Shanghai Zoo

So I couldn't resist it... I'm pretty sure that whatever country I travel to, I'm always going to want to go to the zoo. For the first time in a while I didn't go on my birthday - this year I pigged out on Korean Barbeque, I think my age is showing. Anyway, so one blustery Saturday me and fellow animal lover Aimee headed to Shanghai zoo. Needless to say, it snowed again, we definitely jinxed the weather.

My first ever Giant Panda

 I was pretty astounded at this, I know China's national animal is the Giant Panda, but being able to see one blew me away, and of course it would be sleeping on a slide, what else could be more fit for a panda? What you can't see out of shot is a child's rocking horse, ridiculous you might think, but actually it looked pretty well used, I imagine being a Panda is a pretty peculiar lifestyle. But hey, when your species is that rare I guess you can demand Victorian rocking horses and whatnot. 

 These adorable Red Panda's had to be the star attraction in my opinion, there where absolutely loads of them, pattering about with their pigeon toed gait munching on bamboo its enough to make a 20 year old squee (seriously get on youtube). I am well aware that the sleepy Giant panda is the thing to see, but these adorable little ones did it for me. They seemed pretty active despite the minus 5 temperatures, thinking about it maybe the Giant Panda had the right idea snoozing through the snow...

Shanghai zoo for me really reflected some areas of Chinese society, it was by far the biggest zoo I had ever been to (they even had grizzly bears) and a lot of other animals that I have never seen before. I felt like David Attenborough, however I don't think Mr. Attenborough would have been pleased by what we saw. I am aware its winter meaning the animals where far grumpier, and not as happy as a majority of the year but I found elements of this zoo disturbing. Much like Shanghai itself the main  attractions where amazing; the Panda's where beautifully housed, as where the bears. But the shabbier corners where a little uncomfortable for someone used to western zoos.

In my local zoo I am pretty sure most of the animals are housed and fed better than I am, but several of the animals at Shanghai zoo appeared to have mange or where shut out in the snow with little or no shelter. We even witnessed a wolf housed in pen similar to those found at a kennel with no clean water shelter or food, this sight was concealed by some corrugated iron which someone had pulled away so that observant visitors could spy. The wolf could have been in isolation due to illness I'm can't be sure, but both Aimee and I found this pretty horrific.

 I think Elements of Shanghai zoo are incredible and I am sure that in the summer months things look spectacular and I imagine all the animals are well catered too. But in the short winter days where business is slow this zoo feels a little neglected. I would recommend a visit to this zoo, but perhaps not in winter for the feint hearted. I hope I haven't put people of this zoo, perhaps its a cultural difference between the east and west but parts of this zoo are not what I had hoped for.