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The Dublin zoo appreciation thread.

Ghandee

Yeah so I went to the zoo today for probably the last time this year.

I'm not convinced Dublin zoo, and the hard working staff that work relentlessly to keep such a magnificent collection of animals, in some, if not, the most modern and excellently maintained enclosures in the world, survive,and prosper, could ever get enough praise from the general public, on such an excellent job they do.

Imho, Dublin Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world.

What are your experiences of Dublin zoo?

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darced

This post has been deleted.

Smidge

Does anyone remember the crocodile/alligator that they had years ago in Dublin zoo?
It was in a tiny(for the size of the animal)tank in what is now the Aviary House(I think that's what its called now)

Oranage2

I know zoos appear cruel but if you ever see animals in the wild all they do is sleep, such lazy bastards.

Dublin zoo is great alright though very expensive.

Feelgood

Some fcuker at work left a note on my desk a few years back, told me I missed a call from Rory Lyons and to call him back.

Twas Dublin zoo. :pac:

WoollyRedHat

I hear they whore the animals out between the respective zoos.

Wompa1

Lapin wrote: »

How many other zoos have you been too around the world ?

I've been to the zoo's in Sydney, Phoenix, San Diego, London, Cologne, Tampa, Dusselsdorf and Dublin

The only two Zoo's I thought were better than Dublin was Phoenix and San Diego

DEFTLEFTHAND

syklops wrote: »

Little known fact:

The lion you see at the start of every MGM movie, was born in Dublin Zoo.

Yeah that's right, I think it was the first Lion they used though back in the 20's and 30s. They've changed them over the years, the Dublin lion is not the one you see onscreen today, By 1957 they'd settled on their permanent model.

Ghandee

Lapin wrote: »

How many other zoos have you been too around the world ?

Belfast, Edinburgh, New York, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, the late Steve Irwins Australia zoo, I've been to a zoo/wildlife park in Portugal which name escapes me now,

Tbh, one of the more depressing ones on that list was the NY one ohm central park.

Here's that close-up of the gorilla.

Heres that gorilla pic btw.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/4897/gorillaol.jpg

xOxSinéadxOx

I find the zoo to be a bit boring, not really my cup of tea. Although I went to the zoo in the bronx in new york and I quite enjoyed it, maybe cos the weather was so nice and it's better than dublin zoo.

FullblownRose

I haven't been to the zoo since I was about 9...I would love to bring my son to see it even though I do feel sorry for the caged animals as well. It's going to be expensive with accomodation and it's confusing trying to work out how to get around from A to B without the car up there.

I had fair hair as a child and I think a llama mistook my hair for straw and I can remember it had a good nibble on my hair through the fence of the enclosure.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I haven't been in a long time but am I right in saying that a lot of the enclosures have been expanded, the lions and tigers for instance I hear now have a decent area to roam.

I'm no animal psychologist but I imagine most of the creatures are happy, they've a good standard of living and I've always heard Dublin zookeepers go above and beyond in the love and care they show to all of them.

Krieg

Went there as a kid, I want to go again
But being in your mid-twenties, friends dont care for zoo's

Micky Dolenz

Shur With all those nature channels, we hardly need Zoos.

keithclancy

Ghandee wrote: »

Well I got to within an inch of a silver back gorilla today.

Bit of glass reflection, but you'll get the drift.

Edit, can't attach pics at moment.

Was that you in Rotterdam :pac::pac::pac:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokito_%28gorilla%29

On May 18, 2007, Bokito jumped over the ditch that separated his Rotterdam enclosure from the public and violently attacked a woman, dragging her around for tens of metres and inflicting bone fractures as well as more than a hundred bite wounds. He subsequently entered the nearby restaurant, causing panic among the visitors. During this encounter, three more people were injured as a result of the panic. Bokito was eventually sedated with the help of a tranquilizer gun and placed back in his cage.

The woman who was attacked had been a regular visitor to the great apes' enclosure, visiting an average of 4 times per week. She had a habit of touching the glass that separated her from the gorillas, while making eye contact with Bokito and smiling at him, a practice that is discouraged by primatologists, as apes are likely to interpret human smiling as a form of aggressive display. Zoo employees had previously warned her against doing this, but she continued, claiming a special bond with him: in an interview with De Telegraaf she said, "If I laugh at him, he laughs back".[1]

Micky Dolenz

Feckin ape.

juan.kerr

Meerkats rule. Simples.

Ghandee

keithclancy wrote: »

Was that you in Rotterdam :pac::pac::pac:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokito_%28gorilla%29

The silver back in Dublin zoo can regularly be seen at the viewing glass, looking at the zoos visitors.

