"Roger Williams Zoo" a Rhode Island Travel Page by genki44

http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/

This is a great zoo, located in Providence, Rhode Island, and according to their website:

Roger Williams Park Zoo has received accolades from all over the country for its conservation and education efforts as well as for its entertainment value.

Visitors to Roger Williams Park Zoo see the world's tallest, heaviest, fastest and rarest land animals: the Masai giraffe, the African elephant and the cheetah — all roaming through natural settings.

The Zoo's population numbers over 957 animals, with some 156 different species on display at any given time, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

The Zoo's most popular exhibits include:

The polar bears, where an underwater window on a 70,000 gallon pool puts you face-to-face with one of the most dangerous animals on earth;

the California sea lion, where a 600-pound male propels himself at high speed upside-down at the underwater viewing window...only to swerve at the last inch;

the Tropical America building, where you can either climb a spiral staircase to a rope and wooden bridge and experience the free-flying birds and several species of primates from the top of the trees, or stay on solid ground and get enveloped in the lush, tropical atmosphere;

and the Plains of Africa, where elephants, cheetah, giraffes, ostrich and zebra roam and where the elephants' bath-time (around 10 a.m.) is a major daily event.

the Marco Polo Trail, the first exhibit of its kind to truly embrace the 'biopark' concept -the idea of combining cultural, historical and zoological experiences. The Marco Polo Trail is a multifaceted exhibit tracing a three-year journey of explorer Marco Polo through Asia. To give visitors a sense of the culture and history of the era, the Zoo recreated scenes from Marco Polo's journey including a Venetian plaza, Bedouin tent and the hull of a 16th century trading vessel. The exhibit features snow leopards, moon bears and camels - all animals Marco Polo encountered on his journey.

Roger Williams Park Zoo is a great place for families to learn together. Today, awareness and appreciation of wildlife, in addition to recreation, serve as major goals of Roger Williams Park Zoo. As a partner in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) administered by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), Roger Williams Park Zoo cares for and breeds species that, without human intervention, would face certain extinction.