The Africa Zoo minus the animals

This past weekend we ventured to the Pretoria Zoo.  Given that it is in Africa one would think with access to an abundance of wildlife that the zoo would be stocked and you could see about any animal you wanted.  Well that was not the case and we were a bit disappointed in what the zoo had to offer animal wise.  If you like beautiful vegetation, water falls and long paths, then you might want to visit the Pretoria Zoo.

Only about 20 minutes from our home, nestled in downtown Pretoria right next to tall buildings is the Pretoria Zoo.  I signed up for Groupon for Pretoria and the zoo was offering a great deal so we decided to make use of it.  As usual we arrived when the gate opened and were the only ones wandering parts of the zoo, never seeing any other patrons for up to 30 minutes at a time.  It was nice to have the zoo all to ourselves for a while.  We choose to walk around the zoo but little did we know that you can actually rent golf carts to view the animals.  It was a cool morning so we did not mind, though with the lack of animals, a golf cart would have been quicker.

Upon entering the zoo, we viewed the large variety of birds then made our way over to the "farm animals" as they called them.  Sadly, there were only 2 goats and nothing else, the entire section was run down with paths blocked by mud and water, something we encountered often along the zoo's paths.  Next we were able to watch the buffalo eat their breakfast then followed one of the numerous trails making our way through the zoo.  Sadly we only saw one elephant from afar, 4 zebras, 3 hippos under water, 2 tigers and 1 bear.  

From all over the zoo you could hear the lions roar, pretty amazing.  Though the lions kept hidden in their enclosures, with only 2 choosing to come out and walk around, we were glad to see them.  We were able to watch some apes eating and koalas, but several of the exhibits were either closed due to mating or the animals just were not out yet.  Maybe a different time of day would have made for a better outing.

Before heading home, we road the tram to the top of the hill which overlooked the zoo and the city of Pretoria.  It was beautiful to see the city in the background of the lush trees around the zoo.







 Adalyn of course loved the ride and at the top there was a little trail with look out points for pictures.  For 3 hours we wandered the zoo, trying to spot any animal we could.  I would not venture back to the Pretoria Zoo in the future but if you are looking for a quick half day outing with or without kids, it makes for a pleasant visit, as long as you are not expecting much.