Opening in 1828, London Zoo was the first zoo in the world completely dedicated to science. Since 1847, and its initial opening to the public, the London Zoo has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the capital. With over 755 species of animals on display here it is not very hard to see why.
There are dozens of different exhibits within the zoo, each of them harbouring something completely different. As a result, I am sure that there is something for absolutely everybody here. These are a couple of the highlights.
- Gorilla Kingdom: This is one of my favourite exhibits within the zoo. You really can just sit and watch the four Western Lowland Gorillas go about their business for hours upon end. In this exhibit you will also find a number of small enclosures hosting everything from Diana monkeys all the way through to the good old spider monkey.
- The Aquarium: The aquarium within London Zoo has a great deal of history behind it. For starters, it was the first aquarium in the world that was created with public viewing in mind. As you can probably guess, there are all sorts of weird and wonderful beasts within this aquarium. One of the best halls in the building is one which has been designed especially for those animals which reside in the Amazon River. It is just so colourful. You can’t help but like it!
- Fancy coming face to face with a Giraffe? Well, you can do just that in the ‘Into Africa’ exhibit. This exhibit includes all sorts of animals from Africa, including warthogs, hippos, and wild dogs.
- Animal Adventure: If you are taking a child along for your trip to London Zoo then you really need to pay a visit to Animal Adventure. This area is packed to the brim with all sorts of playgrounds that your child could play around in. There are also a number of domesticated animals for that ‘up close and personal’ experience.
- Penguin Beach: I am sure you can guess what can be found here, right? England’s biggest penguin pool is the centre here, and cute Humboldt and Macaroni penguins await your attention, showing off their newest tricks. Come watch the little fellows dive for their food!
- Tiger Territory: In my opinion, the enclosure here, which hosts Sumatran tigers, is wonderfully designed. The area is absolutely huge and plants and trees have been shipped over from the tiger’s native habitat (in Indonesia) to complete the look.
London Zoo is somewhere where you could quite easily spend a day during your trip to London. It really is that big. It is perfect for both adults and children (although the latter of course love it the most!). Try and visit everything that you can. You will quickly see just how much effort has gone into the construction.
You are able to grab yourself some tickets for London Zoo directly through their website. If a visit to London Zoo is more of a ‘last minute’ thing then you obviously will be able to pick them up on the day. Bear in mind that tickets purchased in advanced are far cheaper though.
Although many people are completely against having animals in captivity, they should understand that in some cases the zoos are only places where endangered species can live in peace and have some offspring. Besides that, zoos have ended up being the only places where people who have grown up in cities ever get to see any animals, besides cats, dogs, rabbits and mice!
I like animal sex.
Bernadette Jaspers Borne