Comparing American and Romanian zoos
Today, in our quest for cultural enlighment, we shall compare a Romanian Zoo with an American Zoo. The Romanian Zoo was photographed on a gloomy December day in 2004 in Targu-Mures, a town so incredible I accepted to be born in it. The American Zoo was photographed on a gorgeous April day in 2006 in Washington, DC, a town so incredible it acts as residence to the American president.
The project is obviously biased in favor of the zoo benefiting from the better weather, more financial resources, international cache and cooler animals.
That being said, it’s time to compare and contrast (each point has a corresponding picture).
In an American zoos, you will notice that:
1. People wearing sunglasses tend to share cages with people wearing baseball caps.
2. Animals benefits from a strong pro-grass lobby.
3. Size matters.
In a Romanian zoo, you will notice that:
1. Free snacks, such as impaled margarine, are used to attract people.
2. The pro-grass lobby is vacationing in Sinaia during the winter,
3. Size is measured and recorded in stone.
You have zoo pictures of your own? Send them on.
April 10th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for the warning. I had been secretly fearing any future visits to a Romanian zoo. I’ve had a strong suspicion I might even be… offended… at the lack of quality offered. Those pictures seem to indicate my misgivings were justified.
At some point, I’ll manage to visit one. However, I think I will end up having the opinion that those cities which cannot properly afford a decent zoo (and let’s agree, that’d be most around here) should have the leadership to disband their zoos until a future date wherein they can.
No doubt I’m in the minority.
April 23rd, 2006 at 1:46 pm
One of my most horrifying moments as an American in Romania was my visit to the Brasov Zoo: the poor bears were living on a mud island surrounded by a moat of fettid water, the lion was in a cage smaller than my living room, and the bird house so throughly reeked of fecees I was forced to flea in order to avoid vomiting. I have NEVER seen such a sad excuse for a zoo and it broke my heart that those poor animals had to live like that. My students here in Targu Mures say that we have a good zoo, but based on my previous experience, I am simply too terrified to go.
April 26th, 2006 at 11:59 am
When I lived in Bucharest I never went to the zoo… and this is why. Coming from Toronto which has a marvelous zoo, the Romanian experience would break my heart.
May 27th, 2006 at 6:02 am
There are 33 Romanian zoos and they are all terrible. We need to reeducate people, close the zoos and get help from European zoos to take the animals who have nowhere to go.
We are a small group in the uk who are going out to Buhushi zoo Romania- yet another dreadful zoo to try andhelp the animals- go to these zoos and complain write letters- dont just walk away!!How will things ever change-
And if you think money is an issue- Dubai zoo is just as bad and a disgrace to the wealth of that country.
Jane
September 28th, 2006 at 5:50 am
gradina zoologica din bucureshti e foarte frumoasa … nu mai suferiti atata….
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:07 pm
okok I get ur point zoos in America are better then zoos in romania…but tht duznt mean romania is not educated..I mean Americans dont have manners..but anyways if we were 2 comapare other things to America trust me America wouldnt stand a chance againts Romania. I am from romania but I moved 2 America and I visit Romania every summer.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:14 am
Some one mentioned that there are 33 zoo’s in Romania. Can anyone help me with a list with all zoo’s and there addresses?
Thx., Bart