A Zoo Visitor's Thoughts

I love zoos!   *   What is a zoo?   *   Zoos are endangered!   *   Keep the elephants!   *   Zoos are for adults, too!   *   Comparing Elephant Webcams and Elephants   *   I love the Elmwood Park Zoo!   *   How do you pronounce oh-KAH-pee?   *   I love the National Zoo! (for 11 great reasons!)   *   There is a Moral to This (True) Story!   *   A Trend Turnaround   *   I love the Elmwood Park Zoo and the National Zoo's websites!   *   Winds of Change are in the Air!   *   Research Results   *   Don't Do It!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

My Favorite Zoo Update ...

Well, I was wrong when, after several years of being disappointed with the decrease in the number of animals and the amusement-park like changes taking place at the Philadelphia Zoo, I said I would probably never have a single favorite zoo again.


During the past two years, the Philadelphia Zoo has increased the number of animals and species it exhibits. The Zoo still has the amusement-park like rides (hot air balloon, swan boats, and a recently added carousel, but they no longer seem to be a focus of zoo advertising, or of visitor attention.


That wonderful indescribable atmosphere that had slowly disappeared from the Zoo in the past decade is now slowly returning.


Please look at my new YouTube channel, called "I love the Philadelphia Zoo!" to see why the Philadelphia Zoo is once again my all-time favorite zoo.

I love the Philadelphia Zoo! - YouTube

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

My Favorite Zoo (Exhibits/Areas)!

All my life, I have had a favorite zoo - one that stood out from all the others. The El Paso Zoo, the San Antonio Zoo, the National Zoo, the Detroit Zoo, the Columbus Zoo, the Bronx Zoo, and the Philadelphia Zoo, all have been my favorites at one time or another, for varying periods of time.

But zoos are all changing now, so I don't think I'll ever again find a single zoo that meets all my requirements to be a perfect zoo.

However, in my mind, where all sorts of strange things happen, I can imagine that all my favorite exhibits and areas of the nearby zoos are together in one zoo, so that will be my new favorite zoo.

Below are the exhibits/buildings/areas of the local zoos which I wish I could gather together in one place to create a very special zoo which would have everything I want in a zoo and none of the things I don't want (like rides, concerts, shows, theaters, computer/game rooms, and all those other distractions!)

Jungle World (Bronx Zoo). This fascinating indoor landscape-immersion exhibit transports visitors to a completely different part of the world the minute they walk through the doors. Tree kangaroos, tapirs, binturongs, and ebony gibbons are among the many kinds of creatures that can be seen and heard as they go about their daily lives in this best-of-all-the-exhibits-I-have-ever-seen exhibit!

Carter Giraffe building (Bronx Zoo). You can sit inside in the winter and spend quality time up close to the giraffes in this "open-air" indoor exhibit. You can hear the footsteps ... the snorts ... the munching ... There aren't even any bars between you and the giraffes!

Aquatic Bird House (Bronx Zoo) When I was a child, we lived in Florida for a while, where roseatte spoonbills were everywhere. But I was never able to get as close to one as I can in the wonderful open-air indoor exhibit area inside this building that features roseatte spoonbills and scarlet ibises. And, on hot summer days, I can cool off as I watch puffins swim around in their air-conditioned exhibit area which is designed to make visitors feel like they are on the Scottish cliffs.

Baboon Reserve (Bronx Zoo). The "hairy baboon" tribes that inhabit this exhibit live almost exactly as they would in the wild. And visitors can view them from several different positions and angles.

Sea Lion Pool (Bronx Zoo) They swim, they sunbathe, they have a great time, and so do the visitors who have plenty of room to stand all around this open-air exhibit.

Congo Gorilla Forest (Bronx Zoo). You don't just see gorillas in this combination landscape-immersion/open-air/glassed-in exhibit, although the gorillas are the main attraction. But I like watching the okapis and the red-river hogs even more. (If I could, I would change a few things about the way this exhibit is designed, but, because there is plenty of room for visitors to stand and view the animals, lots of places for visitors to sit and observe animals, and because there are so many animals, and so many species represented, I will include it in my composite zoo.)

