Should You Plan a Visit to the Zoo?

Aubrey Maher, Student Writer

After over a year into the pandemic, you might find yourself in the same routine and not able to find anything new and exciting to do. With vaccines rolling out, businesses are able to slowly start reopening. Now with warmer weather, we can start to take our activities outside. The zoo can be the perfect place for people of all ages to go to, even during COVID.

To make the experience at the zoo COVID- friendly, there are many precautions. One being you must buy a ticket online in advance due to limited capacity. Many zoos are large enough for a comfortable amount of social distancing and of course masks must be worn. The outside environment also helps with the airflow and allows for a safe visit. Sarah and Frank Henofer took their one-year-old son, Wesley, to the Philadelphia Zoo this past week and were happy with how their experience went. Regarding COVID precautions Sarah said, “any indoor spaces were well ventilated with large and open doors.” The only negative she had was that some exhibits had been closed, as well as the limited food options. Hannah Casey and some friends also visited the zoo and said, “There was no one yelling at us or giving us much instruction because everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing.” They mentioned that they would probably take another visit because it was something different to do rather than going out to eat.

The zoo has always been a fun learning environment for everyone and still is today. In times like these, the zoo brings a sense of normalcy to our crazy lives. Without the freedom of being able to travel the world right now, and even prior to COVID, the zoo brings those animals you may not have ever seen before, right to you. It displays the many habitats and lives of different animals and educates, especially younger kids, about the world beyond their home. Zoos may provide scientific research and also protect endangered species. Animals found on the endangered list can be provided with a safe environment, rather than left in the wild for predators or poachers to take advantage of them. They then can be bred to regrow their population.

Although the zoo is educational and brings a lot of joy, there is a negative side. Animals in zoos can be captive in small spaces and not able to live freely as they were born to. They may be treated very poorly and not given the proper way of life. Not to say all zoos are responsible for this, but many are, and many see the animals as a source of income only. Seaworld is an example of animal cruelty in the way that these dolphins, whales, etc. are in such a confined area that they die. The tanks are far too shallow, and many animals suffer from sunburns. SeaWorld and other zoos claim to be educational but do not take care of their own.

If you are planning a trip to the zoo, make sure to do some research and have the animal’s interest at hand. Overall the zoo is a great place for families and a nice escape during the pandemic. You can learn a lot and experience things you would never have. I would definitely recommend visiting your nearest zoo.