Zoo Atlanta is one of the few zoos in the US to feature Giant Pandas. From what I understand, the pandas were an enormous financial undertaking for the zoo, requiring that money go to China, to a new exhibit, and to train staff to care for them. From what I can gather, the zoo gambled big on the pandas, and lost. They thought the pandas would bring in huge crowds, which hasn't happened. So the zoo, stuck with the huge bill, has jacked up its prices to unheard of levels. $17 for an adult. $12 for a child. Imagine a family of 4 shelling out $58 for an afternoon at the zoo. People in the neighborhood buy a season pass, but for anyone else that cost is prohibitive. Not that I'd mind paying that amount for a great zoo, but Zoo Atlanta is definitely not that. Few of the exhibits allow the animals to roam through a natural-looking environment. Most animals are in cages or tiny natural environments that look like a cage with fake rock on the bars. I've been to zoos in Seattle, Nashville and St. Louis, and Atlanta's is my least favorite. It's also the most expensive.
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