How to prepare for a day at the zoo
- Mary Schettler
- Jun 4, 2022
- 4 min read
Who else remembers those special days when your parents took you to the zoo? An entire day of unique sights and smells, full of discovery. But we never actually realized the work that goes into preparing that sort of outing. Now, young adults and new parents are discovering how hard that can be.
Young adults love the lifestyle of picking a fun "day trip" with friends or their are the young adults who love to travel. A fun activity for both of these kind of people is a day to the zoo. And while some people may like to "go with the flow" with their day. Many people mistake an outing to the zoo as a quick activity that's an hour and a half, tops. When in actuality, a trip around the zoo can take up to three hours or longer (if your determined to visit every single animal or depending the kind of zoo you're visiting). It's been my experience that it's better to make a plan.
My experience comes from spending 3 years volunteering at my local zoo and then another 2 years working at their gift shop. In my work, I've encountered many different kinds of guests visiting the zoo, and I've viewed some having a hard time enjoying the experience. I've also traveled a lot over the years to zoos in different states so I've compiled a list about things I've noticed that would help large groups prepare to enjoy a day out at the zoo.
Research
This is the crucial first step many zoo goers don't do. There are zoos across the country with unique animals but also unique layouts and climates. Some are big to accommodate the bigger animals and others are simply smaller. Zoo websites will typically have a list of the animals they have. Viewing this can help plan out the animals the group "must-see" in there visit. After identifying the animals the group should visit, it's then time to plan out your route. Look for an online map version of the zoo you'll be visiting to plan out your route. Ever since the 2020 shutdown, many zoos had to discontinue the use of passing out paper maps (to prevent the spread of the virus) and started to provide online versions. Viewing the map beforehand will give the group a good idea of the size and layout of the zoo to gauge how much time the whole visit will take. Also research into the activities the specific zoo might offer about animals or for children to take part in. Many people don't realize that a lot of zoos have training sessions that go on with the animals that's available for the public to view. Also that going to the zoo first thing in the morning is a effective way to see the animals moving about. Most animals are active during the morning and evening hours.
Camera
Bringing a camera to the zoo is a personal rule of mine. For others the zoo is a great place to photograph their kids or taking selfies with friends to document the day but I have a different reason. It was at the zoo where I fell in love with photographing the animals. It become a hobby of mine to bring my camera every time a visited a zoo. Taking photos at the zoo offers unique pictures from the poses and the daylight that can documenting the experience in different and interesting way.
Appropriate Clothes
After researching into the zoo you are visiting, and it's in a place you've never visited before, find out about the climate and weather. I'm a Utah resident but when visiting the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in February I need to be prepared for their weather and dress so that I'm comfortable to walk their massive zoo. View the weather forecast a week before the planned zoo day to be prepared for that day's possible weather. This is an important step for parents of small children, to ensure that they are comfortable during their visit.
Packing
Lots of things can be included in this list. As I said before, there are some variables that can affect the day out at the zoo and what you pack, like the weather. If the forecast says rain, then it's wise to bring a raincoat, extra layers, and an umbrella. When packing for the trip, consider if you will be purchasing any souvenirs or need to pack "amenities" (snacks) for yourself and others to save money rather than use the resources the zoo provides. In that case, it's wise to bring a backpack to hold an assortment of items, ranging from coats or a place to put the souvenirs. Along with the backpack, make sure every person going has a water bottle, having water on hand is crucial to preventing dehydration when you can't locate a drinking fountain. The number one packing item I'd say is important to bring is sunscreen. Like I've said before, depending on the weather this sometimes this isn't needed but more often than not a day at the zoo is a sunny day outside for several hours. Sunscreen prevents the burns that would definitely happen.
Safety
In any new environment, it's wise to have a personal safety plan in place, this is especially true for families. Luckily the zoo also has their own procedures in place for emergencies to help. When with kids, it's common to lose track of a child in large groups and places, if this happens locate a security guard or zoo worker to help locate the child. In the unlikely event that an animal escapes, zoo personnel will direct guests to an inside space until the escaped animal is contained.
It's a bit more complicated than you remember, huh? All of these steps are meant to give you or groups a good idea on how to have a good time at your next zoo trip. To help with your discovery of the fun you can have at the trip, seeing animals having fun and trying out the zoo activities. For your next zoo visit try out some of these steps and see what happens because of it.
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