Zoo ‘Centenario’ is a little further out of the centre due to its size etc. and my visit there was honestly pure curiosity about what zoos in Mexico are like and what animals you can see there. Because Europe and Mexico have pretty different vegetation and biodiversity, so I was genuinely curious.
But first a disclaimer on the subject of zoos: This post is neither for nor against zoos, but is a neutral representation of what I have experienced. And I don’t think it´s a shame to be curious about how – even potentially controversial – things are handled in other countries and cultures. And that’s how I ended up at the zoo.
So let me tell you about my experience and impression 😀 Of course, the whole thing is a bit further out of the city centre due to its size, which is why I took a bus to get there. The only thing that surprised me about the entrance was that I had to walk further in for the ticket office etc. than here in Cologne, for example. Right from the start, you walked into a kind of separate area. Inside there were animals, some as expected and some very big surprises. I had expected various birds, monkeys and things like turtles, snakes…. Etc. The difference to Europe was, of course, that the animals were more exotic and there was a bit more variety. In general, that was actually an aspect that surprised me. All kinds of different species. Really everything was represented. So they also had animals that I wouldn’t have expected to find in Central America at all and that I would have associated more with the forest. And to be honest, I would have expected them to be in Europe rather than Mexico. To give you an example: I saw deer. Very cute, but also very unexpected. For me, the things that stuck in my mind the most were tigers and lions. Simply because they were much closer to the crowd than in Cologne. So the treatment of these big cats is very different in Mexico. At least in this case.
Last but not least: yes or no? Personally, I was only there because I had time to spare and was simply curious. It’s just interesting to see what it’s like in such a different country to Europe. But apart from that, it’s up to you. 😀