He was sat there yesterday, starting right back at me, made me wonder who was viewing whom exactly.

Meangadh

I watched the Dublin Zoo Christmas Special on RTE from last year or maybe the year before, it was unbelievable to see the amount of care, dedication and knowledge of the zookeepers. This was during the really heavy snow two years ago, and they really cared for the animals and wanted the best for them.

I think anyone who is basing their view of Dublin Zoo on their trips there from the 80s needs to take another visit there- huge amounts or work have been done in the recent past to improve conditions for the animals- a number of whom whose species probably depend on zoos nowadays for survival.

I like Fota as well, but have to say Dublin Zoo is better. I haven't been to that many zoos around the world but I've been to a few in Australia and would have enjoyed both Fota and Dublin Zoo more.

I do generally think that Irish people have a real grá for animals (perhaps dating back to connections with farms and the land etc.) so it's good to see we have zoos and wildlife parks with such high standards.

keithclancy

Ghandee wrote: »

The silver back in Dublin zoo can regularly be seen at the viewing glass, looking at the zoos visitors.

He was sat there yesterday, starting right back at me, made me wonder who was viewing whom exactly.

Your not supposed to stare at a Silverback Gorilla, it pisses them right off.
If the glass wasn't in the way he'd rip your head off.

Penfailed

Where To wrote: »

I've never been in it. Been to Belfast zoo loads of times though, it's class, they have monkeys. No pandas though, which is good. I hate pandas.

Dublin Zoo is much better than Belfast Zoo. It's bigger, more room for the animals, 'happier' looking animals, no big hills to climb, etc. I've been to Belfast a few times but since going to Dublin Zoo, I wouldn't go back to Belfast TBH.

Prodigious

I don't agree with Zoo's in general. That said, the zoo isnt too bad. Ridiculous that they managed to let a penguin be robbed though.

Cienciano

I was at the zoo last week, first time in years. Great place, definitely getting those annual family tickets when the kids are old enough

RATM

Last time I was there about 3 years ago they had no polar bears. Like wtf? One of the most adored animals in the world and they didn't have any.

Also they had pandas back in the 1980's and part of the 1990's but now they don't- another big fail IMO.

They have done some good work with the African plains section in the last decade. But no pandas? And no polar bears ?

I don't agree with the OP that Dublin Zoo is the BEST in the world. Anyone who has ever been to Singapore Zoo or San Diego would have seen what a world class zoo really looks like.

Micky Dolenz

Methememb wrote: »

I don't agree with Zoo's in general. That said, the zoo isnt too bad. Ridiculous that they managed to let a penguin be robbed though.

Did someone just p-p-pick it up?

Cienciano

RATM wrote: »

Last time I was there about 3 years ago they had no polar bears. Like wtf? One of the most adored animals in the world and they didn't have any.

Also they had pandas back in the 1980's and part of the 1990's but now they don't- another big fail IMO.

They have done some good work with the African plains section in the last decade. But no pandas? And no polar bears ?

I don't agree with the OP that Dublin Zoo is the BEST in the world. Anyone who has ever been to Singapore Zoo or San Diego would have seen what a world class zoo really looks like.

Pandas are crap. That is all

Prodigious

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Did someone just p-p-pick it up?

Yes, waddled out with the penguin under their coats. My advice to Dublin zoo - Beak-careful with your animals!

krudler

Methememb wrote: »

I don't agree with Zoo's in general. That said, the zoo isnt too bad. Ridiculous that they managed to let a penguin be robbed though.

It wasn't robbed, it flew away, they actually can but choose to hide their powers in plain sight, penguins are the Clark Kent of the bird kingdom.

hmmm

They've made massive improvements in the past 20 years. In particular, the Gorilla enclosure depressed me, but the new one is great.

krudler

Best zoo I've been in was San Diego, massive enclosures, the tiger one has hills and waterfalls and its huge. Dublin zoo is much better than it was years ago it was depressing back in the 80s but its nice now, dunno why people are saying its expensive, its what, 15 quid? costs more to go to the cinema

krudler

hmmm wrote: »

They've made massive improvements in the past 20 years. In particular, the Gorilla enclosure depressed me, but the new one is great.

didnt they cover most of the glass? you have to look in through holes as people staring was depressing the gorillas. I do and don't agree with zoos, if they're a preserve and the animals are endangered and protected then ok, good, but big animals in tiny enclosures is depressing to see.

Circuses though, now fcuk them altogether, would never go to one with animals.