December 14, 2022

REID PARK ZOO

3400 E Zoo Ct, Tucson, AZ 85716

“The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a 24-acre city-owned and operated non-profit zoo located within Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time.” - Wikipedia

The lady at the ticket window told me, “It’s a small zoo, but there’s a lot to see.”  Her assessment of the Reid Park Zoo was right on point.  What I like best about zoos of this size is one’s ability to visit the exhibits more than once if one so chooses.  The zoo’s layout is basically a large circle, on my first pass the white rhino was sleeping, as was the zebra.  The elephants and grizzly bear were nowhere to be seen.  I did get to see the active lions, African wild dogs, meercats, giraffes, and Andean bear. There were two walk-thru aviaries, much to my delight.  I happened by the jaguar exhibit as he was trying to get to the fish in an ice block the attendants had just put out. 

Taking advantage of the zoo’s size, on the second passage, the white rhino was walking around, the African elephants were outside, and the grizzly bear came out of his den.  The zoo has a large collection of peacocks, it seemed that everywhere I turned there would be one or two of them strutting around.  Despite it being unusually cold (close to freezing overnight, and a chilly 50° during my visit), only a few of the animals were off exhibit.

 I enjoyed my visit to the Reid Park Zoo.