Visit The Zoo Day
Fascinating creatures from around the world, each with its unique charm and quirks, transform a day into a captivating adventure.
Drive December zoo visits and memberships by positioning the zoo as an educational adventure for families seeking meaningful animal encounters and conservation learning.
- Plan your December zoo trip: 5 must-see animals and what to learn about each
- Zoo membership gift guide: Give the gift of year-round wildlife education
- Behind-the-scenes: How zoos protect endangered species through breeding programs
- Family challenge: Spend 10 minutes observing one animal—here's what you'll discover
The idea of having exotic animals confined to a certain area for other people to view or observe is not new at all.
The earliest such enclosure , called a “menagerie” discovered by excavators in Egypt and is believed to date back to about 3500 B.C. King Solomon of Israel was a known ancient animal collector, as were King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and Alexander the Great.
Wild animals were also collected to be used in the arenas during the Roman Games, though most of those died violent deaths after being pitted against each other for the amusement of the crowd.
Later, British kings kept wild animals in the Tower of London, with the price of viewing them being a small dog or cat that could be used to feed them.
The first actual zoo, created not to stroke the ego of a monarch, but rather to educate and entertain, was opened in London in 1828.Visit the Zoo Day was likely begun as a tradition by those who are excited to get out of the house and do something fun with the family just after Christmas, while the kids are still out of school!
Visit the Zoo
The best way to celebrate this day is to visit a zoo yourself, and perhaps take a friend or your children with you. You have likely been to the zoo before, however, so you are aware of how people just move from one animal to the next, never paying any of them nearly as much attention as they should.
Study Up on Zoo Animals
This time, try to make your trip to the zoo different. Make a point of reading up on several specific animals beforehand in order to know as much a bout them as possible before you see them live. Then, spend more than the few moments most people spend gazing idly at the creature before moving right onto the next one. Study it, observe it, try to get the best look possible, take note of the animal’s behaviour, which you can later discuss with your partner or family. This Visit the Zoo Day, remember why zoos were created in the first place, and take advantage of the full learning potential they offer.
Learn About Zoo Programs
Zoos are at the forefront of much of the research which goes on into animal behaviour and how best to protect vulnerable animals from extinction. Many zoos have breeding programmes running, where they work with other facilities around the world to increase the numbers of endangered populations.