Last week the GLW our progeny and myself decamped to London Zoo for the day. ZSL certainly knows how to make a few quid, charging £11 just for parking before asking for £17 for each adult. They stopped short of requiring a blood sacrifice from our children.
Was it worth the money though?
No not really. While London Zoo is moving to a more modern approach - the gorilla enclosure a fine example of that - most of the exhibits are behind such thickly woven mesh fences that they may as well be behind a brick wall. Visitors can see very little.<
Even worse many of the animals shown on the supplied map were nowhere to be found. And in true Jurassic Park tradition many that were there were so hidden their cages may as well have been empty.
The tiger was magnificent, being five foot from such a beautiful animal certainly made one appreciate the wonders of nature. But the poor cat looked rather disturbed as it paced up and down the fence.
Considering this is supposed to be the country's premier zoo it was certainly lacking in some departments. No elephants, no rhino, or hippo, no bears. All it a bit poor really.
Thankfully the little ones seemed to enjoy their day out, especially getting to see a tiger close up. But for nearly £50 we expected a heck of a lot more.