Edinburgh Zoo has hit back at a "disappointed" visitor who said the park is "upsetting at times" and has too many hills.
The much-loved attraction, partly located on Corstorphine Hill, is one of the city's top destinations for a day out with the family and kids. As the capital is booming with tourists this festival season, many take to the popular travel platform, TripAdvisor, to share their experiences - and not everyone seems totally happy with what they got.
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Taking to TripAdvisor to express their dismay, one platform user said: "The zoo is incredibly hilly, although it offers plenty of shade for a sunny day. I know it's a city zoo, but some of the enclosures were very small and bare. They looked like they had never been updated since they were built years ago.
"The best enclosures were for the pandas and giraffes. The worst one was with a koala on its own in a small room with four bare tree trunks, a bark chip floor and one bunch of leaves tied up. It was quite upsetting to see. I will not return and would not recommend."
The reviewer also complained that due to the hot weather, many animals were hiding inside their enclosures, and reflective glass prevented visitors from having a good look at them.
Edinburgh Zoo, however, did not leave the claims without counterarguments and issued a reply to the upset visitor, saying: "Enclosures are designed by teams of experts to ensure our amazing animals have plenty of space to meet their needs.
"We are also investing to revamp some of the areas around the zoo and are continuously looking to improve our animal habitats where needed to make sure they have the best possible environment.
"Koalas are solitary animals, and Tanami has recently been given access to three enclosures to give him more room to move about on his own. The koala enclosure is specially designed to meet the needs of our Queensland koalas, with natural foliage that has been selected by expert teams."
Reflecting on the complaints that the park's area is "incredibly hilly", the zoo's management team reminded that they offer a free mobility vehicle service to those who feel the journey up the hill is challenging.
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