Does your interest in zoos embarass you?

[Pygathrix]

I don't remember this being discussed on Zoochat before. My close family and friends all know that I am a zoo nut, but I never talk about zoos to work colleagues or other aquaintances. Sometimes I am able to travel to work meetings in other parts of the country or abroad, and if I am going with colleagues I have to make up some excuse why I will need to go a day or two earlier rather than tell them I am going to the local zoo. I would never suggest that we all go and visit it together. I think that this is partly because of the nerdiness of it but also because zoos are generally seen as a place for children and for an adult to be interested in them is seen as odd. What do other people think?

 

[DavidBrown]

Are zoos really seen as a place mostly for children? My family and friends have never given me a hard time about it - many of them want to go to the zoo with me. Maybe I am lucky that way. I have always seen my interest in zoos and nature as analogous to the interest in others in sports teams, an interest in which I do not share.

 

[Hix]

It doesn't embarrass me at all. My friends and workmates all know of my zoological knowledge and see zoos as an extension of that (many of them know I used to work in a zoo).

What they find more difficult to accept is my flying over to New Zealand just to see a parrot. Or spending my holidays in a "small, godforsaken, undeveloped backwater in the middle of nowhere that nobody has ever heard of" photographing fish.

A few years ago my current employer (which has nothing to do with animals or zoos) sent me to work in Kuwait for a couple of weeks. I was working and living about an hour outside of the city. On one of my days off three people (that I didn't really know) were driving into Kuwait City and asked if I wanted to go in with them; they were going to see the Towers, the Corniche, the gold markets and souks, and they thought i might like to join them, and was there anything I wanted to see. I said I really wanted to go to the zoo, and if they dropped me off there they could go on to the other places and pick me up later. But they decided to come to the zoo too, and they had a reasonably good time. We went to the other attractions afterwards.



Hix

 

[jusko88]

At first i will admit that i was a little embarrassed telling people but after telling my close friends and fellow co-workers bout my zoo obsession i couldn't believe how many other people still love the zoo.They were even asking me questions bout zoos. So i don't think you just have to be a kid to love zoos. Every adult has a little bit of kid to heart in them

 

[Pertinax]

I have always seen my interest in zoos and nature as analogous to the interest in others in sports teams, an interest in which I do not share.

I think that's a very fair comparison. I think there's a compartment in the brain to allow for 'interests/obsessions' whether they are for Zoos, Sport, Music, Sailing, Travel or whatever else. The difference is that an interest in Wildlife/Zoos/Nature is a lot rarer than in some of the other spheres, such as Sport/Football. Like you I have very little, if any, interest in sport, though I know some Zoochatters are avid Football fans too!

Hence some Zoo enthusiasts perhaps feeling in a definate minority compared to their contemporaries with interests in other commoner spheres, which then makes for an uncomfortable feeling about themselves having such an interest. However, I have always thought having a less usual interest makes one more of an individual. And I have never, even when younger, viewed such interests as 'nerdy' or 'geeky' or 'obsessive' at all.

 

[Pygathrix]

I live in a very football-orientated city and if you don't follow it then you are excluded from about 50% of the adult male conversation, and regarded as slightly suspect or weird. It only makes it worse if you say you would rather go to the zoo than the match. But some of these fans think nothing of travelling the country and the continent following their teams, but because it is a common interest it is regarded as normal.

 

[Pertinax]

I would never suggest that we all go and visit it together.

A sure recipe for disaster! My golden rule is never visit a zoo with people who aren't interested or are less interested and I haven't done in very many years now. In fact I far prefer going alone or with one similarly interested companion at the most.

Your feelings of 'being different' are quite understandable to others with the same interest. But look on it as a plus, not a minus.

I have never understood where the common perception(not yours) that 'Zoos are only for Children' came from either. Its as if when you are grown up the wonders of the natural World-as seen in zoo animals anyway-are then closed to you. I don't get that.

 

[Pertinax]

But some of these fans think nothing of travelling the country and the continent following their teams, but because it is a common interest it is regarded as normal.

There you have it.... whats commonplace is 'normal' or 'accepted'.

 

[Pygathrix]

I remember this episode from The IT Crowd which shows you how to talk football:

 

[Pygathrix]

I have never understood where the common perception(not yours) that 'Zoos are only for Children' came from either. Its as if when you are grown up the wonders of the natural World-as seen in zoo animals anyway-are then closed to you. I don't get that.

A large part of the target demographic is children, and most zoos have playgrounds, shops full of toys etc. Signage can vary from one place to another, being cartoonish and childish or scientific and more adult. They don't have to be mutually exclusive. Science museums can suffer from the same approach too, although art galleries don't do this at all in my experience.

 

[DDcorvus]

I have never understood where the common perception(not yours) that 'Zoos are only for Children' came from either. Its as if when you are grown up the wonders of the natural World-as seen in zoo animals anyway-are then closed to you. I don't get that.

It is a common misconseption, which is reinforced by Zoos themselves. Although I must admit I have colleagues with small children who admit that they take them to the Zoo for their own pleasure and probably enjoy it a lot more then them.

 

[Pertinax]

It is a common misconseption, which is reinforced by Zoos themselves.

It is indeed reinforced by the Zoos (or many of them) themselves, and increasingly so in recent times. Take a look at Bristol's 'playground' feel or Chester's cartoon-style maps and simplified labelling systems.

Presumably because nowadays they do regard Children as their target or primary 'audience'.

 

[Brum]

I'm not ashamed of my zoo geek obsession, most of my friends know and look at it like a sort of quirky trait. I only find problems arise when I meet someone new, animals get mentioned and I end up ranting about something. Then my girlfriend ends up explaining (badly may I add) about my "little hobby".

 

[Tim May]

To answer the question, I’m certainly not embarrassed by my interest in zoos; on the contrary I think it is good to have a rather unusual interest; it would be a boring world if we all thought the same.

I sympathise, though, with some of the points others have made as I’ve had similar experiences. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been told:-

• “How weird for an adult to be seriously interested in zoos; zoos are only intended for children.” (And if most “normal” believe people it is strange to visit zoos regularly then they think somebody who collects old zoo postcards is even more eccentric.)

• “What a waste to travel to Berlin (or wherever my holiday destination is) and then spend most of your time in the zoo; you might as well stay at home and visit London Zoo instead.” (Such comments are frequently made by people who think it is normal to go abroad just to watch a football match.)

• “Don’t you get bored from visiting zoos most Saturdays?” (Invariably the person who asks this spends most Saturdays watching football.)

Consequently, these days, I tend not to discuss zoos with colleagues who have no interest in the subject; fortunately, though, most of my closest friends are also zoo enthusiasts who share my interest in zoological matters.

 

[Shorts]

My interest in zoos doesn't embarrass me at all, neither do any of my other interests/obsessions in life. If I were somehow ashamed then that would basically mean there was something morally and/or ethically wrong with my interests. There isn't, so no embarrassment.

That doesn't however mean I'm continually evangelical about zoos either, I appreciate that others people such as work colleagues, while they may be interested, are unlikely to share my interests with the same intensity. I'll chat about zoos I've visited and animals I've seen but end the conversation before their eyes glaze over with boredom or disinterest.

It's a reasonable balance. In my small office I'm the "go to guy" if someone wants to visit a zoo with their children near where they're holidaying or has a question about where they can see this or that animal. In return, they often pick me up a zoo guide when they visit places.

It's our interests that make us individuals and I'm lucky enough to work in a small office where most people have a passion for some hobby/interest or another -it means my mind gets expanded by learning a little about things I'd never previously had much knowledge of (including Roman history, horse riding, Jaguar cars, cruising on ships, quilting and swinging -not all the same person) and hopefully I reciprocate the same to them.

Finally, I have encountered the "zoos are for children" mentality occasionally and after being a little nonplussed the first few times I'm completely unphased by it nowadays. It's not much different to people who voice the opinions that "hip hop isn't proper music", "Damien Hurst isn't art" or similar -I can understand and accept that people have different* opinions to myself on some things without thinking lesser of them. I'm happy that my stating an interest in zoos might change their perspective a little and occasionally I'll engage them in debate, but often life's too short (I have ZooChat to read, guides on e-bay to bid on, photos to label, zoo-nerds to catch up with and zoos to visit).

*Uninformed, unthinking and WRONG

 

[Pertinax]

And if most “normal” believe people it is strange to visit zoos regularly then they think somebody who collects old zoo postcards is even more eccentric


Consequently, these days, I tend not to discuss zoos with colleagues who have no interest in the subject;

I'm a crank on more than one count then. But if you go to a Postcard Fair you will see hundreds of people there, though fortunately all collecting cards on different subjects. Then there are car boot sales, antique fairs, art dealers, record sellers, dog shows etetc etc, in fact the whole world is made up of people with 'odd' hobbies.

I must admit in some past working situations not to have mentioned too much about my (then) regular weekend Zoo visiting, simply to avoid the puzzled or condescending reactions that I knew would be forthcoming from certain people. Not through embarassment but it just made sense to me.

 

[TARZAN]

I would certainly not be embarrassed by my interest in zoos, in fact all my life since my days at infants school I have been proud to discuss my visits to Regents Park with fellow pupils and teachers, and to the present day with friends and colleagues,most people who know me appreciate the interest I have in zoos, and indeed zoos in general. Like our fellow poster I am often asked by people about certain zoos that they intend to visit,also I am sometimes asked for advice about their pet animals, which I regard as a personal compliment to myself. My workmates and myself often discuss zoo related T.V. programmes that have been broadcast, the ITV recent series on London were discussed, the sad news at Gorilla Kingdom with the deaths of the males and also the chaining of Karishma when she was giving birth at Whipsnade, I recall we discussed at length. I would not, however, enter into a conversation with a friend about zoos who I knew was not in the slightest bit interested, I just wish that people who are obsessed with the "Toon Army" would do the same to me!!. Sometimes I wonder if I am at times becoming subconsciously obsessed with it all though, on a recent drinking night with an old school friend, who I have known for most of my life, he informed me that I had talked about virtually all night,a zoo that I also had high regard for, and its current plight!, he knows what I am like, he also once said everyone is an anorak in some form or the other, wise words I think

 

[igloo12321]

Only when I'm asked who I went to the zoo with.

..and I reply no one.

 

[mazfc]

Only when I'm asked who I went to the zoo with.

..and I reply no one.

I feel your pain.

I'm not really really a zoo nut/nerd, but I am a primate nerd, which in turn leads me to visit zoos (and by osmosis expand my animal horizons). I used to be embarrassed but I really couldn't give a monkeys now (pun intended of course). My work colleagues know about my mild(ish) obsession and all my class know I love monkeys too. I don't really talk about it too much as most people aren't that interested, but I will if I'm asked.

 

[Parrotsandrew]

I have always been proud to be a zoo enthusiast and have never understood the "zoos are for children" belief that seems so prevalent in the UK at least - someone once starting singing "We're all going to the zoo tomorrow" to me and another person said he had hit the nail on the head. I thought both individuals clearly did not know what they were talking about. Another thing that irks me (one of many) is someone saying somewhere is "like a zoo" to indicate chaos, unruliness or whatever. A zoo is a place of wonder, a peaceful oasis in an often unpleasant world. At least, unlike 15 to 20 years ago, I am not forever having to defend my interest against attacks by antis, closet or otherwise.