Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) — Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 3 min read

The day I mistakenly went to the zoo

March 2015

It was a huge mistake, as I don’t like zoos.

After I left the Mandalay Grand Royal Palace, I was wandering down the road and wasn’t paying attention. I thought the Yadanabon Zoo was a botanical garden, as there were a lot of market gardens outside. I didn’t read the signs or release it was a zoo until after I had bought my ticket.

Entrance to the zoo for ‘foreigners’ was 2,000 kyats (US$2; £1.60). The zoo was pretty grim.

Photo by Author — my zoo ticket — was I only the 4,570th foreign visitor?
Photo by Author — my zoo ticket — was I only the 4,570th foreign visitor?

There was a section of birds.

Photo by Author — the bird section — Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — the bird section — Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

And yes, there were tigers — I saw three. Unfortunately, they were in tiny cages.

Two of the tigers spent their time pacing back and forth. The third was lying down. Not a great environment for such beautiful animals.

Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — tiger at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

Near the tigers were some bears. And they didn’t look happy.

Photo by Author — bears at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — bears at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — bears at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — bears at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

None of the animals were in particularly stimulating environments.

Photo by Author — crocodile at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — crocodile at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

There were some very odd water fountains around the place.

There was a crocodile.

Photo by Author — a crocodile water fountain — at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — a crocodile water fountain — at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

A giraffe.

Photo by Author — a giraffe date fountain at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — a giraffe date fountain at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

And an elephant.

Photo by Author — an elephant water fountain at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — an elephant water fountain at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

Would you want to drink water that came out of the stomach of an animal?

Photo by Author — bridge at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — bridge at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

There were also real elephants.

The elephants at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar, weren’t much better off than the tigers.

It was sad to see them kept in such conditions.

Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — chained elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — chained elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — elephant at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

And the hippos were in a tiny pool.

Photo by Author — a hippopotamus at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo by Author — a hippopotamus at Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay, Myanmar

The zoo was a deplorable place.

The animals didn’t appear to be neglected, but the conditions they were kept in were less than ideal.

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