When I first took my toddler to the zoo, I realised that here were her celebrities. To see a giraffe in real life is the three-year-old’s equivalent of seeing Tom Hanks strolling through your local shopping centre. After all, every night we lie in bed and read stories about the exploits of shy turtles or bossy rhinos or the occasional lion who didn’t want to go to bed. Then, one day, these heroes are right in front of you, ambling about in a pen, being gawked at by the paparazzi.

All of a sudden, I felt my own childlike excitement reinvigorated, getting to surprise her with the next animal and the next animal. A visit to your local zoo is truly one of the greatest experiences you can have as a parent.

But we will not be visiting any other zoos.

Recently, in an act of masochism, my wife and I took both of our children along for a working holiday in Europe. During our first week in London, while my wife attended a conference, I had the joyful experience of taking my kids around a new city in a new country, knowing that even though they might not remember it, I would. One morning, as we discussed the itinerary for the coming days, my wife said offhandedly that, obviously, we would be taking them to the zoo. I said........

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