A Walk Down Animal Avenue

Sunday was our second visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's new Animal Avenue exhibit. We went on the first weekend it opened, right before the site went down for 4 days straight, but I did manage to post some pictures.

....anyway, Animal Avenue is great fun! Really, how can you go wrong with lemurs?

giant anemones

kid-sized shells

mole rats, a sandbox, and a giant climbable spiderweb?

The meerkats have yet to make an appearance, but their habitat - integrated with a human-sized meerkat tunnel - looks like it will be a great addition once the critters are allowed out in the daylight. (According to the zoo's site, they're in there! But the windows are blurred while they get used to the new setting. You can sneak a peak, if you're lucky.)

After trying out the new section, we stopped by the rest of the Kid's Zone and met this guy:

Who decided to come right up to the fence and say hi. (The Wallabys actually have a nice big run, this one was just really interested in the kids.)

It's easy to enjoy the zoo on the kid's terms with a membership. Sometimes we'll only do the Kid's Zone, or we'll get there a half an hour before closing and just watch the elephants washing up and eating. The girls will choose one or two things they each want to see, and we can take our time and not feel like we have to tackle the whole place in a day. With all the new stuff in the children's section, the zoo is part playground, part park, part educational experience, and all fun. Take it all in in one big visit, or buy a membership and come back every week, but don't miss out.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

5400 N Pearl St

Tacoma