The Wolfe Pack {Reviews+Resources+Suggestions=Support for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

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ZOO REVIEW 4- Aquarium of the Bay

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Animals are our son’s passion and at 12-years-old, he insists he wants to be a professional zookeeper when he grows up. In addition to driving him to his position as a volunteer animal caretaker at the local museum multiple times each week, my husband and I enjoy taking him to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, etc. Besides making memories for our little family, each experience provides new educational opportunities for our son and seems to cement his career choice even further. My professor-by-trade husband calls it “research”. I just call it fun!

We visited this aquarium on a recent vacation to California. We had three days scheduled in San Francisco and I had other things planned for us to do. But my husband and son argued for it and I’m really glad we made it work. We actually managed to thoroughly explore the aquarium and still make it to the SF Giants baseball game in one day. 

LOCATION: San Francisco, CA {at Pier 39 aka: Fisherman’s Wharf}

HOURS: 10am-6pm, every day

ADMISSION RATES: {​Adult Admission} $28.25; {Seniors 65+} $23.25; {Children 4-12} $18.25; {Children 0-3} FREE; There is a Family of Four Discount as well as coupons on their website. 

DESCRIPTION: The Aquarium of the Bay is home to more than 20,000 local marine animals. It is divided into four sections: Discover the Bay, Touch the Bay, Under the Bay and North American River Otters. They have over 50 sharks plus otters, skates, bat rays, eels, an octopus, jellies galore, and several types of of fun fish. They also have several reptiles and amphibians too!

SIZE: The building is made up of two floors and and unknown number of square feet {seriously! I could not find that info anywhere.} In my opinion, I would consider it a medium-sized aquarium. 

ACCESS: If you have not purchased tickets, you need to buy them at the outside kiosk before taking the stairs {or elevator} to the entrance on the second floor. Once inside, you basically just follow the flow and don’t really have choices as where to go and when, which we considered helpful because then you don’t wonder if you missed anything. Strangely enough, you start by immediately taking the inside elevator down a level to start with their Under the Bay exhibits. Then you take the elevator back up for the other exhibits, gift shop and exit.  Everything is wheelchair and stroller accessible and it’s all inside so the temperature is perfect. 

PARKING: They do not have a designated parking lot but claim there is ample street parking close by. We actually left our rental car at the hotel and  took a taxi because we did not want to deal with parking. I doubt we paid much more for the taxi than we would’ve for street parking AND the taxi dropped us off right by the entrance. 

GIFT SHOP: The gift shop seemed just right for the size of the aquarium and they {oh so} conveniently ushered you through it on your way out. My son chose a sea otter to commemorate his particular enjoyment of this silly and clever animal. My husband and I selected a beautiful glass sculpture of a jelly fish and a Christmas ornament. 

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE: {California Sea Lions} Okay, the California Sea Lions really aren’t a part of the Aquarium of the Bay but there is no way we could pass up the opportunity to show our son this classic SF attraction {THIS was always on my itinerary!} And because they are also down at Pier 39, I included them here. This attraction is free because they’re not part of any exhibit or structure. They’re just living their lives out on the docks by Pier 39. You can observe them on the sea level viewing area or you can take the stairs/elevator up one level and watch them from above. We opted for the latter because it was far less congested {people-wise} but it was cooooooooooooooold and windy! But, we thoroughly enjoyed just standing there watching the hefty sea mammals laze around, haul out on the docks, bark at one another, slip back into the water and repeat. They really are funny animals that  have always called SF Bay home. But after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, they discovered that the docks are easier to haul out on than rocky shorelines and that they didn’t have to move when the tides rose and fell. And, since the new location was less exposed to predators and provided easy access to food in the Bay, the docks became a thriving sea lion haunt and a very popular visitor attraction. You definitely need to check them out! 

ENJOYMENT RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ This aquarium was fun for each of us and I would gladly do it again. My favorite was the octopus…I consider them to be very intelligent and interesting animals. My son’s favorite was, by far, the otters and I will agree that they hold the highest entertainment value found in the Aquarium of the Bay. Considering the location and the number of things you might want to see while in SF {and even just down at Pier 39,} it’s actually a plus that it only takes about 90 minutes to get through the entire aquarium. Plus, due to the temperature control and relative safe layout, it’s not an exhausting choice for families with little kids or elderly family members. 

