Chicago - Brookfield Zoo
Opened in 1934, the zoo is located on 216 acres located in the suburb of Brookfield only about 14 miles west of downtown Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo has been an innovator from the very beginning being among the first to use moats, ditches and other forms of enclosure instead of cages. The style has been followed by other world renowned zoos such as the San Diego Zoo and the Bronx Zoo. The country's first indoor dolphin exhibit was built here in 1960 and in the 1980s the first simulated rain forest was
introduced here. Visitors can see the reactions of the animals as they scamper around under
simulated thunderstorms. Birds fly from branch to branch in the simulated tropical rain forest wich also supplies shade and lots of swinging fun for the monkeys. The first Giant Panda exhibit in the United States was also featured here. The first live panda to arrive in the United
States, Su-Lin, was the first resident of
With over 2,000 animals and over 400 species, it fully deserves its reputation as one of the world's great zoos. On the landscaped grounds are the Australia House with many of the species indigenous to that huge continent. Baboon Island is a free roaming area full of these delightfully active and noisy great ape relatives. Reptile fans will find the Sungazer lizard and the Indigo snake at the Reptile House. Among the famous residents of Brookfield Zoo is Binti Jua, a lowland gorilla. A young boy fell into her enclosure in 1996, but she merely picked him up and brought him to her trainers. Her own baby, Koola, clutched at her back throughout the incident. The Pachyderm House was once the home of Ziggy, a 6 1/2-ton bull elephant. After attacking a trainer in 1941 Ziggy was confined to a cage indoors for nearly 30 years. Sadly, after being released, he fell into an exhibit moat two years later and died seven months later. One of the largest meerkat collections of any zoo with over 30 residents can be seen here scampering around clearly visible grounds behind glass. There are also pygmy hippos, although much smaller than usual, found to be just as tough and fierce when aroused. Tree sloths are among the more complacent animals found here. The cotton-topped tamarins (a type of monkey that hails from Central or South America) are always amusing. Only about 20 minutes from downtown by car, or about 30 minutes by bus, the Brookfield Zoo is easy to get to and you could easily spend the entire day. Priceline.com Hotels - save up to 50%
When traveling,don't forget to take lots of photos!
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