Outdoor bird exhibits (National Zoo)
This is my favorite area of the National Zoo. Peaceful and scenic. Beautiful (and not so beautiful) birds are everywhere on both sides of a path leading to the equally impressive Bird House. Visitors often say the Marabou storks are "ugly", but they are my favorite inhabitants of the National Zoo.

Elephant House (National Zoo) This is my second favorite part of the National Zoo. Inside the building, visitors can see elephants up close and watch the keepers perform their daily routines. Outside, the elephants have a large swimming pool to play in on hot summer days. And, in both places, there is plenty of viewing space so visitors feel welcome to stay and observe all the activity for as long as they want. (Plus, the crystal-clear images on the webcams installed both inside and outside of this building allow visitors to view the elephants from their home computers day and night!)

Stingray habitat, part of the Amazonia Exhibit (National Zoo). Here you can look down into the water and see stingrays, large and small, swimming past. This is another special exhibit with no physical barriers between viewers and creatures. You literally could reach over and stick your hand down in the water if you had a very long arm and very little sense.

Seals and Sea Lion exhibit (National Zoo) This open-air exhibit has places for visitors to stand or sit and watch seals and sea lions and also has an underwater viewing area.

Invertebrate Exhibit (National Zoo) Where else could I see a real, live octopus up close every day if I wanted to?

Primate Reserve (Philadelphia Zoo) Perfect viewing areas ... a great variety of primates ... places to sit and observe ... one of the best parts of the Philadelphia Zoo.

Reptile and Amphibian House (Philadelphia Zoo) This is another great building with indoor exhibits featuring a wonderful variety of reptiles and amphibians, all of which can be seen up very close in natural-looking settings.

Small Mammal House (Philadelphia Zoo) From aardvarks to zebra mice; they are all inside this "old" building, which I hope never gets renovated. The sloths are my favorite inhabitants in this building, and their exhibit area is the best because there are no barriers between the visitors' viewing angle and the animals.

African Plains area (Philadelphia Zoo) Open-air views of rhinos, giraffes, zebras, antelope, and storks make this area special! (Note: Watch for this area to become even more special within the next five to ten years.)

Giraffe/Okapi building (Maryland Zoo) Second only to the Bronx Zoo's Carter Giraffe building, this building with its artistically designed indoor viewing area is great (except for the glass, which I would replace with piano wire).

Chimpanzee exhibit (Maryland Zoo) The exhibit is not perfectly-designed, but it IS the only chimpanzee exhibit nearby.

Rhinoceros exhibit (Maryland Zoo) Open-air viewing ... two huge rhinos together ... scenic outdoor landscape ... plenty of room for visitors to stand and observe ... just what I like!

Eagle exhibit (Elmwood Park Zoo) This exhibit features open-air viewing of eagles on the ground a few feet away and perched in trees a few yards away.

Prairie Dog exhibit (Elmwood Park Zoo) This open-air exhibit allows visitors to view prairie dogs of all ages and all the entrances and exits to their tunnels.

Exotic Animal Building (Brandywine Zoo) There is always a flurry of furry tamarin activity going on in this building. And, sometimes, visitors can see a huge snake swallowing a ... well, you have to see that for yourself! (Don't worry - it's not a tamarin.)

Otter exhibit (Brandywine Zoo) Visitors can view two playful otters from above or watch them swim underwater.

Animal Kingdom Zoo - entire zoo This entire small zoo could be the Children's Zoo area of my zoo. Instead of feeding sheep and goats, children could feed all sorts of primates, llamas, camels, antelope and even tapirs!

Then, if I could gather all the benches from the National Zoo which provide visitors with places to sit and observe the animals, I would have everything I need.

I would have my new favorite zoo!

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Don't Do It!

Don't ever visit a zoo with a friend who says she is afraid of snakes.

Don't think once you go inside the Reptile Building, she will see that the snakes are all behind glass where they can't possibly bite her or squeeze her to death, and she will relax and notice what beautiful and fascinating creatures they are.

Don't think that, once you find her after she has run screaming out of the building, she will be in a rational mood.

Don't try to calm her down by telling her to Calm down, we won't go near any more snakes.