EDUCATION RATING: ♥♥♥_ _  During our visit, we saw no attempt for any “keepers” or staff to engage with the guests. It might’ve just been an off day or a weird hour that we were there but there was definitely some slight “business” vibe going on. The animals all seemed well taken care of and content but I kinda got the feeling that the aquarium was more of a money-maker than an educational opportunity or conservation pursuit. 

ENCLOSURE RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s amazing what they have done inside this building!  1.The 300 feet of acrylic tunnels found in the Under the Bay section  is spectacular and allowed us to get as close to sharks and rays as I would probably ever want. And, not that I am an expert in fish behavior, but everybody seemed to be content in their homes as evidenced by their peaceful swimming and calm demeanor. 2. In the Touch the Bay section, the rays were all clustered in the corner in, what seemed to be,  an attempt to not be touched much. The enclosure was designed in a way that if they  altogether. They also could hide out in places where it made it difficult to be touched unless you were the size of an adult. There were some parents trying to hold their toddlers over the area and help them reach the rays but the staff quickly put a stop to that. Too bad for the curious toddlers but great for the rays! 3.The otters have this really large and fun play area complete with water {of course,} rocks and a waterfall! While we were there, a couple of them kept running/swimming this giant loop while playing with one another. It was highly entertaining for us to watch and I’m sure they were having loads of fun too! {NOT that you can tell in this picture. It was nearly impossible to get a picture of the otters because they were so fast! But, somehow I managed to get a shot of this guy standing still…but he seems so grumpy, doesn’t he?}

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: If you’re expecting Baby Beluga or Shamu, this is not the place for you. But if you want to get up close and personal with some of the ocean’s coolest creatures without spending all day at a giant theme park of sorts, this is a great alternative. It might be a bit pricey in relation to the size but our small family certainly thought it was worth the money. 

CONTACT INFO: www.aquariumofthebay.org ~ 415-623-5300 ~ Pier 39 Embarcadero & Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 ~ info@bayecotarium.org

ZOO REVIEW 3- San Francisco Zoo

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Animals are our son’s passion and at 12-years-old, he insists he wants to be a professional zookeeper when he grows up. In addition to driving him to his position as a volunteer animal caretaker at the local museum multiple times each week, my husband and I enjoy taking him to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, etc. Besides making memories for our little family, each experience provides new educational opportunities for our son and seems to cement his career choice even further. My professor-by-trade husband calls it “research”. I just call it fun!

We visited this zoo on a recent vacation to California. We had three days scheduled in San Francisco and, considering the number of fabulous choices of fun in the area,  the zoo was NOT on my top list of things to do. But my husband and son argued for it and I’m really glad we made it work. We actually managed to thoroughly explore the zoo and still had time in the day to check into our downtown hotel and then take a trolley down to the wharf for some sea lion fun, a yummy dinner and Ghirardelli sundaes for dessert. 

NAME: San Francisco Zoo {aka: San Francisco Zoo & Gardens}

LOCATION: San Francisco, CA {within walking distance to the beach!}

HOURS: 9am-5pm, every day

ADMSSION RATES: {​Adult Admission} $23.00; {Seniors 65+} $19.00; {Children 4-14} $17.00; {Children 0-3} FREE; {SF residents} discount of $3

DESCRIPTION: The San Francisco Zoo is home to over 2,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals representing more than 250 species. It sits on 100 acres of land that is truly like an oasis in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the nation. Its history dates back to 1929 but it has undergone extensive changes to keep up with the times and to showcase their commitment to conservationism. It is currently undergoing some major changes and have added/will be adding a new Madagascar Center, Great Ape Passage and Snow Leopard Expansion. 

DESCRIPTION CONTINUED: They have an amazing  three-acre, mixed-species exhibit that brings animals closer to the public than ever before. The open-landscaped exhibit is home to a variety of savannah creatures all living together including giraffes, zebras, kudu, crowned cranes, ostriches, and Marabou storks. The unique design creates the illusion of being in the middle of the savannah while surrounded by the animals. Our son said, “it’s like we’re part of the exhibit!” 

DESCRIPTION CONTINUED: In addition to the animals mentioned above, some of our other favorites included the lemurs {another amazing exhibit!}, otters, wolves, grizzly bears, koalas, gorillas and one bald eagle. There is also a really nice South American Tropical Rainforest and Aviary, which is essentially a reptile house and aviary combined into a gorgeous building complete with free-roaming birds, a 15 foot green anaconda {not free-roaming, thank goodness}, various other snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles and a two-toed sloth {which I wish was free to roam right into my arms.}

SIZE: 100 acres and 2000 animals equates to a large zoo in my opinion. 

