Family Travel: The World’s Best Zoos
If you want to take your children somewhere they’ll never forget, but shirk at the idea of waiting in long lines at amusement parks, a zoo visit might be for you. Here are a few of the most spectacular zoos around the world.
Singapore Zoo
One of Singapore’s top attractions, the Singapore Zoo is arguably the best animal park in Asia. The zoo, which was opened in the early 1970s, was an early innovator in the open zoo concept, in which animals are enclosed with hidden barriers such as moats, rather than the bars and glass that one finds in most zoos even today. Singapore Zoo is divided up into zones that mimic animals’ natural habitats, including an artificial frozen tundra and a replication of the Australian outback. The zoo also hosts seal, primate, elephant, and domestic animal shows, as well as elephant rides and the quirky “Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife,” where guests can dine in the presence of a family of orangutans.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
If you’ve ever wanted to cuddle a koala bear, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the place to go. This large wildlife sanctuary sits just outside the Australian city of Brisbane, and is one of the only spots on earth where visitors can actually hold a koala (under strict regulations, of course). Despite the park’s name, koalas aren’t the only type of creature living in the 11-acre sanctuary; here you’ll find a wide range of indigenous animals, including kangaroos, wombats, echidnas, dingoes, Australian devils, and a large variety of birds. And while the park is best known for koala hugs, visitors can also hand-feed kangaroos, hold snakes, or watch a sheepdog show.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn
Just outside Vienna, on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace, Tiergarten Schönbrunn is the oldest zoo in the world. It was founded in 1752 as a royal menagerie and retains many of its original 18th century buildings to this day. The zoo was founded under the rule of Maria Theresa, the only female Habsburg monarch, but it was her son, Joseph II, who helped bring in many of the zoo’s more exotic creatures by organizing animal capture trips in Africa and the New World. The zoo later lost many of its animals due to food shortages during World War I, but managed to stay afloat even after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, the historic zoo has over 500 species of animals from all over the world, including the rare giant panda.
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nacaseven/280630839
San Diego Zoo
Arguably the world’s most famous zoo is also one of the world’s largest, with around 3,700 animals living on its premises. The zoo operates plenty of special programs, ranging from summer camps to private VIP tours. They also host a number of sleepovers throughout the year for those who want to camp out among the critters. San Diego Zoo is also a dedicated conservation center and has been instrumental in the preservation of endangered species such as the giant panda and the nearly extinct California condor.
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/97964364@N00/52131092
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What’s your favorite zoo? Let us know in the comments.
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