Managed to get about an hour at the Wellington Zoo (Wellington, New Zealand) today before we needed to head to the airport to catch our flight home.
I wasn't sure I was going to go, since it was windy and raining, and very very cold when I first got up, but by the time I was ready to leave, it had stopped raining. Maximum temperature was about 8 degrees I think/
It's a small zoo, built on the side of a hill (in some places steeper than Taronga Zoo !!), but I was quite impressed with what they had done with the place. Being hilly also meant that I had no trouble keeping warm from the exertion
In particular, the viewing platforms were great - in quite a few places you could get up high and look over the fence at the animals - which is always better than looking through a fence in my opinion.
The giraffes were especially good, they had tied some branches up near the viewing platform, so you were able to get really close to the giraffes while they were eating. Other great viewing areas include the Chimpanzees, the lions and tigers. I wish more zoos would do this kind of thing.
The Chimpanzees were really good, a two level viewing platform provided an excellent view, and you were actually quite close to them. It was a very cold, and two of them were huddled close together. Some of the younger Chimps were running around having fun, and there was a very young baby lying in the grass screaming for mum (who eventually gave in and came to pick him up and feed him) - all within about 5m from where I was able to stand.
I was able to get really close to the Hunting Dogs, and to the Cheetahs, with the latter being right up at the fence no more than 2 feet from where I was standing. I think they were all waiting to be fed, although having four hungry hunting dogs watching your every move was a little disconcerting.
I was able to get up close and personal with a very inquisitive ostrich, had an interesting conversation with a psychologically distrurbed camel who had incredibly bad breath, stared down a pair of lionesses, enjoyed a brief patch of sunshine with a meerkat, and chatted casually to the otters.
I'll post some pictures and write some more when I get a chance.
Overall, despite being a small zoo, I could happily have spent most of the day there since you were able to get so close to the animals and watch them play.
I wasn't sure I was going to go, since it was windy and raining, and very very cold when I first got up, but by the time I was ready to leave, it had stopped raining. Maximum temperature was about 8 degrees I think/
It's a small zoo, built on the side of a hill (in some places steeper than Taronga Zoo !!), but I was quite impressed with what they had done with the place. Being hilly also meant that I had no trouble keeping warm from the exertion
In particular, the viewing platforms were great - in quite a few places you could get up high and look over the fence at the animals - which is always better than looking through a fence in my opinion.
The giraffes were especially good, they had tied some branches up near the viewing platform, so you were able to get really close to the giraffes while they were eating. Other great viewing areas include the Chimpanzees, the lions and tigers. I wish more zoos would do this kind of thing.
The Chimpanzees were really good, a two level viewing platform provided an excellent view, and you were actually quite close to them. It was a very cold, and two of them were huddled close together. Some of the younger Chimps were running around having fun, and there was a very young baby lying in the grass screaming for mum (who eventually gave in and came to pick him up and feed him) - all within about 5m from where I was able to stand.
I was able to get really close to the Hunting Dogs, and to the Cheetahs, with the latter being right up at the fence no more than 2 feet from where I was standing. I think they were all waiting to be fed, although having four hungry hunting dogs watching your every move was a little disconcerting.
I was able to get up close and personal with a very inquisitive ostrich, had an interesting conversation with a psychologically distrurbed camel who had incredibly bad breath, stared down a pair of lionesses, enjoyed a brief patch of sunshine with a meerkat, and chatted casually to the otters.
I'll post some pictures and write some more when I get a chance.
Overall, despite being a small zoo, I could happily have spent most of the day there since you were able to get so close to the animals and watch them play.