ACCESS: Though I consider it a large zoo,  it is easy to get around because it is neither hilly nor complicated. There is definitely a lot of walking to be done if you plan to do the entire zoo but it is laid out nicely with exhibits bunched together into meaningful groups. We experienced a little confusion due to the current state of their expansion….not in the sense of detours and construction but in the sense of “is this exhibit complete or are they still working on it? Are we supposed to be seeing something here?” {NOTE: SFZoo is a paperless zoo. There are NO PAPER MAPS whatsoever to be found. You can print one from the website prior to your visit or do what we did and snap a picture of their displayed map and simply refer to it as needed.}

PARKING: {Weekdays} $11; {Weekends/holidays} $13.00; We missed the turn into the parking lot {it comes up super fast once you turn off of the Great Highway} and ended up following a bunch of others and parking for free on the street. Despite the added walk-time, I am glad we didn’t try to use the paid lot because it seemed that many people who did could not find a spot.

GIFT SHOP: The gift shop seemed a bit small for the size of this zoo but we still managed to add to our son’s animal collection {with a koala} as well as purchase two beautiful mosaic pieces to remind us of our special visit.

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE: {Mexican Gray Wolf Animal Connection} Because of a sign that we saw while standing in line to buy tickets, we planned our visit around what was advertised simply as “Mexican Gray Wolf”.  Our family has a particular fondness for wolves so we were excited to see this “Animal Connection” scheduled during our visit. We had no clue whether a keeper would be feeding the animals while we watched or whether there would be a howling exhibition but we definitely wanted to participate in whatever the wolves were offering. We arrived at the wolf enclosure early and discovered a very nicely sized habitat that was home to three Mexican Gray Wolves. We spent the extra time reading all about them and watching their interactions with one another. Eventually, an animal keeper came up behind us and gave a brief, but seemingly thorough report on the three wolves. We learned that, though these particular wolves are probably never going to be introduced back into the wild, they remain a part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. Therefore, they are kept away from as much human interaction as possible. Their food is provided without the wolves seeing any humans in order to protect the wolves’ natural instincts to hunt, as opposed to learning to associate food with people. The zoo also discourages any howling by guests with the hopes of preserving that form of communication between the animals.  The keeper stayed around long enough to answer any and all questions from the small gathering of guests. She was even kind enough to stick around even longer so our son could inquire as to the path she took to become a zookeeper. I’ll admit, I was a bit disappointed at first that we weren’t going to get to “meet” any wolves or at least watch them eat, but once the purpose of the recovery program was explained, it made wonderful sense and I was happy to observe from afar. 

ENJOYMENT RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ This zoo was a rather pleasant surprise for all of us. I’ll admit that I had not planned on making it a part of our SF itinerary because there are so many other classic San Fran things to do. But, this turned out to be a very enjoyable and educational afternoon.  So many of the animals were very active and provided much entertainment. From the gorilla carrying branches around on his head to the penguin purposely swimming against the manmade water current, there just seemed to be something entertaining and/or interesting to find everywhere. But one of our favorite experiences was watching the Giant Rhea {similar to an ostrich} chasing the Guanaco {a type of llama} around their pen at a very fast clip! 

EDUCATION RATING: ♥♥♥♥_  1. Though I wish they would advertise a few more details of what takes place during each specific Animal Connection, we did find this zoo’s list of opportunities to see/learn more to be fairly extensive. We thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican Gray Wolf experience but we also found ourselves lucky enough to happen upon the keeper feeding the river otters. That was highly entertaining and educational!  2. Their website is easy to use and offers information on each of their animals, though it would be even better if they had an easy-to-print document for each animal as well. 

ENCLOSURE RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ The San Francisco Zoo offers some of the most unique animal enclosures we’ve seen. Not only are they innovative… {What we saw of the Great Ape Passage, which was still under construction during our visit, looked like giant hamster travel tubes that the apes will be able to use to go from one part of their exhibit to another. The tubes will literally take them ABOVE the heads of the zoo’s visitors!}…but they are also very interactive for the guests while being naturally comfortable for the animals. The new Lemur Forest is the biggest outdoor lemur habitat in the country and offers a dozen different places to view the large variety of fuzzy and funny creatures. And, as I already mentioned, the exhibit replicating the African savannah that houses several different animals is seriously one of the best zoo experiences out there. But, we also enjoyed the simple, peaceful home of their bald eagle. He was rescued after an injury in the wild and now calls the lush trees and nearby water of  Eagle Island at the San Francisco Zoo his home. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: If you live in the area or are making plans to visit San Francisco, I would definitely make time to include the SFZoo on your itinerary. I’m actually a California Native {San Diego} and have made more than two dozen trips to the Bay Area over the course of my life but I had never ever been to the SFZoo until now. I think that it is probably an overlooked gem in a tourist town filled with so many other fun things to do but it is truly worth at least part of your day!

