Hello! I am posting this thread to share everyone's favorite memories from going to a zoo. The memories could be about, Watching an animal, Seeing a dolphin show, or simply eating at a zoo restaurant. It is a chance for me to get to know you all a little better and share everyone's favorite zoo memories. Have Fun! I am excited to hear your guys experiences at a zoo/aquarium. Good luck! Best wishes, Luke.
I have a few special memories: Seeing my first polar bears at Copenhagen Watching Colorado River toads feeding at Frankfurt Climbing into the canopy in Masoala at Zurich Spending time with Baby at Duisburg My first tarsiers at Singapore Night Safari My first whale sharks at The Cube Chengdu Having a pod of belugas to myself at Hangzhou Polar Ocean World My first walruses at Hagenbeck Warming up in the Mole House at Tama Realising that I loved Stuttgart in the mountain area Meeting so many people at the IZES meeting at Hamerton And most recently: Enjoying a quiet beer in Burgers Bush at sunset
25. In fact all of these are after I turned 25. I have early zoo memories but they are not zoonerd ones.
One of my favorite memories was recently. In the jungle at the Minnesota zoo, the zoo was going to close in 30 mn. I made my way out when I spotted a keeper at the Tortoise enclosure feeding the tortoises. I started to chat, when he asked me if I would like to feed the tortoises. It's great, when zookeepers interact with guests. It was especially nice to feed the tortoises.
When I hang out with dolphins at a zoo/aquarium there are usually a lot of annoying kids around, but I do have one special memory with marine mammals. The Manatee at the Columbus zoo were up close to the public, (Me, since I was one of the very few people there. It was in the middle of January so yeah). But anyway, I think the Manatees really enjoyed not so many people crowding around them. It was beautiful to see them up close and interactive.
There are so many to choose from, just a few that immediately spring to mind: • my first Sumatran rhinoceros (Port Lympne) • my first shoebill (Frankfurt) • my first aye-aye (Vincennes, Paris) • the male Asiatic elephant "Siam" (Vincennes, Paris); definitely the most impressive elephant, with the finest tusks, I've ever seen • my first marbled cat (Los Angeles) • my first proboscis monkey (Cologne) • my first golden takin (Liberec) • the only Jentink's duiker I've ever seen (Berlin Tierpark) • the only true mountain gorilla "Reuben" that I've ever seen (London) • the northern white rhinoceros "Ben" (London) There is no doubt, though, that my fondest zoo memory is the common hippos at London Zoo back in the 1950s (they left the zoo in 1960); these were always my favourite animals at the zoo when I was a very young child.
First Aye-aye is a personal highlight at Jersey zoo, watching her travelling through the branches of her enclosure. A red ruffed lemur (now sadly dead) jumped on me in Five Sisters zoo. It was great to have such a close experience with such a stunning species.
Not sure if it could be called a "favourite" due to how sketchy it is, but in the early nineties I visited Longleat and we were allowed out of the car in the first reserve. I know now that there were keepers on hand to keep the animals in their place, but to my seven (possibly eight) year old eyes we were walking with zebras and giraffes. My first (and currently only) ZooHistorica was pretty memorable as well, it's where I cemented my hard-drinking status on the zoo enthusiast scene!
Probably my first visit to the Bronx Zoo, it was an event by the Kratt Brothers for the grand opening of Madagascar! It was amazing and the only time I have ever seen them in the flesh.
I Have seen the kratt brothers! I went to a see a presentation on zoology in 2013. (I got to shake Chris's hand at the end)!!! Not really a zoo memory.
I saw "Sahib" several times both in Leipzig and at Cricket St. Thomas. He was a huge animal: I think he was probably the tallest elephant that I have ever seen. However, lacking his father's enormous tusks, he was not such an impressive beast as "Siam" was.
Do you know why ZSL stopped keeping common hippos at London Zoo, Tim? Did they decide that there was only room for them at Whipsnade?
