Toledo Zoo

The Toledo Zoo is becoming more well known every year. The zoo is known for it's ability to create outstanding exhibits in the little space it works with (about 65 acres). The zoos' Polar Encounter is known as one of the best in the country, this exhibit gives visitors the idea that seals and polar bear share the same exhibit. The zoos' Hippoquarium is the first underwater viewing exhibit of hippos ever. The Toledo Zoo has grown faster and faster. It's latest area is called Africa!, this area is home to African wild dogs and a large 5 acre exhibit that houses the zoos' giraffe, zebra, antelope, and birds. Visitors have the chance to ride a train around the large exhibt to get even closer. The zoo has built around it's old architecture and helped to mesh the new with the old. It's constantly changing and developing new things. The zoo has plans to build new exhibits for the elephants, rhino, and hippos. The zoo has a large collection of fish, primate, and has renonvated it's Children's Zoo making it better.

North Carolina Zoo

The North Carolina Zoo is known as having one of the longest walking trails in the country for zoos. This zoo has two main regions, North America and Africa. North America is broken into 4 regions. Everglades(gators, snapping turtles, pumas, and waterfowl), Arctic(sea birds, polar bears, and seal lions), Prairie(bears, wolves, elk, and bison), and temperate forest(otters, bobcats, snake and fishes). The African region has a gorilla (within the year they are to recieve a group of male gorilla from the Columbus Zoo), chimpanzees, giraffe, elephant, rhino, antelope, and much more. The zoo also has a desert region and avairy. The zoo is in the process of developing better exhibits for the elephants and rhinos. Though the zoo doesn't have the most high-tech things it makes up with it's sure size and nature.

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is world famous though I don't feel it's the best it is certainly a top five. The San Diego and Columbus Zoo are alike with both immersing the visitors in the animals domain. San Diego is known for their project work in different areas of the world and also the housing of some of the most endangered animals in the world. The has many great areas, but the can't miss areas are the Gorilla Tropics, which gives guest maybe the best idea of how gorilla live in the wild but being in captivity, Ituri Forest(hippo, okapi, buffalo, and monkeys, Polar Plunge(polar bear), Tiger Forest(tigers, tapirs, and etc.), and Forest Tails and Monkey Trails, the zoos' newest area. The one problem with this zoo is that the only well designed exhibits have been built in the last 10 years while all others are somewhat sad. But all in all this is a zoo you will never forget, with the size of area and amount of animals this is one of the best. Also don't miss the Giant Panda, which this is the only zoo west of Memphis to house them.

In the future the zoo hopes to rebuild the elephant area and the Australia region

Cincinnati Zoo

The Cincinnati Zoo is the second oldest zoo in the country, only behind the Philadelphia Zoo. The Cincinnati Zoo is known as The Sexiest Zoo in the Country for it's ability to breed some of the rarest animals on earth. The Zoo is located in downtown Cincinnati. The zoo has tried over the past few years to become more up to date with exhibits lay-outs and creating biomes. The zoo has renonvated it's Vanishing Giants area, home to elephants and giraffes, which should be open by spring of 2008. In the zoo world they are known for their ability to breed the un-breedable, an the Sumatran rhino is the perfect example. In 2001 they became the first zoo in America to breed this species and is the only zoo to ever reproduce three offspring. Besides the rhinos the zoos' Manatee Springs(home to crocs, manatees, and snakes) and Jungle Trails(orangs, monkeys, birds, and etc.) are some of the more popular areas. But if you travel to the zoo I will guarantee you will see animals that you've seen before and probably never again.

In the near future the zoo hopes to add a new parking lot, rebuild the Sumtran rhino area so it ill be bigger and visitors will beable to see them all year round. Also hopes are to build a state-of-the-art gorilla facility in the next few years.

St Louis Zoo

The St Louis Zoo is known across the globe as one of the best zoos in the country. The St. Louis Zoo is one of few zoos to have free admission into the zoo. This zoo has become one to see in this country. The newest area built was Fragile Forest, which is home to the zoos gorilla, chipanzee, and orangutan. The zoo has one awards for exhibits like River's Edge, which allows visitors to get up-close and personal to animals big as hippos and elephants to animals that are tiny like the dwarf mongoose and the bush dog( about the size of a beagle), these little guys call the Amazon home. River's Edge is layed out over roughly 10 acres and gives guest a look into animals from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Penguin/Puffin Coast another award winner let visitors actually share the area with birds of the Arctic and the Antacrtic. The exhibit allows the zoos penguin and puffins to go from there exhibit to your exhibit and you might want a jacket because it's kept at a chilly 35 degrees. The zoo has some older exhibits that need renovated but for the most part it's one of the most well kept and beautiful zoos around.

Columbus Zoo

The Columbus Zoo has fastly become one of the most popular and most innovative zoos in the country. The Columbus Zoo sits on 82 acres in Powell,OH. The zoo is home to some of the rarest animals on earth and has been one of the trend setters of biomes. Biomes are areas in zoos built to house animals and plants of the same area whether it be a rainforest style or tundra. The Columbus Zoo got it's fame by breeding the first gorilla in captivity and the lovable leader Jack Hanna. Tho he is no longer the director he still is connected to the zoo. Jerry Borin the current director has taken the zoo over the top. The newest exhibit Asia Quest has been nothing short great, home to the zoos tigers, elephants, Asian deer and crane, red panada, markhor(large goat), a black water monitor named Prince and until October it houses the largest snake in captivity named Fluffy a tiger retic python.

The future of the this zoo will make it the new world-famous zoo. In 2008 the zoo will open it's new entrance and the newly renovated waterpark that the zoo purchased for 2 million in 2006. The zoo will also bring back the polar bear that visitors have been wanting for. The polar bear will be housed in Polar Frontier, which will open in the fall of 2008 and will also be home to animals such as the arctic fox, Dall sheep, seal lions, Kodiak grizzly bear and reindeer. In the upcoming years the zoo will also open a new African Savanna that will have rhino, lion, hyena, warthog, hunting dog, cheetah, meerkat, giraffe, antelope, and many more. Also the zoo will have a South America area with jaguar, tapir, monkeys, birds, bear, anteaters and maybe a zip-line. With the help of Franklin County voters, visitors, donations, and volunteers this zoo has grown to world-class in just a short while.