topic Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing in Community Spirit

MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

jenni200011 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 04:35:36 GMT

Hi all just wanting some opinions in regards to visisting the melbourne zoo..I went for a visit yeasterday after not being for a great number of years..It seems to be a total money grab now..We arrived late ( our fault) around 2 pm as i thought zoo twilights had began..Zoo twilights is ran by the zoo in summer and lets you remain a bit longer than normal hours..Any way paid full entry along with lots of others even though only 3 hours remained ( again my decision)Asked about twilights and found once they start in a few weeks you eneter from 5.30 only..If you choose to come earlier in the day and wish to stay longer they kick you out at 5 and you must pay re entry cost all over again to attend the twilight session( approx 4 hours)..Very let down with that as the zoo is far from cheap..Lots of people walked around bumping past eachother..food and drink prices were sky high ( as most event prices are)..Some enclosures were inproved but many animals looked extremely bored..Lots of very silly comments were made by many people including one woman who could not believe the elephant had decided to toilet in the water..She actually felt it was a dirty thing on the elephants part ( wonder how she expects one to toilet train an elephant.)...Felt the whole zoo had lost the original atmosphere it used to have..Just my opinion but wondered what others think

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 05:09:35 GMT

Sorry you feel you had a bad experience at the Melbourne Zoo.

I though it would be common knowledge that for the twilight

experience, you would have to be there later in the day. They

can't let people wander willy nilly around the zoo at all hours.

Ergo, kick you out, then you pay to come back in.

Melbourne Zoo is magnificent these days. Back when I was

younger (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), the poor old

elephants had to give people a ride in the howdah on their

back. Big cats paced tirelessly in cages that were too small.

The zoo has left some of them there so you can see how badly

the animals were treated. True, the refreshments are horribly

expensive, but then they are whatever you go to see, be it

a footy match or just another tourist destination.

All in all, the Melbourne Zoo is a great place with the keepers

doing a wonderful job.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

jenni200011 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 05:30:55 GMT

Maybe i was just having a bad day..i agree the cage sizes hve inproved but i did still see a large cat ( jaguar i think) who paced up and back the front fence line in front of us all and not stopping once almost to what appeared the point of obbessive compulsive behaiour ( Dr harry once told me cats and dogs do get that with real boredom issues)..I never remember the elephant rides but i do remember hearing a big elephant died through swallowing a tennis ball years back...Also you probably heard just recently one baby elephant also died because its head got stuck in a play tyre that they had hung up for it..Heartbreaking...Some enclosures are much better for sure and so they should be ...Still just wish all wild animals could be left safely to live there lives in thier own natural habitatwhere nature intended them to be with thier prey and open space and no intervention by man But then that just an inpossible dream now

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 06:19:00 GMT

Unfortunately, de-forestation and poachers world-wide have

reinforced the need to keep beautiful animals in zoos, for the

survival of the species

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

davewil1964 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 07:34:06 GMT

This relates to eBay's 'new community experience' how? Especially when it no longer new.

Surely CS is the place for this thread.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

***super_nova*** — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:14:20 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
This relates to eBay's 'new community experience' how? Especially when it no longer new.

Surely CS is the place for this thread.

??? This is CS

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:14:59 GMT

Wow! dave made it on to CS! Mods moved it dave

He will be upset now

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

lyndal1838 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:25:19 GMT

It had not been moved when Dave posted on the thread.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:28:38 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
It had not been moved when Dave posted on the thread.

I know. Dave won't like being on CS though!

edit: that's the funny bit

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

cherry*135 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:56:27 GMT

We went to the Melbourne Zoo, 3 or so years ago in Feb. We arrived at opening time but by early afternoon the temp was getting pretty high. It would have been nice to sit on grassed areas and have a rest now and then but it was just too hot..

Other than that we enjoyed the visit.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

azureline** — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:59:42 GMT

The last time I was there was 20 years ago and my OH had a toothache............ that was enough to make us all miserable!

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

icyfroth — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:05:10 GMT

Sorrry to hear you had such a depressing time of it, Jenni. I've never been to Melbourne Zoo, so I can't comment.

Re Sky-high food prices. Can you bring your own?

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:07:21 GMT

No. Much like the MCG they like their concession stands to make money

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

cherry*135 — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:12:55 GMT

You can take in your own bottles of water surely? When we went to Sydney Zoo, we left out lunch in the car boot (esky) and asked if we could go out and come back in and that wasn't a problem.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

icyfroth — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:15:51 GMT

That's a bit sad. Is it Government or Privatised?

Taronga has an area where people can sit and have their own lunches. They have lockers where you can keep your food.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:25:33 GMT

Seems I ~~lied!~~ was mistaken (shock, horror, gasp)

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255100-d256557-r145879887-Melbourne_Zoo-Melbourne_Victoria.html

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

azureline** — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:27:48 GMT

keep a copy for future reference?

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

**meep** — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:29:58 GMT

@imastawka wrote:
No. Much like the MCG they like their concession stands to make money

That's a bit rough. Toronga Zoo has some great picnic spots, visitors can bring their own food.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

punch*drunk — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:32:34 GMT

We've taken our own food. We once had a barbecue in an adjoining park too, was quite nice. I like Melbourne zoo, havent been for a few years though.

Re: MELBOURNE ZOO very dissapointing

imastawka — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:36:04 GMT

See post #16. ^^^^^^

I'm gunna staple it to my forehead!