What To Zoo?

While the most famous zoos in the country house glorious houses of reptiles and birds that perfectly mimic exotic habitats, there are some smaller zoos that provide a special service. These smaller zoos,  have become rescue homes for animals that were pets or part of private collections. 

Recently, we went to a smaller zoo located just over the Maryland border. While it wasn’t as glamorous as a large city zoo, the majority of animals were well-tended to. In some cases, it was obvious that they were trying to raise funds to enhance the enclosures and help promote conservation.

Even though the zoo didn’t have every animal, the kids still got a chance to see a nice variety of animals up close. In many cases they were able to pet or interact with them.

Because the size wasn’t overwhelming, even my littlest one was able to walk the grounds and not tire out. We were also able to see everything pretty quickly and they had the opportunity to go back and visit their favorite animals again. They loved every second.

Next time you consider an outing, try a smaller zoo. Bring a picnic lunch and let your kids learn about animals and conservation efforts to help save animals and their habitats. It’s an outing that they’ll remember for awhile.

Small Zoos To Visit:

A couple of smaller zoos that we’ve visited or heard good things about: 

• Cape May Zoo – this is fabulous zoo. If you are traveling back from the Jersey shore, make an effort to stop. It’s completely free and the animals are very well cared for. 
• Plumpton Park Zoo – small zoo that had some issues, but is back on the mend. They are really trying to raise money to improve the facility.
• Lake Tobias Wildlife Park – for an additional fee, there’s a shuttle that takes you up close to a grazing animal herd. You can opt out of the shuttle and still enjoy the day.