the ground level one and "Realm of The Red Ape" was completely ruined because of f**king prams!!!!
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I concur with all of the previously mentioned posts. I went to the zoo in Tampa FL and couldn't find any employees who spoke English. I went to get something to eat and I couldn't ask the lady behind the counter a question. Fortunately the lady behind me in line translated. I couldn't ask questions about any of the animals because no one could speak English. I didn't have this much trouble communicating when I went to the two zoos in Paris France.
Pootle
Well-Known Member
Hi Grafxman.
Being from England and purely out of curiosity, how come none of the staff from a Florida zoo speak English?
idiots, like this guy and his filming friend Riding A Rhino - YouTube
I feel sorry for mental patients that sometimes manage to enter exhibits in their delirium but I almost wish the guys in the video had been hurt. They would have deserved it. However I'm still not entirely convinced it is real (I hope it isn't), especially seeing that credits for the video include imdb links.
I feel sorry for mental patients that sometimes manage to enter exhibits in their delirium but I almost wish the guys in the video had been hurt. They would have deserved it. However I'm still not entirely convinced it is real (I hope it isn't), especially seeing that credits for the video include imdb links.
They all spoke Spanish. From their features I think they were Cubans. I don't know for certain but I strongly suspect it was "politically correct" to hire them. Tampa has a large Cuban population which is fine by me. They just need to be conversant in English, that's all. If the Tampa Zoo had some sort of emergency like a loose tiger I have no idea how the employees would ever alert the general public. I've photographed every zoo in Florida and I've never had that problem anywhere else.
Flickr: grafxmangrafxman's Photostream
If you go to several major cities. especially in Florida or near the border, you will run into a huge amount of Spanish-speakers.
At the Lisbon Zoo a few weeks back, I was pleased to learn that there was a couple of mountain lions in the old tiger exhibit and was heading there when I heard one of the lions yowling even a good distance away, through the dense foliage that surrounds the exhibit. A large family of tourists came along, being rowdy and noisy, and proceeded to hiss at the lions while they bared their teeth and continued to yowl. Whatever it was that was bothering them, those people only made it worse. I can't say how annoyed I was but fortunately they moved along quickly.
I also overheard a father tell his son that a gorilla was a large chimp, to which the son proceeded to correct him by calling the animal the mispronounced equivalent of "guerrilla" in Portuguese. That was my first live experience with the visitor ignorance I've read so much about here in ZooChat.
I also overheard a father tell his son that a gorilla was a large chimp, to which the son proceeded to correct him by calling the animal the mispronounced equivalent of "guerrilla" in Portuguese. That was my first live experience with the visitor ignorance I've read so much about here in ZooChat.
nanoboy
Well-Known Member
When I go to a keeper talk/feed, or do a guided tour of the zoo, I just hate it when some people just chat away and couldn't be bothered that the entire group could hear the conversation. Why bother to go to a keeper talk if you have no intention of listening?
Another pet peeve: visitors who ask zoo employees questions specifically to test the keeper or to make them (the visitor) appear clever. For example, when we did the wombat encounter at Healesville Sanctuary recently, there was one guy in the group who kept asking really obscure questions, like "why are there no wombats in the Otways"?
Another pet peeve: visitors who ask zoo employees questions specifically to test the keeper or to make them (the visitor) appear clever. For example, when we did the wombat encounter at Healesville Sanctuary recently, there was one guy in the group who kept asking really obscure questions, like "why are there no wombats in the Otways"?
My response-for the same reason there are no elephants in Tasmania-they just don't live there!
Visiting the zoo on Friday the following occured.
Mothers and their precious ones.
Trying to view the Lions 'mothers were all blocking the way not observing the animals mind just chatting about their previous evening exploits whilst their 'precious ones' were running around screaming at the top of their lungs also not looking at the animals , I said ' my goodness I need some cotton wool for my ears' Precious mother on hearing this said' how dare you say that to my children ' My reply 'how about some respect'
precious mummy reply .'it is half term you know I suppose you would complain if the animals make a noise!' I should be so lucky.!
Note;The precious ones were about 2 years old hardly school age.......
(THIS COULD BE HAPPENING AT A ZOO NEAR YOU)
Mothers and their precious ones.
Trying to view the Lions 'mothers were all blocking the way not observing the animals mind just chatting about their previous evening exploits whilst their 'precious ones' were running around screaming at the top of their lungs also not looking at the animals , I said ' my goodness I need some cotton wool for my ears' Precious mother on hearing this said' how dare you say that to my children ' My reply 'how about some respect'
precious mummy reply .'it is half term you know I suppose you would complain if the animals make a noise!' I should be so lucky.!
Note;The precious ones were about 2 years old hardly school age.......
(THIS COULD BE HAPPENING AT A ZOO NEAR YOU)
I'd have just shouted at the bitch.
Same here.
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