Day 1: Getting there
Most people here are not aware, but I have lived in São Paulo for around two and a half years.
However, my parents never really thought of leaving Rio for good. Therefore, we'd spend almost every other weekend there. Also, since plane tickets were too expensive and the roads between both cities were decent, we'd always travel by car.
My mother loves São Paulo and, while I dislike most of it, I still really enjoy both the zoo and the aquarium. This means we have been back there many times since we moved out. Since things haven't really changed a lot, we still go by car, with dad taking the wheel everytime.
Taking into account the bathroom and coffee breaks, we usually take five and a half to six hours on the road. Usually, while my father is driving, I see if any interesting birds are flying near the road, but nothing really mindblowing popped up this time, and that's fine to me.
We arrived around 14:30 and, instead of going straight to the AirBnB, dad left the car (with our stuff in it) in a multi-storey car park because he was late to work. So my mom and I headed to 25 de Março, one of her favourite places to go shopping. However, she was not as enthusiastic as she used to be, which left me surprised. So, we headed "home" (by underground) and stayed there for the rest of the day, only leaving for dinner.
Day 2: Going to the zoo
Usually, when we go to São Paulo, my mother and my father split ways. While she goes shopping (and visiting ethnic neighborhoods such as Bom Retiro and Liberdade because she loves Asian culture in general), he takes me to my favourite places.
Since he was busy with work this time, mom was the one who took me to Água Funda. We had breakfast in a restaurant nearby and took the underground to Jabaquara, where the zoo's bus line operates. However, while paying for the rides, mom discovered we'd have to buy the whole combo (tickets to both the zoo and botanical gardens, which we had no plans to visit) to take the bus. So, instead of paying 93 reais for each one of us, we took an Uber. While waiting for the driver, I saw a black vulture so big it looked like an Andean condor.
When we arrived there, an employee approached us and told my mother buying the tickets online was way cheaper than paying for them at the ticket booth (due to a discount offered because of Black Friday). Because of such offer, we spent almost half an hour at the entrance trying to figure out how to buy these tickets, but everything went right in the end.
So, we entered the zoo and, like at BioParque do Rio, the first thing you see (and have to go through) is a photo session on a green background. However, you can deny said offers and go straight ahead, like we did.
Instead of following the route we'd usually take (go right, then left), we did the opposite and turned left. The first we saw were the zoo's new alpacas, which were housed in the former white-lipped peccary enclosure.
Following the path, a hippo exhibit replaced the former sea lion pool. In front of it, there is a row of three similar looking exhibits: one home to a Cuvier's dwarf caiman and both Arrau and yellow-spotted river turtles; another to Paraguayan hairy dwarf porcupine and the third one housed red and yellow-footed tortoises, as well as a green iguana.
Next were enclosures for aoudad (which recently returned to the zoo) and fallow deer (from Zoo Safari). On the other side of the path is the elephant exhibit, home to a single Asian cow named Hangun. Next to Hangun's house were two waterfowl exhibits, one for black and black-necked swans, as well as Chilean flamingos, and the other for gray crowned cranes. If I am not mistaken, all of these birds were chicks/youngsters/juveniles.
Then, on the same side of the path were two exhibits, one for tuberculate toad-headed turtles and the other for three species of chelonians (scorpion mud and Vanderhaege's toad-necked turtles, as well as more red-footed tortoises). The following two pens housed Brazilian tapirs and at least one capybara. The next enclosure, a large lake, was home to American and Chilean flamingos.
Ok, now for the part everyone's been waiting for!
I had finally reached Bosque da Conservação. The first thing I saw was the Spix's macaw enclosure, but to my dismay, the viewing panes are still covered up, likely because zoo staff want to avoid collisions. Otherwise, there are other seven enclosures: two are home to Lear's macaws while the others are home to red-browed, red-tailed and vinaceous-breasted amazons; Alagoas curassows and dark-fronted piping guans. After spending sometime there with my mother, who was playing with a Lear's macaw, I finally saw both Cyanopsitta spixii partly on display.
