Dallas Zoo

     Greetings, everyone! Today I am going to talk to you about my adventures at the Dallas Zoo, located three miles south of Downtown Dallas.

     The zoo was established in 1888 and the first purchase consisted of two deer and two mountain lions for $60. Today, the zoo has 106 acres with over 2,000 different types of animals! Some of the biggest expansions of the zoo were the Wilds of Africa exhibit, the Giants of the Savanna exhibit and the main part of the zoo known as Zoonorth.

                                                            WILDS OF AFRICA

     

     A part of the zoo that I really enjoyed was the Wilds of Africa exhibit. This exhibit opened up in 1990 and was the first exhibit to feature all of the major habitats of Africa. In this exhibit, you can visit rain forests, mountains, woodlands, rivers, deserts, and the brush of Africa! My favorite part was the nature trail that takes visitors through the rain forest, where I saw gorillas, chimpanzees, crocodiles and cranes. 

                                                       GIANTS OF THE SAVANNA

       I then went to an exhibit called the Giants of the Savanna. This exhibit provides an interactive experience for different types of animals that call the Savanna home. Some of the animals include elephants, giraffes, and zebras. This exhibit has won many awards such as the “Top 10 Zoo Exhibits” in 2015 by USA Today, as well as a 2011 Exhibit Award by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for significant achievement. It also has received much praise from researchers, zoo industry professionals and zoo guests.

     One of the most impressive parts of this exhibit is the Elephants on the Savanna. If you go there, look for a herd of female elephants called “The Golden Girls.” The design of the Giants of the Savanna allows the elephants to run wild because they are looking for food, water, and companionship. Treats are occasionally hidden in trees or niches around the habitat for the elephants to find and to get exercise. 

     Another interesting part of the exhibit is feeding giraffes at the Diane and Hal Brierley Giraffe Ridge. For $5, you can come face-to-face with the tallest creatures on the planet! Giraffes eat a variety of fruits and vegetables with male giraffes eating around 75 pounds of food a day! Make sure to only feed them food provided by the zookeepers and watch your personal belongings as giraffes tend to lick or grab things they haven’t seen before with their long, black tongues!

                                                                  ZooNorth

     Other exhibits in the zoo house otters, Galapagos tortoises and monkeys. Be sure to check out the Pierre A. Fontaine Bird and Reptile Building where you will learn about amphibians as well as endangered species. I was fascinated by the Endangered Tiger Habitat where I saw some very rare Sumatran and Malaysian tigers!  

     Overall, the Dallas Zoo has something to offer for every member of the family! Be sure to watch this video of me at the Dallas Zoo to see more of what I saw! I'm Stephen Gaiber: The Autistic Traveler. 

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65ncTHyKq0s&t=1s