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Zoo Quotes

On animals, crowds, and sanctuary.

This set of zoo quotes swings between real affection for animal sanctuaries and frustration at zoo-like crowds of tourists, a tension explored further in Nature quotes.

When I first met Steve, as an American tourist coming into the zoo, I fell desperately in love with him and married him immediately.

Quotes by Terri Irwin

For actors in Hollywood, it's very straightforward. We're well-paid animals in a zoo.

Quotes by Robin Wright

Life is a zoo in a jungle.

Quotes by Peter De Vries

I love zoo sanctuaries.

Quotes by Nancy Travis

Emotion Quotes

Yosemite Valley is like a tourist zoo. It's shameful.

Quotes by Michael Frome

When I was little, my parents took me to the San Diego Zoo. I was about 5 years old, and I got a tour of the zoo that hardly anybody else has ever had.

Quotes by Lydia Hearst

Marlon was more of a formal zoo director type.

Quotes by Jim Fowler

Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.

Quotes by Jack Hanna

Zoo: An excellent place to study the habits of human beings.

Quotes by Evan Esar

Identity Quotes

Clearly, then, the city is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo.

Quotes by Desmond Morris

The city is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo.

Quotes by Desmond Morris

Always, ever since I was a little girl, my house has been basically a zoo.

Quotes by Christina Applegate

I love having my birthday at Australia Zoo.

Quotes by Bindi Irwin

I'm in the middle of my sixth book, which is about animals at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Quotes by Betty White

Nature Quotes

Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo - obedient to our keepers, but dangerous to each other.

Quotes by Angela Davis

Frequently Asked Questions

What angles do these Zoo quotes cover?
They range from genuine affection for animal sanctuaries to sharper criticism of tourist-heavy places compared unfavorably to a zoo, plus a personal story about meeting someone at one.
Is there a personal story connected to a zoo visit?
Yes, one quote describes meeting someone as a tourist at a zoo and quickly falling in love, leading to marriage shortly after.
Do any quotes criticize tourist attractions using zoo imagery?
One does, comparing an overcrowded natural landmark to a tourist zoo and calling the comparison shameful rather than flattering.
Is the word 'zoo' always used literally in these quotes?
No, it's sometimes used figuratively, such as describing someone's role as a formal zoo director type to capture a particular personality or style rather than an actual job.
Where can I read more reflections on nature and animals?
See the Nature page for more quotes about the natural world.

For more on how a chance encounter can change everything, see Identity quotes, or browse Observation quotes on noticing the world around you.