So, how do people get to the zoo in London? Or, um, I don't know, Barcelona? Kiev? Sydney?

Sydney's is pretty cool. Aside from just driving there, or taking the bus (I assume this works well enough - never actually tried it), you can also take a ferry from Circular Quay across the harbour, with views of the Bridge and Opera House, that deposits you directly at the Taronga Park Zoo entrance. There are joint ferry-zoo tickets available. Quite possibly the best zooward journey in the world. (Melbourne Zoo is a better zoo, they have more space an' all, but Taronga's done a decent job of renovating. Still a few concrete-and-straw enclosures left, though, which is distressing.)

The Adelaide Zoo is on the edge of the city and getting there is dead easy. Buses stop right outside, or if you catch the train into Adelaide, it's a pleasant walk along the banks of the River Torrens, or you can grab a ride on one of the "Popeye" ferries.

London Zoo is in Regent's Park. You can walk there, or take the tube.

Sounds like a song lyric.

I read a Heinlein book once where the entire human race faced annihilation because aliens found Zoos offensive - I tend to agree.

Well, not all zoos. Some preserve species that no longer have a "natural" habitat, and do so in very good conditions. Others are hideous.

Which is good, but can only be an intermin measure while restoring the natural habitat. I like the thought parks and reserves better.

You can't restore a natural habitat. Once it's gone, it's gone. You can create an artificial one, but there's little chance of that for most endangered species. Sadly, zoos are the closest we have to an ark.

Natural habitat is self regenerating but it needs to be left to seed and grow which is going to take many centuries. Reforestation schemes are and example by replanting the original flora identifying the area as a preserve or trust area the hope is that by the turn of the next millenium some of the natural canopy will have regenerated and provide homes for native fauna. Creating clean water environments for native fish stocks are another example.

It's not much but it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to our survival.

South Australia also has the Monarto Zoological Park, which is a 1,000 hectare park about 70km south-east of Adelaide.

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I just found this quote and thought it hilarious appalling:

The bill for the destruction of the infrastructure of Iraq must be sent to the US Congress and the UK Parliament and not fobbed off to either UN multilateralism or to Iraqi oil revenues

that's gonna be FO HUGE F bill!

Puts £23 to Blueyonder into proportion.

Edit: ranty so wf
OK so "care workers" who threaten me in my home, I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good.