Petting zoos

I'm guessing by petting zoo you mean the type of section in a zoo where kids can hold small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, and maybe there's some livestock like sheep and cows there too? They're a nice thing to have, especially if the zoo is in a big city where you're less likely to see a farm animal, and bonus points if they have some rare breeds of livestock in there.
 
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I really enjoy petting zoo sections in zoos, especially if they keep more local traditional breeds that are becoming more endangered. It showcases a bit of history of the local lands that was once there.
 
Ursus said:
I really enjoy petting zoo sections in zoos, especially if they keep more local traditional breeds that are becoming more endangered. It showcases a bit of history of the local lands that was once there.
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I went to a state park that had focus on history and they had old farm and house buildings and stuff. They even made it a point to get the breed of pigs that settlers at the time would have had. They didn't let you pet them though, but you could hand feed the chickens, I loved that.

Anyway, I think petting zoos are cool and all, especially for kids. But as an adult, most of them aren't that interesting to me personally. Most of them don't have chickens. But like you say, when there are traditional breeds and an educational bent to it, it's a lot more interesting. A few months back I went to a carnival that had something like this.
 
birdsandbats said:
What does that mean?
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I think by petting zoo facilities, they mean stand-alone, privately owned businesses, and ones that are not part of any larger facility such as a zoo.



But getting back to the original question, I have different opinions on petting zoos, depending on where they are. For the petting zoos or “children’s zoos” as many places call it, that are inside a larger zoo, I don’t mind them. I personally kind of enjoy being able to touch and feed the animals, but to be honest, if I have a limited amount of time at the zoo, the “children’s zoo” is the first one off my to-see list.

As for the stand-alone petting zoo businesses, I just don’t feel like it’s worth the drive just to see some sheep and goats. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against against domestics, but I just feel like there needs to be something a little bit more special and unique, for me to drag myself all the way there.
 
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