Don't think that, while you are walking along a paved path no where near the Reptile Building, a keeper/presenter won't approach and ask you if you want to see the huge snake she is holding.

Note: This post is based on recent observations and a brief conversation with a panic-stricken zoo visitor and her companion, who couldn't stop laughing.

I know better than to visit a zoo with friends who hate snakes.

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Friday, August 03, 2007

Research Results

A recent study of the impact of zoos and aquariums on visitors, "Why Zoos & Aquariums Matter: Assessing the Impact of a Visit to a Zoo or Aquarium" has been published by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

According to this research, zoo visitors can be categorized as:

Explorers (curiosity-driven visitors who seek to learn more about whatever they encounter at the zoo)

Facilitators (visitors who focus primarily on enabling the experience and learning of others who accompany them)

Professional/hobbyists (visitors who go to zoos to add to their professional knowledge or to pursue a hobby)

Experience seekers (visitors who want to see "important sites")

Spiritual pilgrims (visitors who seek a contemplative and/or restorative experience)

The research was conducted to see what zoos and aquariums could do to improve visitor experiences and to enhance and improve visitor attitudes toward zoos, wildlife and nature.

The research concluded that, overall, zoos and aquariums have been doing a good job of satisfying the needs of these various types of visitors.

The researchers suggested that zoos should focus on providing information about their conservation efforts and on providing visitors with an opportunity to experience nature. They also recommended specific changes to satisfy the needs of each particular visitor category.

But it seems that, hoping to continue to attract and satisfy the needs of the Facilitator visitors (and to boost revenue), many zoos are slowly changing into hybrid institutions with exhibits and activities that seem to distract from their intended purpose. (Can anyone explain to me how beer-tasting festivals can inspire an interest in wildlife conservation??? Even after you are sober???)

I conducted my own study of 20 frequent zoo visitors I know well enough to know what visitor category they belong in. Five are Explorers, eight are Facilitators, six are Hobbyists, and one is a Spiritual Pilgrim. (I don't know any Experience Seekers.)

All said they would prefer to have zoos focus on exhibiting animals in a scenic, quiet atmosphere with plenty of informational signs, places to sit or stand and easily observe the animals, and maybe a few areas for children to take a break and play a little in a wildlife-related setting.

Furthermore, as a lifelong zoo visitor who can be classified as an Explorer/Spiritual Pilgrim/Facilitator/Hobbyist, I think the best way for zoos to follow the recommendations of the researchers is to go back to just being zoos with a few added touches here and there to point visitors in the direction of additional learning experiences outside of the zoo.

Then, depending on which visitor-category mood I'm in, I will find a way to make each zoo experience suit my needs, and so will everyone else!

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Monday, July 09, 2007

Winds of Change Are in the Air!

An article published July 1, 2007, in the sports section of the NY Times has caused quite a stir on sports talk shows, and sports-related blogs and forums.

The article, Point Is Made on Grass Court, No Amplification Needed by Harvey Araton, describes the wonderful feeling the author had when he covered a well-known sports event that was unpolluted by the cacophony of "entertainment" that pervades sports events in the U.S. (see http://njoverground.blogspot.com/ for the full text of this article.)

Araton said, "Wimbledon may reek of royalty and rigidity, but it is the preferable extreme compared with the ever-worsening assault on our senses that games have become, for the most part, back home."

It was a pleasant surprise to me that so many people agreed with the spirit of this article and spoke out vehemently about it on call-in shows, in forums, and in blogs.

It appears that it is almost fifty-fifty, with 50% of the people wanting (needing?) their senses bombarded, and 50% wanting to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the events without distractions.

I have been complaining about the noise and distractions in many zoos for a few years (see my past post. Zoos are Endangered) So I am glad the winds of change are in the air.

I hope these winds turn into gusts and head toward all those zoos that are evolving into amusement parks before they become any more "entertaining" and then suddenly, at some point in the future, find themselves with no audience!

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Monday, July 02, 2007

I love the Elmwood Park Zoo and the National Zoo's Websites!

Want to learn something while you are just sitting at home or at work staring at a computer screen? Why not look at zoo websites?

