As the number of blog posts increases, you’ll find I love animals and seek opportunities to “commune” with them. The older I get, the more I appreciate them. I wasn’t always that way. As a child, I teased our Chihuahua mercilessly; in college, yelled at my German Shepherd if he didn’t sit when I told him to; and laughed when my mother told me she loved watching birds.
Part of my discovery – perhaps not a senior discovery but a human one – is how much animals think and feel, how sad our world would be without them, and how capable they are of communicating. My turning point may well have been the first time I stood in a vet’s office, stroking my cat’s fur, as he was gently laid to rest due to a virulent cancer that had made his life miserable. I realized how much I loved him, how much he’d brightened my life and how I’d learned to “read” his emotions from his expressions and behaviors. A different relationship with animals was born.
My mother would give me her “I told you so” look now if she could see that I spend endless hours watching the blue jays, woodpeckers, cardinals, mourning doves, and Carolina wrens in my backyard. I have two cats with personalities as different as night and day, and although they could care less about the birds, the lizards drive them crazy. And then there was the opossum who took up residence under my deck for a few months, and the raccoon who would visit the backyard birdbath surreptitiously in the middle of the night but invariably topple it and wake me. I appreciate them all.
So I suppose it’s no wonder I love zoos. I’m a little torn between amazement at the diversity of the animal kingdom and hating it that they’re locked up. I’ve been to Zoo Tampa a couple of times and it’s easy to spend all day. The zoo is wheelchair accessible with wide walkways and there are plenty of places to sit in the shade and people watch.
The Christmas season is a great time to go. The whole park is decorated and they have great things for kids – my favorite being the giant deer puppet that talked to the children. I don’t have children of my own and, by and large, think they’re cute, but love it that they’re returnable to the parents at any given moment. But this was worth stopping to watch.
Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park is located at 1101 W. Sligh and is open from 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM every day (except Thanksgiving and Christmas). If you want to call with questions, the number is 813-935-8552. Go online at http://www.zootampa.org and have a look at all the options. In addition to day passes, you can purchase all sorts of fun animal encounters:
- Giraffe encounter
- Giant tortoise encounter
- Southern white rhino backstage
- African penguin backstage
- Indian rhino feeding
- Manatee critical care center backstage
- African elephant backstage
I found the ticket prices on the website a little confusing. The first place I clicked said adults (12+) were $44.95 and children (3-11) were $34.95. However, when I clicked on “purchase tickets,” the prices were $41.95 and $31.95. Hmmm. Good luck with that!
They have a great option online called “Plan My Day” where you can decide exactly how you want to spend your time and purchase your tickets before you go. Zoo Tampa’s parking is free but unless you get there at the crack of dawn, you may have a bit of a stroll to get to the entrance.
There are restaurants and lots of concession stands scattered all over the park, so sustenance is just steps away at any given moment. This is easily a full day adventure so plan accordingly. The zoo covers 63 acres and exhibits are set well apart. Be prepared to do lots of walking.
Lisa Browder 
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