How to spot a Zoochatter...

[Prochilodus246]

When you go to the zoo you see the general public, the photographers and lurking by the LBJs (Little Brown Job's) enclosure are us, Zochatters or Zoo Nerds as we are sometimes known.

I thought this thread would be a fun one to discuss how one would go about finding a Zoochatter whilst visiting the zoo amongst the many other guests who are there too.

I personally would look for the following:

• A notebook is often a key feature of the Zoochatter.
• Someone who is photographing the enclosure rather than the actual animal within it.
• As mentioned above, spending time near the enclosures of species most people wouldn't even bat an eyelid about.
• Someone taking photographs of the signage of enclosures.
• Someone who is generally alone or in small groups doing the above points.

 

[Laboratory 7]

I think you have missed the important one of deep in discussion with a member of staff or the owner of a collection about something within the collection,or is that just me and the people I hang round with, although I will concede that it can happen after the collection has closed to the public, the number of times we have been the last people in a collection I haven't got enough hands and feet to count them now and that's just in the last six years.

 

[Prochilodus246]

I think you have missed the important one of deep in discussion with a member of staff or the owner of a collection about something within the collection,or is that just me and the people I hang round with, although I will concede that it can happen after the collection has closed to the public, the number of times we have been the last people in a collection I haven't got enough hands and feet to count them now and that's just in the last six years.

But of course I had somehow completely forgotten about this aspect. I am very much guilty of this indeed

 

[LadyA91]

The Houston Zoo is my home zoo and the two times I’ve worn my Zoo Tours tshirt someone says they like my shirt and I ask, are you on zoo chat and they say yes. Then we continue to chat about zoo stuff. Pretty great and good luck charm.

 

[snowleopard]

Someone who is photographing the enclosure rather than the actual animal within it.

This is a key one for me! Whenever I look at my 36,000 photos in the ZooChat gallery, the vast majority are of exhibits with no animals in sight.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

When you go to the zoo you see the general public, the photographers and lurking by the LBJs (Little Brown Job's) enclosure are us, Zochatters or Zoo Nerds as we are sometimes known.

I thought this thread would be a fun one to discuss how one would go about finding a Zoochatter whilst visiting the zoo amongst the many other guests who are there too.

I personally would look for the following:

• A notebook is often a key feature of the Zoochatter.
• Someone who is photographing the enclosure rather than the actual animal within it.
• As mentioned above, spending time near the enclosures of species most people wouldn't even bat an eyelid about.
• Someone taking photographs of the signage of enclosures.
• Someone who is generally alone or in small groups doing the above points.

Also if you simply hear someone say "ZooChat".

 

[ZooElephantMan]

This might be a bit less reliable, but you can also sometimes identify a Zoochatter by who they are going to the zoo with. Most adults go to zoos with their children, but Zoochatters often go to the zoo by themselves. I know when I've gone to zoos by myself, some people have commented on how unusual that is.

 

[MGolka]

This might be a bit less reliable, but you can also sometimes identify a Zoochatter by who they are going to the zoo with. Most adults go to zoos with their children, but Zoochatters often go to the zoo by themselves. I know when I've gone to zoos by myself, some people have commented on how unusual that is.

Sometimes when I go to the Omaha Zoo by myself to check out new things, if I wear anything Omaha Zoo related I constantly get asked if I work there or people think I work there.

 

[Prochilodus246]

This might be a bit less reliable, but you can also sometimes identify a Zoochatter by who they are going to the zoo with. Most adults go to zoos with their children, but Zoochatters often go to the zoo by themselves. I know when I've gone to zoos by myself, some people have commented on how unusual that is.

I certainly am one for generally visiting the zoo alone however I do enjoy the company of friends and family. They also help with second opinions on enclosure design etc.

I remember visiting SeaLife the other month and I was the only lone person I saw the entire day as everyone was either families or the odd couple.

 

[Prochilodus246]

Sometimes when I go to the Omaha Zoo by myself to check out new things, if I wear anything Omaha Zoo related I constantly get asked if I work there or people think I work there.

