OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO

VISITING THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO

(Writing and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Recently I had the chance to visit The Birmingham Zoo.  What a blessed day it was!

I had not ventured out to the Zoo in many years!  My grandchildren and two of my grown daughters gave me the happy opportunity to visit again.  I must say I was impressed with all the progress that has been made at this fabulous place.    It is amazing!  I already had fond memories of this particular zoo from many years ago, memories that happened way back in my own childhood; and I was delighted to revisit some of those memories.  The zoo and I were born in the same year!  That would make this zoo about 61 years old!  You can imagine the excitement back in 1955 when the doors were first opened!  My parents visited right away and soon they were taking me along.  

I soon discovered that my old memories, as good as they were, did no justice to the zoo we have today.  So much has changed.  "Monkey Island" as we used to call it when I was a kid is gone.  Monkeys now have their own special section with the "Primates."  I heard a rumor that the City of Trussville is building a Monkey Island replica in their city park in honor of the first original exhibit from the zoo.  If all goes well that will open in 2017.   The polar bears I once remembered being a big attraction at the zoo long ago are not there anymore either; but there is a new black bear exhibit.   Alabama weather and polar bears always seemed to be an ironic clash to me; and I suspect that may be the reason for this.  There is a shinny new train (two of them actually), and so many more exhibits than before.  The whole experience was such an educational, hands-on and fun experience!  I found myself thrilled with all the “new” and exciting things that are happening in this spacious zoological park. 

As a child from the late 50’s and early 60’s the zoo holds a special place in my heart.  Back then it was called The Jimmy Morgan Zoo.  When my generation grew up; we all wanted to take our children to see the place we loved so much.   Many years after I was grown; in the 1990's, the Zoo began to go through some tough financial troubles.  Problems developed left and right, and the once happy place was almost forced to close its doors.  Funding was very hard to come by in those days, and keeping such an operation running properly was almost impossible without the needed funds.  Many concerned citizens of the city who deeply loved and appreciated the zoo began to rally together and try to come up with logical and workable solutions.  No one wanted to lose the zoo!  

In 1999 the mayor of Birmingham made a very hard decision and decided that the zoo would become a private operation and a new board of directors was formed which eventually came to be known as Birmingham Zoo Inc.  This turned out to be a very smart move.  Since that time the zoo has operated as a private, not-for-profit organization, and the new organization has seen an amazing recovery.  The Birmingham Zoo is noted among the top zoos in the nation now.  

The citizens of Birmingham are very proud of this local achievement.  The CEO of the zoo, William Foster, DVM, has charted an exciting new course in all the right directions and has initiated drastic improvements in how the zoo is managed and maintained.  His credentials are amazing and his zoo and veterinary experience has inspired much of what has happened here. Renew the Zoo is one of the newest programs that has been introduced, and it is gaining grounds for developing a new habitat for Asian species.  

Now  days there is so much new life going on at the zoo!  There are many wonderful community events held annually, such as the local favorite "Zoo Light Safari" that always fills the acres of the park with a beautiful winter wonderland twinkling, musical light show during the Christmas season.  There is also the famous "Boo At The Zoo" that happens in the fall.  These two events are only a few of many taking place all the time.    The zoo is a favorite tourist attraction not only for those who hail from the "Ham," but also for people who travel from miles away.  It is known for being the most popular tourist attraction in the State of Alabama.    

What an excellent way to spend some time with your grandchildren!  

As of this week the cost is only $16 for adults and $11 for children over two years old. Two and under are free!   There are special passes that you can purchase if you plan on returning again and again.  I highly recommend purchasing one of these plans.  Not only do you benefit from the use of it; but much of the zoo is funded from the money made from these passes.  You would be making a great contribution to the community while enabling yourself to spend the days of each season enjoying yourself.  

If you have a toddler, you will want to bring a stroller.  You WILL need it.  You could spend, not just one whole day here; but many days.  With so many events and activities, there is lots of walking involved.  Of course, if you forget to bring your own stroller, there are strollers available to rent for $9 each.  Double strollers rent for $11.  Wheelchairs are available for $10 and electric scooters for $25.  We brought our own!

I would also recommend that you fill your child’s water bottle to the brim with fresh water and perhaps tuck a few small snacks handily into your purse for short rest periods.  Bring along water for yourself too!  You WILL get thirsty.  Drinks for sale and scattered water fountains are available, but you might get thirsty in an area where these are not so convenient.  Food is also available for sale in several places.  Remember to use sunscreen and bug repellent that is healthy and not full of chemicals, and visors and sunglasses are most appreciated as you travel through the jungles here.  Wear loose and comfortable clothing; because most likely you will get hot.  It would not be a bad idea for your child to carry a small see-through backpack to hold their souvenirs’ and water

bottles in order to let their hands remain free for the hands-on adventures.  That would also keep you from feeling like the bell-boy from the local hotel while you are loaded down from carrying all of their baggage around.  

