Woodland Park Zoo offers acres of wild fun
Published: Apr 27, 2009
Seattle's wildest community is also one of its most serene and tranquil. Located about 10 minutes north of downtown Seattle in the quiet neighborhood of Phinney Ridge, the 92-acre Woodland Park Zoo preserve is home to more than 1,000 animals, from pillbugs to Sumatran tigers.
These residents may not engage in the same daily routines as the city's other locals — they drink no coffee, carry no laptop bags — but they're every bit as colorful and full of personality as other Seattleites. And in true Northwest fashion, rainy days seem to instill in them a kind of quiet self-reflection.
The animals reside in immersive natural environments — all man-made touches are artfully obscured from both human and animal eyes — so you don't feel like you're visting animals in confinement as much as you're passing through a corner of their own world.
The zebras, lions, giraffes and hippopotamuses have a broad "African Savannah" to call home. The Red Admiral and Spring Azure butterflies flutter about in a climate-controlled indoor forest that you can walk through.
The Common Vampire Bats have their own "sun," which "rises" at the zoo's closing time to allow the winged creatures to sleep. And the animals of the Pacific Northwest — river otters, brown bears, bald eagles and elk — feel right at home in an area that wasn't so much built as left alone.
Walking the Woodland Park Zoo is a pleasant experience, no matter what the season, and, to use a time-hewn cliché, it's got something for everyone.
Adult visitors will be fascinated by the immersive exhibits and the level of thought and care that went into creating true-to-life homes for these exotic animals. Kids can burn off energy in the "Zoomazium," a nature-themed playground, or ride the zoo's 90-year-old carousel. Senior visitors have plenty of benches to rest on and plenty of shade to relax in.
And though it's impossible to know for sure, the animals certainly seem happy to see you.
- by Geoff Carter, Seattle Reporter for HelloMetro
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