In fact, @Zooplantman, one could also state that zoos have always been meant to provide entertainment. All those ancient rulers created and kept their animal collections for mostly their own entertainment. And the very first European zoos, according to modern definition, did not only collect and keep animal for displaying the wealth and power of their country, but also to entertain.
The question, however, remains: should modern zoos try to steer away from this and become more, f.e. said centers of culture and conservation (which nevertheless entertain in form of peaceful and mature recreation), or should they add more and more entertainment elements to become and/or stay amusement parks aimed at children and families? The later development, with the main focus on children and their parents as customers, has been going on since the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and also Europe and is heavily connected to the uprising of children TV shows and other parts of the public entertainment industry aimed at children. This is, as far as I remember, nicely described in "Nature on Display in American Zoos" by Elizabeth Hanson. Steering away from this trend and once again catering more to the needs of other parts of the society, f.e. senior citizens, might be financially lucrative-and change the general public perception of zoos as "only a place for small children" to the better. The entertainment aspect would still prevail, but maybe in sync with recreation aspects (=> less noisy attractions distracting the and from the animals?).
Conservation alone will not attract a lot of people in a fun society, no matter how important it should be. for all of us.
But a zoo concept involving more parts of the society other than families with small children and setting less value on child-friendly attractions might be profitable and socially accepted as a center of culture. See ADM.
Back to the boats in hand... a family member E-mailed me a photograph earlier from inside the Jaguar Coffee House where "the view of the canal has been ruined." Attached with permission.
I also learnt that it's £1 for approximately three minutes of boating action, so the children aren't going to be occupied for long.
Worst thing is after a talk to a zoo worker I know I am expecting more stuff like this. Apparently when we had all the snow and ice and the Monorail/Waterbus and playgrounds were closed the head honcho was saying "What will the people do they can only see the animals" Or something along those lines. I know kids need to be entertained but isnt the point of going to a zoo to see the animals? If so whys it such a bad thing when people actually have to see them due to adverse weather conditions. As I say I am expecting more things like this to pop up all over the zoo.
While I agree with the fact that its doesn`t really fit with the zoo,I have a feeling of deja vu with the comments about this when the Crazy Golf course was being built,I`m sorry but I`m not hearing to many complaints about that on here now.The thing you have to remember is things are always changing while some of these we may think are for the better and others not,I`m afraid its there so we have to live with it.Just think how much money it will raise for the zoo to improve still further,and if that means we have to put up with a few more bits like this then I`m sorry but I for one can live with it.
But that's probably just due to the passage of time. I don't know anyone who likes the crazy golf, and we both know how most of the zoo's staff feel about it.
The odd thing about the golf is that it's supposed to be financially successful, so much so that the zoo will own it outright sooner than expected, but talk to the people on the ground and they're concerned about it being largely ignored by visitors. Last Tuesday the zoo was packed with a huge volume of people in that area and yet the golf was empty. Strange as it may seem, people wanted to queue up to see the bats. Imagine, animals!
But that's probably just due to the passage of time. I don't know anyone who likes the crazy golf, and we both know how most of the zoo's staff feel about it.
The odd thing about the golf is that it's supposed to be financially successful, so much so that the zoo will own it outright sooner than expected, but talk to the people on the ground and they're concerned about it being largely ignored by visitors. Last Tuesday the zoo was packed with a huge volume of people in that area and yet the golf was empty. Strange as it may seem, people wanted to queue up to see the bats. Imagine, animals!
You've not seen my radio controlled submarine then?
I hate to say this but I still remember the complaints about the monorail being built in the zoo,and now its considered just to be part of the zoo,and one that did pay for its self well before it was expected to by the zoo.
As for the remote controlled submarine wouldn`t a Beaver be better given there history at Chester!!
You're right, given their history with boats beavers would be a good plan, except for one small snag. Large parts of the Jaguar Coffee House are made of wood too.
I have no problem with things such as this so long as they are good. This looks rather naff, to be honest, and if it takes away from the atmosphere of the zoo then that is most certainly a very Bad Thing.
I have recently spent several days at Beauval Zoo, in France. This is a hugely commercial operation - its marketing is quite something to behold - and it is clearly very successful: at this time of the year, the crowds are enormous. And yet it has one tiny playground - very small indeed - and nothing along the lines of a radio-controlled boat thing. What it does have are animals that can be seen - and here is the crucial thing. Chester is very much one of those zoos - London is another - around which it is possible to walk without seeing very much at all. People will watch animals which are active and visible - but they are not going to be detained by an enclosure which appears to be empty. I am not advocating forcing animals to perform, by locking them out of their off-show areas for example, and I am not sure what the solution is. Part of it is having animals in big groups (where this is appropriate); part of it is having the right species. To go back to Beauval - they have a massive group of spotted hyenas (ISIS lists 12; I saw 9) in a wonderful (but very simple) enclosure. There was always something going on, and as a result the interest from visitors was high. A massive jaguar house which might have a jaguar in it - but in which that cat remains invisible - is not going to hold the interest of the average visitor... and that is when attention needs to turn to extraneous attractions.
