Do you find yourself undeniably drawn to wild animals?
Do you dream of zip-lining through the rainforests of Costa Rica, scuba-diving the depths of the Mediterranean Sea or taking a safari through the jungles of Kenya, just to get a personal glimpse of these exotic creatures’ worlds?
My bet is that many of you do, and often. Yet, many of you must continue to dream rather than make these dreams a reality because it just costs too darn much. And, let’s face it, in today’s horrible economy, making these dreams a reality seems beyond impossible.
What is a curious and adventurous Washingtonian wildlife lover to do?
The answer to this question is much simpler than one may think: Go visit the Woodland Park Zoo!
Nestled in the Phinney neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, the Woodland Park Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos on the West Coast of the United States. In 1899, the City of Seattle purchased this vast 92 acre piece of land that was previously owned by wealthy sawmill owner, Guy Phinney, and turned into a zoological oasis for the public to enjoy.
My bet is that many of you do, and often. Yet, many of you must continue to dream rather than make these dreams a reality because it just costs too darn much. And, let’s face it, in today’s horrible economy, making these dreams a reality seems beyond impossible.
What is a curious and adventurous Washingtonian wildlife lover to do?
The answer to this question is much simpler than one may think: Go visit the Woodland Park Zoo!
Nestled in the Phinney neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, the Woodland Park Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos on the West Coast of the United States. In 1899, the City of Seattle purchased this vast 92 acre piece of land that was previously owned by wealthy sawmill owner, Guy Phinney, and turned into a zoological oasis for the public to enjoy.
Now, featuring more than 1,090 animals and over 300 different species, the Woodland Park Zoo is one of the most highly visited attractions in Washington State, bringing in over one million visitors per year. Unlike spending thousands of dollars to zip-line through the Costa Rican rainforests or take a safari through the Kenyan jungles, you and your family can enjoy the zoo’s award winning African Savanna and Tropical Rainforest exhibits, among many others, for only $16.50 (adults) or $11.00 (children).
Immediately upon entering the park gates, you will encounter both exotic and familiar sounds, scents and sights. Head towards the Northern Trail and you may hear the “owoooo” of a wolf howling or veer towards the African Savanna where you may be startled by the “raarrr” of a lioness to her cubs. As you walk along the zoo’s path and take a moment to breathe in your surroundings, your olfactory senses will be overwhelmed with scent of evergreen trees, fresh soil, cut grass and a variety of animal manures – scents you never knew you could embrace and come to enjoy. Among an infinite number of visions, you will see a variety of habitats and creatures from all over the world, informative postings at each habitat exhibit, and ecstatic adults and children running up to each of these exhibits while they stare in awe at the unique animal it contains.
“I like seeing how long the hippos can hold their breaths under water,” eight year old avid Woodland Park Zoo visitor, Isabelle Hamamoto shouts. “Did you know they can do it for a really long time? Longer than me!”
Isabelle’s mom, Michelle, clarifies the importance of the Woodland Park Zoo for her and her family. “It is a great place for both kids and adults to come and be able to experience animals they would probably normally only get to see on TV,” says Michelle. “Not only do you get to see them live and up close, the zoo gives us great information on the details of the animals and their living environments”.
Isabelle recently learned that hippos can hold their breath under water for up to six minutes and that they are the verge of becoming endangered.
Providing this information on the animals and their habitats is part of the zoo’s main mission. Their mission is to “save animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act”.
With the help of the zoo members, donors, and the Wildlife Conservation Fund-Grants Program, the Woodland Park Zoo is able to contribute to play a large role in preserving delicate habitats and their inhabitants, all while educating the community to increase awareness on endangered species and environmental concerns. In addition to public visits, other educational tools the zoo uses are classes, public programs, volunteer activities and eco-travel programs. It is the hope that with continuing wildlife education practices future generations will actively come together to preserve these magnificent creatures. As zoo volunteer Rhonda Perkins states, “Without understanding, how will people know they can play an important part in wildlife conservation?”
And, isn’t that really the truth? Our community CAN play a role in making a difference for these wild animals, but only if we are aware of the issues, care about them, and act on them.
Not only is Woodland Park Zoo a beautiful wildlife safari at your back door, it is an educational platform to remind each of us that we all play a part in keeping our world alive, healthy and thriving. We all can make a difference now that will affect the future.
Whether it be to plants, animals or other humans, we are all connected. This amazing spiritual connection can be found at the Woodland Park Zoo.
