Image © Eric Risberg/AP/PA Photos
Zoos have come a long way from depressing Victorian-era collections of shabby animals shoved in too-small cages for the public to gawp at. Now the best zoos emphasise conservation as much as entertainment. Openness is the key design theme, with as little as possible – most iron bars have been banished to history – between you and the amazing animals.
And here's a mystery. Why do people assume zoos are mainly for kids? They tend to get bored after an orang-utan or two. If, as an adult, you've forgotten the old-fashioned thrill of watching the creatures with which we share this Earth at play, now's the time to rediscover it.
There's no admission price for our roundup of some of the world's most extraordinary zoos.
