Why I Love Zoos

I love zoos. This is a little weird because I don't love animals that much. People don’t seem understand why I enjoy going to the zoo so much. So let me explain:

I didn’t like zoos until I got to college. Call it lack of things to do in Waco or a sign of maturity, but a trip to the Waco Zoo changed my mind on zoos.  The Waco Zoo will forever be the greatest zoo to me. It’s the perfect size, has the perfect amount of animal to walking ratio and the otter exhibit is the greatest place in the world. After a few trips to the zoo, I realized it would be cheaper to just become a member. So, I became the proud owner of a Cameron Park Zoo membership. The membership got me in free to the Cameron Park Zoo and a few other small zoos in the U.S., plus half off to zoos in major cities.

This is one of the reasons why I started going to zoos everywhere I visited. But there are a plethora of other reasons. For example, it’s good exercise. I’m not one that can sit in the same place for a long period of time. Movies often bore me, and I can only watch so much tv. I enjoy getting to walk around as a source of entertainment.

It’s also the perfect activity to do with friends/family (although I’m guilty of going to the Waco Zoo by myself). Walking around the zoo gives you a chance to talk and catch up and laugh. However, if you run out of things to say, it’s not awkward because there are animals to look at and comment on. I think the zoo would be a perfect first date because there would be no awkward pauses or forced conversations. It would be very natural.

No zoo experience is ever the same! Even if you go to the same zoo roughly 50 times (give or take), each time it will be different. You may see the same exhibits and animals, but different ones are always active or playing or doing different things. There are always different photo opportunities. And they’re beautiful photo opps! Zoos are always so green and florally and manicured. Where will you find a better backdrop?

Finally, there are zoos in nearly every city—no mater how big or small! Whenever you have a visitor and are at a loss of what to do, go to the zoo! Go walk around for an hour or so, share some good conversation and watch the animals play! I don’t think you can ever go to a zoo and leave feeling like it was a wasted time.

Granted, I’ve never taken small kids to the zoo. My opinion may change when I have kids.