Bronx Zoo is the largest Metropolitan zoo in the World. Located inside Bronx Park, in New York City, Bronx Zoo is very picturesque with the Bronx River meandering through its heart. The Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4000 animals many from endangered species across the world. The key zones within the Bronx Zoo are World of Reptiles, Birds, African Plains and Wild Asia. The education department of the Bronx Zoo conducts engaging animal interaction programs aimed at improving our understanding of wild life. The Zoo is also famous for some less serious programs like naming of Cockroaches!
Location & Directions for Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo can be found on Fordham Road in the Bronx River Parkway. You can take the BxM11 express bus or Subway #2 or #5 train to East Tremont Ave/West Farms Square to reach the Bronx Zoo. If you are driving then the options to park are at Southern Boulevard or Bronx River parkway. The address to be fed into your GPS system are “2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460” and “Bronx, NY 10460” respectively.
Travel Tips for Bronx Zoo
Remember to get a pair of Binoculars as they will come handy in spotting birds and other smaller animals in the thick foliage. In order to plan Educational activities please call 718-220-5132 or e-mail [email protected].
The Zoo is open 10AM to 430PM from November to March. The closing time is 5PM during rest of the year. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
What to see in Bronx Zoo
African Plains is one of the most popular sections in the Bronx Zoo. In a replica of the famed Serengeti Plains, you will find all the usual suspects of the African Savannah like Zebra, Lions, Giraffe, Aardvark and Cheetah. You can catch the Wild Dogs from a glass pavilion.
The Congo Gorilla Forest is a fascinating section of the Bronx Zoo. It is a 6.5 acre rain forest with over 20 Gorillas living in their natural habitat in the middle of New York City! Treetop Lookouts provide a vantage view of these gentle giants.
Wild Asia is best seen on the Mono Rail. A 20 minute ride over the river banks, pastures, and forests of Asia will help you spot Elephants, Rhinos, Tigers, Peafowl and Panda.
The Tiger Mountain has been built to resemble the woodlands of Siberia. The Siberian Tigers are kept active and mentally healthy through a set of toys, games and training programs.
It’s hard to believe, but one of the best places in the United States to spot birds is NYC! New York City falls in the Atlantic Flyway for seasonal migratory birds. World of Birds is an indoor walk through aviary where you can spot Cuban Amazon Parrots, Toco Toucan, Bali Mynah, and Asia’s Fairy Blue Bird. You can also catch live action of birds of prey like Bee Eaters hunting crickets every day at 245 PM.
Activities
You can watch Penguin Feeding at the Seabird Colony. The Penguins are fed every day at 330 PM. Monkey Training is another interesting activity for kids. This can be seen every day at 230PM in the Monkey House. Sea Lion pool is another popular destination where you can catch some noisy Sea Lions having a ball while at meal! There is a 4D movie of Dora and Diego chase to protect the animals of the rain forest from Swiper’s out-of-control Robot Butterfly!
Wild Life Interaction
The Education department of Bronx Zoo conducts several wild life interaction programs for different age groups. Youth Programs are for budding Zoologist where they get an idea of what the job entails. Bronx Zoo also allows family get-together and other celebrations which provide an opportunity for private viewing.
A Discovery
The Bronx Zoo can provide you with a really unique gift for your Valentine, if you have the guts to do it! You can actually name a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach after your Valentine. The Bronx Zoo provides you with a certificate as proof for your doubting Valentine. All this for just $10, which goes towards wild life conservation.
Brief History of Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo was opened for the public for the first time on November 8th, 1899. The Zoo came into existence after Fordham University sold the land to the City of New York for $1000 with a condition that a garden and a zoo should come up in that land. The motive of Fordham behind this move was to create a green buffer zone between their grounds and the rapidly expanding concrete jungle of New York.
For my travelogue on other places around New York, visit Holiday Ideas around New York.
For my travelogue on places around London, visit Holiday Ideas around London.