We decided not to go uphill and so, went back to the main path. Since the Spix's macaws replaced the caracals, we all know next on the track are the small carnivore enclosures. Sadly, they are not home to any exotics anymore, so we saw a Southern lesser anteater, two tayras, a black Geoffroy's cat, a cougar, two jaguarundis and a few ring-tailed coatis (which were being released into the exhibit when I was there!). On the same side of the path, there is the old, but still standing jaguar enclosure, home to a male named Raimundo. In front of the carnivore cages, there is a new enclosure, home to a single capybara. To finish off Territory 1, four more exhibits for Testudines: the first one is home to a radiated and yellow-footed tortoises, as well as both red and yellow-eared sliders; the second one houses Geoffroy's side-necked turtles, river cooters and a yacare caiman; number three holds at least one common snapping turtle while the last one had yellow-eared sliders as residents.
After ending with this area, we headed to the restaurant close to the (Southern) giraffe enclosures. On the way there, we came across three reptile enclosures (number one was home to Chaco and red-footed tortoises, as well as a black-and-white tegu; number two housed red-tailed boas and number three held Solomon Islands skinks), blackbuck (in the former African elephant exhibit), Southern white rhinos, warthogs (where once cassowaries used to be) and meerkats. I finished eating before mum did, so I had a walk before she ate her meal. While near the rhinos, I heard a bellbird singing. While I suspected it was a wild animal, it was actually just a bird which was offshow. However, because I followed the sound to its origin, I discovered a behind-the-scenes area near the zoo's arena, where I saw both orange-winged and turquoise-fronted amazons.
After my mom finished eating, we headed to Territory 2. I decided it was better to go on the appear area first, and so we did. The four South American mammal exhibits there housed only canids (maned wolves, hoary and crab-eating foxes and bushdogs, respectively). After seeing that many canids, I entered the Xochimilco space, home to most of the zoo's axolotls. Last in the upper area of Territory 2 were a giant anteater and a gray brocket, housed in the former timber wolf enclosures.
We were going to the lower area through the trail called Bosque das Aves (now shared between Bosque das Aves and Bosque Corujas do Munda). However, the area was partly closed off because the spectacled bear enclosure had been demolished. In the area still open to the general public, there were four small (but diverse) exhibits and two aviaries (one home to the zoo's snowy owl and the other housed two Eurasian eagle-owls).
The largest of the four smaller enclosures housed turquoise-fronted amazons, while the second one was home to solitary tinamous; an Illiger's macaw and three species of tanager (brassy-breasted, chestnut-backed and swallow); the next-to-last held more turquoise-fronted amazons and another solitary tinamou; while the last one was home to buffy-tufted marmosets.
If you access the main avenue by the upper area, like we did, the first enclosures you'll see are home to two Southern cassowaries. Most of the other exhibits on the avenue were going through renovations (I'm hoping a few get torn down and finally the zoo gets its first walkthrough aviary). The only exceptions were Pequenos Notáveis, the former anaconda aquarium (now home to both Hoffmann's and Linne's two-toed sloths, as well as a black-legged seriema and a gray brocket), the ant house (which we skipped), the (black, golden and golden-faced) lion tamarin and Southern muriqui enclosures, O Pulo do Sapo, the python aquarium (home to a reticulated python, although Burmese pythons were also signed); and the macaw aviary (home to blue-and-gold, green-winged and hyacinth macaws, as well as toco toucans).
Pequenos Notáveis is home to the zoo's non-amphibian and non-snake terrarium animals. There are ten terraria with the following array of species: central bearded dragon and Eastern blue-tongued skink, imperial scorpion, Kenyan sand boa, leopard gecko, Brazilian stick insect, Megalobulimus parafragilior, Nhandu tripepii, Tockay gecko, Lasiodora tarantula, Solomon Islands skink.
O Pulo do Sapo houses the zoo's amphibian collection. There are many tanks, which hold the following species: Adelphobates galactonotus, Ambystoma mexicanum, Bombina orientalis, Corythomantis greeningi, Dendrobates tinctorius, Leptodactylus labyrinthicus, Nyctimantis arapapa, Nyctimantis brunoi, Nyctimantis pomba, Ololygon alcatraz, Phyllomedusa distincta, Rhinella diptycha, Rhinella icterica.
