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| - Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this is just an update of my previous review because I really did not feel like I did it any justice. I've been a member for years; I have heard and seen the concerns about many yelp reviewers here - especially the one to two star ones. Let me go through one by one and explain what the zoo is doing and how the animals behave.
1. This is Arizona. Period. End of sentence. Sometimes it gets to over 105F here. Sometimes it is 85F with 60% humidity because of a monsoon rain. Sometimes the weather will say it is only 90F but when you go outside the direct sunlight will feel like you are walking on the surface of the sun. Do YOU want to be outside for long periods of time during when it's over 105F?? No of course not!! A lot of the animals at the Phoenix zoo are OLD, they are tired, this place is like a sanctuary for them. Of course they are going to hide out in the coolest spot, in the shade, away from people! Hell I would be too if I was 60 years old in human age if I was an animal! My house cat barely moves from his spot when left alone for 24 hours, how do you expect all these jaguars and leopards and lions to be active all the time??? Please have REALISTIC expectations people. IF YOU WANNA SEE ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTIVE, I highly suggest you go in the early mornings at fall or early winter. Or see the resident youngsters (baby orang and some birds).
2. Again these animals ARE OLD. There are some animals that are only one to two. However there are some animals that are 50 or reaching this middle aged age!! The rhino, and the 3 elephants are all middle aged; if they were humans they would be making the final of their mortgage payments and seeing their kids graduate college! Cmon people, if I was 50 I would sure as hell be sleeping or eating too! Not running around like a hooligan like some people expect these animals to do.
3. THE ELEPHANTS ARE CONSIDERED "BEHAVIOR PROBLEM" animals. Yes all three of them. They are rescues, one is from a circus, two, I am fuzzy about. They have been abused in the past, they've seen their mothers pass away, they have a whole slew of angst ridden past stories good enough to pass as a super hero background story. There is a great research/dissertation written about the three on google. Look it up. They do NOT get along with each other, they all came to the zoo when they were older ladies. They did not grow up to be family. No they do not feel alone. No they do not want to hang out with another. One of the elephants "sway", the zoo has done the most they could to try to make this stop. The zoo are paying attention to them, and paying a significant amount of money for the research to make their lives and behavior better.
4. THIS IS AN EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP ZOO. No you do not have a choice. HOWEVER, the gift shop has been incredibly accommodating in letting the exit lane clear as much as possible. Its a straight one way exit. You don't have to go maze around the gift shop if you don't want to. I've seen giftshops where they try to make you wander around the store before finding an exit. This is a straight exit to the other exit. If you have a screaming child or whatever the demon from hell, that is your problem and your responsibility. I cannot count how many times I've seen a zoo go-er yell with one of the gift shop employees saying that the "exit through the gift shop is a terrible idea" while trying to hold on to their screaming, crying, babbling demon while yelling at over 150 decibels. Do you think they had a choice in the matter?? Does it even matter to you?? Maybe if you would actually train your child to not act like a spoiled Satan then maybe you would be able to go through the shop more easily.
5. The employees are FANTASTIC. many of the employees love to be here, and they are excited to educate people as well. This goes to all employees, the ones who work at the gift shop and the photography ones.
I don't know if I am missing any more....but I just want to reilterate that this is a great zoo. The place is big, the employees are friendly. The animals are well taken care of. The zoo is also part of the AZAA which is a rigorous program with its own rules and standards on how the animal should be living (and not part of the AZAA is world wide zoo, which should tell you about the conditions of the animals at the world wide zoo...a terrible theme park like area). I know the ticket prices are high...but the Phoenix zoo is non profit...all the contributions to the zoo makes the place a greater zoo.
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