Any Zoos you plan on visiting next year?

What happened is that some people confronted me and yelled at me for giving them and there children a dirty look for blocking a pathway. I also yelled back at them at first, before apologizing eventually. Neither the dirty/angry looking nor the yelling should have happened. I am very angry with myself over this and have had to decide to ban myself from zoos, probably for life, as a result.

I wish there was something I could do about this, but I cannot think of anything and I don't have any trust in myself anymore that anything could ever work anyway.

 

I think you're being way too hard on yourself here. We all make mistakes, and you did eventually apologize.

 

Kevin, I hope you're ok. Just remember that last time you committed yourself to never visiting zoos again because of an 'incident' it ended up not being as big of a deal as you thought it was, so I would say instead of committing yourself to never visiting a zoo again, just give yourself a bit of a break from it and see how you feel in a month or two! we're all here for you

 

Those people should have taken better care of their kids and been more conscientious. I also think you are being hard on yourself and absolutely agree with @ShonenJake13, who words it very well imo

 

My plans for 2020 so far include WILD Zoological Park and Edinburgh as almost locked in as new visits, I'm obviously going to be hitting the local collections as usual (BNC, Dudley, SeaLife - for sea otters), and I'd quite like to head down to the West Country and get to Exmoor, but that may be stretching itself. First confirmed zoo trip is going to be mid Feb as a last hurrah with @devilfish and @FunkyGibbon before the latter departs to climes anew.

Since everyone seems to have skipped this, congratulations mate!

You're being far too hard on yourself Kevin, a dirty look does not need to lead to a mouthful of abuse, and if it were me then I'd be feeling pretty happy for standing up for my beliefs. Chin up, and don't stop going to a place you love because of idiots...

 

Likely
Farmony's Safari
Definitely Brights Zoo now they have Banded palm civet
Briarwood Safari
New York City plus Long Island
Less likely
Jacksonville area
Savanna area
few things in Charleston area

 

Thanks fella.........only taken us 16 years!!

 

Confirmed as to its existence but no destination yet!

 

I know that these sort of confrontations can be upsetting...especially if you think you are even partly to blame.....and especially in the self-analysis afterwards. However, the very fact that you thinking about it and punishing yourself shows your self-awareness. None of us are perfect.....not a single one of us.....we all get it wrong from time to time and wish we could go back......that doesn't make us bad people, just human. I know plenty of people who would have forgotten about this event within 30 seconds of walking away, even if they were clearly to blame.

I'd put is down to experience, stop stewing on it (you'll never see these people again probably) and get yourself a positive zoo experience to replace it with asap.

Most of all.......talk to someone you trust. Get it out......and leave it there.

 

We're working on that though, we'll get to go somewhere...

 

Dvur Kralove
Praha
Burgers Zoo
Blijdorp
Artis
Antwerp
Planckendael

Maybe: (depends if a certain holiday will continue)
Berlin TP and ZG
Walsrode
Warsow.

 

Isn't that Olm country?

Whot no (space for) Zoohistorica?

 

It is indeed........hoping they'll have them at the zoo though, as caving seems unlikely!

Forgot ZH.......do we know when it is yet? Late May?

 

Excellent - thank you - I'll add that to the list....I'm sure the wife (2b) will be thrilled!!

Yes - of course - ZH is autumn.......this should work for me, so will add that to list.....

 

I gotta be honest with you Kevin, Like @birdsandbats said, You are being way to hard on yourself. And I had double check the comment that said you were not visiting zoos again. I hope you feel better soon, but you should know that zoochat is supporting you all the way. You should definitely visit zoos again! You made an honest mistake. It's a thing that happens to every single human being. Listen, Your a wonderful zoochat member. I don't think its worth it to ban yourself from zoos forever.
Best wishes, Luke

 

Well said @Newzooboy. Well said.

 

At this point I'm not okay but if I resign myself to never visit a zoo again I don't think I would be okay again, or at least not for a long time as it would be difficult to accept. I still have some remaining desire to visit zoos. I also still want to do stuff with pictures from zoos and I don't want to give those things up just yet. I do recognize that I have some issues that I have to deal with as I try to salvage what I can from this situation that I created through lack of self-control. I think a (lengthy?) break to do so would probably be wise.

I did talk to the person that was with me already, who is a trusted person of me as well as the person that I usually go to zoos with and also my driver (I can't drive myself). I fear she might not want to go places with me anymore and I don't blame her at all as this wasn't the first incident. I understand very well that she is at wit's end with me at the moment. Without a driver the only zoos I would realistically be able to visit again would be Antwerp and Planckendael.

She only seem willing to give me another chance if I fix or least control the issues I have regarding irritation, getting upset, overreacting and panic. I am not sure what I can do in that respect as I have been struggling with these issues for some time and they rear up again with some regularity. I have some thinking to do about this and I am also going to take this up with my therapist (I have autism and other associated issues) in January. I really, really hope something can still be done.

I want to go to zoos again, but I really, really don't want to cause trouble again. I really hope I will be able to fix some things and that I have learned some important lessons from what happened.

 

As a fellow person on the spectrum (I don’t have full blown autism, I have Asperger’s) I can completely understand why you would want to be careful not to upset people with your behaviour, but here’s something even more crucial. Whilst having self-awareness is great (especially if you’re on the spectrum!) we are well known for having our “special interest”. And if zoos, and particularly zoo photography, are that to you then don’t, by any means, stop it. All it does is lead to further issues emotionally down the line!
Just take a break for a month or so, maybe visit Antwerp and or Planckendael a couple times during that period, and get back into visiting other zoos further afield when you’re ready!
Also, if these people you visit zoos with regularly know you at all, they should be willing to help you get through these bumps in the road! Talking to your therapist sounds like a great idea; work out some strategies to get over these mood swings or at least to minimise them