What makes you want to visit that zoo?

When you plan a visit to a zoo, what makes you want to visit it?

It could be because of:
- The species it has
- The amount of animals
- The ranking and ratings
- The fact that it is a zoo and you would visit it regardless of other points listed
- How good it is in your opinion (enclosures, playgrounds, food etc.)
(for example)

I just visit a zoo because of the fact that it is a zoo, I prefer if they have species I like but I would still visit it anyway.

 

Unusual species, architecture and a tropical house would be top of the list. I have a fondness for aquaria and vivaria particularly. But also things like old style bird and small mammal houses like the Bird House at Warsaw and the small mammals at Artis. Rip Clore...

 

I would like to go to a zoo with interesting animals(i.e. quetzals hummingbirds monkeys) and in good conditions(such as the Toledo zoo and the Virginia living museum)

 

Two main conditions of why I would visit a zoo.
1.Species.Not the number of species of animals,but rather the rarity of the species is(in captivity)
2.Animal condition. I really don't think i will visit Pata zoo, or like Surabaya. Mainly because there are in my WACZ(worst animal condition zoo).
Notice that I will mainly focus on species rarity more. If the zoo have a very rare animal in a bad enclosure, I will still visit it.

 

- Natural, big and nice exhibits. Natural light preferrable. I see almost pointless to observe, let say apes in square, small and indoor concrete enclosoures (with barren floor - made of waterproof coatings, and not soil with plants) (for example as in Zoo Berlin);
- Zoo is holding particular zoo animals (for me most interesting, apes, monkeys, rhinos, giraffes, okapi, elephants, spotted cats, arboreal mammals like koalas, parrots, hornbills, vultures, toucans, venomous snakes, rare interesting lizards - like Utila spiny tailed or Fiji banded).
- Good climate with outdoor enclosures and big tropical indoor houses. Thus I put San Diego zoo number one on my list of most-wanted-to visit, zoos. Valencia bioparc extraordinarly zoo, rare type in Europe.
- I don't like petting sections in zoos holding ''hot'' zoo animals.

 

I visit zoos for three reasons. Interesting exhibit designs and old style architecture. Colorful bird collection, which coincides with my third reason: Photography. I once had a dream of becoming an animal exhibit designer and old style architecture and unique designs always intrigue me more than most mammals do nowadays - It's in my blood. This is why St. Louis is my favorite zoo with their reptile, bird, and primate houses. After seeing almost every mammal, types of fish, and types of reptiles there is to see in a zoo, but with every visit to a new zoo comes with a bird I've never seen. Because of this, birds have become my favorite animal to photograph.

 

My first reason for visiting a zoo I hadn't been to before would nearly always be the species held ( hopefully rarities).

 

If I were to go to a zoo that I've never been to, it would be to see what species they have. If it's a zoo I have been to in the distant past, it's either for nostalgia or to see what's changed.

 

I generally go specifically for rare species, or just to go to see what they have. I generally could care less about the exhibits, as long as the animals are well taken care of. (This is why I tend to find myself in horror shows like the GW zoo...)

 

Like you, I enjoy zoos in general. But I do take more of an interest when the place has rare species, or does a lot of good conservation work. I'll stay away from places I think are too low quality and bad for the animals. I reeeeeeeeally want to visit the San Diego Zoo and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I hear both are spectacular and have lots of rare species. SDZ in particular has pangolins!

 

''SDZ in particular has pangolins!"

I thought Baba, their last pangolin , died ?

 

The fact that it's a zoo is why I want to visit. I have certain zoos on my list I want to visit, but ultimately I'm not picky.

 

Damn, you're right! How did I miss that news?!

 

My number one reason for visiting a new zoo is for the species, especially for lifers and rarities (I love seeing species I've never seen before, though obviously I love seeing animals in general). I generally visit collections which I know have interesting species I want to see but if I can I'll visit smaller and lesser known ones just to see what surprises they may hold.

Historical significance and fame do factor in to an extent, but it's really the animals that get me in for the most part.

~Thylo

 

Although it obviously begins with the animals, once you've visited a lot of zoos, especially if you are doing so regularly, the thrill of seeing the more common ABCs can really wear off. Now I'm much more interested in seeing how the animals are exhibited. I'm not too fussed about theming or naturalism, I'd rather see innovative design that encourages natural behaviours. I also like seeing anything of historical significance in zoos. For this reason most of the zoos on my wishlist are the heavy-hitters, but small forward thinking places who are outperforming their budget are also welcome!
Although it's always nice to see a new species, if it looks similar to something I've already seen then I'm not too excited. The thrill of seeing something totally new is one of the great animal experiences.

 

This is almost exactly why I visit new zoos, I love how different zoos find different ways to exhibit the same or similar species, especially if that includes exhibits of historical significance. However I must admit I do like exhibits with, not necessarily strong, but good theming particularly if that themeing is naturalistic.

 

For myself, I'd say I have 3-4 large contributing factors(depending on how you look at it). One would be SpOI's*. I am generally very motivated to see some SpOI* I have not seen before or particularly enjoy. For example, I am a very big fan of Birds of Paradise, and more recently, Hornbills. At this point have seen every species and sub-specie of BOP currently in North America and have worked with a couple as well. Hornbills are a newer interest, however I've been doing rather well with them and have seen the majority of species currently represented, and hope to complete the list in the next few years. My motivation to visit a facility can be greatly influenced by a particular SpOI* or closely related AOI**

Another would be facility reputation, good or bad. Whether it is famous or infamous, if it has a lot of hullabaloo surrounding it I want to check it out.

The last two are a bit more self specific. I have two personal goals, one recently completed and the other VERY close. I wanted to see every single orca in captivity in North America, which I recently achieved with a recent trip to Miami. The other is to see every species and sub-specie of cetacean represented in captivity in NA within the past ten years, and I am tantalizingly close with only two species left, both of which I intend to see within the next year.

So now that I've gone, what makes everyone else tick?

*SpOI: Species of Interest
**AOI: The closely related Animal of interest, this being focused more on an individual animal for other reasons than just what species it is.

 

What two cetaceans are you left to see? Thus far I've only seen Beluga, Orca, and Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin.

~Thylo

 

1. It's a zoo

That's pretty much it.

 

Primarily to see a particular species. My priority is always to see sun bears and I wouldn’t purposely travel to a zoo abroad if they weren’t within the collection, but I would definitely visit local zoos within the UK for other species that I enjoy a lot.

Secondarily, I will go to a zoo just because I’m already in that city for other reasons anyway - I did this with New York (Bronx, Central Park, Queens), Wroclaw, St. Petersburg and Shenzhen where there are no sun bears.