The amount of times I have been mistaken for staff due to my notebook & clipboard is regular enough. I think also the fact my Australian hat looks as though I am on safari helps

 

[15399]

This might be a bit less reliable, but you can also sometimes identify a Zoochatter by who they are going to the zoo with. Most adults go to zoos with their children, but Zoochatters often go to the zoo by themselves. I know when I've gone to zoos by myself, some people have commented on how unusual that is.

I spend a lot of time in zoos, and I really don't think this is that unusual. During the school year, I visit the Buffalo Zoo once or twice a week for my observational research, and almost every visit I see adults visiting the zoo without children, in particular twenty-something year-olds and seniors. Yes, they aren't the majority, but they certainly aren't extremely uncommon either.

 

[Fallax]

I definitely have wondered this sometimes about myself when I've been taking a photo of signage or an enclosure to upload here. I do also often take notes on my phone, usually to add to a visit report because chances are I'll forget otherwise!!

I don't know if I'd be identifiable by appearance, I'm sure there is very many of us visiting alone and carrying cameras but I've seen enough solo photographers that I doubt most of them post here.

If I ever got asked if I was on ZooChat though, I'd be sure to say hi and hope I give a good impression.

 

[Mr. Kiwi]

This is a really informative forum to see a wild zoochatter in its natural environment.

 

[Mr Gharial]

I actually had a funny experience with this. As I was taking notes for my Zoo Guides and ZTL update in Avifauna, I noticed someone hanging around with a peculiar-looking camera. We sort of noticed each other at the same time and looked at each other suspiciously for a bit before essentially pointing at each other and saying "zoo nerd". This happened with JustGoron, who was taking footage for one of his "Zoo tours" video.

Since then I realised that I may have walked past other ZooChatters without them recognising me, so I got myself a custom shirt that says "Mr Gharial" on it with big letters

 

[Daktari JG]

two others
1) stranger answering someone's out loud question to someone in their group
2) someone standing there pointing out the animal "no one else can find"

 

[birdsandbats]

We really need ZooChat merch so we can wear it to zoos and recognize each other. Baseball caps and T-shirts are something I would buy.

 

[Gretchen L]

I always wonder if the "singles with cameras" that I spy when I'm at the zoo are fellow ZooChatters. I haven't been brave enough yet to ask, but maybe in the future. On a (slightly) related note, now that I'm a volunteer, I feel so weird being at the zoo in my regular clothes. I always feel that I need to explain that I'm a volunteer when I chime into someone's out loud musings about the primates.

 

[Dassie rat]

Taking photos of enclosures, regardless of whether the animals are visible

 

[Fallax]

I was at Leeds Tropical World for the first time last week and I was constantly stopping to get my phone out adding to a species list... It's not something I do often but it made me feel like a "proper" ZooChatter.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

I feel like the word choice from hearing visitors talking at zoos can have an impact of noticing someone that has a chance of being a ZooChatter. Practically all ZooChatters (and other very strong zoo nerds and studbook researchers) would generally exclusively use these terms listed below, and chances are you may have seen or met one or more if you hear any of these terms used by a visitor there.

• "exhibit" rather than "pen", "home", "paddock", or "enclosure"
• "species/subspecies" (rather than "breeds", "types", "kinds", "colors" or any other word describing it)
• "offspring" rather than "babies"
• "exhibit" rather than "area of the zoo"
• "studbook" used in any context
• "pedigree" when hearing specific general information (exact dates of birth and death, full parental, siblings, and offspring details, arrival and departure dates, cause of death/transfer/separations, etc.) on animals who lived there both presently and in the past.
• Any terms and abbreviations that are little-known outside or exclusive to the zoo enthusiast world, for example "Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus/EEHV".
• If you notice a note-taker or species list writer, a way of almost confirming a ZooChatter would be to ask them to show you their list and if they do, if you notice use of one or more of the terms listed above, that could very well just might be one. But the mother of them all would be if you find "1.0" or "0.1" or any other numbering like that rather than "male/boy" or "female/girl" on their list, I am 99.9% sure you have just met a ZooChatter or other major zoo nerd.