Hopefully this week is eventful. We took two - two years olds, one - five y.o., and one - eight y.o. to the zoo today. We were wanting to see as much as possible, so we planned ahead and took advantage of any info we could learn from other's experiences. Here is what we learned •
Did you know that the North Carolina Zoo is the largest zooligical park in the world? It sits on 2,600 wooded acres and is the largest natural habitat zoo. Right now, only 500 acres are in use and developed which is the fascinating thing. You feel like you walk and walk already. It is split into two "continents" which consist of North America and Africa. Each section is home to animals native to those areas. The plan is also to open Asia this year (2023) that will bring more species.
Tips for your visit •
• Wear comfortable shoes and plan to walk, walk and walk some more.
• Bring a stroller or rent one because again so much walking.
• Bring your own water and fill up at water bottle refill stations.
• Bring snacks and lunch. They do have restaurants and plenty of places for snacks, but as much as you walk, your kids will want more snacks.
• Use the tram to get around as much as you can.
• We didn't do this but wish we did take advantage of the downhill. If you start in Africa and take the tram to Junction Plaza you can walk downhill through Africa. Then take the tram back to Junction Plaza and walk downhill through the North America section as well.
So, one of the Zookeepers we talked to mentioned that this next month is the best time of year to visit. The weather is so nice, not only for visitors but also for the animals. The animals who aren't too fond of the warm weather tend to be out a little more and even the warmer weather animals like to be outside when the weather is in that warming up season. The number of animals we saw out today was impressive.
North Carolina Zoo
4401 Zoo Parkway • Asheboro • North Carolina • 27205 336.879.7000 • www.nczoo.org
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