A zoo has hit back at a visitor's scathing review, picking on everything from "invisible animals" to long queues and even moaning about the 109-year-old attraction's location.
The anonymous reviewer branded Edinburgh Zoo as “the worst zoo” he had ever been to, before ending his tirade on Tripadvisor with the word "avoid".
The man, who went to the venue in March last year, went on to list all the issues he claims to have experienced during his trip, Edinburgh Live reports.
The review read: "The worst zoo I have ever been to.
"1, 2-3 mile long queue to get it.
"2, lack of food , one cafe was shut other two options were overpriced chuck wagons and a sandwich cafe.
"3, animals not in cages nothing to see.
“4, the hill, I had heard that the zoo was build on a hill but I never thought much of it as i am a healthy guy but oh my god, you are constantly walking up a steep hill to see animals that only once you get there are all sleeping well no wonder walking up and down a hill all day has to be the most terrible place you can build a zoo on the planet I will never be back ever again.
"The best zoo I have been to in the UK is Blackpool zoo , Edinburgh zoo does not even come close.
"Avoid.”
A spokesperson for the zoo, located on Corstorphine Hill since its opening in 1913, has published a lengthy reply addressing all the points raised by the reviewer.
It read: “Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback - we'll do our best to respond to all your points, please excuse the length of our reply.
“On the queues: As the weather gets warmer and we approach the Easter holidays with fewer restrictions in place, the zoo will get busier.
"Our website and booking confirmation emails have information to make everyone aware of the likelihood of queues as these are unavoidable, though the time slots do help to keep these shorter than they would be without.
“We are currently trying to recruit into visitor experience roles and sadly also had some sickness in the team this weekend, but everyone at the zoo was doing their very best to get visitors through as quickly and safely as possible.
“On the food: We are currently refurbishing our Jungle Cafe to bring more options for our visitors and have welcomed local businesses on site to support our local community in recovering after the pandemic and also to provide more choice.
“Everyone is working hard to make sure the quality of ingredients and the choice available meets the expectations of our visitors but we also have picnic areas for anyone who prefers to bring their own food to the zoo.
“On the animals: We have over 2,500 amazing animals here at the zoo and hope you would have been able to see lots of different species who are usually out, about and easy to spot including our meerkats, penguins, giraffes, lemurs, chimpanzees and many more!
“On the hill: Edinburgh Zoo is over 100 years old and has always been located on Corstorphine Hill - we fully appreciate it can be a challenge but we do have mobility vehicles available for those who need it, and we like to think the views over Edinburgh make the climb worth it for most!
“Our top tip is to head straight to the top of the hill on arrival (especially as we now have the Giraffe Cafe for refreshments!) - then you can relax and enjoy spotting all our animals as you wind your way back down.
“Thanks again for sharing your feedback - and for the critical funds your tickets provided for our charity to help care for our animals and protect wildlife around the world”
Pre-pandemic Edinburgh Zoo was one of Scotland's biggest attractions with around 800,000 visitors per year.
