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Parque Orillas del Zamora

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Shady Ady
Shady Ady
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4 out of 5
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Parque Ecologico Orillas del Zamora

  • July 1, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Shady Ady from Hinckley, United Kingdom
Parque Ecologico Orillas del Zamora

With time to kill, the newly opened zoo is not only a welcome distraction, but also a gap filler in any itinerary. Paying the ludicrously cheap entrance price of $0.25, I wasn't really expecting a great deal in the way of quality or quantity. I was actually surprised. There are around twenty different species of animals here, the majority of which are of Ecuadorian origin. The only exception is a lonely female Rothschild giraffe.

Out of the animal species, including squirrels, bulls and llamas, highlights were the Andean Spectacled Bear, sitting against the wall like a human, and the large collection of monkeys. The monkey enclosures are excellently set up on little grass islands, surrounded by water and electric fences. The numerous trees inside the enclosures allow many activity-making opportunities for the primates, but it was slightly worrying that with the way they were positioned, if any monkey wanted an escape to freedom, then climbing the trees and jumping over the fences wouldn't prove difficult.

New enclosures were being built while visiting, which should mean an increase in animal species in the very near future. Most of the cages are well-sized with ample exercise room, especially the giraffe enclosure. Sadly one monkey enclosure next to the giraffe is nothing short of upsetting. Watching the monkeys try and play in a very restricted area, their home full of wooden boxes making swinging and jumping almost impossible is not a pleasant activity.

Once finished looking through the animals, extra time can be spent in the adjacent orchid gardens and an over-crowded aviary. The entrance ticket also boasts of a reptile house. This turned out to be one boa-constrictor. There is a small restaurant on site serving drinks and snacks, but this is only open at weekends.

A trip to Parque Ecologico Orillas del Zamora can easily take-up a couple of hours of the day. Although I enjoyed my time here, stroking the giraffe and having monkey faeces thrown at me by the cheeky devils themselves, there were a few annoyances. The lack of attendants inside the zoo was a concern. Families happily threw bananas to the monkeys, while younger children banged on the cages and threw leaves to the giraffe, trying to provoke a reaction.

As the zoo is located on the northern edge of Loja, well away from touristy central district, a taxi ride is definitely needed, costing no more than $2. The zoo is open daily from 9am-6pm and is best visited in the morning around breakfast time when the animals are fed. This also leaves a full afternoon for other viewing activities around town.

For more information, contact the Direccion de Turismo of Loja, at the Gobierno Provincial de Loja on 2570234 ext. 170 (Spanish only). They also have a website as well, located at www.hcpl.gov.ec/turismo.

From journal Searching for Dog Meat - Cultural Delights of Loja

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