Quito Zoo
-
Ecuador Destinations
Quito Zoo is strangely
named since it
is not actually in Quito... However, it is definitely a zoo well worth
a visit and it's not too far from the city. The zoo is at Guayllabamba.
The zoo's animal
collection focuses almost
exclusively on Ecuador's native fauna. Since many
of these
animals are either rare or very shy, or both, the zoo is a
good chance
to get a close up look at creatures you are unlikely to even catch a
glimpse of in the wild. Obviously, these are zoo animals and
behave a little differently to animals in their natural habitat,
but take a look at how they move, their size, colour and shape and you
will have more chance of spotting their wild cousins in the rainforest
or paramo when you get out there.
At
Quito Zoo you can see several endangered species including rare mammals and much
more besides. Even
if you spent weeks in some of Ecuador's more remote areas you would
still be very lucky to see an ocelot, a jaguar or a spectacled bear,
but
you can't miss them here at the zoo.
Ecuador's national bird, the endangered Andean condor, is
represented at the zoo and in fact has bred successfully here. There are also other large birds of prey and
endangered birds including colourful parrots.
Exhibits change
from time to time. In early 2010 there is an excellent display of
frogs. Don´t miss the nocturnal animals part of the zoo
where you walk, with a guide, through a cage containing some beautiful
owls and a two-toed sloth.
Zoo
welfare standards can be a worry in some developing
countries, but do not fear. Quito Zoo provides its animals
with
reasonably spacious enclosures, most of them with space for hiding away
from the public if the animal so chooses. Efforts have been
made to replicate the relevant natural habitat and the animals seem
healthy and well cared for. Quito Zoo plays a major role in
educating
the citizens of Ecuador about the wealth of wildlife in their
country.
To
get to Quito Zoo, take a bus for
Guayllabamba or Cayambe, from Quito´s Terminal
Terrestre Carcelén (if you are starting from the
Eloy Alfaro side of town) or La Ofelia (if travelling from the Avenida
America side). This
will cost around $1 and take less than an hour. Let the driver know that you want to go to the
"zoológico" and you will be dropped where the road splits
just before Guayllabamba. From there, take the right fork for
about 150 yards and then turn right up the well signposted road to the
zoo, about a half hour walk. Alternatively, take a camioneta
(pick-up) which function as taxis - they charge around $1.25 for the 5
minute journey to the zoo and are usually quite quick to spot tourists
alighting from the buses. There is sometimes a free bus
service at
weekends.
Entry
to Quito zoo is $3.50.
Keep hold of your ticket as it will give you a discount on
entry to the excellent Vivarium back in Parque La Carolina in Quito
New Town.
Information
at the zoo is mostly in Spanish, but there are sometimes
English-speaking
guides available. The little cafe at the zoo is not
always open, so don't rely on being able to lunch there.
There is a picnic area.
An
excursion to Quito Zoo can easily be done in half a day from Quito.
It
won't take more than a couple of
hours to enjoy what the zoo has to offer. When
you're finished, you can either walk back to the junction, or
wait and hope that
a camioneta turns up, or pay one of the ladies at the little shops by
the exit to phone for a camioneta for you. Take sunscreen, a
hat and water, as the weather in Guayllabamba is usually hotter and
drier than Quito.
The
road junction
is often crowded with stalls selling tropical fruits and this is
renowned as one of the best places to buy chirimoyas (custard apples) - the perfect finish to a trip to the zoo!
Useful
Spanish Vocabulary for an excursion to Quito Zoo, Ecuador:
parque zoológico: zoo
oso: bear
mono: monkey
tortuga:
tortoise
Ecuador
Destinations: Quito Zoo
Half-day excursion from Quito to see some of the native birds and animals of
Ecuador, including various endangered species. Zoo pictures of native fauna and
more common zoo animals.
Website www.ecuadortravelsite.org, text and photos by Sarah Clifford.
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