Tell us about your best zoo experience - something you saw or did that you will never forget. For us, I think one of the best would have to be the Zoofari Lodge at Western Plains Zoo near Dubbo. You stay in a safari tent (with heated terazzo tile floors !) at the back of the zoo, so close to the lions you can even hear them snore at night (well, it seems that way). You get several behind-the-scenes tours and meals provided, as well as two days of access to the zoo. It was a lot of fun - and the tours were excellent.
Quite apart from having a Burmese python wrapped around my neck at Australia zoo ( We dont have snakes in NZ , not even in the zoos ) I had one experience when I was about 10 years old , which reinforced my interest in zoos ever since ; I was able to assist in feeding the hippos . These are not the pygmy hippos that are displayed at Melbourne zoo -- these ones are the BIG variety with HUGE mouths . A hippo comes up to me and opens its mouth wide , and I hurl a cabbage at its tonsils . CHOMP !!!! It opens its mouth wide again for another...... For a 10 year old kid , that was really something !
Marine World Yeah, I know Marine World doesn't really count as a zoo, but I had a wonderful time feeding the lorikeets. They were all over me...one of the most incredible experiences of my life! I enjoyed petting the elephants for free, too! The Phoenix zoo and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum are great as well!
i was actually pretty stoked last time i went to the bird show at taronga and the rufous owl landed on the guy in front of me (it was meant to happen)_another fav zoo experience just lately was watching the new elephants at taronga. i also have fond memories of melbourne's mek-kepah in the cow exhibit with her keepers, doing a bit of landscaping... and lemurs. anyone who has had an up-close experience with them, who wouldnt fall in love??? so gentle
By far, seeing the two Orinoco river dolphins last year in their new incredibly splendid exhibit. I saw them the first time in 2004 in the worst thinkable exhibit (small dark square almost closet-like thing, since 1975!) at Duisburg Zoo and to see them again in 2006 in their new huge exhibit, looking just incredibly happy and seeing their skin had improved a lot almost brought a tear to my eye. Knowing their history...
My best experience would be my recent trip to Taronga where I was able to watch while keepers measured and weighed a couple of baby red pandas, seeing the very small youngsters close up.