I recommend looking at the Elmwood Park Zoo's website if you are at work. Once you start looking at the National Zoo's website, you won't be able to stop looking, maybe for hours. And if your boss catches you, you may find yourself not working, maybe for years.

Both of these websites are very attractively designed and are easy to navigate. But they also include something that many other zoo websites don't. They have photos and information about the animals they exhibit.

The Elmwood Park Zoo's animal profiles section is separated into five categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods. If you click on the Mammals tab, you will see a list of all Elmwood Park Zoo inhabitants who are mammals. You can then find your favorite mammal inhabitant on the list, click, and see a photo plus information about that animal, the very one you see at the zoo!

"Awesome!" said my neighbor's nine-year old son when I told him and his mother about the website.

"Yes!" I said.

The National Zoo's Animals, etc. page includes links that let you get to the information in several different ways. You can search for animals by classification, you can search for animals that are in specific areas of the zoo, or you can search through an alphabetical list of all the animals at the Zoo. On this website, you see photos, information, and, in many cases, webcam views of the animals!

"Awesome!" said my neighbor's nine-year old son again when I told him and his mother about the website.

"Yes!" I said.

I love the Elmwood Park Zoo and the National Zoo's websites! (and so does my neighbor's nine-year old son!)

Labels: Elmwood Park Zoo, National Zoo

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Friday, June 29, 2007

A Trend Turnaround

In 2005, I noticed many zoos were changing their membership benefits in ways that could make adults without young children or grandchildren feel unwelcome. (see Zoos are for adults, too!)


I found ten zoos that had changed their Individual membership benefits from allowing "one guest per visit" to allowing "one guest under age 12". Since my children are older than 18, and I have no grandchildren (or friends under age 12!), I objected to this new policy!

But I recently checked and found that all ten had changed back to the original benefits, allowing an individual member to bring a guest of any age.

I am very happy about this, especially since I only contacted one of the zoos to complain. That means either a lot of other people also complained (indicating other adults believe zoos should be for them, too), or those in charge of determining membership categories and benefits realized they had been wrong without anyone drawing their attention to it.

Either way, it is good to see a trend in the wrong direction reverse so quickly!

Labels: zoo membership, zoo visitors

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Thursday, June 28, 2007

There is a moral to this (true) story!

Once upon a time (about three weeks ago) a daddy, a mommy, and a little Girl visited the Animal Kingdom Zoo in Burlington, NJ. They saw llamas, camels, baboons, gibbons, foxes, hyenas, tapirs, muntjac, giraffes, lots of monkeys, and an addax, which is a kind of antelope with long, thin, pointy, spiral horns.

At the Animal Kingdom Zoo, visitors can feed most of the animals, so the animals pay as much attention to the visitors as the visitors do to them. When Daddy, Mommy and Little Girl approached, the addax came right up to the fence. That was when Little Girl stepped behind Daddy.

Daddy, wanting to reassure Little Girl that the addax would not hurt her, said, "Look at the addax, honey!"

Little Girl was already peeking at the addax from behind Daddy's leg.

"Look at his horns, honey!"

Little Girl was already looking at his horns. With great big eyes.

"Look how long and pointy they are!"

Little Girl stepped back one step.

"Aren't his horns wonderful?"

Little Girl stepped back one more step, and said, nothing.

The addax tilted its head back and turned it slightly to the side to poke at an itchy spot on its back.

"Look at that! I wish I had horns like that! I could scratch my back with them!" said Daddy.

Little Girl stepped back three more steps.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Daddy had horns like that?"

Little Girl screamed, "NoooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" and ran to Mommy, who had moved on to look at camels.

MORAL: When you are trying to calm your small child's fears, you probably should not put images of you with long, spiral, pointy horns into her mind.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I love the Elmwood Park Zoo!

The Elmwood Park Zoo is one of the most scenic, peaceful zoos on earth. Even special events don't seem to interfere with its overall tranquility. When you enter the zoo, you can literally feel your muscles relax as the calming atmosphere of a true zoological park surrounds you. (Be careful if you have been tense for a long time prior to entering the zoo. When your body suddenly relaxes, you might wobble.)