CONTACT INFO: www.sfzoo.org/Sloat Blvd/Great Highway San Francisco, CA/ (415) 753-7080 

ZOO REVIEW 2- Sacramento Zoo

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Animals are our son’s passion and at 12-years-old, he insists he wants to be a professional zookeeper when he grows up. In addition to driving him to his position as a volunteer animal caretaker at the local museum multiple times each week, my husband and I enjoy taking him to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, etc. Besides making memories for our little family, each experience provides new educational opportunities for our son and seems to cement his career choice even further. My professor-by-trade husband calls it “research”. I just call it fun! 

We visited this zoo on a recent trip to celebrate my niece’s graduation from Sacramento State. After all of the festivities were over and the extended family had gone their separate ways, we had part of a day to spend in the area so we took the opportunity to enjoy a new zoo!

NAME: Sacramento Zoo {aka: Sac Zoo}

LOCATION: Sacramento, CA {south of downtown, just off I-5}

HOURS: 9am-4pm every day

ADMSSION RATES: {​General Admission} $16.50;  {Seniors} $15.50; {Children 2-11} $11.50; {Children 0-1} FREE

DESCRIPTION: The Sacramento Zoo first opened its doors in 1927 and was affectionately  referred to as “the little zoo in the park”. Its actual name was the William Land Park Zoo and housed about 40 animals on 4.2 acres of land. In the 1960’s, the zoo was enlarged to the 14.2 acres it is today and in 1970, it adopted the new name, the Sacramento Zoo. It is now a non-profit that houses more than 500 native, rare and endangered animals that represent over 120 unique species. They have a great selection of mammals including giraffes, zebras, lions, several different primates and a brand new {to them} okapi. They also just recently installed a great kid-level habitat for a mob of meerkats.  They also have a fantastic reptile house {that also includes fish and amphibians} and a wide variety of birds including a big flock of flamingos and some super loud parrots. 

SIZE: This is a medium-sized zoo which took us two hours to explore thoroughly AND arrive early enough in order to be first in line to feed the giraffes. If we lived in the area, we would definitely become members so we could visit often. 

ACCESS: Easy to walk with no hills or stairs. A few areas were muddy (it had rained the day before) so my flip-flops weren’t the best choice but not unsafe in any way. There were also a couple of instances that had confusing signage and/or were closed at the end of a path so we got “lost” a bit. Thankfully, because the zoo wasn’t too big, the backtracking we had to do was not extensive at all. 

PARKING: Free! Because the Sac Zoo is located within William Land Park, along with many other fun things to do {Fairy Tale Town, lakes, ponds, rock gardens, golf course…} parking is plentiful but it seemed to consist of mostly parallel parking along the park roads. We had to walk a wee bit from the car to the zoo entrance but the park grounds are amazingly beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed the variety of plants, flowers and bushes that we found along the way. I wish I had taken pictures but I was trying to conserve my phone’s battery. If we are able to visit this zoo again, I will be better prepared!

GIFT SHOP: The size of the gift shop was in-line with the size of the zoo. Our son, who firmly believes he needs a new stuffed animal every time we go to a new zoo, was thrilled to find a huge selection of nice animals and a “sale” going on. My rule is that any stuffed animal he buys at a zoo needs to be an animal he saw at said zoo and preferably one he does not already have. He chose a Sifaka and an Anteater. 

