General Zoo Misconceptions

haz_cat said:
I assume these are orangutans
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sorry, yeah they are orangs, I should have said that they were for ppl who didn't know

Most people that visit them pass the word "orangutan" a million times before they get to them but still don't cotton on to the fact that they are orangs :rolleyes:
 
Today at Belfast -

Not so bad ones:
Sitatunga - Reindeer
Spectacled bear - Black bear
Red river hog - Warthog

Bad ones:
Tiger - giant tabby cat
Ring-tailed lemurs = striped monkeys
Sloth - reversal continium (WTH??)

But my "FAIL of the day" goes to....

Standing by the Emperor Tamarins. Two chavs (Belfast styled) approch
"What's in there?"
"Looks like....*counts fingers*....racoons (pronounced Ray-caans)
*they both walk on.*
Literally facepalmed myself then laughed myself silly.:D
 
lol at a tiger being a giant tabby and racoon-tamarinss! some ppl are stupid
sometimes it's better to laugh at them, or i'd be hitting them lol
 
"Sloth - reversal continium (WTH??)"

That may be the oddest one I've heard yet, if it was indeed referring to a sloth.
 
Yea some really posh guy told his wife or girlfriend when he saw the head poke out of the hollow he sniffed and said in a matter-of-fact voice "Oh yes, that's known as a reversal continium" *sniff*
Not sure what he is refering too but I was really not bothered at the time because I was busy reading some info signs and take photos.
I was more confused than amused...:confused:
 
Twiglet2010 said:
People making chimp noises at ANY monkey or ape they see
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I would really like to know why so many people do this.
You hear parents saying to their very small children not just 'Look at the monkey' but 'Look at the monkey ooo ooo ooo' as though they've learned it somewhere. Does it come from a TV programme, a children's book......:confused:
 
Gigit said:
I would really like to know why so many people do this.
You hear parents saying to their very small children not just 'Look at the monkey' but 'Look at the monkey ooo ooo ooo' as though they've learned it somewhere.
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This seems to be very deeply ingrained- I've heard the same 'behaviour' repeatedly in many UK zoos. My thought is that maybe it comes from exposure to stories like the 'Jungle Book' or 'Tarzan'- books/films which most people either read or see the film as children and for some reason it remains embedded in their psyche as adults.

And why do visitors always think/presume that monkeys are picking 'fleas' off each other?
 
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Mr Saxon said:
Yea some really posh guy told his wife or girlfriend when he saw the head poke out of the hollow he sniffed and said in a matter-of-fact voice "Oh yes, that's known as a reversal continium" *sniff*
Not sure what he is refering too but I was really not bothered at the time because I was busy reading some info signs and take photos.
I was more confused than amused...:confused:
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People sometimes make jokes!
 
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Pertinax said:
This seems to be very deeply ingrained- I've heard the same 'behaviour' repeatedly in many UK zoos. My thought is that maybe it comes from exposure to stories like the 'Jungle Book' or 'Tarzan'- books/films which most people either read or see the film as children and for some reason it remains embedded in their psyche as adults.
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Or maybe it's the deeply embedded behaviour of a common ancestor that just comes bursting out :p


And why do visitors always think/presume that monkeys are picking 'fleas' off each other?
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I'm pretty sure I was told something along those lines as a child.
 
My favorite misconception experience was at the pond at my local zoo which, in addition to the captive species, had an abundance of local ducks. A young girl read all of the signs but couldn't find the local ducks. She asked what they were. Another zoogoer told the girl that they were local ducks. The girl asked how they got there and her mother told her that they must have walked there because ducks couldn't fly.
 
Teenage girl reading label on native SW tank (reading card for Norther Searobin) "Oh look, a Norther Serra-bone"
 
10 year old kid in Reptile wing

**Reads card**
"Oh look a Mudpuppy! Everyone come here, look, a Mudpuppy! Mammy look a MUDPUPPY!! EVERYONE LOOK OVER HERE A MUDPUPPY!! Where is it? Oh there it is... eew, THAT'S a Mudpuppy? EEW."
**Walks away disgusted**
Was he expecting to see a dog? :D
 
Visitors might actually find it quite interesting to find out the monkeys are really looking for skin flakes etc and that they actually have very clean fur as a result, as well as the social benefits of grooming each other.
 
A general misconception that all of you have missed yet commented about many a time is that a zoo is a place of learning. For a lot of people a Zoo is a place to let the children run wild, have a chat with your friends or just walk around. I'd say 85% of general zoo going public don't *want* to learn. 10% are mildly interested and then there's the last 5% who actually care and want to know about the animals. So don't get angry when they don't know a particular animal, don't get angry or annoyed. Just ignore it. They don't care, they don't want to know... feel sorry for them if it's a species close to your heart, if not... ignore it. You wont get anything from getting angry/annoyed or even saying anything.

On the flipside, people who don't work at the zoo's giving out incorrect information and try to act like a clever pants. College students who walk in and shout at keepers that the animals are bored and want to die because of the stereotypical behaviour. Err. Please get over yourselves.
 
Deviant*Strain said:
A general misconception that all of you have missed yet commented about many a time is that a zoo is a place of learning. For a lot of people a Zoo is a place to let the children run wild, have a chat with your friends or just walk around. I'd say 85% of general zoo going public don't *want* to learn. 10% are mildly interested and then there's the last 5% who actually care and want to know about the animals. So don't get angry when they don't know a particular animal, don't get angry or annoyed. Just ignore it. They don't care, they don't want to know... feel sorry for them if it's a species close to your heart, if not... ignore it. You wont get anything from getting angry/annoyed or even saying anything.

On the flipside, people who don't work at the zoo's giving out incorrect information and try to act like a clever pants. College students who walk in and shout at keepers that the animals are bored and want to die because of the stereotypical behaviour. Err. Please get over yourselves.
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Good point of view. I'm totally agree with you, in addition for me the people think that the zoo it´s just another 'theme park' for fun,and they have 'free access' for to run and scream everywhere.
 
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