The Shanghai Zoo has one of the biggest gardens I have ever visited. It also has over 6,000 animals and 600 of them are rare animals. I wanted to see all of them but my major goal was to get to see the Giant Panda and the South China Tiger, and I saw both.
First we went to the aquarium section where we saw fish, turtles, and mini sharks; they were a little creepy with spiky backs. After that we went through the reptile section where we saw a huge black and red striped snake that almost took up half of the whole aquarium. The only animals that were very different from animals in the U.S were the reptiles, especially the lizards. Then we saw all the types of birds. I was surprised that they had a Mexican parrot, flamingos and ostriches.
The best section of the zoo was the rare animals section. I was so excited to see a panda. I have never seen one before other than on TV. I also saw the zebras and the wild horses, my two favorite animals. I also got the chance to see funny looking gorillas. I still can’t believe I saw a 142 year old mother gorilla; she was the oldest rare animal in the Shanghai Zoo. They also have elephants, giraffes, kangaroos, lions, cheetahs, monkeys, deer, goats, wolves and many more.
Finally, I saw the South China Tiger. I don’t have a lot to say about him because when we saw him, he was asleep but he was a big boy. A while later we took a little rest, and I saw how little kids were feeding the animals human food and nobody told them not to even though there were signs that said you shouldn’t feed the animals. I mean I don’t know much about animals but I don’t think that’s good for them. This is another way that China is different from the U.S. The zoo rules in both countries are different. There were various other animals that we didn’t get to see, but I think seeing a panda was enough. The Shanghai Zoo is really worth it! It’s big, so I recommend you buy a map at the tourist center because you can get lost. Directions are really tricky, believe me. They also have many cool rides like a ferris wheel and bumper boats. I’m glad to say I had fun. Looking at all these animals reminded me of my little brother. He’s obsessed with animals, and I’m sure when I go back to Austin he’s going to be excited when I tell him I saw a panda for the first time.
Nancy Alvarado
Shanghai 6-Week, 2011
Austin, TX
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