There are convenient diaper changing stations in the plentiful rest room areas.  You should remember to carry baby wipes for those sticky little hands and those chocolate ice cream smiles that you are sure to accumulate on this adventure.  

Most important of all, if you are a grandmother like me, and you cherish every minute with your grandchildren; BRING YOUR CAMERA!!!!  At the end of the day the photos were priceless!  There is also a little photo booth that you can pay for where your pictures roll out trimmed in zoo themes.  

 The Birmingham Zoo is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. till 7 p.m. on weekends.  The address is:  2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL  35223.  You can call them for answers to any questions or concerns at 205-879-0409.  Any information you might need can be found by using the Internet, and the location is easy to find using your GPS or Map-it.  The Birmingham Zoo's website has a very good map of what is available and the order of the exhibits.  It is well worth checking out.  It is also handy to pay in advance on-line and you can print out a schedule of what is available and going on during your visiting date.  

There is wonder and excitement around every corner.  This zoo contains exhibits for over 950 animal species and the land for the zoo covers over 122 acres all together.  So many exhibits are not just “there” to look at; but they are interactive and they give young and old alike a way to actually participate with the animals and to be educated about their habitats.  Safety precautions are well thought out and in use at every station.  You can make lots of furry friends and become a part of the fascinating world and the habitat from which they live and thrive.

My awareness of a sense of “newness” was sparked immediately upon entering.  I could see where an exciting new entrance is presently being planned and designed.  It looks like it will be magnificent when finished!  For the time being, we entered through the old entrance; and we were greeted with several lovely planters filled with bright beautiful flowers as we made our way through the fast moving line.  I apologize for the fact that my seven year old grandson accidentally picked a few of these flowers.  I made up for this in my annual donation this year.  He did not know that they were only there to look pretty!   When I explained this to him I was quickly told that his little cousin who was meeting us at the zoo needed these flowers to put in her hair!  Oh the world of a seven year old boy!  After that first little panic, and the sweet understanding greeting from the helpful attendant at the gate; we were off to a day full of excellent fun.

 We walked into an area containing The Marketplace Gift Shop and nearby was one of two cafes called The Kudzoo Cafe.  If you are into souvenirs’, and are going to let your child buy one; I recommend that you set a budget and let them look around for about five minutes before you start the days adventure.  Tell them to be considering what they want to buy when you are leaving the park, because this will be in close proximity to where you exit too (you travel in a circular motion as you walk around the zoo.  In the slightly edited words of T.S. Elliot; "the end is only the beginning.")  At any rate; if you take my advice you will not have to carry everything around ALL DAY LONG.  This would also keep you from spending an hour or two of your time with your child in the gift shop trying to decide on a ten dollar toy instead of enjoying what you actually came for.  Keep in mind that this is not the only place to buy such things.  There is the Lorikeet Aviary Tiki Hut and the Giraffe Encounter Outpost further down the road.  

I will say that the gift items I saw were of top quality and more interesting than most.  Much of it is priced around $20 - $50.  There are some small items that are less expensive though.  The T-shirts are cute and expressive.   Everything was eco-friendly and the cute stuffed animals were perfect little replicas of the ones you will be studying on your visit.  Some of them are very novel and fit right in with the zoo themes.   My little group didn't stay long here.  We were here for the experience and the memories; not the "stuff."

We soon found ourselves walking deep into the Junior League of Birmingham's Hugh Kaul Children's Zoo.  We took a turn away from this area, more toward the left and headed for the Predator Zone because we wanted to save the Play Fountain and the Carousel ride  for last.  The Play Fountain is a wonderful and nicely designed splash pad where the kids can really enjoy getting soaked in the water after a long day of walking in the sunshine.  There are tables and chairs for the adults with aching feet to sit and watch them run and play.  

The Kudzoo Café as well as the Safari Cafe were surprisingly good stops for fast food at a zoo.  The food was not cheap; but it was reasonable enough for the quality, which I thought was good and nutritious for the most part.  They had an excellent variety of foods available on their menus.  We found it very convenient to eat lunch at one of these two cafes during the middle of the day.  Food is NOT allowed inside the zoo grounds.  However, if you want to leave in the middle of the day, grab the picnic waiting in a cooler in your car and come back to the zoo after your lunch; I highly recommend carrying your picnic basket over to the Botanical Gardens just across the road from the Zoo.  It is close and most beautiful.  On this particular day, we found the seating at the Kudzoo Café to be adequate and cool with plenty of tables and chairs both inside and outside.   Everyone got just what they wanted and we enjoyed resting in the cool while we dined.

