Through the Eyes of a Child

One of the best places to visit exotic animals is in our very own city; it is called the San Antonio Zoo. The San Antonio Zoo is ranked number six of America’s top ten Zoos scatter in the U.S. I am going to talk about the zoo and how my son is fascinated by it.
The Zoo is located 3903 North St Mary’s Street, San Antonio, Texas. It started in the 1800s at San Pedro Park. By 1914 Colonel George .W. Brackenridge provided buffalos, monkeys, two pairs of lions, and four bears. He placed them on his land as today known as the Brackenridge Park. Then it became the San Antonio Zoo. The zoo has over 3,500 animals and 750 different kinds of species of animals. The first two cageless animals were the Bareless Bear Terrace and the Primate Paradise. Then the city got the Richard Friedrich Aquarium that was dedicated in 1948. After that the city got the Hixon Bird House that was funded after Colonel Fredrick C. Hixon in 1966. Today the San Antonio bird collection is one of the world’s largest. It took 91 years of effort and hard work for this Zoo to be one of the best in the U.S.A.
The best thing I enjoyed at the Zoo that is that unlike other tourist attraction is that it’s open 365 days a year and there is free parking. The hours of operation are very convenient that is from 9am – 6pm and for the winter it is 9am-5pm. The only price that I had to pay was to go in. The price is $9.00 for adults, $7.00 children ages 3-11, and children under 2 are free. They also have membership’s offers free admission. What come with the membership are discounts on gifts shop, concession stands, and parties. The membership cost is range from $30 to $1000. At the zoo, there are also special events. My favorite event is on Halloween. It is fun for the parents and their children. It is called the Zoo Boo where you dress up for Halloween and go trick or treat inside the zoo gates. They have many fun activities like costume contest, games, and face-painting. They also have Feast with the Beast where you eat like an animal. They have food sample of different kinds of restaurants all scattered through the Zoo. They also have private events like birthdays which come with 10 entry tickets, 10 train tickets, and 10 invitations. It is $200 for non members. There are also different kinds of birthday’s parties.
I love taking my son to the zoo. Every time I go he always has a blast. I think it is a great place for toddlers. My son gets a kick on the animals from the monkeys to the lions. It is funny when I see my 2 year old try to meditate when the monkeys are hollering and when the lions are roaring. His favorite animal to see is the tigers. He loves to watch the Disney cartoon Jungle Book and the tiger is the most terrifying creature in the cartoon, so when my son and I pass by the tigers he gets so excited but at the same time scared. In the cartoon movie there is also a bear that he enjoys and the bear is called baloo. It is so funny because in the cartoon the bear sings and dance and my son expects the bears to talk or dance. He got a little disappointed because the bear didn’t even move it just lay there. My son ask me “mommy the bear not singing”. I started to laugh, but I didn’t want to tell him that animals don’t talk. I told him that baloo is tired he put his head down and was sad. I guess to him is very exciting to see his favorite cartoon character come alive. My son also likes the baby elephants in the cartoon. He is always asking where the baby elephant is, but in the zoo they don’t have one. He says that there is the mommy and daddy elephant. He thinks that they forgot the baby elephant at the jungle. Kid’s minds are so imaginary and it is wonderful to see how he imagines the animals.
Will my favorite part of that I love to take my son is this place for toddlers. It is called Tiny Tot Nature Spot. It is indoor and outdoor spot. As soon as I walked in there is this short rock cave entrance, and in the cave there is a built in a small aquarium. Inside the aquarium they have this huge fish and catfish. It is really pleasing to the eye. My son just stands there looking at it for a good ten minutes just being amazed at it. Once I walk through it, I went into the indoor building where there is A/C and it gives me and my son a nice chili breeze. It is good to go in there when you’re walking all day in the heat and your child is complaining about the sun and you have no more energy for your child. You could sit down while your kids are playing. They have a kitchen playing area, a puppet show, a small water bed, and a little stream. They also have a gopher tunnel and my son never likes to get out of it. The restroom in there is very convenient and elegant. They have a toddler size sink; therefore I don’t have to pick up my son to wash his hands. They also have a nursery room. In the nursery room, there is a changing table, a rocking chair, little chairs, and some toys. It is really decent when you need to breastfeed because you can lock the door. In the other hand outside have a riverbank, a play area, and some animals. The river bank is very fun for the kids. It’s a small area of water surrounded by sand. It’s about a foot deep and the kids could play in there. My son loves jumping in there and the feel of the sand.
The San Antonio Zoo is one of my favorite places to take my son. Seeing him just have the benefit of exploring the place is so wonderful.