Back in 2008, I visited Colunbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. I went to see the Wildlights at the zoo, which was a very popular attraction to do at Christmas at that time and a few years prior. It was one of the first places to do a spectacular Christmas lights tradition, and since then, these are done at quite a few places. The zoo came to life with thousdands of Christmas lights at dusk. On the day I visited, it was close to -30 degrees Celsius, so a lot of my photographs did not turn out too well because it was much too cold, and we did not hang around for too long. It was just so cold; as soon as we were outside, breath from our noses froze.
Apparently, this tradition at Columbus Zoo started in or around 1998, but I had never heard of it until 2005 when friends visited; I suppose they mentioned it on social media, so attractions like this get a lot of publicity through word-of-mouth on social media. One of the other things to see, besides the lights, were some of the animals. I think they generally avoided the lights around the animals that need their sleep, but other animals could be visited in that time. These included the reptitle/lizard/bat houses, the elephant room, and the aquarium.
Wildlights at Columbus Zoo is still going strong but is not quite as popular as it once was. I would like to visit it again if I am around the area, but it depends if it has improved and is worth visiting. I know that zoos have gotten a bad reputation in the past few years, partially due to the stupidity of humans. I don't mind a trip to the zoo as long as the animals are content, and I think it helps people and children to learn about and appreciate animals. I remember my first visit to the zoo and learning about the animals.
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