Travel Tips

Travel Tip: The Zoos and Aquariums of the Future

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Locations in this article:  Dubai, United Arab Emirates Los Angeles, CA

What has been your experience at most zoos and aquariums? When you visit, you view animals or sea life from a protected fence or glassed-in area.

But now, welcome to the brave new world of the virtual reality zoo and aquarium, where you get to interact with the inhabitants in a much closer and, perhaps, more humane way.

Want a selfie with a panda? You can do that at the zoo in Guangzhou, China, which just opened its virtual reality section. The virtual reality headsets, QR codes, 3D projections and holograms let you interact with a variety of animals. Not only are fewer animals kept in captivity, but visitors also get to interact with animals that no longer exist. And the biggest hits at the Guangzhou Zoo are the dinosaurs.

The virtual reality zoo in Dubai puts you face to face with endangered animals all around the world.

And now, get ready for the virtual reality alien zoo. That one premiered in a mall in Los Angeles where you can travel through alien landscapes.

At the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in New York, you get to walk under the ocean, get in the middle of a battle between squid, and play with sea lions.

And the good news is that no animals were hurt in the making of these virtual reality zoos and aquariums. 

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For more on zoos, check out:

How To Have a One Of a Kind Trip To the Zoo

Zoo Negara in Malaysia

How to Help Endangered Animals