A DAY AT THE ZOO
Ibadan Zoo always comes up whenever people mention the city. Apparently it is a must visit for anyone who goes to the ancient city. My opportunity to visit came when Jenny visited Nigeria.
This zoo can be found in the University of Ibadan and was set up (like with all University zoos). It was established in 1948 primarily to support teaching and research in the Department of Zoology. When the animal collection grew in number and diversity and it became a full fledged Zoo in 1974.
An Eland just incase you were wondering
Watchu looking at?
Simba wondering why Nala is making noise
It was very surprising that even though the zoo had been open for that long it was well maintained. During our visit we could even see students checking on the animals as part of their course.
How cute is this old lady who paid the zoo a visit?
They have animals such as giraffes, lions, monkeys, a camel, hyenas, various snakes, reptiles etc and ALL were in well kept cages. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember thinking the zoo smelt horribly. It had more animals than I had seen in other zoos and I was definitely seeing some for the first time.
Ajoke the Giraffe
The humped one
If looks could kill
The reptiles had a building to themselves with various snakes, Lizards and others that creeped me out.
Reptile Home
Python
Black Mamba
Ibadan zoo is commonly touted as one of the best zoos Nigeria has to offer and I could see why. We could also see ongoing work being done on the grounds as they plan to introduce more animals into the zoo.
Playground for kids
Another thing to note is that some of the animals are donated by the alumni of the university to further develop it and help the students out.
It was a really good visit and I was able to witness one of the most amazing interactions between man and primate. We were holding a bottle of sprite and the chimp pointed for it and ‘beckoned’ for it. When we didn’t really understand what he was trying to do, he walked back into his cage and brought back an empty bottle of sprite and pointed at our. My friend threw his bottle to it, the chimp caught it, proceeded to open and drink it. We were left in awe and left thinking that the ‘planet of the apes’ situation might just be real.
The chimp asking for sprite
Would I recommend the zoo? Yes especially if you’re a lover of animals. Besides you can always have a picnic in the designated areas.
Things to Note
The Zoo is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year from 8:00 to 18:30 daily.
If you’re hungry there are shops at the entrance of the zoo.
It costs N500 for both adults and kids. Its an extra N1,000 if you bring in a camera (yeah I don’t get it either).
Have you been to Ibadan Zoo, what did you think about it? Let us know in the comment section.
*Reviews are based on opinions and personal experiences, and may differ from person to person
*prices written are based on the time the visit was made and is subject to change by the owners.