Tyler Texas Zoo

[Rolacoy]

I called the Zoo in Tyler, Texas about a month ago and was told that Segways were not allowed. WE are going to the Tyler area for a couple of days so I called them again today and was told no Segways. They offered to connect me with security and I talked to the head of security. He told me that Segways are not allowed, but when I told him that my wife and I have handi-cap placards he said that we could ride. He made it seem like they were doing me a favor. They do allow motorized wheelchairs and rent hand operated wheelchairs.

I will report back later.

[Rolacoy]

I Do remember that the security man told me something to the effect that "we don't want people riding Segways at the zoo just for the pleasure of riding the Segway". WHY not? I do understand that they don't want the walking paths filled with skateboards, bicycles, scooters, golf carts, etc. I THINK I do anyway.

[Rolacoy]

We went to the Zoo in Tyler this morning. When we arrived there was a parking attendant. I stopped as we drove in and told him that we were going to use Segways and that the head of security, his first name is Mike, had told me I could ride since I have a handi-cap placard that we could use the Segways. He made it seem like a favor, He also told me that he would be off on Monday but would leave word the we could use the Segways.

When we got to the ticket window the Michael Tucker, director of visitor services, came out and met us. He told us that since security had told us we could use Segways that he would allow us to use them. Acutely only I rode my Segway, my wife is not all the comfortable gliding. She can handle the walking pretty well, I could not have made it if I had had to walk. Mr. Tucker was very nice, but expressed fears that some mishap would occur and the zoo would be held liable. If I understand the meaning of the law, someone can not speculate on the risks, they must have actual risks. I gave him a copy of the 4 page "NOTICE" that Lily put on this forum.

I told him that I would let him know how thing went. I only had a couple of problems, one was that the Penguin inclosure had a set of double doors on each side of the building and my wife had to open and hold them for me to go thru. One of the entries was real dark. Also the floor was carpeted with an industrial carpet like you would see in an office. The Segway could not seem not understand what it was on. I guess that the fiber was collapsing under the tires causing it to constantly adjust.

I was real interested in how the animals would react to a Segway since on one of these threads some asked if they could use a Segway training horses. I watched very closely as to how the animals in the zoo reacted to my Segway. None of them paid any attention at all. Then we came to the Tiger inclosure. When I glided up to the inclosure it had two glass windows at least 8' square, I hope thick and one open window with heave wire mesh. The male Tiger was laying next to the wire, the female was back about 50'. The male started hissing, laid his ears back and crouched down. The female was very unhappy also. Then he roared and jumped at the wire. That got our attention! We had passed several other cat enclosures and they paid no attention.

We went on over to a bird area and I watched to see if the Tiger was reacting to people who came by their cage as he had me. He was not so I walked back to his cage. There was several other people at the cage, as soon as I walked up he roared and hit the wire. That got everyones attention. The people scattered with a memory that they will not forget for a while. I continued to watch how they were reacting, they were calm. I went back by the enclosure and he roared again and hit the wire again. He did not like Segways. I did not go back.

I talked to Mr. Tucker s we were leaving and gave him a report on how our visit had went. He was very nice and told me he would be checking on the laws and make a decision as what to do in the future. We were the first Segway that they had had at the zoo.

[KSagal]

At one point it seemed to me from your post, that you used the segway near the wire the first time the Tiger reacted, but later you said you walked back, and I presumed you meant without the segway, and the tiger reacted again. The third time, I could not tell from your post if you were on the segway or not.

My conclusion, right, wrong, or indifferent, is that the tiger does not like you, and could not care less about the segway. So... What have you done to that cat?

By the way, one reason that many have offered about how dogs often react to the segway in an unpredictable way, is that the electronics give off an odd frequency of noise, that most dogs can hear, and that many will not like.

I am not aware of the hearing of Tigers, but perhaps there is a factor in the noise... (The noise from the segway, not the noise of you saying, "Here kitty, kitty. Here Kitty kitty!")

[Rolacoy]

I made no sound except what the Segway made. The first time I was on the Segway, the second I was walking and the Tiger could not see the Segway. The only thing that I can think of is that he recognized me by my looks or smell. Yes, I did take a bath this week. The third time I was back on the Segway.

[KSagal]

I am not sure of the exact terminology, but there is a very real condition of residual phantom visions, an example would be the flashes you see after having had several flash cameras go off.

Perhaps after a tiger sees a person on a segway, then he has a residual vision of that segway beneath your feet.

Might not be true, but at least this time I did not accuse you of saying, "here Kitty, kitty" to a tiger.

[rwoynaro]

Kinda related.. how animals react to segways. Last week I saw about 15 deer in a neighbor's yard when I was driving past. I stopped at the end of the driveway (maybe 30 feet away from them) and watched them for about 5mins. I rolled down the window and yelled at them ("nicely" they occassionally looked, but mostly just ignored me. I went home and came back on the seg. I was no closer than about 75 yards to the house and they all took off. I think they could hear the noise of the seg and it spooked them. It was very tree-lined, so although you could see me, it was hard and I was gliding very slowly too. I think they heard the noise, slight as it was.

[Lily Kerns]

When I rode in our area zoo, all the cats watched me with an erie intensity, but did not attack. I do suspect it has to do with their hearing. The wolves followed along the fence line as a dog would do. The elephants ignored me entirely. The giraffes were intensely curious and, because of their height advantage, watched my approach for a considerable distance.
Everything else simply ignored me--except for a pair of Canadian geese that flew across a drainage ditch and a fence to confront me with their raucous uncensored opinion. I have no desire to tangle with a pair of angry geese under any circumstances. Fortunately, on the Segway I am definitely bigger than they are...

[Bob.Kerns]

Hmm, geese in the wild always ignore me (but they're generally used to ignoring noisy children, dogs, and soccer players).

I have come far closer to deer on a Segway than on foot.

[KSagal]

Perhaps those geese are friends with a certain un-named tiger, who happens to have a thorn in his craw about segways and a certain un-named segger.

The world is full of odd conspiracies.

I know growing up and spending most summers at the marina there was a swan or two who really lived up to being as mean as they were beautiful. Someone should have told them that they looked too good to act so bad. Maybe they were smarter than I gave them credit for at the time, and knew I would grow up to own a segway…