Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo?

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I saw something today that infuriated me beyond belief, but I was just too shocked and outraged to say or do anything. At the Buffalo Zoo, the tamandua was sleeping on a tree limb that touch the mesh around the enclosure. In other words, he was like 6 feet away from me and I was actually curious if someone to reach out and touch him. But I knew better and didn't want to attempt it. Well, I found out the answer. The poor tamandua was sleeping and an Amish family walked up and stared at him. One of the girls took the tree branch, that you have to stand under to get up close, and reached it out to touch the tamandua. I was irritated by this, but told myself I wouldn't say anything unless she kept doing or I saw physical harm to the tamandua. But then her brother decided to reach out his arm and poke the tamandua a few times in the stomach with his Gatorade bottle. I was completely shocked. Inside me I heard a voice saying, "Tell him, EXCUSE ME DON'T POKE THE ANIMAL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" But no words came out. Just an icy glare that his sister noticed as she looked over at me. I honestly think if he did this one more time I would have completely lost it. I just feel ashamed I didn't do or say anything. I stayed in the area until they left to supervise their every move. The tamandua, who sat up when provoked, eventually laid back down and went back to sleep. Do tamanduas spray when startled? I know they can give off an odor, but don't know all the facts on their anatomy. I was really hoping that would have happened to backfire on these idiots, but no such luck. What would you all do in a situation like this?
 
blospz said:
I saw something today that infuriated me beyond belief, but I was just too shocked and outraged to say or do anything. At the Buffalo Zoo, the tamandua was sleeping on a tree limb that touch the mesh around the enclosure. In other words, he was like 6 feet away from me and I was actually curious if someone to reach out and touch him. But I knew better and didn't want to attempt it. Well, I found out the answer. The poor tamandua was sleeping and an Amish family walked up and stared at him. One of the girls took the tree branch, that you have to stand under to get up close, and reached it out to touch the tamandua. I was irritated by this, but told myself I wouldn't say anything unless she kept doing or I saw physical harm to the tamandua. But then her brother decided to reach out his arm and poke the tamandua a few times in the stomach with his Gatorade bottle. I was completely shocked. Inside me I heard a voice saying, "Tell him, EXCUSE ME DON'T POKE THE ANIMAL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" But no words came out. Just an icy glare that his sister noticed as she looked over at me. I honestly think if he did this one more time I would have completely lost it. I just feel ashamed I didn't do or say anything. I stayed in the area until they left to supervise their every move. The tamandua, who sat up when provoked, eventually laid back down and went back to sleep. Do tamanduas spray when startled? I know they can give off an odor, but don't know all the facts on their anatomy. I was really hoping that would have happened to backfire on these idiots, but no such luck. What would you all do in a situation like this?
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If I was working, I'd have politely said not to after the tree branch incident. If it was at a zoo I didn't work at, heads would roll;)
 
Today I visited the Sedgwick County Zoo. It was a pleasant experiance, except one thing. I was in the Jungle building, and I saw a small bird walking on the ground. A child of about 6 came up to the bird and KICKED it! I was about to ready to kill him. His parents told him off, and the bird seemed umharmed, but I cannot beleive a child would do this. It just goes to show, today's youth just has no respect for wildlife, and are more intereted in things like this. Its just unbeleivable.
 
KCZooFan said:
It just goes to show, today's youth just has no respect for wildlife, and are more intereted in things like this. Its just unbeleivable.
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Woah slow down my friend! :D Surely, not all with have an interest in wildlife, but a very small amount would even think about doing that! I am 13, and so are many of my friends. NONE of us are "interested in things like this". Just wanted to point out that many youths, including the ones here on Zoochat, do have an interest in wildlife! Just like not all teenagers are Yobs who hang out on Street Corners, just an example! :o

Just thought your comment was abit unfair.... :cool:
 
Shirokuma said:
I went to my local zoo, London Zoo this afternoon and left after about seven minutes - never again will I go on a public holiday.
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You've discovered one of the Golden Rules for ZooChat members- never go on a Bank Holiday if you can avoid it!
 
Paix said:
Woah slow down my friend! :D Surely, not all with have an interest in wildlife, but a very small amount would even think about doing that! I am 13, and so are many of my friends. NONE of us are "interested in things like this". Just wanted to point out that many youths, including the ones here on Zoochat, do have an interest in wildlife! Just like not all teenagers are Yobs who hang out on Street Corners, just an example! :o

Just thought your comment was abit unfair.... :cool:
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I suppose that wasn't completely true. I am 14, and I spend a lot of time around people who would not surprise me by doing this. I know some of us are interested in nature, and that is a good thing, but the majority of children and teenagers today couldn't care less. Maybe that is more common in the United States than elsewhere in the world, but I doubt it.
 
I think there have always been kids who will be horrid to animals, stamp on bugs and pull cats' tails etc, I don't think it's anything to do with today's generation in particular.
 
