Greenville's Zoo is Small but Mighty!

We had a warm weekend a couple of weeks ago, and headed north to Greenville to check out their zoo. It is said to be one of the country's top small zoos. Having come from a city that has a fabulous but expensive zoo, I was curious to see what this zoo might hold. After paying for a family pass and buying some crackers to feed the animals we began our trek. The Greenville Zoo is not very big but I have to say that I like that. It is very manageable for a family with young children and there are no added attractions with extra fees making it an affordable family outing.

The kids were able to get pretty close to the animals. I can't begin to tell you how excited Gavin was when he got to see this black and white colobus monkey mama and her baby.

He would have stayed there for hours just talking to them and watching them. Seeing him so touched by their bond touched our hearts too.

But we continued on and began to find opportunities to feed some of the animals. The tortoises, after a nap in the warm sun, were more than happy to oblige us. Gavin was the first to give it a try, then Patrick ventured even closer. I was happy to take the pictures and stay at a distance.

Right around the corner from the tortoises was a playground and a pergola with Adirondack chairs for the parents to kick back while the kids burn off some energy. It was a nice little respite. But we were ready to see some orangutans. We had heard that they were very entertaining. The adult orangutans, Mia and Chelsea looked worn out from their toddler, Bob.

We found him hanging upside down, swinging like, well, an orangutan. Anna and Gavin began acting like primates themselves so that was our clue to move on to lunch.

Before leaving the zoo, I snapped this picture.

Our lambs with the lion.

Just right outside of the zoo is a fabulously designed playground, the likes I have never seen before. It has two separate areas: one for toddlers and one for older kids. Both the play areas are covered by canvas like roofs to help with the heat in the summer. Everyone had a great time and we all decided we were glad we had bought the family pass. Come visit us, we'll be glad to take you to the zoo!