Unusual Visitor - Animal interaction

[foz]

I'm interested if anyone came across a suprising interaction between the visitors and the animals. For example at Newquay zoo a family (3 adults) got ver interested in the paca, which frankly I was quite amazed as they are very much like large spotty guinea pigs additionally they clearly hadn't heard of the species (reading the sing several times over). I find the elderly have the best interaction with animals, often they seem perfectly happy to see down on a becnh in front of lions (for example) while a nearby chicken or mara might happily distract them for sometime. Presuming these people aren't zoo nutters (such as ourselves) I find this behaviour suprising and simply wonderful.

 

[KEEPER]

Today in bioparc Valencia, a female gorilla "Dorley has interacted with me, she put her knuckles on the glass, and looked at me ... I put my knuckles on them, she looks at me and then withdrew his hand, in less than 5 seconds for new trial and again I had to do, and she looks at my eyes again ... a look so intelligent ... and a great feeling!

 

[Ara]

It would be a great feeling, KEEPER. This is what most zoo visitors yearn for - contact with an animal. That's why they feed them (even when the sign says not to), pat them or just touch their backs. That's why oldies like me who own pets are happier than those who don't.

 

[Meaghan Edwards]

When I was at the Toronto Zoo, one of the coolest experiences I had was when one of the female polar bears gave me eye contact, out of everyone that was in the crowd. I thought it was really neat.

 

[bongorob]

When the anoas were kept in Chester's old peccary enclosure the female had a young calf and when I approached she nudged the calf up to the fence and prevented it from moving away. After a short time, she walked off and the calf followed her. It seemed as though she was showing off her baby.

One of the musk oxen always came bounding up to the fence whenever I passed and thrust his nose against the bars and would not move off until I had stroked him. It does seem that animals recognise regular visitors.