National Zoo Disappointment, more for kids than adults?
Yesterday I went with 3 friends to the national zoo. I was SO disappointed by exhibits they did not have. The ones they had were nice, but most were reptiles/amphibians.
How about an indoor Great Cat exhibit or more animals in the Great Ape House, I mean, 2 lowland gorillas and some orang utans? Elephants are nice (new elephant trails open in 2011) but what about the other 98% of mammals in the world?
It was nice to walk around and take some photos but the experience was dulled by the cages that were small or had tight wire mesh, which ruined any chance of a good photo. I was not spurred on to join FONZ or donate anything to the lackluster park.
I don’t think closing all the zoos is a great notion, we do need them.
The problem with the indoor areas I referred to is they were empty and just not enough specimens as opposed to the reptiles/amphibians where there were plenty of them.
Generally Zoo’s are ment to be a learning experiance and most people have a fifth grade understanding of science. So it is geared for children but should be a great opportunity for parents to refresh their memories. Some of the best zoo’s to visit are accredited with the AZA. Generally those are the ones involved in educational programs as well as a breeding program to return animals to the wild or at least to share with other zoos (so animals won’t be taken from the wild).
The thing that dissapoints me most when I go the the zoo, (the bronx and central park zoo being my fav.s) is that people don’t really appreciate the amount of care that’s involved. Sometimes cages that seem poorly laid out to the public are exactly the way the cage was ment to be. Animals need their privacy too, imagine if your home had glass walls that kids would knock on or rub their boogers all over from 9-5 (especially how bad that is if you are nocturnal).
Yes, American zoos are child orientated. Did not used to be that way. The older zoos are generally more like prisons for animals. That is sad.
I’ve seen the St Louis Zoo and Busch Gardens, both are very nice. Still slanted more toward children. Hopefully the older zoos will be phased out. The best thing that could happen to the National Zoo would be to close it.
I forgot. I’ve been to the Brookfield Zoo, in Chicago. It is one of the old type. I think it should be closed also.
References :
Generally Zoo’s are ment to be a learning experiance and most people have a fifth grade understanding of science. So it is geared for children but should be a great opportunity for parents to refresh their memories. Some of the best zoo’s to visit are accredited with the AZA. Generally those are the ones involved in educational programs as well as a breeding program to return animals to the wild or at least to share with other zoos (so animals won’t be taken from the wild).
The thing that dissapoints me most when I go the the zoo, (the bronx and central park zoo being my fav.s) is that people don’t really appreciate the amount of care that’s involved. Sometimes cages that seem poorly laid out to the public are exactly the way the cage was ment to be. Animals need their privacy too, imagine if your home had glass walls that kids would knock on or rub their boogers all over from 9-5 (especially how bad that is if you are nocturnal).
References :