Mumsnet Talk

The last few times I've taken the kids to zoos and animal type places, there have been people jamming their cameras against the glass/bars of the animals and just taking photos whilst barely glancing at the animals.

For one thing- why not just really look at the animals?
For another- who are you going to show the world'd most boring zoo visit photos to?

I'm not saying you shouldn't take photos, but these people were just holding their cameras against the glass whilst chatting to friends and then moving on and doing the same. It was as if they had been told to photograph everything within 30 minutes in order to get their money back or something. I wanted to shout "It's a bloody Giraffe! Have a look at those beautiful markings!"

I guess I find it sad that the thrill of real life is dying in the digital age.

YAnbu I love zoos and I love a wander but I am usually dunted on the head with a huge photo lens I am a member of a friends of thing and some of the member just post picture after picture, im like hmmm ok just look at them they are beautiful animals

you are being very unreasonable.
why are you visiting zoos? why support them?
why would other people enjoying themselves in their own way be any problem to you?

AIBU to be annoyed by people who visit zoos just to watch other people take pictures of everything without really looking at the animals?

Aren't you just as bad?

AIBU to be annoyed by people who visit zoos just to watch other people take pictures of everything without really looking at the animals?

so nobody is seeing the animals they are either taking pictures or tutting

No, I wasn't watching them, they were in the bloody way!

I am just annoyed at anyone who visits a zoo.

How would you like to be stuck behind bars and gauped at?

No, I wasn't watching them, they were in the bloody way!

you need to say EXCUSE ME and then move them or do what i do and squirrel in, I guess people just like taking photies but I do get what you mean everything has to be enjoyed in photo form, I have friends who have lens envy mine is bigger than yours

zoos are not like that anymore well not all zoos

mrsbunny- *why are you visiting zoos? why support them?
why would other people enjoying themselves in their own way be any problem to you?*

I visit them with my children. Many other people do this too. It's kind of a tradition. Also it supports breeding programmes and conservation.

Other people enjoying themselves in no way impedes my life, but I want to look at the bats, not press a camera to the glass whilst gassing to my mate about something else, so that the person behind me cannot see the bats at all. I feel sorry for the poor sod who has to look at all the boring photos on a smart phone.

Oh god

I'm taking DS to the zoo today

I already feel bad about going to a zoo. Now I will have added guilt when I take a picture

Yabu...zoos are crap. They attract muppets. What's more, they're entitled to their good time as much as you are yours. Thems the breaks.

Save up hard and go on safari. Yeahhhh.

LOL @ mrsjay-*so nobody is seeing the animals they are either taking pictures or tutting*

I'm definitely a tutter!

No catgirl, I said in my OP that I'm not against taking photos in a zoo, but people were only taking photos and barely glancing at the beautiful animals. I am sure you and your DS will have a great day. I love a day at the zoo!

already feel bad about going to a zoo. Now I will have added guilt when I take a picture

why do you feel bad I am really trying to be light hearted about the camera thing it can be i annoying though, zoos are not as bad as people make out not these days conservation and rescue is important to a lot of zoos, and if they were closed down where would the animals go back to the wild

I feel sorry for the poor sod who has to look at all the boring photos on a smart phone.

My parents are avid zoo-goers, and I can tell you, it's a challenge to look interested at the millions of badly taken photos of a lemur's half-obscured arse.

Ok

I promise to look at the animals propery

And then make a donation to animal conservation to salve my zoo guilt

Yabu...zoos are crap. They attract muppets.

I would LOVE to see muppets going to a zoo! What zoo is this?

Well.......I'm torm between "Zoo's are much better these days and do loads for conservation and breeding" and "Zoos are cruel"

Life of Pi made me feel better. He gives the best Zoo-guilt-relief in the book

I do like a picture or 2 but when it is picture after picture of a zebra then you do have to wonder if they actually looked at it properly, I have a picture of a day old zebra I had to as it was adorable, did you know day old zebras are brown/black and now white /black

Theicingontop- I laughed at that- you are one of the victims in all this!

"This is the parrot, but it had gone, you can just see it's leg, this is the bottom half of a lemur, but it didn't come out, that's the Giraffe's foot..."

.I'm torm between "Zoo's are much better these days and do loads for conservation and breeding" and "Zoos are cruel"

me too sometimes I think ooh no dont do that please stop doing that to aww thats great they are doing that, I have an issue with over breeding

<gets down off my soap box>

mrsjay- I would definitely take a photo of a baby zebra. I also have a great photo of a tapir with a hard on. It was the same length as his leg and he pointed his thingy at me when I walked past!

I go to Yorkshire wildlife park. It's kind of a cross in between a zoo and a safari park. The animals have massive fields to be in. Obviously though not still as good as the African savannah. They do lots for conservation and rescued some lions from Romania that were close to death in an awful zoo.

You do see loads of people with massive zoom cameras but as the fields are so big there's lots of fence space so its never been a problem.

Viva- that sounds great, I'd like to go there. I don't mind it so much in safari parks (we had a Giraffe right next to the passenger door- too good not to photograph that!) but I went to Tropical World in Leeds recently and it was "click, flash, next, click, flash, next" all the way around.

It made me sad as wildlife is so incredible and miraculous, it's sad when even real life has to be on a smartphone in order to be digestible.