ZooAquarium of Valencia, Venezuela: An experience of reunion with nature

The last time I went to the ZooAquarium in Valencia, the capital of the state where I live, was more than 20 years ago... I remember that at school, at that time, they organised an educational excursion there. All of us were completely excited. Luckily, my parents instilled in me a love for animals, and seven I was a nerdy kid. I grew up watching Discovery Kids and the Discovrry Channel; learning about dinosaurs and large extinct mammals....

While the Zoo-Aquarium doesn't have the exotic animals that are typical in many zoos and aquariums around the world, it does have some impressive wildlife. And for an enclosure that is not privately owned, but is part of the Valencia City Council (i.e. it is part of the Venezuelan State), the care that I was able to witness is undeniable. To begin with, the access routes and the attention to the public was absolutely first-world.

At no time did I feel that I was helplessly lost in a huge place.... The cost of admission, in my view, is purely collaborative.... Just over one US dollar (1.25 USD) per person. Children under 2 years of age and senior citizens (60 years and older) are exempt from any entrance fee. In addition, the signs created to be followed by the caimanrws visiting the Zoo-Aquarium are completely well marked. It is impossible not to feel well informed at every step...

However, I must say that being so close to such imposing animals as the crocodile of the coast (a species native to Venezuela) or the harpy eagle (also native to the mountains of my country) is something that the photographs do not reflect in any way... In fact, I decided to visit this place because I had long felt that I owed it to myself. I don't know well, but I feel that I owe a small debt to my own capital city. In many aspects I think I know it, but in others, I don't have the faintest idea.

So I made it my personal mission to find the time to visit the little treasures of my town. The Zoo-Aquarium is undoubtedly one of them. It is impressive when seen from the outside, and has three very different levels. The serpentarium, the zoo proper (which is easy to walk through and watch the animals in a faithful recreation of their natural habitats being calm and well fed). And on the other hand, we have the aquarium itself. Where Venezuelan species are in abundance. Personally, I didn't see any that were not national...

Rumours had been spread in the past about the health and quality of life of the different animals that give life to the Zoo-Aquarium. To the point that the symbol of the place itself now forms part of murals and small statues that pay homage to them. And for those who don't quite understand what I mean, when the Zoo-Aquarium was inaugurated in the 70's, it was inaugurated with the presence of two dolphins. They are an acoustic species of mammals, similar to dolphins but freshwater... Then, between 2015 and 2017, they died in captivity and nobody ever explained how it happened... Suspense prevailed and now, years later, since the reopening of the Zoo-Aquarium, the aforementioned statues are a reminder of what once was...

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised. I was very pleased with what I was able to witness. The fauna, the climate, the services, the feeding of the different species and the presence of many people, including long lines of buses from other states of the country to visit this site, is something that gives me a certain calmness and comfort. This is how things are supposed to be: efficient, exemplary and ethically impeccable. Hopefully the photographs I will upload here are a true reflection of what I have tried to convey in my written words. The Zoo-Aquarium is, as far as I can see, an idea place to care for animal species and to educate.