At Sydney Aquarium the other day, a small child (around 4 years old) was calling every fish "nemo". The mother then turns around to another woman and says quote "I don't care if he calls every fish nemo" end quote. That really p****d me off badly. Also, while I was trying to take a picture, the same child kept crawling over my feet which annoyed me alot. Some people seriously need to restrain their kids......
 
This isn't a particularly zoo-ish thing but when I was at Jungle Park in Tenerife, happily eating my lunch with my family these random parents decided to change their child's nappy on the next table! Firstly, we; (and other people) are eating a few metres away- and secondly, would anyone really want to use the table after that!?

I hate it when parents are ignorant of everyone else and decide to "force" their children onto them. (Making everyone else's experience worse as a result!)
 
I've had several negative experiences with prams being driven like tanks going into war, not saying thank you for holding doors, not making way for anyone else, stopping and blocking pathways...

I appreciate the difficulties of travelling with children but feel like shouting "oy, the world doesn't revolve around you and your kid!"

It's not just in zoos, my local supermarket is as bad!
 
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I find myself nodding or shaking my head in empathy with all of the posts in this thread. I especially liked the 'zookeeper's perspective' ones.

For myself I'm reminded of a time my partner and I were visiting London Zoo. We were among a small crowd around the window looking in at a male Gorilla. He had just been fed and was sitting down to his meal. Obviously tired of being watched and feeling he deserved to be offview during his lunch break (as I certainly would) he sat with his back to the window. A few kids and young adults started to bang and bang and bang on the window, yelling louder all the time. My partner had to keep a tight grip on my hand as my temper rose. Eventually something snapped, but not me, the Gorilla. In a flash he was on his feet, turned around and hurled himself at the window - smashing his muscular arms against it. The bang was deafening and such a shock to us all that everyone jumped back. I swear the window moved a good couple of inches out and back. The Gorilla stalked back to sit and eat. The crowd was subdued for about two minutes before the ****** went and did it all over again. I was dragged away...

I also hate the 'oh this one looks sad' then at the next enclosure 'this one looks sad' and on and on. If the creature in question has no human-like expression for them to judge this on, just how to they know it is sad?

I concluded a long time ago that the worst behaved animals in a zoo are the ones out of cages and charged admission. :(
 
sealion said:
happily eating my lunch with my family these random parents decided to change their child's nappy on the next table!
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One of the cleaners at Taronga Zoo once told me they remove three or four used nappies from the carpark each week. People get back to their car, change the child and leave the nappy on the ground. Periodically they would be found under a bench within the zoo, too.

But the thing that really irks me is cigarette butts. Some smokers (and it seems to be a hell of a lot of them) believe they have the right to drop their butts wherever they are - on the road, on the footpath, in a garden (popular choice) or in an exhibit.

:(

Hix
 
Hix said:
One of the cleaners at Taronga Zoo once told me they remove three or four used nappies from the carpark each week. People get back to their car, change the child and leave the nappy on the ground. Periodically they would be found under a bench within the zoo, too.

But the thing that really irks me is cigarette butts. Some smokers (and it seems to be a hell of a lot of them) believe they have the right to drop their butts wherever they are - on the road, on the footpath, in a garden (popular choice) or in an exhibit.

:(

Hix
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We get at least one nappy a week in the car park.

Twice in five years we've had condoms in the toilets - on the floor, not in the bowl:eek:

But the cigarette butts are Steph's pet hate too. The one's that the public leave stubbed out everywhere are bad enough but the tradesmen are worse - they're here for eight hours a day! She just about got our welder trained when he sold the business and now she's back to square one with the new crew:D
 
if I see people dump their food wrappers or whatever in the place I work, I usually pick it up and take it over to them, saying "excuse me, you dropped this" or something along those lines. They get really embarrassed :D
 
Hix said:
One of the cleaners at Taronga Zoo once told me they remove three or four used nappies from the carpark each week. People get back to their car, change the child and leave the nappy on the ground. Periodically they would be found under a bench within the zoo, too.

But the thing that really irks me is cigarette butts. Some smokers (and it seems to be a hell of a lot of them) believe they have the right to drop their butts wherever they are - on the road, on the footpath, in a garden (popular choice) or in an exhibit.

:(

Hix
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Uhhh, it's so disgusting!
 
sealion said:
Uhhh, it's so disgusting!
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What is really disgusting is trying to photograph an animal whilst stood next to somebody smoking. At least twice last Saturday (and other times on other zoo visits), I have had smoke blow directly into my face from a smoker that isn't considerate enough to stand aside somewhere with their cigarette. I mean, I've seen smokers blow it into animals faces before :eek:
 
Wow. I'm lucky to go to zoos where smoking's not allowed or there's a designated area for that. Not that I haven't seen people smoking while walking between exhibits, but it's been awhile.
 
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