Let's (Zoo)Chat

I spend a lot of my time talking with other zoo professionals - keepers, curators, vets, registrar, educators, administrators - so a lot of my conversations that place in a very zoo-focused bubble.  We all care very much about zoos, but we also all work there, so it tends to color perspectives.  Growing up, I was the only kid in my school who had a strong interest in zoos, so it's a relief to now be able to always find someone who wants to talk about zoos and animals and conservation.  That wasn't always the case.

By the time super-quick internet access, of the kind where you didn't have to arrange in advance when you would use the web so that the rest of our household wasn't deprived of phone access, came along, I was already out of the house and starting on my career.  If I was coming of age as a zoo-lover now, I would have been thrilled to discover a vast, online community of other people deeply interested in zoos and aquariums who wanted to share and expand their knowledge.  One such community I've found is ZooChat.

ZooChat is a free forum where participants can sign up and share their views (and images) of zoos, aquariums, and related topics.  It has members from all over the world, so it offers a very unique look at facilities across the globe, meaning you get access to all sorts of news from around the planet - in almost real time, too.  There are separate pages for every zoo and aquarium I've ever heard of, from the biggest of giants to the tiniest, ramshackle operation overseas, and they are constantly being updated with news of births, deaths, transactions, new exhibits, and other developments.

I'm finding it especially useful because users provide very quick updates on what species are found where and tips for visiting specific zoos and aquariums.  On a recent zoo visit, I saw a bird that I could not identify, and there was no signage in the aviary (a frequent problem with tropical rainforest exhibits), nor was the species splashy enough to warrant mention on the zoo's website.  I went to ZooChat, looked up the zoo, found an up-to-the-date species list posted by a frequent visitor, and voila, the bird was identified.

ZooChat is largely an opinion board, and you know what they say about opinions (they're like rear ends - everyone has one, and they all stink).  I'll admit to having rolled my eyes a few times reading some posts - enthusiasts aren't always professionals, and it's a little funny reading some of the comments about how some people would fix up their local zoo easily, as if running a zoo was a giant game of Zoo Tycoon, and just as simple to play.  I've laughed reading some of the posts about my zoo, and what people *think* is going on in decision-making processes.  That does, I admit, make me a little wary about some other news I glean from there.  Still, I've gotten a lot of great info from the forums which helps me keep up to date on what's going on in the zoo world.

Besides, it's always nice to chat with like-minded folks...

Interested?  Sign up (for free) at www.zoochat.com