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I love the zoos near us, there are 5. They are all dedicated to conservation of animals. We love the Cincinnati Zoo the most. They are huge into conservation and education. My kids love the zoo.
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@Mrs. Tiger: hmm I really thought I remembered a sad little giraffe room at the national zoo. Didnt they have giraffes and then move them to other zoos? Or it could totally be a case of mommy brain. I'll have to ask my sis to remind me !
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@charlotte: if they had them, it was years and years ago! I only know because K's absolute favorite is giraffes and we had to go to baltimore to see them
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@honeybear: Agreed entirely.
I think some zoos can be done well and probably nice places, but I'd much rather my kiddo see animals in their natural habitats (even if that only includes the deer and squirrels that frequent our backyard). I didn't visit many zoos growing up but I'm a HUGE proponent for animal conservation and have my MS in Environmental Conservation, so I definitely think it's something that can be instilled in children without having to take them to a place that might not be as well run as it should be.
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@lemondrop: I'm happy to see the Houston zoo on the list!
I love going to the zoo. I think my local zoo is really great and I plan to get a membership next summer. However, I do agree there are bad zoos.
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We don't really have any zoos here, but I can't wait to take LOs to the San Diego Zoo one day!
There is a wildlife rehabilitation center at one of the state parks nearby that we hang out at a lot. It's definitely not a zoo - you can only see the animals if they happen to be out in the yard. Or they will walk the owls through in the mornings sometimes. It's only native species too, so bears, Eagles, owls, etc.
And lots of fish!
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@youboots: I'm surprised to hear anyone describe the Portland zoo as nice, I find it utterly depressing. They're doing a ton of work to it, and I think that in 5 years it'll be a pretty nice space. But ugh, did you see the elephant enclosure before they started expanding it this year? Just, depressing. And the polar bears?
I think that zoos do a lot of great conservation work, which is great, but I do find them to be quite depressing overall. I really disagree with the notion that we all have the right to see these animals up close that are so far out of their natural habitats. I would generally support a movement to limit zoos to only animals that are native to the area.
My daughter loves ours, so we go, but I do feel quite conflicted about it. Obviously not enough to not go, though.
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We frequent the San Diego zoo and its sister park, the safari park. I absolutely love them. They are very into conservation and rehabilitation... And the exhibits are very animal friendly as opposed to cages and crates. I think it's a great educational experience for kids, too. If I lived in a different climate or if the zoo were clearly made for entertainment purposes, I would probably feel differently.
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I have the same thoughts about animal confinement as you. I never really enjoyed zoos until I started going with the kids. I do acknowledge the animal preservation aspects of zoos though.
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I really like our zoo in Portland, but it's so crowded with people!
We're taking the kids to wildlife Safari this summer and I think we'll enjoy that more.
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@MenagerieMama: "I feel that zoos do a lot of important work for species conservation, research, and getting the public excited about wild animals and their habitats"
I totally agree with this!
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