Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z is for Zoo

R.a.n.t. of day 04/30/15
Zoos are a fun way to see animals you'd never get a chance to see. Milwaukee has an amazing zoo and you could spend all day in. The Milwaukee County Zoo has such a wide variety of animals to see. Lizards, penguins, bats, llamas, lions, tigers, bears. Oh my, the list could go on and on. The problem with the zoo is it's very expensive to maintain. And understandably so. I can only imagine how much it costs to house and feed a single gorilla or elephant, much less an entire zoo.

Obviously, some of the cost is passed on to visitors. Currently, if you want to visit our zoo, it's $14.25 admission for adults, $11.25 for children and a $12.00 fee for parking. The cost for a small family of four is $63.00. And that's just to walk in the door. Coming from a family with five other siblings living in the same house as them, you can imagine how often my father took us as a family. The number starts with the letter Z.

So as not to be completely negative, I have to give thanks to the zoo because it's a beautiful place and they do provide a select number of free days. One day in each month, October - March, is selected. True, it's the coldest months in Wisconsin, but still, it's provided for free. I've been to the zoo several times, normally when I was in school. I'm much older now, and perhaps I should take advantage of either those free days, or stop being a cheap-skate and get to the zoo to see these wonderful, beautiful creations. And while I'm thinking about it, maybe invite my children. I believe the number of times I've taken them begins with the letter Z too.

Some questions for discussion:
What do you like or dislike about zoos?
What's your favourite animal?
What great attractions do you have where you live?

Can you believe this is the end of the A-Z blogging month?
Thanks go out to each and every one of you who have stopped by my little corner of the worlds this month. Yes, I r.a.n.t. a lot, but I hope I accomplished that with warmth and humour.
See you in the funny papers!

(Vote for the rant that annoys you the most on the right side) ------->
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29 comments:

  1. Alex J. CavanaughApril 30, 2015 at 8:03 AM

    You finished the Challenge!
    That's a lot for a zoo, but if they are doing right by the animals, then that's what matters.

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 8:23 AM

      It's a BIG zoo. So I can almost understand the price. Doesn't mean I like it.

      Delete
  2. Chrys FeyApril 30, 2015 at 8:32 AM

    It can get pricey to visit a zoo with a group, but I love going to the zoo. I've only been the the Brevard Zoo in Florida, though.

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 8:38 AM

      It's been awhile since I've gone. Before the time I was actually doing photograph. I'd love to go again with my camera and capture the entire day.

      Delete
    2. Chrys FeyApril 30, 2015 at 9:45 AM

      I voted for false friends and xenophobia. I'm not sure if it went through though.

      Delete
    3. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 9:54 AM

      It did go through. I believe if you refresh your page, it shows up. Or there is a 'view results' button to press.

      Delete
  3. Dixie@dcreliefApril 30, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    We have the Asheboro Zoo. I've been a couple of times on free days. It was great. I really hope the prices help maintain the animals' health and welfare properly.

    Great challenge theme!! Congratulations, Jeffrey!

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 9:47 AM

      Thanks for stopping by Dixie. I agree with you, I hope the price of admission insures the animals greater care.

      Delete
  4. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 30, 2015 at 11:58 AM

    Hi Jeffrey - I know zoos have a bad name ... because of some of the conditions the animals are kept in .. but in today's age .. things are much better and we have wildlife parks ... London Zoo is brilliant, Longleat Wildlife Park is amazing with wolves and lions in separate enclosures, and other big animals roaming around the parkland ...

    Zoos taught us much over the years .. and if we hadn't of had avid collector we wouldn't know as much as we do ..... or would we because we wouldn't have wiped out populations ... in general I think we're lucky to be where we are ... but of course expecting other countries to conform is difficult ...

    I hope you take your kids soon!! Cheers and congratulations on finishing the A-Z .. Hilary

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 12:10 PM

      Thanks for stopping by Hilary!
      Yes, I do enjoy zoos, just don't go often. I will have to try the London Zoo next time I'm in the area.

      Delete
  5. LisaApril 30, 2015 at 2:25 PM

    I don't as a whole, like zoos, except for the fact that without them I don't think folks would truly be aware of the plight of animals in our world and it is VERY important for everyone to know about that. My daughter LOVES zoos and goes to them wherever she is. She says it grounds her, puts her back in touch with "real" life. I agree with her that animals are an important part of our world. I don't mind paying for zoos, when I see the good they do for animals in the world overall. Thirty years ago, I couldn't have said that because zoos were sad places, but they are MUCH better now and actually do some good beyond providing entertainment. Glad you made it through the A to Z! I've enjoyed your blog and the theme. Thanks for visiting my blog as well! See you during reflections...? Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 2:38 PM

      Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I have a reflections post scheduled on Monday. It's been a great first A-Z. I'll believe I'll be doing it again next year. Maybe challenge myself and do something slightly different than my typical ranting.

