Overheard At The Zoo

We've all been there.  Standing in front of a large, very clear sign, and someone confidently and incorrectly tells their group about an animal that is NOT that animal.  Kids get sudden sexual education and parents have to sputter for answers.  Every duiker is a baby.  The sunbathing bird is dead.  Eavesdropping never gets old at the zoo, share your favorites here!

[overheardatthezoo]

Look, it's a lion dog!

Regarding the maned wolves at Exmoor Zoo, UK

[overheardatthezoo]

All of these animals are cool and stuff, but I just don't like them!

A kid who explored everything in our interactive beach ecology exhibit at least three times

[overheardatthezoo]

“Where are the dinosaurs”

“all around the zoo!”

“Yes I know! We saw the robot ones! We heard you had REAL dinosaurs!”

“Uh, they’re extinct” “WELL THATS JUST FALSE ADVERTISEMENT IM GONNA SUE!”

[overheardatthezoo]

Any UFO sightings?

-- some guy

[overheardatthezoo]

I haven't seen ANY staff!?

-- he sounded very bewildered; I [in a staff jacket] was standing next to him and absolutely none of his party noticed... I did not help them.

[overheardatthezoo]

Is this the light event?

-- a woman, who had to have purchased tickets and see countless signs saying that this is indeed the light event, the zoo is open at night SOLELY for this event and she was far into the event when she asked me, a staff member, this ????? 

[overheardatthezoo]

What's an animal?

Asked by a 5 year old when I said I was about to feed the tide pool animals.  His mom was very concerned.

[overheardatthezoo]

Did you know camels were invented by Thomas Edison in North America?

A fourth grader to his friend at the camel exhibit.

[overheardatthezoo]

Oh my god! A cheetah lizard!

-young girl, noticing the leopard gecko in my hands

[overheardatthezoo]

*woman approaches after listening to a presentation about a tawny frogmouth* "excuse me, is that an iguana?"

[overheardatthezoo]

Look! It's a mommy and a baby!

We would go to the Cinci Zoo for my Observing Primate Behavior Class. My project was on orangutans. At least 50 times a day while recording my data I would have adults point to our FULLY FLANGED male (who is the only animal in this particular enclosure) and say to their friends/children "it's holding a baby!".

[overheardatthezoo]

One of your horses is lying on the ground! They're dead! THE HORSE IS DEAD!

- the horse is sleeping

[overheardatthezoo]

Ma’am, the sign says you aren’t allowed to feed the baby calf.

-at the petting zoo while I was standing in the pen with a giant ass bottle of milk

[overheardatthezoo]

“Look! A Donald Trump penguin!”

Small child looking at the puffins

[overheardatthezoo]

hedgehog, porcupine, echidna, mouse, rat, squirrel, etc

just a couple of thing our Lesser Hedghog Tenrec has been called, i’ve never once had someone actually call her a tenrec lol

[overheardatthezoo]

“Look at the snake!” “Actually, ma’am this is a legless lizard. So these guys—“ “That’s a snake.” “No—“ “Yes.”

our poor, poor legless lizards (and me having to present them)..they’ve also been called eels..as i was carrying one of them around outside..

[overheardatthezoo]

*on national culture awareness day, i’m giving a bunch of facts about vultures and just having a nice time* Some random family: oh we know all about vultures huh *laughs* we hit some on the ride over here Me, trying to keep a smile: oh....ha...

people are awful