Tips to Enjoy Your Next Visit to the Zoo

Do you remember the last time you were at the zoo was a bad experience? This is probably because you didn't properly prepare for the whole experience.

Most people do not understand how Zoo's work, when it is the best time to visit them and how to properly get ready to enjoy them. If you think that a modern and a healthy zoo is the same as the circus, you are very wrong.

The Guardian argues that zoos were not created with the mindset to entertain animals or to abuse animals, zoos were made to create a safe place for engendered species, to raise awareness and money to support them.

The money you give to the zoo goes to animal research centers, to keep the animals alive and healthy and to ensure that their species will continue existing in this world.

Considering how many animals on this planet have become endangered because we have almost exterminated them either through hunting or by destroying the environment, zoos are something every city needs to have.

We as humans should be aiming to fight against the extinction of animals.

Once you understand the reason for zoos and how they work, you can finally prepare yourself properly to enjoy them.

You can witness these beautiful animals from all over the world in their daily lives as the zoos aren’t made just for kids, they are for adults as well, emphasizes the cincinnatizoo.org.

With some animals, you can even get up close to feel them, feed them or observe how they play with each other. Whether you are there for the cute baby goats, the fierce roaring lion or the giant elephants, here are some of the tips you should know to enjoy your next visit.

Get up early

What a lot of people do wrong about visiting the zoo is that they simply go too late. The first thing you will need to do to achieve the right experience is to go to sleep early and wake up in the morning.

Make sure that you get enough sleep, so you won't be grumpy and sleepy wanting to go home as fast as possible.

Not only will you avoid huge amounts of people that will be screaming and ruining the natural atmosphere, but animals also wake up early and like to do their daily routines in the morning. So if you want to see the feeding of various animals, you should definitely go somewhere around 8 or 9 AM.

After the animals are fed by the zookeepers, they play with each other and then they go relax in their little houses. So if you go around noon you will just probably see them sleeping, which is not as exciting.

Prepare a meal

Just like any other theme park, the food there can be pretty expensive and not even tasty. To avoid spending $50 on a tiny sandwich, you can cook a tasty meal at home or make a couple of sandwiches for yourself, your family or friends.

Most zoos will allow you to bring in your own food if its properly packed into a plastic container and inside a backpack. Just make sure when you sit down to eat in the zoo that you do it away from most animals so you don't disturb them.

Also, don't try to feed the animals as they have already gotten their daily meal and human food can be dangerous for them.

Pack a bottle of water

Considering that most zoos are open-air, you will be walking around the sun for hours and hours. To avoid dehydration and spending 10 bucks just for a tiny bottle of water that you will drink in just a few sips, get yourself a bottle of water.

There is a good chance that zookeepers won't allow you to carry plastic bottles inside the zoo, so consider getting a stainless steel water bottle.

I personally bought mine from Kool8, which make a stainless steel water bottle that is much better insulated than a plastic one which means that it keeps my water cold for longer. They were also called one of the best water bottles of 2020 by GiftWits recently.

Take your time

You already woke up early and prepared food for you, why should you rush through the zoo? You are there to enjoy nature and to follow these beautiful creatures' activities.

So take it slow and give every single animal at least a few minutes before going to the next one.

If you leave too early, you might miss out on the playtime between two lions, the baby deer feeding off their mother or the chimpanzees jumping and swinging around the trees.

If you are not patient, you might not experience anything interesting or exciting and you will feel like the zoo trip was another waste of time.

If there is a behind the scenes option, get it

Some zoos offer some behind the scenes experiences when getting a ticket. Yes, these bonus tickets may cost a bit more, but the experience will surely be worth it. Such zoos will let you get inside the cages of the animals and let you feed them.

You might also have the chance to pet baby tigers or play around with a baby panther.

There is also the option to see rare animals that are not kept in the open like most of the other animals.

Avoid the sun

Since you have decided to go to the zoo, you probably have chosen a sunny day since most animals are hidden during the rain.

However, considering that you will be walking around the scorching heat for more than a few hours, you have to wear the proper attire.

Get yourself a hat, a light (white) colored shirt and shorts. Standing under the sun for so long in such dry areas can be very dangerous for you especially if you come with kids.

Support the zoo

After you have finally explored every single bit of the zoo, there is usually a shop at the exit of the zoo that offers cool merchandise.

Various animal-related shirts, hats, keychains, phone cases and more. If you really want to support the animals and the zoo, you should get a few souvenirs to keep at home or to gift your friends.