It is no secret that I love zoos. Correction, I love animals and zoos have always been a way to get closer to wildlife and encounter more species. A good zoo treats its animals well and works toward essential wildlife conservation. Bad zoos with poor care and tiny cages break my heart. We visit zoos to support the animals and connect with nature.

The Phoenix zoo is ridiculously expensive. I assume most families can’t afford to come on a regular basis (maybe ever). Of course, I am from St. Louis where the world class zoo is free.

With high expectations we enter the zoo. It is spacious and it is clear they care for their animals. But half of the exhibits seem to be under construction and many of the animals are off exhibit. (Note: the area had severe weather last month that may have damaged infrastructure). I joke that we should only have to pay a proportional entry fee based on the number of exhibits actually open. I calculate about a 60% discount.

One of the best views we have is an overlook at the lion enclosure. We can’t actually see any lions. They must be sleeping under the trees. But we can see some bighorn sheep, which ironically appear to be in an area outside the zoo. Leave it to me to buy a $50.00 ticket to a zoo with no animals actually visible, and then stand and watch animals outside the zoo.

We walk through a number of visually appealing exhibit areas where no animals are visible. Some are asleep in their enclosures while hidden by foliage I guess. Some of them may be inside. It is hot and they are hiding. Or else the zoo is playing a crazy Halloween prank and there aren’t actually any animals.

My guy is starting to get a little salty about walking long distances in the heat with very little pay off. Thankfully in the primate house, we find a very responsive orangutan. He is having a great time chewing up primate biscuits into mash and then spitting it out to show me his masterpiece. It is a little gross, but it is making both the orangutan and my husband happy. Plus, it is air condition led. So I sit down and let the orangutan show me his regurgitated lunch.

Close by, we also find a walk through monkey enclosure. The little guys have complete freedom to roam and we try not to get in their way. It isn’t as interactive as the Australian zoos, but pretty neat. A docent tells all about them as we watch the frolicking from underneath their trees. This is what a zoo should be.

All in all, not our best day ever at a zoo. For the money, it is not even a good value. And yet…. I would go again. Given a chance to support wildlife conservation and to take a walk in a beautiful space, I will always go.