littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
No. There are plenty of adults who are just as 'distracting' and problematic as some children.
Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo? #2
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Lota lota
Well-Known Member
If zoos were to have child free days it would require the zoos to only sell theit tickets by pre booking.
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Lafone
Well-Known Member
In theory the absence of screaming smaller people would indeed be fun.
But zoos are there for all the visitors and the social media backlash would be so stupid and out of proportion it could impact zoo revenue.
In the end if you want quieter days then ‘off peak’ can be child and indeed even people free days in many collections - I take a days holiday to go to the zoo in the week out of school hols (as well as going on weekends) and out of season it’s often very quiet too even in the busiest zoos.
However annoying (and let’s face it kids and their parents only spend about 38 seconds at most exhibits if the kids are screaming or need a snack or whatever so you can also just wait then out) I hope the kids are learning something at the zoo and finding the wonder and fun in the natural world that we have as the zoo chatters of the future. So I’ll just find a quieter space or a quieter time or walk off and come back later. That way the zoo doesn’t have to deal with handling the ‘human rights’ they’ll be accused of infringing if they stopped people visiting.
Some Zoos have quiet or sensory sensitive days and those are great and people under stand why those would exclude other people. Child free would just be a hassle for the zoo and family revenue is what pays a lot of the bills.
Some zoo visitors can be annoying (more adults have done dumb things in front of me than kids tbh) but most are fine.
It'd be the only surefire way for you to visit your local zoo without bumping into one of your myriad progeny, so I can't say I am surprised you've considered the possibility
I've certainly encountered more adult troublemakers than child!
Some zoos do have adults-only after hours events (usually with some sort of alcohol involved). Depending on the event, I'm sure you could find some where viewing the animals is still possible, or even a big part of the experience.
I was at the Minnesota Zoo last weekend, minding my own business next to one of the Black & White Colobus Monkeys, when an a woman can up to me and told me to move out of the way so she could talk to the Colobus. She stayed there for about 30 seconds and then left. Not really sure what that was about, but it did irritate me a little.
The Colobus remarked its disappointment towards her behavior in your regard with its distinguishing frown, so the woman understood and left
You should have said "I was just talking to the colobus and he said he didn't want to talk to you".
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
I didn't know what you meant, so I looked it up. You weren't kidding about the frown. Hopefully no anti-zoo activists misuse their image to make zoos look bad!The Colobus remarked its disappointment towards her behavior in your regard with its distinguishing frown, so the woman understood and left
Colobuses are notorious for looking sad and I've seen it be used for anti zoo purposes at least once, but in many zoos it is explained that the frown is their natural relaxed face muscles and they are not capable of smiling, same for gorillas, although they don't look as sad as ColobusesI didn't know what you meant, so I looked it up. You weren't kidding about the frown. Hopefully no anti-zoo activists misuse their image to make zoos look bad!
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
Gorillas look more “mildly frustrated” than sad. Like a dad who just heard something shatter in another room and knows exactly who did it.
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
I hate it when people cram together in front of the glass of an exhibit, and I doubly hate it when they follow the animal’s movements and block my view at the same time.
(Granted, I’ve followed moving animals behind glass, too, but I do it by myself and NOT with 20-30 other people.)
(Granted, I’ve followed moving animals behind glass, too, but I do it by myself and NOT with 20-30 other people.)
I got to visit Busch Gardens this past weekend for the first time in a very long time and stopped by the hyenas and lions. A lady said “this is depressing” at the hyena habitat. I heard a conversation about the hyena being alone even though there was another sleeping in the dark of the cave, so I don’t know if she was referring to the hyena seeming alone or that fact it’s in a zoo.
Then the male lion began to roar. I rush over to watch as most others. After he’s done roaring a girl, no older than 10, said “he’s so sad, he wants to be free.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone that young say something like that about a zoo animal. I responded in a light-hearted tone saying he gets free meals, all the naps, and doesn’t need to worry about fighting or stress, and who I guess was her older brother, smiled and said “true.” Great visit though.
Then the male lion began to roar. I rush over to watch as most others. After he’s done roaring a girl, no older than 10, said “he’s so sad, he wants to be free.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone that young say something like that about a zoo animal. I responded in a light-hearted tone saying he gets free meals, all the naps, and doesn’t need to worry about fighting or stress, and who I guess was her older brother, smiled and said “true.” Great visit though.
Kristin Rodrigo
Member
As someone who worked in a zoo, I could write a novel about this.
Here are some to start:
Here are some to start:
- Tapping on the glass
- Using flash photography when there's clearly a sign stating not to
- Naming the animal incorrectly when the sign is right in front of them (peeves me because they're trying to teach their children but putting no effort in being correct)
- Apes vs. Monkeys - pls know the difference
- Poison vs. Venom - this boils my blood
- Anthropomorphization - stop making everything about humans
- Not being mindful of how much space they're taking up especially if they're a big group and it's a busy day. Please move your stroller to the side.
- Trying to poke their fingers inside the mesh. Like why.
Given that the distinction has been a rather recent trend (starting in the 1970s) and isn't a given in other languages, I rather see it as a chance to educate them about the difference and toxinology in general.
Today at the Detroit Zoo I heard a family very loudly complain about how they couldn't see the red panda (which was on exhibit but really high up in a tree and they wouldn't read the "look up" signs). This is because they usually go to John Ball, and apparently the John Ball Zoo doesn't have any pandas.
I've heard plenty of incorrect identifications of animals over the years, many of which I've heard all the time (e.g. mixing up the words Leopard, Jaguar, Cheetah, Serval, etc.), but a select few are particularly amusing. An especially confusing one I heard recently at Turtle Back Zoo. At the white-cheeked gibbon exhibit, an adult looked at the gibbons and called them koalas. I've heard gibbons be called monkeys plenty of times, but koalas was a particularly confusing misidentification to me.
Today at the Detroit Zoo I heard a family very loudly complain about how they couldn't see the red panda (which was on exhibit but really high up in a tree and they wouldn't read the "look up" signs). This is because they usually go to John Ball, and apparently the John Ball Zoo doesn't have any pandas.
fwiw JBZ does have red pandas