Visiting zoos in the winter

S

Shirokuma

Well-Known Member
Some zoos close entirely, others have limited opening or limited access, others carry on as they do in the rest of the year.

Which is the best zoo to visit in the winter months?
 
Toronto Zoo is most enjoyable in the winter. The crowds are greatly reduced and for the ones on display, the animals are usually a lot more active.
 
Any zoo with a lot of indoor exhibits would be fine to visit in the winter. Also, any zoo that is not in a very cold area (for example, I'm sure zoos in Arizona would be perfectly fine to visit in the winter).
I have visited the San Antonio Zoo before in January and it has been 70+ degrees.
 
Any zoo in Australia.
 
Actually I went to Taronga in August a few years ago and it was wonderful, for me the weather was perfect.

London Zoo finishes very early at this time of year but I like that it is often fairly quiet.

Most of my early zoo memories are of being absolutely frozen, marching around Chester in the cold, my parents probably wishing I had a less demanding obsession!
 
Hix said:
Any zoo in Australia.
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I think it's summer that is more of a problem. Two years ago I visited Melbourne Zoo on a 40 degree day in January and we had the whole place to ourselves but most of the animals preferred to sit in the shade or their pools. I think it's a bad sign when the reptile house is cooler than outside.
 
If your in the UK and you can hack the cold, the snow and the god awful traffic I would most definately suggest the Highland wildlife park, if just to see the polar bears enjoying the snow!
 
Chester is good for the indoor enclosure's.
Dont know about Whipsnade visiting on sunday hopefully.
And i think South Lakes is okay with most of the animals having indoor viewing.
Regards Jordan.
 
siamang27 said:
...I'm sure zoos in Arizona would be perfectly fine to visit in the winter).
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Due to the hot summers and mild winters, the latter time of year (winter) is actually the busy tourist season for central and southern Arizona (i.e. Phoenix and Tucson). We are the opposite of most of the rest of the U.S. - they raise their hotel rates in summer and we actually lower our hotel rates in summer. Also, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum charges a higher admission in winter than in summer. Once our new elephant expansion is done at Reid Park Zoo, there is a strong chance we will start doing the same thing.

As for a true winter experience, the Minnesota Zoo owns several hundred acres, including some undeveloped forest land, and they actually let people cross-country ski there in winter.
 
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