Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo? #2

When I went to Japan I learned that snake eel and sea snake have the same suffix, and the word for sturgeon contains the word for shark.

 

Forgive me if some of these were said. I just got to this thread and was eager to make a post, but I haven't gone through each page. So here it goes.
Being a volunteer at my city zoo, I'd have to say people... especially teens and adults, mixing up animals. For example

Adults rushing up to the tiger exhibit exclaiming "look, the lions!" When I'd say these are the Sumatran tigers, as if the sign, Asian-themed area, and multiple tiger educational items scattered about didn't make that obvious.

People, mainly adults, thinking the very fake zebra carcass in the vultures exhibit is real. Their faces of shock or disgust or "is that real??!" by people looking directly at this obvious fake animal kinda makes me wonder and worry. From a distance, I'd understand, but when you're right at the exhibit looking straight at it and see the hard-textured "fur" and paint, and still wonder if it's real, that's when I begin to worry. Other issues.

Adults banging on the glass at big cat exhibits.

A lady calling the komodo dragon an alligator. A teen, another day, said the dragon was Mrs. Kipling from Jessie. I understood that a hell of a lot more than it being mistaken for a gator, but the reptile lover in me still somewhat cringed.

Being completely ignored by children when you're trying to tell them facts. I understand kids don't have the longest attention spans, but I can't help but feel kinda dumb when I'm telling them a goat's name or a fun fact about lions when they seemed interested, then completely turn away.

People bragging about chopping snakes up or killing them on sight when I had reptile house shifts. Snakes are my favorite reptiles and hearing people brag about killing misunderstood animals like they're badasses when I'm telling you facts on why snakes are important makes me a bit upset. One lady came up to the copperhead exhibit and began sharing a pic of a copperhead coiled up, seemingly hoping to go undiscovered and using its camouflage. She kept saying "it was ready to attack" and then went on to say she killed it. Lady, it was hoping to go unnoticed by a creature much larger than itself, and you killed it and assumed it was going to attack (technically, defend itself. She made it seem like a tiger stalking her.) People pointing to the king snake and telling their children "that's a good snake" then going to the copperhead and saying "that's a bad snake." Educate your children on venomous (hell, even use poisonous since that's the term most people use) and non-venomous snakes. Don't say good and bad. Because great, another generation who'll slaughter any snake with a pointy head. Teach them to avoid the venomous snakes instead of killing, as many bites come from attempted killing of snakes.

A couple of college-aged guys bragging about taking a picture of the reptiles with the flash after reading a sign that said no flash and explained it stresses the reptiles and amphibians. They didn't take a pic, but they just laughed and said "what if I did that" and continued laughing. Yeah, stressing the animals is hilarious if it isn't cute or majestic.

A lady, in the African area, near the sign saying "African Savanna", right in front of the sign that says "African elephant", asking if they were Indian elephants.

There's more I've seen in my volunteering days, but I've shared more than enough. Apologies, but I kind of needed to rant, lol.

One story when I was just a visitor at Zoo Miami, I was speed walking back to the dhole exhibit after missing them earlier that day. I literally went to the zoo with the dholes at the top of the "new animal list" after finding out they came to Miami. I know the sign I read earlier that day said keep quiet and explained the dholes were shy and adjusting. So there I am, quickly walking to find them before the zoo closes, and I'm nearing the exhibit. What do some kids nearby decide to do? Scream and run for no reason. I knew the dholes were gone at this point. Luckily, I ended up seeing them after rushing past the screaming kids. So yay for that!

 

Oh, that's interesting.

 

I guess this counts, one time when I was visiting the national zoo, a kid was throwing rocks a squirrel, his mom did stop him from hurting the squirrels.

 

I don't know who "Blank" is but wasn't it National Zoo where a child was killed by a lion, back in the 60's?

 

I meant in 2013, a keeper was bit by a zebra since he left the gate open.

 

You don't know HOW many times I went to see the giant otters at my home zoo and everyone and their 5th cousin says, "Look at the sea lions!" and then someone would say, "No, sea lions are way bigger." I thought I was going to be mentally saved, to only hear them say right after that, "They're obviously seals!"

 

People screaming and running always bothers me. People need to teach their children to be respectful. It is understandable to some extent, but a lot of it is over the top. Nothing upsets me more than when I'm sitting by an exhibit, trying to enjoy my visit, and then a swarm of little terrors comes by.

(There is a cure for it, though! It's called: "Visiting the zoo in the winter." You usually get the entire zoo to yourself.)

 

At a recent visit to a zoo there was a man trying to get a picture of some Golden-headed Lion Tamarins. They have a wire cage connecting them to an indoor area. There were two sitting in the wire part and the man was able to get pretty close to them. He kept making clicking noises to keep their attention. They both turned away and he reached out and started snapping at them right in their faces. They left after that and he moved on, but it usually annoys me when people make lots of excessive noises at animals and want them to just strike a pose for their picture.

 

That would annoy me too. The only species I ever mess with is kookaburras. I can't resist calling at them, they always call back!

 

That's understandable lol

 

I saw my first wild Common Five-lined Skink at the Toledo Zoo. Before I could get a good look at it, a kid chased it away saying: "ahhhh a lizard escaped!".

 

I see them lots of times, only in Maryland people nick name them “blue-tailed skinks”.

 

That sucks! The worst experience I had with screaming children was when I was spending some quality time with Laura the bonobo at Milwaukee, but only after a few moments of sitting with her some children ran up, cut in front of me, and starting screeching at their parents to "come and look at the ugly monkey." Laura quickly left. She's 53 years old, so I don't really blame her.

 

One more: when people (kids and adults) try to chase the free-roaming birds. I also saw someone kick mulch at a Laughing Gull today. I wanted so bad to say something, but I held it in.

 

I don’t blame you in the slightest. These constant kids doing things to annoy people at zoos is my brother. At my latest visit to the Maryland Zoo, he was constantly saying that the statues of animals were out of their enclosures, and chasing away and stressing out animals, both wild and the animals in the zoo. Also, he isn’t 5 or 3, it is more then 10 years old.

 

Last summer I noticed some children nearby feeding a few mouflons some chips at Toronto, and it seems their parents were allowing them to do so. I did my best to hold it in; it wasn't easy.

 

At Bronx last week a large family of kids separated a peafowl chick from its mother and chased it while their mother watched with joy.

~Thylo

 

That's horrible. I don't know what goes through people's heads sometimes.

 

What were they thinking!?