Going to the zoo is always cool. No matter how old you are, there’s still something amazing about seeing wild animals up close.
Some people think zoos are cruel and wild animals deserve to live in their natural habitats. But actually, zoos do a lot of good work! Not only do they help animals too sick or weak to survive in the wild, but they also help with breeding to improve population numbers. Selective breeding in safe environments has prevented many species from being considered in danger of extinction.
No matter how you feel about raising animals in captivity, you can’t deny that zoos are interesting places. For many of us, it’s the only time we’ll ever see wild creatures in person. It’s not often that you get to come face-to-face with an elephant, tiger, or gorilla!
But zoos get plenty of wild visitors who aren’t animals at all, but people. Zoo visitors throw garbage, tap on the glass, and even try to touch the animals. That’s why zoo staff displays signs — sometimes, ones with a pretty twisted sense of humor.
1. Think of the animals
This sign is funny because it appears to be a warning for the sake of the zoo visitors. But it’s actually looking out for the animals. What could be worse than a tiger with a stomachache?
I’m pretty sure the word they’re looking for here is “donkey.” Choosing the right translation can be hard when stumbling upon a word that has a double meaning.
No one wants to feed their fingers to an animal. Seriously, can you imagine how easy it would be for them to choke? They don’t even like fingers anyway.
We’ve all seen those annoying people at the zoo who can’t stop themselves from tapping on the glass. Why does anyone do that? And seriously, what’s the plan if you shatter some glass on an angry python?
Gorillas have a lot of the same behaviors as humans, but there are a couple of important distinctions. For example, gorillas don’t understand why they shouldn’t slap the glass of an exhibit. So, they get a free pass here. But sorry, humans, you don’t.
Animals are wonderful. However, with relaxed hygiene standards and sometimes, a ‘stinky diet, they might not smell so good. Something tells me the keepers at this zoo were tired of people asking why the penguins were smelly.
What on earth is going on at this South African zoo, and worse, what’s this sign trying to communicate? I seriously can’t come up with an explanation that isn’t completely disturbing.
This is a downright hilarious way of telling people to stay out of the tiger enclosure. Of course, if you believe in rebirth, you might not think it’s a big deal. I guess that decision is up to you!
Cigarette butts are a huge source of litter. They wreak havoc in many different ways such as clogging waterways and killing wildlife. But this zoo has a very particular reason for asking visitors to respect the grounds — they just can’t get the fish to adopt healthy habits.
This sign makes you wonder what the story is behind it. Apparently, whatever happened at this petting zoo was serious enough to make this Rule #1. Seriously, don’t pick up the goats.
This tongue-in-cheek kangaroo feeding guide is helpful…sort of. Of course, they don’t include the important tip that you should never feed a kangaroo in the wild, because they might just kick you in the chest.
This zoo played the ultimate “Made you look” joke with this sign. You read the word “primates” at the zoo and expect to look into an animal enclosure. Did you forget your school science lessons?
The study of amphibians and reptiles is formally known as herpetology, which is presumably what this sign is referring to. However, that doesn’t explain why there are pictures of a dolphin, an eagle, and a giraffe.
No matter what this sign is trying to communicate, it’s not clear. Are we supposed to offer the tortoise some cold water or take a picture? What do we do?
Petting zoos are fun, but employees and animals alike have to deal with stupid visitors who don’t know the definition of the word “mistreatment.” What happened that made this sign necessary?
The word “molest” has a couple of definitions, one of which is “to pester or harass.” Unfortunately for the person who made this sign, its modern usage almost always has a sexual context. Awkward.
Being a zookeeper is probably a lot of fun, but this sign makes it look like a full-blown party. That is, if your idea of a party is to do whatever this guy is doing with snakes.
I’ve never given it much thought, but if I had, I’d assume giraffes go to the bathroom outside like most other animals. But now this sign has me rethinking everything.
We all know this sign is talking about bears. But it’s worded in such an awkward way that you might not have a clue if it wasn’t for the picture. Frankly, you should be careful of anyone or anything that weighs 600 pounds.
This was spotted at the San Francisco Zoo, and frankly, I have a lot of questions about it. First, why would anyone put this on a door? Second, is that a rhino and an antelope?
Some people can’t pass up the opportunity for a pun, and clearly, workers at this zoo fell into that category. Now you have a funny pun and helpful information about tapirs!
There’s nothing like teaching kids through silly characters and stories! But Norman Nine Fingers might be a story that makes kids scared of monkeys for the rest of their lives.
They say things can get lost in translation, but sometimes, you don’t need much to get your idea across. This sign does a pretty good job of conveying its urgency, even if it’s not in perfect English.
To be honest, if you saw a parent doing this with their kid, that’s what you would yell at them. Does anyone need to be told not to dangle their baby over wild animals? Come on, people!
This is obviously supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but in all seriousness, tigers with stomach aches sound terrifying. Although it would be more terrifying if the stomach aches were from eating children.
English is a complex language. Since it contains more words than it needs, it’s often confusing for those who aren’t native speakers. The person who translated this sign clearly had a thesaurus at their disposal.
Technically, if you feed the bears enough protein, we should be okay to lean on the wall, right? That means they won’t want to eat any of the delicious humans within their grasp, right?
Did you know rhinos can perform this disgusting trick? Now you do! Not only do they spray, but they also like to whirl their tails around so they send everything flying through the air.
They say the water we drink contains the molecules of things that lived on the planet many millennia ago. Oh, and you’re also drinking fish poop, probably.
Dieting can be so hard when you have to practice self-control. These lions have been doing great, but you just can’t trust them to resist a nice juicy toddler.
This zoo has some interesting signs that double as being informational and ominous warnings. Am I wrong or is this sign kind of implying they let leopards roam free around the zoo?
Monkeys are incredibly intelligent and they have highly-developed hands with opposable thumbs. It’s no wonder they have a reputation for being able to destroy, well, everything.
If you’re the kind of person who throws things into an animal exhibit at the zoo, here’s something you should know: no one’s going to feel sorry for you if you have to go in after it.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to know any story as badly as the one behind this sign. Where is this zoo that was having such a widespread llama-punching problem?
Newsflash: gorillas aren’t exactly known for throwing clumps of dirt, but they are known for throwing handfuls of feces. But sure, whatever you need to tell yourself to get past that experience.
Going to the zoo is always cool. No matter how old you are, there’s still something amazing about seeing wild animals up close.
Some people think zoos are cruel and wild animals deserve to live in their natural habitats. But actually, zoos do a lot of good work! Not only do they help animals too sick or weak to survive in the wild, but they also help with breeding to improve population numbers. Selective breeding in safe environments has prevented many species from being considered in danger of extinction.
No matter how you feel about raising animals in captivity, you can’t deny that zoos are interesting places. For many of us, it’s the only time we’ll ever see wild creatures in person. It’s not often that you get to come face-to-face with an elephant, tiger, or gorilla!
But zoos get plenty of wild visitors who aren’t animals at all, but people. Zoo visitors throw garbage, tap on the glass, and even try to touch the animals. That’s why zoo staff displays signs — sometimes, ones with a pretty twisted sense of humor.
