To wonder why older kids never go to the zoo?

[anotherfinemess1]

I had a fantastic day out with DS (8 years old) at London Zoo yesterday. We all loved seeing the animals and it’s great now he’s older and can read the signs and learn about species and how they are being saved in the wild. I was really shocked that he was about the oldest kid there. Why don’t older kids (8+) go to zoos any more? I hope my son never grows out of it - at the moment he wants to be a conservationist when he grows up and surely that’s going to be really important for his generation after the older generations have made such a mess of the planet!

My children have an issue with all zoos. They find the concept of an older generation of having animals on show as unfair.

They really were upset at seeing what should be wild animals in enclosures. So we never go to a zoo because I respect their views.

I take my 6th formers on a zoo trip every year, most have a great education programme for those studying biology or ecology. I was worried about the uptake initially, but they all loved the idea of a day out at the zoo.
Recently I took my own DS15 and a couple of his friends to Chester for a day out, I jokingly laughed and said "we could go to the zoo" but they jumped on it and we had a great day.
I suppose the only thing for me is it can be really expensive, but I agree it would be great for more older kids to go.
(sorry I didn't mean to copy the original OPs post in here!)

Because you went a month ago and a month before that. And a month before that.

"Look, it's that warthog again!"

I don't overly like London Zoo as las time it felt the animal enclosures were too small for them.

On the other hand... we live near Yorkshire Wildlife park. Many of the enclosures are massive. Plus we know the background of some of the animals, like the Ukrainian lions.

Zoos and animals for entertainment are cruel and a lot of kids grow up and realise that.

😂

We enjoy a visit to the zoo and/or safari Park. It is artificial seeing animals constrained or birds in cages or fish in aquaria.

I also think it's rubbish having people go visit 'in the wild' it's just as artificial and even more damaging to the wildlife.

If we can't accept zoos or parks then we need to let the animals go extinct as so many have already.

My older kids still love the zoo. I'm an adult, and I still love the zoo! Well, it depends hugely on the zoo tbh, I'm thinking of Whipsnade, which is awesome, especially in terms of animal welfare - I never feel guilty looking at any of their animals.

My kids know that zoos keep wild animals, who would rather be free in their own habitats, captive for the entertainment of the public. As a result they think zoos are sad places. Zoos push conservation messages, because they have to do some conservation to be licensed, however it's not nearly enough and some species, eg polar bears, elephants and big cats, should never be in zoos as it's not possible to meet their needs in captivity. It helps that their mum is a wildlife specialist who teaches them that wild animals should be conserved in the wild rather than in cages...

No zoo is providing excellent animal welfare if they keep larger or migratory species in captivity. But their clever message makes you think they are.

I do hope the "zoos are cruel" children don't have pets... the welfare standards at the zoo are probably a lot higher!

I had the same thought... Ditto hope they're all vegan as the meat and dairy industry is infinitely more cruel than London zoo

@TickingAlongNicely I'm sorry but how is that remotely the same? A well loved pet is a member of a family, not held in captivity for entertainment and drugged to avoid zoochosis (yes most zoo animals are drugged).

Can you link evidence re the drugging as that seems quite a big thing?

Our animals have excellent welfare standards yes 😊 and we're vegan.

@TeenToTwenties I'm too busy to find a link but earthling Ed did some research which showed that they drug the animals and why. It's pretty out there and accepted as fact.

Repeats, just like the telly
Or
Visiting relatives-;mum must we we saw granny a couple of months ago she won't have changed.

I did with mine but it's expensive so it's not something that you do regularly, mine have been to most of the larger U.K. zoos once and several outside the U.K. on holidays but I wouldn't go back to the same one regularly like you do with little ones because we remember going!

Once they get past a certain age its just another boring thing to do with the parents.... my children have seen everything in our local zoo

Perhaps parents stop taking children when they're over the age of being able to get in for free/cheaper? Or kids get distracted by other things to do, life gets busy etc.

We have membership, so we can just pop in for an hour or two when we have an afternoon free. There are favourite animals that DS wants to see again and again, and then there are different things we only see every once in a while (the nocturnal area, the zebras).

No different to going to the playground for the afternoon - yep DS has been on the same slide multiple times, but he likes it.

I’m seeing a lot of references here to “animals in cages” - asking as an American who’s unfamiliar, do UK zoos keep animals in literal cages? I grew up going to the Minnesota Zoo, which is built on 485 acres and has large outside animal exhibits.

My ten-year-old still loves going to the zoo.

There's a zoo in the middle of London, what do you think?

It's a glass box, not a cage in the metal bars sense. There's nice things within in that glass box. The keepers do their best. But is it anywhere near adequate space for them? No.

Obviously, better for the smaller animals. But should there really be a giraffe in central London?

We were really impressed at London Zoo by the size and variety of the enclosures (no, not cages) compared with when I last went pre-parenthood, and of course all the large animals other than cats are at Whipsnade (where we have also been and had a wonderful time). They’re doing really important breeding on their Sumatran tigers and Asiatic lions, which are nearly extinct in the wild. I do understand why some people don’t think it’s right but I think it’s good if it preserves endangered species and the profit goes to fund work in the wild (as with ZSL). I have also been to less good zoos where I agree with a lot of the negative comments.
I get that kids are different and not everyone likes a tiger, but it’s really reassuring to me to read of the families of older kids who go. I hope my son will want to keep going with me for many more years.

It's just not as much fun or as exciting when theyre older although me and my 14yo have decided we will go over the Christmas holidays 😊