      Delete
  6. SpacerGuyApril 30, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    Great A to Z voyages Jeffrey. I haven't been to a zoo in years but i reckon we're all Gods creatures with emotions. I hope the animals are relatively happy. Count on my return, I'm looking foward to reading more of your interstellar stories.

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 2:43 PM

      The animals all seem to well cared for. A few have even gone on to be local celebrities, of sorts. It's an odd world we live in.

      Delete
  7. Stephanie FarisApril 30, 2015 at 3:23 PM

    I love how beautiful zoos usually are but I don't like the smells!

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    1. Jeffrey ScottApril 30, 2015 at 3:25 PM

      Sometimes you've got to take the bad with the good.

      Delete
  8. Cerebrations.bizApril 30, 2015 at 8:46 PM

    I forgot that some zoos charge. Thankfully, the National Zoo is not among them...
    There's one plus for our tax dollars at work.

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    1. Jeffrey ScottMay 1, 2015 at 6:18 AM

      I guess as long as the entry fees goes towards the enrichment of the animals lives, I'm okay with it. The Milwaukee County Zoo is one of the biggest, so I can only image the upkeep cost.

      Delete
  9. Arlee BirdApril 30, 2015 at 9:31 PM

    Mostly I don't like zoos because of all the people there. Actually it might be more fun if I went to the zoo and all those people were in the enclosures instead of the animals. I guess I like watching any of the apes since they are closest to people. Most of the other animals can be kind of boring.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Join us on May 4 with your post of Reflections about this year's A to Z.
    Tossing It Out


    ReplyDelete
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    1. Jeffrey ScottMay 1, 2015 at 6:19 AM

      I think it's fun to people watch too. It would be hysterical if they hired people to sit in a cage during the day too.

      Delete
  10. Scribbles From JennApril 30, 2015 at 10:46 PM

    Hooray! We made it to the letter Z! I do like going to the zoo, but only in the morning, because like Stephanie said, "They smell." I have several friends with 4 or 5 kids and sadly the cost prohibits them from doing a lot of things, including visiting the zoo.

    It was so nice reading your encouraging posts during the challenge. Thanks for always stopping by. See you around the blogosphere.

    Scribbles From Jenn - Visiting from the A to Z Challenge

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    1. Jeffrey ScottMay 1, 2015 at 6:23 AM

      Thanks for stopping by! Yes, it was a great challenge. And lots of fun. But can you imagine if the challenge never ended? I dreamed that last night. Then Rod Serling walked in and told me I had just entered the twilight zone.

      Delete
  11. Bob ScotneyMay 1, 2015 at 2:03 AM

    I would recommend Detroit t anyone in the area.

    Congratulations on successfully completing the Challenge. I've enjoyed your posts.

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    1. Jeffrey ScottMay 1, 2015 at 6:23 AM

      Thanks for saying so Bob. Glad they have entertained.

      Delete
  12. Melissa SugarMay 4, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    Congratulation on surviving the challenge and thank you for visiting my blog. Did you ever guess who the killer was?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Jeffrey ScottMay 5, 2015 at 6:59 AM

      I haven't pieced everything together just yet, but I'm waiting till I finish my reflections post so I have time again. LOL This challenge has taken a lot of time. But if you post the solution, I'm going to try and avoid reading it till I go back and re-read all the clues. I'm hoping to post my reflections post sometime today.

      Delete
  13. B~NatrelleJune 19, 2015 at 8:20 PM

    Hello there.
    Living near London, I used to visit London Zoo and also Windsor Safari Park, but I haven't been to a zoo since I came here to the States. My favourite animal is the majestic big cat, the lion.
    Congratulations on completing the challenge! I must say I have enjoyed reading your posts. I want to thank you also for stopping by my blog recently. You had me laughing with some of your comments. I'll be posting and replying to them all soon. Hope your next visit to London is an enjoyable one too.

    Entrepreneurial Goddess

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    1. B~NatrelleJune 19, 2015 at 8:21 PM

      P.S. Thanks for letting your yes mean yes!

      Delete
    2. Jeffrey ScottJune 22, 2015 at 10:52 AM

      Milwaukee has one of the best zoo's in the States.
      There have been a few I have been to and can be done in an hour or so. At Milwaukee you can spend all day and still not see everything. Lots of good picture taking.

      Delete

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