Perfect for a Day Out with
Kids
Being nature enthusiasts, we
decided to visit the zoo, saving the cultural museums and palaces of
Denmark for later. We packed our lunches as we were not really into
eating yet another familiar pizza or a burger. That reminds me to be a
little flexible in trying other cuisines. Before reaching the zoo
itself, we could see that the parking was full and there was a great
number of prams and strollers.
It has been a while since I
went to a zoo. I vaguely remember seeing monkeys, lions and tigers
when I was a kid. The clearest of all is a visit to the Vandalur Zoo in Chennai, a couple of years ago. The colorful macaws
and cockatoos are still clear in my mind. Needless to say that I was
very excited about the visit.
 |
| The Zoo Tower |
The entrance fee is 140 DKK
and there is no separate fee for the cameras/video cameras. The iconic tall
tower welcomed us and so were the
kitschy play-items from the zoo shop. The shop had impressive
collection of soft toys from WWF, wild planet, etc. We decided
to check that on return and entered the zoo.
 |
| The Soft Toys |
Pelicans and Storks were the
first to be spotted. Spoonbills, vulture and an owl joined soon.
There were feeding and some other activities going on for the owl and the
vulture but they were in Danish. Generally, there is a vast space
and the animals seemed happy and healthy. There were Emus, otters,
lions, cheetahs, tigers and so on. There was a complete lion family
with the lion, lioness and the cubs; the safari setup for the tigers was
good; a cheetah was angry and restless.
 |
| Pelican |
 |
| The Lion Family |
 |
| Owl Feeding |
The Amazon set up with a forest of birds, snakes and frogs was impressive. There is a construction going on for Arctic Setup, which is expected to be active by 2012.
The gorillas seemed uninterested with their half-closed eyes—the younger ones were rather active and playful.
 |
| A Snake inside Tree Trunk |
 |
| A Bird |
 |
| Another Snake |
 |
| An Amazonian Frog |
The butterfly park is a must visit with your best camera — expect to get some decent shots here.
 |
| Butterflies |
The Norman Foster's Elephant
House had a wealth of information about the elephants. It was a
unique experience watching the elephants so close.
 |
| Norman Foster Elephant House |
We visited the reindeers, seals, penguins and sea lions. Sea lions offered us their playtime show. The
polar bear looked stressed. The brown bear was rather happy to pose
for us. The furry brown bear cubs were very active and healthy.
 |
| Sea Lions |
 |
| Brown Bear |
 |
| Polar Bear |
The domestic animal section
is mainly targeted for the kids with cute colors and shapes. They can
play with the goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Try the ice cream and
fries from the nearby kiosk!
 |
| The Domestic Animals Section |
The next section is African,
where there were many varieties of birds, zebras and hippos. The hippos can
be watched under water through glass enclosures. The last to be
spotted were the friendly and charming giraffes. It was beautiful to
see them swaying their necks with melancholic look in their eyes.
 |
| The Birds |
 |
| Giraffes |
The zoo has two restaurants
and an ample number of kiosks. There are also outdoor areas to enjoy
packed food. Pushcarts can be rented if there is no pram for the
kids. There were clean washroom facilities throughout the zoo. Try to
go through the map of the zoo beforehand as to not miss anything. Maps can be downloaded here.
The information on location and reaching
the zoo can be found here. Other general information can be found
here.
){kind=link}
0 Comments