Lions and antelopes and polar bears, oh my!
A 35-minute drive away, the North Carolina Zoological Park offers a gateway to a new world full of African, Arctic, and North American animals, all for the cost of $10 per adult ticket.
The zoo is primarily an outdoor activity, so be prepared for a day of walking – lots of it. Also, be ready for the sweltering sun blazing between scrawny trees.From the hours of nine to five you’ll be walking – from exhibit to exhibit, station to station, and water fountain to water fountain. Luckily there are several refreshment stands along the long walk as well as an abundance of free drinking fountains. By the entrance of the zoo is a gift shop cluttered with stuffed animals, book, and souvenirs.
At the moment several exhibitions are closed due to remodeling: the farm animal petting zoo, monkeys, and grizzly bears, among others. In 2004 the new Australian Walkabout, featuring kangaroos, should be finished. Today there are exhibits ranging from African, prairie, and arctic animals. Some of them, like the ocelots, snakes, and puffins, are indoors, but most are outdoors.
My visit to the zoo was quite pleasant, mainly because I got there a few hours before closing, so it wasn’t too crowded.Once I got over the issue of animal confinement I was delighted to see a glimpse into so many different habitats.Zoos are somewhat depressing when all you can see is a caged animal forced to live with staring faces all day long; however, this zoo attempts to create exhibits similar to the animal’s natural environment.
Some of my favorite memories of the zoo were the polar bears, puffins, ocelots, and snakes.The polar bears were nearly impossible to catch sight of, but they were well worth the trouble.Puffins, on the other hand, were all over the place in their mini-arctic scene.It was so cute seeing tiny black-and-white creatures shuffle around the exhibit.The ocelots were adorable, but also very reclusive.Snakes freak me out, but it was kind of fun looking at their dazzling colors, and being on the outside of the glass.
If you’re up to an afternoon of sun, trees, predators, and prey, come visit the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro.