Skip to main content

Featured

Your Animal Questions Answered!

Ever wondered why dolphins jump out of the water, why cats knead or why bats sleep upside down? Well look no further as we have tackled some of the most common and slightly obscure questions about your favourite animal species to give you the answers you have been looking for! Why do giraffes have black tongues? A giraffes tongue (which is up to 21 inches in length) is thought to be black in colour to protect it from sunburn. Giraffes spend a large part of their day feeding in the hot African sun and it is thought that without the dark colouration, their tongues would be easily burnt! Why do fish have scales? The scales of fish are bony in structure and overlap one another to cover the whole body. These scales provide much needed protection for their soft bodies whilst also allowing them to move freely through the water! Amazingly, the rings on the scales of fish also actually indicate their age! Why do monkeys groom each other? At first glance you would ...

All About Barcelona Zoo

Although zoos are often frowned upon by animal lovers due to poor conditions and heart-wrenchingly small enclosures for species that really should be treated with more respect, many nowadays are turning towards better practise by ensuring that their residents have more adequate space that better emulates their natural habitats and many are becoming more heavily involved in both supporting and funding conservation projects all around the world.
Zoos can also provide visitors with crucial access to species that they would never normally have the privilege of seeing so closely, encouraging people to learn all about the animals and the habitats in which they live, and helping people to understand the threats that an increasing number of species are facing in the wild (primarily due to more human intervention in these areas).

(c) A-Z-Animals
The Barcelona Zoo is one such place that on a recent visit there, we were pleasantly surprised at what we discovered. Located in a park in the heart of the city, the zoo itself looks very small from the entrance but once you pass through the gates you are met with a very clean and friendly environment that seems to go on forever. In fact, it was really quite staggering to see just how big it was considering that it is surrounded by high-rise buildings.Numerous species can be found there including zebras, wildebeest, elephants, giraffes, meercats and mongooses, komodo dragons, tigers, tapirs, bears, rhinos and hippos. There are birds galore from penguins and flamingoes to the herons and peacocks that roam freely around the zoo, and more primate species than you can count - mandrills, gorillas, chimps, spider monkeys and tamarins to name just a few.

(c) A-Z-Animals
There are an impressive number of informative posters detailing each individual species and a large educational gorilla exhibition which is found close to the marine centre. A children's zoo is found towards the end of the long route around the zoo where little ones can come close to everyday species such as goats, chicks and even guinea pigs.At the end of the day, as a natural world enthusiast it is never nice to see animals in captivity but I do strongly feel that if somewhere manages to get the balance right, zoos can be incredibly important about teaching future generations about the animals that we share our world with and highlight the importance of protecting them for the future.

Most Viewed Articles