The hippos were sent away because the old Hippo House, adjacent to Decimus Burton's Giraffe House, was due to be demolished as part of the Cotton Terraces redevelopment. The last common hippos at London Zoo , "Neville," and "Fifi," were sent to Whipsnade in the autumn of 1960 and, at about the same time, the pygmy hippo “Peggy” was sent to Paignton Zoo. The old Hippo House was demolished shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, a few months after they arrived at Whipsnade, the female “Fifi” attacked and fatally injured the male “Neville”; “Fifi” was subsequently sent to Belle Vue Zoo (Manchester). The original intention was to build a new exhibit for common hippos near the Elephant and Rhino Pavilion (now called the Casson Building) but sadly this plan never materialised. Pygmy hippos subsequently returned to London Zoo but common hippos never did.
I can remember the Hippo house vaguely and have a memory of the terrible smell in there, with people coming out holding handkerchiefs over their noses... Some of your favourites would be mine also( Sumatran rhino, Shoebills, Mountain gorilla, Aye Aye, Proboscis monkeys etc). My three other most significant memories are probably; 1. Indian rhinos Mohan and Mohini at Whipsnade Zoo in the 1950-60's. 2. Seeing the Basel gorilla group for the first time(1969) 3. Seeing Spix Macaws at Paira Daiza earlier this year- after an approximately fifty year wait.
I have a few favourite moments: Berlin Zoo: 1. When I get to the African Wild Dog exhibit, it happens to be feeding time. So I was lucky enough to see them hunt. I was pretty much amazed by the way they rip off the meat. 2. I don't know why but absolutely love watching the bull Asian Elephant, the sheer size of this guy makes me amazed. 3. My first time seeing the Kiwi, Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Indian Rhinoceros, Giant Anteater, Gorilla, Capybara, Przelwalski's Wild Horse, and so many other species in person. Singapore Zoo: 1. Feeding the Asian Elephant, Giraffe, and White Rhinos. They are pretty common zoo experiences, but getting up close with them are amazing. 2. Watching the huge Saltwater Crocodile up close. The sheer size is absolutely humongous. 3. Watching the Asian Small-Clawed Otters swim and play while waiting for rain to dry out. 4. When I visit Fragile Forest, I happen to meet an Australian tourist who seems to be very surprised to see a duck (I forget the species) fly. I decided to have some nice chat with her and explain that ducks can indeed, fly. Copenhagen Zoo: 1. The time I saw the huge Polar Bear are definitely one of my favourite moments. I love the sheer size of that thing. And it also happens to be keeper talk, so the bear was active and are swimming and playing. The Arctic Ring enclosure are also amazing. 2. I have some amazing memories at Elephant House. Seeing the huge indoor enclosure and the beautiful interior design of the building is pretty amazing. And also the moment an Asian Elephant (I think it's a bull) also pretty darn close to me reacting out a ball nearby. 3. I spent the last few hours before the zoo's closing going in with keeper talks around the Savannah area. I get a few great information about animals, some funny stories (apperently an ostrich gets too close to a rhino and got gored in the private area), and simply had a great chat with them (even though I don't understand anything they say in Danish). 4. My first time seeing Tasmanian Devils, Okapi (I missed it during Berlin Zoo visit), Abynissian Ground Hornbill (also missed), Impala, Sable Antelope, and Musk Ox in person. 5. I don't know why, but the memories of the Bacterian Camel and Lion exhibit excites me. Probably because these were some of the first animals I've seen in the zoo. 6. Now this is a funny one. When I visit the Panda House, I was like "oh, cool". That's pretty much it. Then the next day, when visiting BIG architecture museum, I was pretty surprised to learn that the Panda House happens to be built by the same company that happens to also build so many cool, innovative, buildings around the world. And then, I learn about the architecture of the exhibit, I was very amazed by the innovation of the exhibit. I didn't even notice it's supposed to be Yin-Yang shaped. Needless to say, I regret that I didn't appreciate the Panda House more when I visit the zoo. In General: 1. Viewing Hippopotamus (Nile) everytime in general. The sheer size and strength of these things are absolutely amazing. And their appearance are cute, yet so deadly. This is my absolute favourite animal on earth. So I usually love pretty much love every zoo that houses Hippos. The best moments I still remember is during the feeding time in Berlin and watching them sleeping in Copenhagen. 2. Other animals that always excite me are large constrictors and large pachyderms in general. So animals like Asian Elephant, Green Anaconda, and White Rhinoceros always makes me interested.