The Zoo is small (only 16 square acres), but it feels like wide open natural spaces in a park-like setting. As you walk, you see plants, trees, and animals on both sides of the path. You hear all-natural animal sounds, and in many areas, you also hear the sound of water flowing in a nearby stream.

The exhibits are all designed so the animals have plenty of space, but can't be too far away from the visitors' view. Jaguars, coatimundis, tamarins, fishers, porcupines, wolves, foxes, cougars, elk, buffalo, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, bats, burrowing owls, egrets, cranes, and peregrine falcons share the Zoo territory with alligators, snakes, turtles, and piranhas. And none of them try to eat each other.

Seniors can sit on benches and people-and-animal-watch. Families can sit at picnic benches and munch on snacks. College students can lie on the grass and study. Children can play in the scenically-designed playground, climb a play tree with a pretend eagle's nest on top, or crawl through a child-sized prairie dog tunnel.

I have been visiting the Elmwood Park Zoo for more than thirty years, and I have never heard, If you don't behave, we're going home! or It's almost time for the football game, or even My feet hurt, while at the zoo.

I have read that the average time zoo visitors at most zoos spend at each exhibit is 60 seconds, give or take a few seconds. And I've witnessed visitors in some other zoos passing exhibits so quickly they appeared as a blur to the naked eye. But at the Elmwood Park Zoo, visitors of all ages linger at the exhibits.

Visitors stop, lean on the wooden fences, or iron railings, and quietly watch the animals for several minutes at a time. Usually when they talk, they talk in hushed voices so they won't disturb the animals. They even wait when an animal isn't immediately visible, hoping it will come into view.

What causes this unusual visitor behavior? What happened to all that fast-walking, loud-on-a-cell-phone-talking, rapid-chewing-hardly-swallowing, no-way-to-get-my-attention-unless-you-bombard-my-senses, we-have-to-hurry-because-we-have-twenty-other-things-to-do-today behavior all those people were engaged in before they entered the zoo?

It's gone with the breeze.

Labels: Elmwood Park Zoo, zoo visitors

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Monday, June 25, 2007

I love the National Zoo! (for 11 great reasons!)

The National Zoo's website lists ten great reasons for visiting the zoo.

This list shows that the people running the Zoo understand the role of zoos in modern society and are willing to promote it for exactly what it is: a zoo!

Since I am very happy to see a zoo advertise itself this way, I can add an eleventh reason for me to visit the National Zoo!

Labels: National Zoo

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Friday, June 22, 2007

How do you pronounce oh-KAH-pee?

It is related to a giraffe, but it looks like at least one of its relatives (perhaps an aunt or an uncle) is a zebra.

It is called an okapi, which, according to the dictionary, is pronounced oh-KAH-pee. But the dictionary must be wrong, because no one ever pronounces it that way.

Whenever I am standing at an okapi exhibit in a zoo, I try to keep track of the various mispronunciations to see if one occurs more often than others. If so, maybe that could actually be the correct pronunciation, and someone should notify the publishers of dictionaries.

After looking over my notes, I see that the possible correct pronunciations are, in order of frequency of occurrence: oh-KAY-pee, oh-KAY-pi, OH-ka-pee, OH-ka-pi, and oh ... ka ... PEE, enunciated slowly, with puckered lips, and with so much emphasis on PEE that the child actually spits.

Based on the results of my research, the right thing to do would be to send letters to dictionary publishers and ask them to change the official pronunciation of the word to oh-KAY-pee since that is by far the most frequent pronunciation I have observed.

But this may be one of those cases where right or wrong isn't determined by statistical numbers. I actually think the child's exaggerated-enunciation version sounds most authentic, and is definitely the most fun to watch a person say, as long as you stand out of spit range.

Labels: okapi, zoo visitors

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Comparing Elephant Webcams and Elephants

You can watch The Elephant Sanctuary's webcam to see elephants living in peaceful, private, wide open spaces.

And you can watch either of the National Zoo's elephant webcams to see elephants in the outdoor area of their zoo exhibit, or in the indoor area of their exhibit.

I have been watching these webcams a lot lately, and I've noticed some things. First, my eyeballs sometimes seem frozen in place for a few minutes after I get up and walk away from the computer.

