Buenos Aires Zoo

An animal park is the same the world over.
If all you care about is the animals, go there.

Me, I think what is interesting about Zoos is the animals AND how they live- and how humans have created this artificial world for them.

so I love the BsAs zoo- the architecture is incredible, minature palaces and temples for the animals, the landscape architecture is, while probably not actually done by the great Carlos Thays, of that era and quality, and the animals mingle with the people in a very Buenos Aires style.

(It was actually designed by a novelist- how totally Argentine is that?-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Ladislao_Holmberg- in fact, he was the first science fiction writer in Argentina)

You can buy a bucket of animal chow, and wander about feeding camels and carpinchos and those weird bunnydog things right out of your hand. My kids and I call em bunnydogs, but they are actually Mara. They wig me out, I dont know why, they are just odd- as big as a small dog, with rear legs like a cat- and they will hop right up and eat bunnydog chow out of your hand.

I travel back in time when I visit, and I like that. It could be 1920 in there.
 
I would not recommend going there, the last time I went was 2 years ago. Im not a big fan of zoos anyway but some animals, such as the big cats are in fair conditions and then some other animals live in a terrible state such as the apes and monkeys. The last time I went one of the i think orangatangs was stuck in a very small cage that had a glass window, she had a very small baby that she was nursing and was trying to her best to shield the baby away from the hords of people at the glass, but she couldnt, she was also rocking back and forth in a manner that suggested she was anxious which made me so sad and I havent been able to go back again.
 
Go to the BA zoo if you like and then see Temaiken. it's like going to different planets. Little to no commercialism at Temaiken. They have a couple of very nice restaurants but it is all very classy, well maintained by an army of friendly young people who clean up all the time.
 
I love Bsas zoo...and have been about 10 times in 7 years including my son´s birthday party where he got to feed the polar bears and sealions...I agree that in winter or cooler seasons the animals are more lively than in full summer but I have never been to a zoo where the animals have been so active. I particularly love that there are animals walking everywhere even outside the enclosures, ducks, tortoises, capybaras, peacocks etc and the elephants really are impressive. I also love Temaiken where the aquarium is stunning - I really couldnt recommend these places any higher and all my visitors love both.
 
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