April 15, 2022

KANSAS CITY ZOO

6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132

“The Kansas City Zoo is a 202-acre zoo founded in 1909. It is located in Swope Park at 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. The zoo has a Friends of the Zoo program. It is home to more than 1,300 animals and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.” - Wikipedia

In my mind, there are three sizes of zoos:  small, medium, and large.  I classify the Kansas City Zoo as a large zoo with a large collection of animals in well maintained enclosures.  There were several enclosures that could have been highlights all around the zoo, had the animals been visible.  The first of these happened right inside the gate where the signage beckoned everyone to come see the Polar Bears.  I saw only one bear, and it was wanting to go into its inside habitat, so I only caught a glimpse of it while pacing.  Another such experience was with the Cheetahs, where I could just see a lounging cat’s head just beyond the crest of a hill.  Now, I realize these are not all the zoo’s fault, but the experiences do start influencing your opinion of the visit.

Several different species of apes and monkeys are found throughout the zoo.  The Penguin House was very popular, and I was impressed with the Emperor Penguins, which one doesn’t see in many zoos.  Another new creature for me was the Tree Kangaroo in the Australia area. 

The zoo is large enough to have a section dedicated to Africa, which sits apart from the rest of the zoo.  A herd of African Elephants are your first introduction to the area.  Most of the zoos I’ve experienced have Asian Elephants, so this was a treat.  Other highlights of the area for me were the Baboons, Painted Dogs, Hippos, and Chimpanzees. 

The zoo offers several rides such as the Zoo Railroad, African Tram, Carousel, African Sky Safari, and Kenyan Cruise.  There is a fee for each or wristbands good for all rides can be purchased.  The Tram is a good way to make your way over to the Africa section, which is quite a distance from the other area.  However, if you visit on a day when everyone else decides to visit the lines for the rides are quite lengthy.  I decided to walk back from Africa instead of waiting for the Tram.

I usually try to avoid places that might be busy, for example I try not to go to a zoo on the weekend.I thought I would be ok going to the Kansas City Zoo on a Friday afternoon in April.I forgot it was Good Friday and didn’t realize schools in the area had been on Spring Break, therefore it was very busy with screaming kids, strollers, and what must be the new trend, soft-sided wagons to haul all your backpacks.As the afternoon wore on, I found myself skipping places with crowds, therefore, I didn’t take all the pictures I wanted to.But, in spite of the crowds, I enjoyed myself at the Kansas City Zoo.