Bali Zoo is a medium-sized zoo where you can see that the staff really cares about their animals. There is a healthy variety of animals, plenty of relaxation spots for families, fairly priced foods and drinks and well-adjusted security personnel. Photographers are also present in abundance, and for a (little steep but still acceptable) fee you can bring home some unique moments you can have with some of the animals (such as feeding experiences). During our elephant mud experience we could especially tell the respect the people here have for their elephants, and the obvious relaxed state the animal was in during the experience. She (the elephant) decided what she wanted to do and no zoo keeper or tourist forced her otherwise; the way it should be. Apart from that, the rest of the animals mostly seemed happy and free to roam their enclosures. This is however also one of the two things I would change in the zoo; some animals really do need larger enclosures (and in some cases more water) and the elephant rides, contrary to the mud experiences which are way less forced on the animal in our experience, are no longer appropriate for this day and age and should be discontinued. To close on a positive note, because we did leave the zoo with a good feeling in our hearts; Bali Zoo is doing some great things to preserve and continue the legacy of their (often endangered) animals, among which the elephant breeding program and their release of several apes in the wild are standouts. We highly recommend you visit Bali Zoo if you are visiting the island and contribute to their efforts in keeping these animals safe, happy, healthy and accessible to all (but do skip the elephant rides please)!