Before lunch, right at the beginning or our journey we looked at some of the large aquariums and said "hello" to some very large turtles and fish.  My grandson LOVES turtles so he was thrilled right from the start of our journey.  We headed on through a very interesting bird aviary and saw some nice exhibits of all types of winged friends.  We were able to enter a caged area and do some hands-on feeding and even able to let a bird light on our hand here.  The kids were delighted!  There were over 300 birds.  My granddaughter loved the flamingos!

 We toured an exhibit with some pretty amazing reptiles and we took in a show starring some fantastically entertaining Sea Lions.  We walked through some pretty swampy areas and saw an alligator poking his head up out of the vegetation growing over the tops of the swamp water!  We crossed over the wooden bridge in the swampy lake area.

It wasn't long after this that we saw the zoo's train station and we gladly hopped aboard and took a little ride all around the zoo.  There are actually two trains available; the Birmingham Zoo Express and the Red Diamond Express.  The train conductor navigates through the different area of the zoo and he is full of interesting stories about each area.  

 Soon we found ourselves headed toward The Trails of Africa exhibits, and along the way we stopped to let my grandson take a fun ride on this Wild Slide.

Later when I asked him his favorite part of the zoo he surprised me by telling me this was it!

Our first real physical “interaction with the animals came when we visited the giraffes.  My daughter helped my granddaughter enjoy feeding the giraffes, and my grandson who is a good bit older got to go feed them by himself.  Both children were delighted with this activity.  They took away the facts that giraffes are herbivores which means they eat only plants.  Their long necks allow them to reach leaves, buds and branches very high up in mimosa and acacia trees.  They can eat hundreds of pounds of leaves each week!  We did our part by feeding them at least two pounds of that food for the day!

After we fed the giraffes, we took off to explore the Trails of Africa.  There were elephants, rhinos and river hogs hiding out in the natural habitats of this area.  This is a quiet zone, a good place to calm down from your last adventure and just take in the awesome animals on exhibit.  

The huge crates that the rhinos sometimes travel in were open and out for display on the ground.   I would not want to be the driver hauling these crates big enough to haul the largest animals.   The kids had a blast just jumping and playing inside them and pretending like they were animals.  My granddaughter squealed with laughter when my grandson peeked in at her from outside the crate through the holes left for breathing on the side.  Who would have ever thought that large wooden crates for hauling rhinos could be this entertaining?  I have to admit this was the place where the most giggles were exchanged!  Even my grown daughter joined in on this!  Oh yeah - we forgot it was a quiet zone.  The crates stopped our laughter from echoing too far though.

The zebras were so fascinating to look at.  They were all dressed up in black and white, as if they had an important social event to attend!

 Here we encountered the majestic King of the Jungle!  There is a stately male lion and a female lion.  He is one year older than her.  They are magnificent and I could have stood in front of them forever and not become tired of gazing at them.  I think the Lion is my favorite animal at the zoo.  There was an inside exhibit too that housed various other members of the "cat" family.  

Have you ever ridden a camel?  Another one of my nephew’s favorite adventures was the camel rides.  Did you know that camels have two rows of eyelashes?  That is so that their eyes will be protected in the desert dust.

No doubt about it; camels are cool!  

We continued on down the road to the Alabama Wilds and took in the Laura Ingalls Shook Black Bear Trail.  We didn't have time for the zip-line adventure today, but we made note of it for another visit soon.  We saw the Brock Cabin area and even petted some of the more tame animals that were more local to Birmingham.

While we were visiting there was a terrific exhibit featuring dinosaurs!  The Dino Discovery Exhibit featured life-sized North American native animatronic dinosaurs.  Some of them were 20 feet tall weighing almost seven tons and measuring 85 feet in length!  The trail had these creatures that once roamed the earth 160 million years ago.  The sound effects here are very authentic, and it may frighten a few of the little ones so be sure to hold their hands tightly.  One dinosaur sprayed us good with water.  My granddaughter remembers this vividly and her eyes turn into huge pools when she speaks of it now.  She also remembers the little baby dinosaur at the end of the trail.  He was really cute!  My grandson loved getting up close and personal with these monsters.  I can hear him now telling all his friends at school about how he petted a dinosaur!   This exhibit will only be in town until July 31^st.  I’m so glad we caught it!

The dinosaur exhibit was totally awesome!  

What could be a more perfect conclusion to a wonderful day than to end your visit with your first carousel ride?  This was the case for my sweet little granddaughter.  The carousel was amazing and you don't need for me to describe it any further than to tell you to look in her eyes in the pictures.  It was magical!  My grandson thought so too, and you know he chose to ride an ostrich because he didn't think he had spent enough time with them earlier.  All of the animals on the carousel were animals we had met inside the zoo today

We finally headed home, tired, happy and full of the kinds of memories that live in your heart forever.