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE: {Giraffe Encounter} They offer this experience twice each day at 11:45 and 2pm. The cost is $5 {cash only} for one person to feed two small tree branches to a giraffe.  We arrived at the giraffe enclosure about 30 minutes early because I wanted to be sure we were early enough to ensure a spot. The waiting area is a huge shaded area that offers a nice view of the giraffes and also a backview of the zebras. The animal keeper arrived about 1:55pm and, before accepting any money, explained that the giraffes did NOT show any interest in eating during the earlier time slot {11:30} and had not shown any interest at all the day before. Apparently, the recent rain had created enough mud that not even a couple of tasty tree branches were enough incentive for the ungulates to get dirty. But, we were first up, and luckily we were greeted by the most lovely reticulated guy who seemed rather pleased with our offering.  He ambled over slowly but took no time in reaching for the branch that my son was offering. It took all I had to follow the zookeeper’s instructions to NOT reach out and touch that beautiful face. I just knew he had super soft lips like a horse does and he seemed soooooooooooooooo sweet. But, I resisted the temptation and took pics instead. The experience was well worth $5 and I would love to do it again! {NOTE: After our giraffe encounter was over, we still had some other animals to visit which looped us back near the giraffes about 30 minutes later. I noticed at that time, though people were waiting to feed them, no giraffes were approaching the area. I don’t know if they were all full or grew tired of the mud, but I am so glad we were in line first!}

ENJOYMENT RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ The simplicity of the footprint, the variety of animals and the giraffe encounter made for a wonderful experience. We would recommend this zoo to anybody who is wanting a traditional feeling zoo without the long lines and rigorous walks of a larger sized zoo. {Note: There are no elephants residing at the Sac Zoo so be sure your little ones aren’t expecting to view Dumbo during your visit.}

EDUCATION RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥  The Sac Zoo boasts about education  in their mission statement but it’s not just empty words with them! 1. During our relatively short visit, we encountered a zookeeper in front of the gift shop showing off an animal not just once, but twice! The zookeeper was friendly, patient and helpful. She answered our questions, listened to my son compare “his” animals {from his volunteer position} to hers and allowed us to touch them.  It was a very inviting experience and I was glad that she was there twice for us to enjoy.  2. Not only does the Sac Zoo clearly and accurately label their animal enclosures, they go beyond that by including some extra info about the particular animals on display. Two examples of that was a sign about the cougar’s missing tail and a “Keeper’s Notes” entry on a big whiteboard  explaining that the pair of gibbons we were looking at was actually a 47-year-old father/31-year-old daughter pair! And, many of their animals sported signs that explained when and where they had been born plus other funny facts like, “Pablo {the chimp} is everybody’s friend and doesn’t like too much drama”.   3. Their website is a treasure trove of educational info. It lists every animal residing at the Sac Zoo and includes a link to a PDF filled with loads of great info about each animal. 

ENCLOSURE RATING: ♥♥♥♥_ The Sacramento Zoo has an unusually small footprint for a capital city.  As a result, many of the enclosures are smallish and a lot of ugly chain-link fence is still in use. But the animals seemed well taken care of content. Plus, there is a lot of current talk about relocating the zoo to a bigger location. Additional info on that hot topic can be found on their website. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would highly recommend it, especially to families with kids. It’s easy to explore, not too big or too busy, educationally engaging and offers a wide variety of animals!

CONTACT INFO: 3930 West Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822 ~
916-808-5888 ~ https://www.saczoo.org/

ZOO REVIEW 1- Cat Tales Wildlife Center

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Animals are our son’s passion and at 12-years-old, he insists he wants to be a professional zookeeper when he grows up. In addition to driving him to his position as a volunteer animal caretaker at the local museum multiple times each week, my husband and I enjoy taking him to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, etc. Besides making memories for our little family, each experience provides new educational opportunities for our son and seems to cement his career choice even further. My professor-by-trade husband calls it “research”. I just call it fun! 

We visited this zoo on a recent trip to see my brother and his wife on their new farm in Cheney, Washington. While there, my sister-in-law suggested we visit Cat Tales Wildlife Center so we spent part of an afternoon exploring this little gem…

NAME: Cat Tales Wildlife Center {also listed as Cat Tales Zoological Park}

LOCATION: Mead, WA {close to Spokane}

HOURS: {Summer} 10am-5PM,  {Winter} 10am-4pm, closed Mondays

ADMSSION RATES:  {​Adults} $10.00;    {Seniors/Students} $8.00;    {Children 3-12} $5.00; {senior citizens on Sundays, handicapped always, active duty military/veterans/law enforcement/firefighters with ID} FREE 

DESCRIPTION: Cat Tales is a small nonprofit sanctuary for rescued big cats and other wildlife.  The animals have been rescued from unfortunate “pet” situations, retired from the entertainment industry and rehabilitated after unfortunate injuries in the wild.  Current animals include: two American Black Bears, four North American Bobcats, three coyotes, one Red Fox, one African Lion, one Canadian Lynx, two North American Pumas, several tigers and a wolf-hybrid. 