Second, all the elephants appearing on all the webcams seem to be doing the same thing: being elephants. About the only difference I've noticed is that the zoo elephants get a daily bath and back scrub, but the sanctuary elephants wash themselves in a pond, then scratch their backs on trees.

Third, while I am watching the Elephant Sanctuary's webcam, I sort of feel like I know the particular elephants, in about the same way I feel like I know characters in a movie.

But the feeling is much different while I watch the elephants on the National Zoo's webcams. I have seen those elephants many, many times in real life, standing a few feet from me, doing the same things they are doing while I am watching them on the webcam. Their images on the computer screen just seem so much more real.

Could it be that sanctuary people, who are fortunate enough to have such personal contact with elephants, don't realize that the reason they care so much about elephants is that they have had that personal contact?

I have said it before, but I want to repeat it here: I love the National Zoo!

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Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Zoos are for adults, too!

... So why are so many zoos creating membership categories that favor families with young children and eliminating categories that encourage single adults or adults with grown children to visit the zoo?

Until recently, almost all zoos offered individual memberships that allowed the member to bring one guest of any age in addition to various other categories designed for families.

But within the past year or so, many zoos have changed the individual membership category to specify that the guest must be a child, or in some cases, a child or a senior citizen.

Why specify the age range of the guest?

In addition, new membership categories have been added to allow families to bring babysitters and grandparents. Obviously, zoos are presenting themselves as places for children, which is good. All children should visit zoos often.

But zoos should also be considered places where adults of any age can go to learn, to go for an outdoor walk, and to relax.

Are zoo directors forgetting that single adults, young adults, and adults with grown children are the ones who are most likely to have money to spare to donate to wildlife conservation efforts?

This "age discrimination" does not make sense from any perspective!

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Friday, June 03, 2005

Keep the elephants!

Animal rights activists are causing many zoos to send their elephants to sanctuaries which, according to animal rights activists, can provide better care. Of course, animal rights activists would prefer to have all elephants returned to the wild.

In all the years I have been visiting zoos, I have never seen an elephant that did not appear to be well cared for. All the zoo elephants I have seen appear content and peaceful.

On the Discovery channel, I have seen that elephants living in sanctuaries behave exactly the same way zoo elephants do. And I have definitely seen evidence that Nature does not always provide the best care for wild elephants.

All large zoos should exhibit elephants. Elephants can adapt to a variety of climates and can survive very well with the good care that most zoos provide.

The ONLY way to inspire an interest in saving elephants in the wild is to allow and encourage as many people as possible to see real live elephants up close.

Labels: elephants, sanctuaries, zoo visitors

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Thursday, June 02, 2005

Zoos are endangered!

I am afraid that zoos, like many of the animals they exhibit, are endangered.

Zoos everywhere are slowly evolving into amusement parks. Rides, animal shows, and interactive exhibits, have replaced animal exhibits.

Isn't it ironic that institutions that are intended to promote an interest in conserving wildlife habitats are allowing commercial ventures to encroach on their exhibit territory?

I believe zoos should make you feel like you are in the animals' territory. That does not mean that all the exhibits must exactly re-create the animal's natural territory.

But it does mean that the entire zoo should look like a natural area, with trees, flowers, and wild animals dominating the scene.

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Wednesday, May 25, 2005

What is a zoo?

The word zoo is short for zoological garden. Not for amusement park.

Zoo visitors should see trees, flowers, and animals. They should hear waterfalls and animal sounds.

They should not see rides, playgrounds, or market places. They should not hear music or voices blaring over microphones or loud speakers.

A zoo should look and sound like the animals' territory. It should not look like a man-made, commercial venture.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2005

I love zoos!

The first time I visited a zoo, I was two weeks old. That is because my father loved zoos, too.

We moved a lot while I was growing up. But, no matter where we lived, my father always took me to visit the local zoo on weekends, even if the "local" zoo was a hundred miles away!

Of course, when we traveled, we always stopped at every zoo along the way, even if that meant going out of the way.

Throughout my childhood, parenthood, and now, my second childhood, I have loved zoos and continued the tradition my father started of visiting a zoo almost every weekend.

I believe zoos are for people of all ages, not just for children or adults with children.

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