The gift shop had also been renovated. A new addition was some sort of nursery, which housed more Brazilian stick insects and Megalobulimus parafragilior, as well as a few bird eggs.
Next, we toured Territory 6. The monkey islands are in said territory, and they are home to five species: Peruvian and white-cheeked spider monkeys; as well as blonde, weeper, and yellow-breasted capuchins. Then, we headed to the waterfowl enclosure next to the giraffes, where we saw Black-necked, coscoroba and mute swans; Australian, Egyptian and spur-winged geese and a Southern screamer. On our way to the last enclosure in this area, home to Aldabra giant tortoises, we saw the zoo's lone hybrid orangutan; a troop of chimpanzees, which had gained a new enclosure after Sansão was moved out; Magellanic penguins; another hippo and an enclosure for three random bird species (Egyptian goose; emu and Indian blue peafowl).
Lastly, Territories 4 and 5. Since we were coming from the Aldabra giant tortoise exhibit, we headed uphill to see the lions (in two separate enclosures) and more maned wolves. They were followed by collared peccaries, which replaced African wild dogs. Then, dromedary camels and the African Plains enclosure, home to three of the zoo's four Grevy's zebras, two female waterbuck and a female ostrich. On the plain's grassy area that separates visitors from animals, Nile geese, while in another enclosure, formerly home to the Seychellois tortoises, there were five lesser flamingos. The last remaining exhibits I had yet to visit were all home to birds of prey (big aviaries for Andean condor and harpy eagle, then smaller aviaries for harpy, Chaco, Chilean and ornate hawk-eagles, black hawks and king vultures.
By that time, I had seen almost every animal but a few herps. However, after befriending a keeper, he helped me to find the last remaining animals, which means the only species on display I did not see were Burmese pythons and golden-faced lion tamarins.
I spent a total of six hours at the zoo. Is it worth it? Taking into consideration its current collection, YES. However, I'd recommend visiting it sometime in the future, when all the works currently taking place are over.
Day 3: Meh
Stayed at the AirBnB because I had to take a French class, so nothing really happened that day.
Day 4: Aparecida and getting home
Our final day in São Paulo. We checked out very early in order to visit Parque Três Pescadores in time. A quick stop at the McDonald's in Roseira (fun fact: Roseira is the smallest city in Brazil to have a McDonald's restaurant) was more than enough to satisfy my hunger.
We arrived in Aparecida at around 13:15. The city is home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida, the world's second largest church, only behind Saint Peter's, in Vatican City.
The main objective of Parque Três Pescadores is to tell the story behind how the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida was discovered by three fishermen in 1717. So, this is a tourist attraction which revolves around the catholic faith, of which I am a follower.
We bought tickets to the boat ride, which happened at around 13:30 and took twenty minutes. Visitors are taken to the Paraíba do Sul river, where they learn about the origin story of the statue of Our Lady and the miracles surrounding it.
After the boat ride, visitors follow a boardwalk through an area of native forest before arriving at the walkthrough aviary. Refúgio das Aves, as it is called, is exclusively home to native reptiles, mammals and birds. Most of its residents came from apprehensions or voluntary donations.
I saw green iguanas, Geoffroy's side-necked turtles, red-footed tortoises, red-rumped agoutis, white-faced whistling ducks, Picazuro pigeons, cattle and great white egrets, burrowing owls, toco toucans, red-legged seriemas, turquoise-fronted amazons, blue-headed parrots, white-eyed parakeets and blue-and-gold macaws. The collection is surely small, but the aviary is bigger than Rio de Janeiro's and I would place it among the top 10 best enclosures in Brazil overall. They even have an artificial rain system, which is unheard of in most Brazilian zoos.
After leaving the aviary, we decided to view a few more sights of Aparecida. So, we went to another viewpoint of the Paraíba do Sul river, where I saw wild chestnut-capped blackbirds. Then, we took a 20-minute walk through Caminho do Rosário, where I saw my first cobalt-rumped parrotlets. Other wild species I saw include eared doves, a few swallows and saffron finches. Black swans were in a small lake as well, though they are obviously captive.
Then, we left Aparecida and headed home. The only other wild species I recall seeing during that time was a Southern caracara.
