Specialized tips for Major zoo visits

amur leopard

amur leopard

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
OK, so, since I started a thread about tips on visiting Beauval a few months ago, I was wondering whether any of you had any tips on visiting other zoos near you. Doesn't necessarily have to be major, just has to be an interesting and cool zoo. Tips should follow this set of guidelines:

Tips should be as succinct as possible (Don't write a novella as a tip)
Tips can range from what season is best to visit in to which way to go around the zoo or even which exhibit to visit first.
When you write your tip, don't forget to mention the zoo name.

I hope this will be a helpful and informative resource for people visiting the zoos mentioned in this thread and will work as a reference station for tips for going to zoos.
 
I'm going to (try to) start the ball rolling by suggesting a few tips for the Montpellier zoo:

Visit in Winter if you want to see the lions
Make absolutely sure that you visit the tropical house (it is better than almost all of the tropical houses I have been to In larger, better zoos, and there are ONCILLA in there)
If you do visit in summer, go to the lions really early or really late and same with the cheetahs.
Enjoy the walks from enclosure to enclosure, it is shaded and really nice, pure Southern France if ya know what I mean ;)
Go to the inconspicuous lemur part of the of the zoo, it is great - I had never been before till last year, and I spent 2 hours in the Madagascar reptile house watching a couple of tortoises push and shove to get under the light :)
Enjoy your visit!
 
The best tip I can give for any zoo is plan your visit with a zoo map. Without it at almost all zoos you will miss things,

Specialized tips:
St Louis Zoo- though it is free the Children's zoo has a fee, but it is free for the first hour.
In the summer that means between 8-9, fall winter and spring from 9-10.
There is a street (I'm pretty sure its Government Drive) on the North side of the zoo
that has free parking, but its limited (particularly in the summer) it also has the added benefit
of being shaded for most of the day by the trees. If you are really cheap and don't want to pay for parking you can also park up the hill by the Art Museum (which is also free and worth visiting).

LA and San Diego zoo -learned these kinda by accident, we went one time when my wife was recovering from a broken knee. We rented an electric cart for her and what the Hell I got one for me. Man what a great way to see both zoos as they are both large and hilly. Go on a not so busy day and you won't feel like a heel for using one of the carts, Instead of feeling tired and exhausted
you will feel quite refreshed from a pleasant day at the zoo.
 
For any zoo:
Visit on a weekday if possible or during the off-season or any time with small crowds

For the National Zoo in DC:
Take the metro there (It is a few blocks from Cleveland Park) or park in a nearby neighborhood, as you will have to pay for parking if you do it in one of the Zoo parking lots
 
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