SIZE: This is a very small zoo, which makes it ideal for quick visits. You could easily do the entire zoo {and still  be very thorough} in an hour. If we lived in the area, we could definitely get a membership and visit frequently.

ACCESS: Super duper uber easy to get around. It’s all flat and involves no stairs at all. There is a ramp that leads into the gift shop, but other than that, the grounds are as flat as can be. Strollers, walkers and wheelchairs would be easily managed. There are also lots of places to sit along the way.

PARKING: Free, plentiful and close to the entrance!

FOOD/DRINKS: There are no snack shops or restaurants of any sort but there are a few food/drink items available in the gift shop. My husband bought a candy bar and soda and didn’t grumble about the price so it must’ve been on some sort of reasonable level. 

GIFT SHOP:  As would be expected at a small zoo, the gift shop is also rather small BUT besides the obligatory stuffed toys and souvenir mugs, it does hold some fun surprises. The nursery is adjacent to and totally viewable from inside the gift shop. During our visit, they had Red Fox kits in the nursery which were adorable to see! There is also a small museum of sorts that includes some full size taxidermied animals. 

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE: {Big Cat and Bear Adventures} Doing one of these is a must! The cost of $10 to feed a bear, lion or tiger is totally worth it! The Kid fed grapes to a black bear and we both fed meat to a tiger (we paid for a total of three “adventures”.) The bear was hilariously excited about his grapes….like, hopping on his feet in happy anticipation of each grape. Because the kid is only 12 years old, an adult was expected to participate as well (bummer for me, ha ha!) So, I had a front row view of the grateful bear! That experience left me wanting to hug the big fuzzy guy and feed him grapes by the boatload. {But, of course I have a healthy respect for wild animals and would never do such a thing!} The tiger was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more intimidating and serious and did not greet each bite with glee like the bear. Rather, he paced between bites and eyeballed the food as it went from the zookeeper to me and finally through the hole. The experience definitely left me in awe of its intimidating size, amazing strength and natural ferocity. Both experiences were totally 100% safe because the animals are securely contained behind a fence with an extra barrier of something (plexiglass maybe). And you use a funny looking stick to put each piece of food through a hole that the animal grabs with its mouth. Each “adventure” consists of feeding an animal probably 6-8 pieces of food so it’s well worth the price. If you are interested in participating in an adventure, the gift shop sells the passes and also provides a cute magnet to memorialize the adventure.

ENJOYMENT RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ Though this is a small zoo with a very limited number of animals, it was highly enjoyable for our family. The size lends itself to easily viewable enclosures and creates a feeling of being unusually close to the animals. And the experience of feeding a bear and tiger was uniquely enjoyable for sure!

EDUCATION RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥  1. All enclosures were marked with the animal’s name and species and some included the story of how they ended up at Cat Tales. There’s the bear who was being raised in a bath tub and the wolf-hybrid who was found injured with a metal chain trailing behind him. 2. While we participated in the Big Cat and Bear Adventures, the zookeeper provided a lot of interesting info and answered our dozens of questions. He seemed very engaged in the process of educating us about the animals in his care.  3. While in the gift shop, we also met a couple of other keepers, one an intern and the other a student. Both were very willing to chat with us, not only about the animals, but also their experience in the field. It turns out that Cat Tales offers a Zookeeper program on-site, which we will keep in mind for our son in the future.

ENCLOSURE RATING: ♥♥♥♥_  It’s a small zoo with small enclosures and while that creates a very engaging viewing experience, it does make one wonder if the animals are “happy” in their space. But, each enclosure did include some sort of private area for the animal to escape to, though most were out and about while we were there {so maybe they are, in fact, happy to see guests.} And when you consider the fact that these animals were all rescued from bad situations and are now obviously being well cared for, things seem to even out. Plus, I saw on their website that they are in the middle of creating a new space for the wolf, foxes and coyotes so it seems they have the right idea. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: If you’ve never heard of Cat Tales Zoological Park, you’re in good company because we hadn’t either. But I’m so glad we were able to experience this little gem.  Not only do we want to take every opportunity to take our zoologist-in-training to a new zoo, we want to have him experience a variety of types and sizes of zoos. Don’t come to Cat Tales expecting the San Diego Zoo or anything remotely similar. It is small. But it is enjoyable, educational and endearing. Each animal there has a tale to tell…a tale of survival. 

CONTACT INFO:

www.cattales.org~(509) 238-4126~17020 N Newport Hwy Mead, WA 99021

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