Dublin Zoo sees record 2007 numbers

TKD SC

"Dublin Zoo sees record 2007 numbers

Over 900,000 people visited Dublin Zoo last year in what was a 20 per cent jump on 2006 and the highest number in its 176-year history, it was announced today. "
From ireland.com

Any views? Good, bad or indifferent?

Lil' Smiler

I visited!!

I'd say with the re vamp it brought numbers up!1 they were opening a new elephant enclosure in September or something as far as I remember!

Pheonix Ski

I myself am one of the 900,000

Killme00

I visted 4 times. Its a great place to go when you get a new camera, especially the Rhino's. every country i go to i try to visit the Zoo.

doctor evil

I`ve been there, it certainly has improved.

Drax

Whats the story with the gorillas? Are they still in that crap enclosure?

arybvtcw0eolkf

I haven't been to the 'new' zoo and I know all the arguments for and against Zoo's, but the last time I went to Dublin zoo I was very uncomfortable looking at all the animals in captivity.

I haven't wanted to return despite the fact that I work next door to it in the park and have free entery.

DublinWriter

I went to the A-Zoo last year for the first time since 1980.

Normally, I'm all 'down with this sort of thing' about Zoos in general, but the animals seemed to be quite content. The place is a bit like the tardis, it's hard to believe how big the whole compound is when you get inside.

I was quite disappointed to see that the weren't running the little-train thing that they had there when I was a kid, but a great day out nonetheless.

TKD SC

Mairt wrote: »

I haven't been to the 'new' zoo and I know all the arguments for and against Zoo's, but the last time I went to Dublin zoo I was very uncomfortable looking at all the animals in captivity.

I haven't wanted to return despite the fact that I work next door to it in the park and have free entery.

Hey Mairt,

I must say I'm similar. I haven't been to dublin zoo since I was a teenager. The last zoo I went to was meant to be world class - Sydney zoo, about 1.5yrs ago. Anyway, I also felt very uncomfortable looking at the animals in captivity and really didnt enjoy it all. The animals all looked very well treated, but its just not natural for them no matter what.
I went to San Diego zoo about 7 yrs ago and at the time I was very impressed. However, as part of my honeymoon last yr we went on safari (proper wildlife reserve) in Africa and after seeing these animals in the wild and the vast territories they roam, I swore I'd never go to another zoo again...

btw, also went to a dodgy "safari park" type place in Jo'Burg which was worse and more depressing than any zoo.

Dyr

Ive been there a few times over the last few years, usually bring the sisters nippers. seeing a tiger/wolf/lion/rhino enclosed with less space than a football pitch is depressing.

punchestown

I think the days of the pacing polar bears and the penguin stock poisoning are a thing of the past but still a little uncomfortable with some of the attractions up there.

Chet T16

I think we went last year at some stage and maybe the year before, i like it and it certainly never made me feel uneasy but i don't necessarily have a problem with animals in captivity

Belfast zoo is quite nice, we went towards the end of last year

Alfasudcrazy

Yesterdays news about the new baby elephant should boost numbers further. I believe the new baby will be made available for public viewing on Thursday.

It seems to be staffed by people who genuinely love their animals so I would feel OK about them being kept in captivity.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0218/elephant.html?rss

Xavi6

I'm also in the group that feels a little uncomfortable at Dublin Zoo. Admittedly I haven't seen the improvements but it was always a little too cramped for me. I had the fortune to go to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo in Queensland over Christmas and that was a wonderful experience. The animals have a lot more freedom and the park is absolutely massive. The site is currently around 75 acres in size but there are serious plans to make it 500 acres! If anyone gets the chance I fully recommend it -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_zoo

Glowing

I'm not one for Zoo's - they depress me. I don't mind the small animals so much, but watching a sea-lions or dolphins swimming laps of a dirty pool really saddens me.

If I had kids, I'd bring them to Open Farms rather than the zoo, much nicer environments if you ask me.

syklops

I, too, was one of the 900,000, and while I will hold that day very dear to me, as it was one of the best days me and my girlfriend had of the past year, I do have to say this, and this is in no way an exageration, but the only animals I saw move were the tortosies, and the seals. I am not kidding, nor am I exaggerating. The tigers/wolves/ penguins/primates/etc did not move. They were either, asleep, sunbathing, or sedated. I am not saying anything against Dublin Zoo, I know they make do with what they get, nor do I want tigers being fed speed so they run around all day, I am just saying they all looked bored, tired and fed up.

I truly believe zoo's can work if done right. I went to Washington Zoo, a few years ago, and it is amazing! Ireland could learn alot from them, but in fairness they could also do with the funding that WZ gets as well.

TBH WZ had the climate aswell, it was 36 degrees the day I was there, and they had free showers giving off mist too cool off the tourists. The animals that needed heat were loving it, and the animals that needed it cold had refrigerated niches they could climb into. Very wel doone IMHO.

They also had a large pool for the dolphins, and they also looked happy. They put on a show, showing how smart they are, or maybe downplaying their intellect to keep the stupid humans happy.

kerrysgold

I've never been there but I don't like the idea of animals being kept in small spaces, especially those that naturally would roaming over hundreds, maybe thousands of acres and would have their own society, I suppose, like Elephants. It'd be nice for the water animals to have more lake-size water rather than pools if that's all they have..... I visited a wildlife park in England once, I think it was in Oxfordshire, and the animals seemed to have it pretty good, the lions where in a very big enclosure but they were behind glass, which I didn't like, but the camels, zebras etc seemed to be happy enough with their land. I suppose zebras are sort of like horses anyway and I don't suppose they mind being safe from becoming Lion food they had small animals too, probably meerkats but I don't remember exactly, I don't think they had any primates. Oh, they had Ostriches as well, they were either Ostriches or Emu's anyway, this was about 6 years ago so my memory is a bit hazy lol.

But with Zoo's, basically I don't think animals should be kept confined like that just so we people can look at them. I for one am happy watching wildlife on TV until I can go abroad and see the real thing.