Think superstar zoos in this country and a few candidates immediately come to mind. San Diego Zoo, National Zoo in D.C, and Forest Park Zoo in St. Louis are among the biggies. A recent trip through the Mid Atlantic states mandates we add another to the list: North Carolina Zoo.

Located south of Raleigh/Durham and north of Charlotte, the Asheboro, NC enclave is vast. Plan on spending at least a day here. It’s that expansive. It takes three hours to properly see the North American side of the park, two to do justice to the Africa section. A tram does the heavy lifting, shuttling families near and far.

In North America, you can:

• See Prairie Geyser erupt. It happens every five minutes.
• Behold the breadth of precisely re-created prairie, home to bison and elk alike.
• Peruse Cypress Swamp, a place replete with cougars, alligators, and waterfowl.
• Explore Rocky Coast, a section of the park that’s the province of polar bears, harbor seals, and puffins.
• Marvel at the workings of invaluable insects in Honeybee Garden. Get a grasp of why they’re so critical to the food chain.

No need to cross the Atlantic to explore Africa. The tram takes you there. Among the draws:

• Swamp Ghosts, a land of fortune and favor. One of the ways that favor is bestowed is by spotting the white alligator. Look carefully.
• Watani Grasslands Reserve. North Carolina Zoo is a modern classic, a site large enough so animals can actually roam about. At the Watani you’ll see rhinos, antelope, ostriches and—of course—elephants.
• Forest Glade, a perfect habitat for for gorillas.

The interpretation of all this is fascinating, and first-rate. North Carolina Zoo is more than a place for amusement (although it does that quite nicely), it’s a place for musing on how this planet fits together, of how precious our natural heritage is.

It really is a Mid Atlantic modern classic.

Story by Jerry Chandler

(Image: oldrebel)

North Carolina flights