Field notes / 31 July 2026

A day at Rotterdam Zoo

We went to the zoo for a day of animal spotting with dobudex. We had so much fun!

With dobudex you can scan any animal and it turns it into a beautiful unique card for your collection. A zoo gives you plenty of chances to try it. Here’s a few animals that ended up in our dex.

By Merijn · A visit to Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam
Visited 31 July 2026

31.07.26

Leopard card from Merijn’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

01 / Morning

A leopard at the window

The leopard walked past about an arm’s length away, with just the glass between us. I stood there watching, lost for words. We were still near the start of our visit.

It’s the card I’d show a friend first. We saw plenty of other animals that day, but seeing the leopard so close was one of the best parts.

A hand holding dobudex open, with the resting rhinoceros visible on the phone across the water

Indian Rhinoceros card from Merijn’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

02 / Across the water

The rhino stays put

The rhino wasn’t giving us much action. A rock would have moved as much. It did make for an easy scan, and we filmed the phone while I used dobudex.

The result was an Indian Rhinoceros, one of my first Rare animals in the app. I was very happy to add that card.

Two grey Pallas’ cats among rocks and branches; a red circle marks the one above and right of centre

Pallas’ Cat card from Merijn’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

03 / Look between the branches

Can you spot the cat?

I couldn’t see the Pallas’ cats at all. Nancy was pointing, so I aimed the phone roughly where she meant and tried a scan.

dobudex identified a Pallas’ cat. I was thinking, “What? I don’t even see it.” I didn’t know what one looked like, but the card gave me something to look for. With another bit of help from Nancy, I finally spotted it.

Nancy’s photo of the prairie dog standing upright on the rock, with its front paws held in front of its chest

Black-tailed Prairie Dog card from Nancy’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

04 / A longer stop

Sharing the path

I hadn’t realised we could walk into the prairie dog enclosure. Then I saw one sitting on the stone wall and wondered how they stopped them escaping.

The prairie dogs could walk along the same paths as us. They also had their own areas where visitors couldn’t go. Nancy got this photo while we were in there with them, close enough to watch them standing up and looking out for each other.

A sea lion stretched along a rock ledge just above clear green water

California Sea Lion card from Merijn’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

05 / By the pool

They’d all disappeared

There were about ten or fifteen sea lions resting out of the water. They moved a little, but I didn’t think they were going anywhere in a hurry.

We walked around the pool, then went off for about half an hour. I expected to find them in the same place when we came back. Every one of them had gone.

A red-and-white striped lionfish with its fins spread out among rocks in a blue-lit aquarium

Common Lionfish card from Merijn’s saved scan, dated 31 July 2026

06 / Into the aquarium

One we knew from diving

Nancy and I both scuba dive, so we’d seen lionfish in the wild before. With the clear water and aquarium lighting, we could get a close look at this one.

It’s such a beautiful fish. It reminded me a bit of Goldeen from Pokémon.

For your own zoo day

I used up all 100 scans I’d started with in two or three hours, with about half the zoo still to go. Nancy took hers more slowly and kept scanning almost to the end. I’d check how many scans you have before you go, and take your time.

We had fun comparing our cards to see who got the better photo. I also liked scanning an animal before reading the enclosure sign, then checking the result against it. Sometimes dobudex had another fact to read alongside the information at the zoo.

Taking children along? Our printable nature scavenger hunt covers the wild ducks, sparrows and pigeons you meet between the enclosures too.

See how dobudex works, or try it on your next visit. For this zoo, you’ll find visitor information on Blijdorp’s website.

Photos and footage from 31 July 2026. Cards made from Merijn’s and Nancy’s saved scans using the current dobudex card design. An independent visit story by dobudex.

Scanning at the zoo: questions

What is a good app for a day at the zoo?

We used dobudex, an app for iPhone and Android that works like a real-life Pokédex. Scan an animal and it tells you what it is, then adds a unique card of it to your Dex. At Rotterdam Zoo it even named a Pallas’ cat I could not see until Nancy pointed it out.

Can you scan animals through the glass?

Yes. Our lionfish in the aquarium was scanned through the glass.

How many scans do you need for a zoo day?

More than you think. Merijn used all 100 of his scans in two or three hours, with half the zoo still to go. Nancy took her time and kept scanning almost to the end. Check how many scans you have before you go.

Does it work without signal?

Yes, while you have scans left. A scan you take without signal is saved, and it is identified and becomes a card once you are back online.

Is it something to do together with the kids at the zoo?

Yes. Let them spot an animal, scan it, then check the card against the sign at the enclosure. For the paths between the enclosures, take our printable nature scavenger hunt along.