Brazil - Baby boom in Rio de Janeiro zoo

Rio's zoo is having an out-of-season baby boom which makes now a good time to visit in between blocos and other Carnival activities.

There are newly born parrots, monkeys, anteaters, a blue and gold macaw (the baby has nothing of blue, gold nor macaw-like features) and a few others.

Not too many foreigners get there but there is a remarkable collection of animals of the Pantanal and Amazon that are otherwise not too easy to find.

Rio's zoo is having an out-of-season baby boom which makes now a good time to visit in between blocos and other Carnival activities.

There are newly born parrots, monkeys, anteaters, a blue and gold macaw (the baby has nothing of blue, gold nor macaw-like features) and a few others.

Not too many foreigners get there but there is a remarkable collection of animals of the Pantanal and Amazon that are otherwise not too easy to find.



Although this post seems interesting, someone I know who lives in Rio said that the zoo is in a bad neighborhood backing up to a favela. Furthermore, my acquaintance said that the animals are not given much room nor is their natural habitat even similar to what is provided by the zoo personnel.

Has anyone from this site ever been to the zoo in Rio?

I have been to the botanical gardens in Rio and found them interesting. I would like to visit the zoo but I would first like to read or hear about the personal experiences of someone who has visited the Rio zoo.
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I live just above Jardim Botanico and agree that it is by far the nicest place to visit. I only did not mention it because it is usually on every itinerary for tourists in Rio.

The zoo is crowded, true. Conditions are less than they should be, also true. Still it is very congenial. Here is a website:
http://www.riodejaneiroaqui.com/en/en_q_riozoo.html

The former Imperial residence Quinta da Boa Vista is right beside it and is also a major tourist attraction. The National Museum of Natural History is there too. There are links to those places on the site.

I go with my family to one of those places every few months. There are favelas nearby but these facilities are not dangerous places.

The sad truth is that many of Rio's best attractions are denigrated that way by people who actually have never been there or just do not know the city.

These are three wonderful places to visit. The Palace has the largest crowds, but they are usually most busy on weekends and holidays.

Rio's zoo is fine and the neighborhood is not dangerous, despite not being on Zona Sul, where most tourist points are and most well-to-do people live; keep in mind that, sometimes, there is some snobbery from brazilians about out-of-Zona Sul joints and neighborhoods.

As JBCarioca said, the Quinta da Boa Vista is a park (fine by itself) that comprises the Zoo plus the Natural History Museum, you can visit them all at once if they interest you.

Not far from it you have the Pavilhão de São Cristóvão (St Christopher's Pavilion), where brazilian's northeastern internal migrants have a permanent food and music "festival" or "fair" that celebrates their culture and longings; it is a very good program (specially from Thursday to Saturday).

If you want to go to any of the above, it is better to do it by taxi, as direct public transportation in the area is by bus only and can be tricky to navigate.

If you want to go to any of the above, it is better to do it by taxi, as direct public transportation in the area is by bus only and can be tricky to navigate.

I agree with everything except the last point: From "Rio de Janeiro aqui":
To reach Quinta da Boa Vista, you can take the subway and get off at São Cristovão station (Saint Kitts station).
When you get out the station towards to São Cristovão exit, you just cross the street to reach the gate of Quinta da Boa Vista park. Rio Zoo is insed Quinta da Boa Vista park.

The Pavilhão de São Cristóvão is something very interesting to experience especially if you do not know northeastern Brazil. There are numerous live bands playing northeastern music, lots of entertaining shops and bars. It is an excellent way to experience the unique culture of that region without leaving Rio. On the weekends it is usually packed and it really a cacophony of excitement. We visit it fairly regularly to feed our Bahia habit.

NPF is still correct that a taxi is easier, but taking the Metro to São Cristovão and a taxi from there is cheaper.

JB, I wavered back and forth several times while writing my previous post on the merits of suggesting the Metro+Taxi option, finally deciding on leaving it out.

São Cristóvão Station (the nearest one to Quinta da Boa Vista) is on Line 2, and I presume most visitors to Rio would began their journeys on Line 1.

I think the new system of transfering between Metro's Lines 1 and 2 is confusing, it has degraded and congested the system and turned its use much harder to the casual, non-frequent user, specially if he/she doesn't speaks portuguese (signage is scarce even in portuguese, nonexistent in english).

If you're only using line 1, Metro is surely your best bet, as overground is congested most of the time, but I'm still astonished at how they were able turn an almost linear route into such a confusing system.

JB, I wavered back and forth several times while writing my previous post on the merits of suggesting the Metro+Taxi option, finally deciding on leaving it out.
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As usual, npf, you're absolutely right. I ignore the transfer problem because it no longer bothers me, I inured. It is really cumbersome just like all of Rio's transport. :(