Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 My wife wanted to visit the Fresno Chaffe Zoo, having not been there for 10 years or more. During that time, a local bond issue passed, giving the zoo a $10 million taxpayer boost over ten years. So we went to have a look. And what a surprise! Admission for non members was $16.50. Not too terrible, we thought. Then, for some additional sticker shock, you can do a variety of up-close encounters: Feed a giraffe for 30 min. $90 per person Feed a tortoise-30 min for $35 per person Pet a seal for an hour for $90 per person. Feed a kangaroo for 30 min. $50 per person Pet a stingray for 15 mi - $90 per person Scratch a warthog for 30 min $20 per person (No, I'm not kidding !) Walk through the reptile house for an hour $90 per person. Toss food to an elephant for an hour $115 per person. I found those prices simply unbelievable! (And I thought cowboy shooting was expensive.) This is beyond my wildest imagination. Lord, please help the poor guy who takes his 3 kids or grandkids to see the animals. This was at the Chaffe Zoological Gardens in Fresno, Ca.. So are other zoos exploiting to this level? All I can say is "WOW" !!!! At first I thought it was a joke! But no joke. I forgot to mention that children younger than 1 year get general admission free, but above 1 year is $9.50 up to 12, then the $16.50 adult price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 WOW for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo B. Fetterman Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Hunger Games District 1 pricing for everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Gun Jimmy Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Absolutly nuts. At the zoos I've been too, Ohio mostly you could do everything listed for about 100 lol Most feed things like elephants and giraffes are like 5 bucks for a handful...do as many as you like...or just stand there and watch others don't for free. I think it was like 10-20 bucks to pet stingrays Like 10-20 for a couple fish to feed dolphins..it was some deal I can't remember like 1 for 10 or 3 for 25. Those prices are STUPID. I will say they probably took a HUGE hit from covid, especially in a Dem. State that stayed closed longer than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 No , I try not to go to Walmart often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Petting stingrays is ....... ummmmm, ...... a bit not-safe, ...... ask Steve Irwin, ........ ...... oh, that's right, you can't ask him ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/tickets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Cheaper to just go to Walmart...the animals are much more dangerous, you don't have to feed them...or scratch their back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 54 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said: Cheaper to just go to Walmart...the animals are much more dangerous, you don't have to feed them...or scratch their back. They are definitely not cute and cuddly at Walmart. And I wouldn't touch them even with Eyesa's hands! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 25, 2023 Author Share Posted April 25, 2023 I guess I'm out of touch. I never would have guessed that taking three kids to the zoo for a day would top $300. But I have a deal! You can bring your kids to my place and they can feed, pet, and lead my llamas around all day for free. If you want to donate something toward the $22/bale hay, I'll accept it. THAT is MY idea of family focused entertainment. Scratching a zoo warthog for 20 bucks almost seems like a form of prostitution or warthog trafficking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 15 minutes ago, Chantry said: They are definitely not cute and cuddly at Walmart. And I wouldn't touch them even with Eyesa's hands! I wouldn't touch them with my hands either! Or any other part of me for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Unless all those fees are mandatory, I don’t have a problem with it. You can still see the critters, right? No different than $12 for a can of beer at a pro sports stadium. You don’t have to buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Lots and lots of money: Bronx Zoo* = Age 13+ $37.75; Seniors 65+ $33.25; 3-12 $28.75. Parking is $20 per car. Although there are rumors that say if you feed one of your children to the animals they'll refund everyone's admission fee. A bargain if you ask me. *The Bronx Zoo is very large and well regarded: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_Zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 25, 2023 Author Share Posted April 25, 2023 23 minutes ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said: Unless all those fees are mandatory, I don’t have a problem with it. You can still see the critters, right? No different than $12 for a can of beer at a pro sports stadium. You don’t have to buy it. Until your three small grandkids start wanting to scratch the warthog like the other kids and begin crying in the middle of what you thought would be a fun day. Good lesson maybe, but still not a very fun day. I think that is the core strategy the zoos are using. Essentially, it's pay up or we'll ruin your kids' day. Folks will respond by staying home or doing something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 To be fair parking in the zoo lot costs or you can park on one of the roads in forest park for free and walk a bit. Special attractions cost until building cost is paid off. And you can go back to the big cats and look at a statue of Marlin Perkins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Yea I would just pass on feeding the animals. How much to feed yourself I wonder? Like maybe a hot dog, popcorn soft drink etc?? I’d rather feed myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 1 hour ago, Chantry said: They are definitely not cute and cuddly at Walmart. And I wouldn't touch them even with Eyesa's hands! https://youtube.com/shorts/Sna2z3bSozQ?feature=share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580 Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 Haven't been to a zoo per se, but I just spent a week in the vicinity of Ontario, California. Does that count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 15 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said: Petting stingrays is ....... ummmmm, ...... a bit not-safe, ...... ask Steve Irwin, ........ ...... oh, that's right, you can't ask him ...... Piece of cake I have done it depends on type of ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 16 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said: Petting stingrays is ....... ummmmm, ...... a bit not-safe, ...... ask Steve Irwin, ........ ...... oh, that's right, you can't ask him ...... 26 minutes ago, PowderRiverCowboy said: Piece of cake I have done it depends on type of ray The Tampa Bay Rays (MLB team) has a "rays petting tank" outside the centerfield wall. It's real popular with the tourists and kids. Occasionally, a homerun ball will splashdown in the tank. I don't think that any rays have been injured by the homerun balls and no one has been barbed by the rays. Around Florida, the natives shuffle their feet in the sand while in wading salt water, scares them away usually. Getting barbed by a ray hurts...a lot, even more if the barb breaks off in the wound. BTW, many of the "scallops" that are sold aren't really scallops, they're stingray or shark meat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgavin Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 That Zoo has taken a cue from Disneyland... and we won't go there again, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashknife Cowboy Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 Perhaps I can start charging folks to come by my place and feed my horses carrots and pet them for $50.00 a hour...and in no time I can buy more CAS guns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 29, 2023 Author Share Posted April 29, 2023 Speaking of the zoo, did anybody else in their dingy past ever park at night beside a zoo and blow a predator call? I did it one night with two carloads of high school friends. It was hilarious! We had the whole zoo screaming! But soon, a city LEO pulled up behind our cars to seriously (even gruffly) ask what we were doing there. Being honest country kids we told him. He'd never heard of a predator call, so I pulled out my old Circe coyote squealer and blew it for him. The zoo again erupted into a din of roaring, barking, howling, screaming and every possible other noise. At first, he smirked, then broke into uncontrolled belly laughter, leaning over my old pickup in quasi-pain. We knew we weren't going to get arrested at that point. He went back to his cruizer and we heard him cue his radio. We couldn't hear what was said, but a few minutes later, a second cruiser pulled up, with his supervisor. The Lieutenant knew what a coyote call was, and asked a few questions. The first officer then broke into spontaneous laughter again, quickly joined by his boss and a third officer who accompanied him. Through the levity, the Lt. told us we would need to move along and cease disturbing the peace, which we politely did. I often think I would have liked to hear the break room dialog the next day. So much for my early crime career. Things were very different then - 60 years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 29, 2023 Share Posted April 29, 2023 Many, many years ago, my parents took me and my little brother to the Atlanta Zoo during summer vacation. We went through much of the zoo and finally came to the ape/monkey exhibit which was in a long barn like enclosure with glassed in cages on either side. The cages had signs describing the type of simian(s) inside the cages. When we got to the orangutang cage, the female's butt was swollen, red and actually looked like it was painful. On the glass, next to the nameplate, was a hand lettered sign that stated "Please excuse the appearance of the female. It is normal and due to the fact that she is in heat". That told me what I needed to know and we went through the rest of the zoo and left. On our way back to the campground (we were camping), my parents started talking about the orang's appearance. I don't remember if it was my mother or step-father that said "Didn't you see the sign, she was in heat". Just then, my little brother piped up and said "What I don't understand is why they didn't put her in a cooler place". That was at least 55 years ago...we still kid him about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ball Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 On 4/25/2023 at 1:42 PM, Dusty Devil Dale said: My wife wanted to visit the Fresno Chaffe Zoo, having not been there for 10 years or more. During that time, a local bond issue passed, giving the zoo a $10 million taxpayer boost over ten years. So we went to have a look. And what a surprise! Admission for non members was $16.50. Not too terrible, we thought. Then, for some additional sticker shock, you can do a variety of up-close encounters: Feed a giraffe for 30 min. $90 per person Feed a tortoise-30 min for $35 per person Pet a seal for an hour for $90 per person. Feed a kangaroo for 30 min. $50 per person Pet a stingray for 15 mi - $90 per person Scratch a warthog for 30 min $20 per person (No, I'm not kidding !) Walk through the reptile house for an hour $90 per person. Toss food to an elephant for an hour $115 per person. I found those prices simply unbelievable! (And I thought cowboy shooting was expensive.) This is beyond my wildest imagination. Lord, please help the poor guy who takes his 3 kids or grandkids to see the animals. This was at the Chaffe Zoological Gardens in Fresno, Ca.. So are other zoos exploiting to this level? All I can say is "WOW" !!!! At first I thought it was a joke! But no joke. I forgot to mention that children younger than 1 year get general admission free, but above 1 year is $9.50 up to 12, then the $16.50 adult price. My wife just took our 2.5 and 1 y/o to the Fresno zoo on Friday. I had no idea the extras were so expensive. I think she has a membership, which probably dulls the pain of the entrance fee. But wow...those extras are insane. Probably why I've never heard of my wife and kids partaking. We were so spoiled in San Diego...my wife had an annual membership to the zoo there too, which paid for itself by your second trip. And, active duty military always got in free. I have some fantastic memories of pushing my daughter around and finding the most efficient route to see all the big cats (usually 15 or so!). I could go there for $0 and have a wonderful few hours. My wife actually went into labor with our second after she spent the day traversing all the hills at the SD zoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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