Top 10 Best Zoos in the USA

Your visit to San Diego Zoo not only supports the animals and varied number of habitats, but also their work in conservationism, the upkeep of their safari park and the reputation "revamps" they are doing to reverse the negative stigmas attached to animals like the hyena whose existence actually does a lot of good for the planet. They have superb habitats such as freshwater supporting hippos, temperate forests housing pandas, and savannas home to African elephants. It is truly a zoo that prides itself in diversity and quality- two necessary ingredients for an enjoyable, informative day.

This zoo was ranked the number one zoo in Family Fun Magazine, and it certainly works to uphold this reputation. Starting this summer the facilities will also offer Stingray Beach, an interactive area where children and adults alike can come see how the stingrays live. Also opening summer 2014 are Camel Rides, whose name speaks for itself. The zoo also offers the Bernice Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion, where one can completely immerse themselves in the habitat and life of these small, interesting creatures. The zoo prides itself in offering many lively and interactive exhibits, and visitors certainly have their choices cut out for them upon entering the Henry Doorly Zoo.

The St. Louis Zoo covers a massive area, but is so well organized that this size hardly matters. Much of the zoo is divided into what St. Louis Zoo refers to as "Zoo Zones," basically different habitats and exhibits. River's Edge is a newer exhibit featuring bush dogs, black rhinos, capybaras, Asian elephants, red river hogs, sun bears, and many, many more. The Discovery Corner is an interactive area full of the Children's Zoo, Monsanto Insectarium, and the Living World, where visitors can discover butterflies, meerkats, goats, fennec foxes, tree kangaroos, insects, guinea pigs, and alpacas.

The Columbus Zoo's diverse and beautiful selection of animals in the exhibits includes but is certainly not limited to the African Leopard, the Asian small-clawed otter, the Bornean Sun Bear, the bobcat, the flying fox bat, the Mexican Wolf, and the red panda. New and exciting exhibits now available include the Heart of Africa and Dinosaur Island, which are both thrilling and informative. The zoo is now also proud to present its Zoofari event, something you don't want to miss out on this summer!

The Bronx Zoo seeks to "connect people to wild nature." Part of this entails having impressive exhibits that closely resemble the animals' natural habitats. Some of its world-class exhibits include the Congo Gorilla Forest, the Wild Asia Monorail, Tiger Mountain, and the newest, Madagascar! Some of the Mother Nature's bigger animals are on display here, including tigers, crocodiles, and gorillas. Feedings and enrichment demonstrations happen daily, so be sure to check as to when in order to learn about how the animals are kept healthy throughout the year at the zoo, as well as how they feed and live in the wild.

The Audubon Zoo offers some unique exhibits, including their sea lions, whose area allows visitors to learn how sea lions live and what they eat. There was recently a new edition in the form of Zoey, the zoo's newest sea lion pup. A zoo would not be complete without a monkey exhibit- so don't forget to head to the World of Primates! There is also a great white shark in 3D movie available on site, as well as live animal encounters in the zoo's Field Camp. With so many fantastic choices you can't go wrong, no matter where you begin your day.

The San Antonio Zoo supports a number of conservation projects including a whooping crane recovery program, endangered Texas salamanders, California condors and its butterfly conservation initiative. Here is the place where you can witness and admire these lovely yet quickly diminishing animals, and see what the zoo is doing to help their numbers increase. The zoo also offers Animal Encounters, in which visitors can meet with zookeepers, learn about animals, and ask any questions they might have. Education Encounters offer close interaction with animals such as pythons and gibbons and informative sessions.

Riverbanks Zoo also claims some pretty unique exhibits of its own, including Lemur Island, the Aquarium Reptile Complex, and the Ndoki Forest. The addition of "Garden" to its name also refers to its accomplished selection of botanical gardens supporting wildlife in its premises. The zoo hosts garden varieties such as Asian, Bog, Woodland Walk, Old Rose, and Shade. There are also a number of animal demonstrations where visitors can have the rare experiences of a penguin feeding, a wreathed hornbill show, a gorilla presentation, a kangaroo talk or see an aquarium dive.

This is your opportunity to see complete exhibits that put you directly in the place's habitat that they mimic. Go to China and experience the red pandas, enter the primate canyon and see what environment allows them to thrive, go to cat country for the tigers, or explore the dragon's lair and observe the komodo dragons and reptiles. USA Today's member's choice section ranked Memphis Zoo among the top five zoos in the country for a reason: this is the place where you can explore rare animals and unique habitats in their true form.

This venue offers you a chance to experience wildlife on a budget; Phoenix Zoo now has its $10 Tuesdays, where entrance is much cheaper but the level of fun stays the same. Phoenix is home to 30 endangered species and is another great advocate of preservation and conservation. From Chilean flamingoes, mandrills and bald eagles to Grevy's zebras, mountain lions and Galapagos tortoises, this place has a spectacular and exciting variety of animals and exhibits to discover!